Updated January 28, 2020.
Several years ago I stitched this Ladybug on a charing Charley Harper canvas. I love ladybugs, always have (but then I’ve never lived in a place with major infestations of them). This one is the Two-spotted Ladybug, but there are many other kinds, not all of them red.
The red is stitched in Double Woven, above, using Silk & Ivory. I find the rhythm of this stitch very comforting and I like that it stitches up fast. Although the stitch isn’t directional, I made the two sides symmetrical by lining up the center stitches and having them slant in different directions.
The spots are stitched in Basketweave using black Silk & Ivory, but I wanted the spots to look very round. Round is a problem in needlepoint. Jessicas make things round, but have far more texture than I want here.
The solution is to use Whipped Backstitch, above. You can make the outline thick or thin and the wrapping turns everything into a nice round shape. Since I didn’t want the outline to be too obvious, I used Mandarin Floss for it. I’m trying to decide if I want to do the same thing for the gold dots once I get there.
I want the antennae and details on the head to be straight lines, so they will need to be in both Continental and Reverse Continental. To make this easier to do, the black behind them will be stitched in the same stitch. The face will be done next, the antennae after the background.
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
What is the size is this ladybug?
This canvas is pretty big with the ladybug 6-8″ But I believe their ore some ornament-sized ones in this collection.
Keep stitching,
Janet