Updated June 21, 2022.
I’m excited to have my friend Sandy Grossman-Morris doing posts on Tuesdays & Fridays for the next two weeks. They are a series we will be doing together about custom needlepoint.
Hi to everyone who’s Nuts About Needlepoint!! For those of you who don’t know me yet, please let me introduce myself. I’m Sandy Grossman-Morris, a designer from (Hotter than Heck) Brentwood in Northern California. I know this because when I originally wrote this our air conditioner decided to retire. Luckily, I’m married to Bob the Builder, who is well aware that I am only comfortable in a room that is cold enough to hang meat in safely. But, I digress. . . I’m really here to spread a little Bloggy Inspiration. . . Creating Custom Needlepoint Canvases.
First of all, I’d like to thank Janet for inviting me to spend this time with all of you. So, pour yourself a cup of tea and get ready to be inspired. I love the challenge of creating Custom Canvases. Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing my knowledge of what makes a great custom design versus a not-so-great design, what I can do to enhance or improve an overall design and encourage you to think outside the box.
What is a Custom Needlepoint Canvas? In a nutshell (you know that I just had to include that little phrase!) it’s when I take your media, such as a photograph or artwork, and put it on needlepoint canvas for you, and then, Voila! it’s Instant Stitching Envy among your friends and family. Trust me, it’s the bee’s knees. BTW, it’s always good to remember that by the very nature of canvas, some of whatever it is you want to be printed onto the canvas will fall into the abyss between the threads. Don’t let this scare you, but keep in mind that every little, microscopic detail may not actually be seen in the final piece. That’s ok.
SuiTaBLe vs. UNSuiTaBLe
Photos of People and Pets: Choosing clearly defined photos with good shading of the face and hair will decrease the “Flat Factor”. Close-ups are best, as 12 stitches do not make for an interesting face! In other words, it’s far better to have a canvas featuring the head and shoulders as opposed to the whole body. A pet, on the other hand, can be featured standing, reclining or a close-up headshot. Fur is much easier to stitch and shade than clothing is. Always, though, the closer the better, in order to capture the facial detail, especially the eyes. Note: Photos that have large areas of dark, mottled colors on the subject itself, may not be suitable if you want to stitch the details that may not be visually apparent. If it’s in the background, it’s probably ok. . . more on that in Part Two.
Houses or Other Buildings generally make good choices, especially if the focus is on one building and it is a head-on shot. Try to choose a photo of the whole house or a specific portion of the house, say, an interesting front porch or an architectural detail such as a turret. Color photos are generally best, but if you want the end result to have artistic flair, a black and white photo may be just what you want to choose, especially if there are no plants to contend with.
Flowers are Fun! Don’t take your photos in full sun, or your flower may end up looking washed out. You’ll want to choose a flower with many shades of color. Take several photos from various angles in order to choose the best one for your project. Close-ups are best, but be sure to keep an eye on the focus. . . . The clearer the photo, the clearer the canvas. A bouquet of flowers would make a beautiful pillow top or chair back, as well as a framed piece. A wedding ring pillow featuring a single flower is a memorable gift for a bride. Note: A large bush of little flowers would be too detailed and would not, in my opinion, be a suitable project. Beware the Darkly Mottle!
Friday, come back to learn about some other kinds of images that work.
From My Little Corner of The World,
Sandy
Please visit me!
website: www.sandygrossman-morris.com
blog: sandygrossman-morris.blogspot.com
For more information about her custom designs, please visit: https://www.sandygrossman-morris.com/sandygrosman-morris.com/Custom_Needlepoint_Designs_by_Sandy_Grossman-Morris.html
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
[…] we learned about some types of images that work for custom needlepoint in Part One of Sandy’s post. Today, we’ll learn about two other types of images. […]