The Stitching Thread

Now the task is to pull it all together and get started. I have my project idea, reference materials, and a tentative selection of fabric and flosses to use. At this point I do a rough sketch, followed by some more rough sketches and perhaps even more rough sketches. After all, I can throw away a piece of paper with no problem. It is the stitching of the piece and the accompanying heartache of having to take stitches out when I discover something doesn’t look quite right. Ever had that feeling? Rough drafts help me to define many design aspects to include balance, rhythm, proportion, composition and focal points. Balance is the equal visual “weight” both horizontally and vertically within the design. Rhythm is the concept of “keeping it all moving” when you look at a design - do your eyes move easily around the design and look at it as a whole then land on particular elements like a main focal point or emphasis. Do my motifs and vignettes work in the areas that I place them or do they detract in some way?

I design almost all of my cross stitch pieces on paper. I use newsprint, tracing paper, graph paper and a light box. After I have a rough draft that pleases me and I am satisfied with, I transfer it to a nice quality vellum or heavier weight tracing paper and begin to graph my shapes and areas using the graph paper. I like to work it all out on paper because I am able to move things around. You would laugh to see some of my roughs because some have a small investment in Scotch tape holding them together! The main reason I do this is flexibility. By playing with a design I can cut it up, move shapes around or take things out. If I were to begin a design on a computer I immediately limit myself. I find that designing can become much harder when trying to move things around on a computer because of the way they are created within the program. Another reason why I work the design out on paper is because of a technique I use - I hang my rough upside down to look at. This is a technique I learned in my art school days from my illustration professor. Hanging the design upside down gives you a new perspective on what the design really looks like. Your brain “sees” the design as something new and you are able to pick up mistakes or work on elements of the design that perhaps need more space or don’t flow very smoothly from one area to another. This technique allows you a fresh look and an opportunity for improvement.

Once I have it on paper, I begin to transfer the design into my computer. I build a shell, then begin choosing my threads using my swatch cards. I like this part of the design process because the programs I use have simulated stitches and fabric colors and they allow me to begin seeing the design and what the end results will be.

Color selection for threads is an important step. I keep in mind basic color theory principles such as hue, intensity, use of analogous or complementary colors, use of neutrals within the design. This is why I always use color swatch cards and actual skeins of floss to lay next to one another on the fabric for consideration. I also use a daylight correct light source to be sure of my selections. I aim to choose colors that can be used in multiple areas of the design, I look for a balance of light and dark colors as well as neutral colors. I take my time on this stage of designing and work on it for as long as I need to be sure that my colors and the design are working well together.

The design process, for me, is not complete unless I stitch the piece. This is important to me as a designer because I always find room for improvement in a design as I go along. I find mistakes in my pattern/chart, I change colors that don’t blend well, I will occassionally remove whole motifs or elements that aren’t working. This is a design process that works well for me because it is a process in which I make choices at every step from beginning to end.

My inspiration comes from things I love and I work that into every design. I was told once that to make a handcrafted item, there is love worked into every stitch. I firmly believe this to be true. It is a lasting expression of love especially when it is a gift given to another.

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