In my last post we stitched Tara and talked about that special place on earth that we call home. Like Gerald O’Hara tells Scarlett in one of the early scenes “Land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, because it’s the only thing that lasts”. If you’re familiar with this movie though, you know what isn’t going to last... those curtains, because in a moment not so unlike the one in “The Sound of Music”, Scarlet has Mamie pull down those drapes to make her an impressive new frock, and she hasn’t had one of those in a very long time. BY the way, Gone with the Wind (the movie) was released in 1939 and Sound of Music in 1965 but the real Maria von Trapp became the von Trapp nanny in and around 1926 but the GWTW book was published in 1936, before The Sound of Music was a movie, just proves that old adage, there’s no such thing as an original idea! But back to those curtains, they’re the sacrificial lamb because she’s gotta catch herself a man who has a good amount of money and those are difficult to come by even in a less dire economy never mind in times of war! The drapes scene is so iconic that The Carol Burnett Show even did a popular spoof on it. Many of you have probably seen it, I’m sure, but if you’re one of our younger stitchers you may not have and I would be remiss if I didn’t include a link so you could revel in this comic genius: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z723y
A little
trivia told to me by the designer of this canvas, JP Sligh of Labors of Love,
if you look closely at Scarlett’s hat that makes up the curtain outfit, it’s
been adorned with chicken feet! Can you imagine? We’ll just sparkle our-self up
some chicken feet and put them on a hat! I mean you know things are desperate
when you are resorting to tricks like that! But an “A+” for originality! You
have to use what you’ve got and ingenuity NEVER goes out of style. I was
recently telling a good friend, I actually find I am more creative with less
options... if you give me every thread in the store, I can’t decide but give me
2 choices and somehow I’m going to “make it work” (in the words of the pinochle
of taste and style, Mr. Tim Gund).
So my
initial idea was to use green Rainbow Gallery’s Very Velvet but they looked
heavy and foreboding. I wanted something that looked fine and expensive (and I
have never understood velvet drapes in Georgia to be honest). My LNS still has
a stash of Anchor’s Marlitt which I have used for some of the characters’ lips
so far. I confess this isn’t one of my favorite threads but these
colors (1031 and 1033) were spot on perfect, so I’m going with
it. I’ll be using 4 strands using a vertical brick variation over three. It has
an empty space in the middle of each row to show the painting of the canvas
that also adds extra shading which I especially like (with no extra work!). And
it keeps the drapes from looking too heavy. Word to the wise, Marlitt has been
discontinued, so I needed to be certain I would have enough of it. We have all
seen the posts on Needlepoint Nation’s Facebook page or had a stitching friend
run out of something they now can’t get or the dye-lot has significantly
changed. It’s one of a stitcher’s worst nightmares so if you are going to push
that envelope and use something discontinued or limited, err on the side of caution
and be absolutely certain you have enough! I encourage over buying if that’s
what it takes-built in stash enhancement if you will.
You will
notice that I stitched right over Melanie’s veil. I did this when it was over
Ashley’s jacket as well... all will be revealed in time, I promise. Any time
you over something like this up, take a picture before you stitch it for future
reference!
Now what to do with that fringe? Bullion knots were an option,
but I already did a mass of bullions for Bonnie’s hair. Plus, I like to mix
techniques within a canvas and I wanted something really different bordering on
over the top.... it may be background but it doesn’t mean it can’t shine. It’s
always a fine line, you don’t want your background to overtake the design.
B.F. Goodstitch had a trunk show last year of Painter’s Thread and I knew
they did great overdyed threads in these glorious colors with sparkle running
through them, but I didn’t know about their embellishment trims. I highly
recommend you check out their website because you want to be aware of what they
have so you will recognize opportunities when they arise. The minute I saw
their Klimt Gold Single Loop trim, I knew I had to get it because it’s perfect
for our curtains! And it has slight variations to the dying which I think
really adds to it.
This is a thread you couch (aka sew onto the fabric, if you’re a
newbie) because it’s very wide. This isn’t wide enough to totally cover the
area that is painted for the fringe, so I decided to really gild (get it) the
lily and attach two rows, and in one spot three rows of trim after I basket
weaved it with Splendor S1012 and S1011 to make sure the canvas was completely
covered. Again I reached for my favorite clear beading thread by The Collection
to couch (that thread is such a workhorse, so many uses). Also, there is a
right side to this particular trim so maybe sure you are attaching the correct
side up. You do have to plunge the trim at the beginnings and the ends of each
length, otherwise it will unravel- not a good look. But there’s no way we can
put this into a needle, so now what? Enter the “loop method”. My main squeeze
always says it sounds like a form of birth control (someone get Ms. Pittypatt’s
smelling salts—how scandalous!), but it really is such a versatile trick to
have in your arsenal. You take any non-strandable thread about six inches long,
double it and thread your needle. Using a tapered laying tool or a stiletto,
use it to stretch the hole where you want to plunge. Now plunge your needle
through the stretched hole, leaving about an inch of the loop on top. Now take
about 1/4 of an inch of trim and catch it into the loop and now continue to
pull the needle through the hole. Sometimes you to wiggle it a little. Your
trim is now on the back, so you can fold the trim over and neatly whip
stitch it to the back while trying to avoid too much bulk.
Ever have a thread too short to bury? Use the loop method in a
similar way only burying under existing stitches. This also works if you have a
mistake that is isolated, cut just the bad stitch, unpick a few stitches and
use the loop method to bury both ends, you can then go back to fill the
stitches back in.
The last aspect of our curtains is the roping and tassel— we
stitched over the painted tassel with the white siding of Tara, so it’s time to
put it back. And I just so happen to be “partnering” with Fidelis Fenno who has
an extra special flare for tassel making. Fidelis grew up going to the Royal
School in London and has been teaching tassels here in the States for years. So
I (finally) drafted her for assistance. Look at the amazing tiny roping! She
made it the same way as you would any twisted cord and the most adorable teeny
tiny tassel. I’m not going to go into how she did it because most of us have
all made twisted cord and tassels with a piece of cardboard in our childhood.
This is fussy work but Fidelis is the MASTER who makes it sound easy. Fidelis
advises that you play with how many strands of thread to use because you don’t
want it too thin or too chunky, you need to keep the scale in mind, which
brings me to another point, we all know Scarlett didn’t make that curtain
frock, Mamie did, so don’t be afraid to enlist assistance ... if you have a
friend talented at a particular skill/technique, ask for help or a lesson.
Stitching is usually a solitary hobby but it’s even more fun when you
collaborate (which is why I enjoy teaching needlepoint so much)! Your local
needlework shops are a great place for that too. We still have a lot to do on
our canvas and I’m afraid the tassel is going to get battered if I attach it
now, so I’m going to wait and plunge and attach it towards the end of our
project.
And with
that our curtains (and Tara for that matter) are complete.
The question now is what to tackle next? I have some wonderful
things planned for Melanie but Miss Pittypat has some fun elements too.... who
doesn’t love options! While I ponder and scheme my next move, I wish you a very
happy new year full of all the thing you love and marvelous stitching.