After a lot of hard work, a family vacation, and our house cable going down for several days it’s finally finished! My ANG Baltimore Seminar Name Tag is finally stitched!!!
And there was much shouting, laughing and general celebration! Happy Dance!!!
I’m planning on taking my stitched name tag over to my local LNS tomorrow so that it can be made into a finished name tag. They’ll place it over mat board, add a backing, and then sew on cording around all four sides and for a necklace. I picked out a nice tan batik this afternoon that will be used for the backing fabric. I’m not sure what colors we’ll pick out for the cording as we’ll have to see what will work. I definitely want to have the main color of the cording be the tan but somehow I also want to add in the blue or the subtle green color that’s in the background.
I posted earlier that I was going to change the design. I do appreciate the hard work of the volunteers who designed the original name tag but I decided that I wanted to make it more mine and more reflective of the Chesapeake Bay area. That’s one of the reasons I love needlepoint. It’s harder to modify a cross stitch pattern (or at least in my opinion it is), but I love that you can change stitches, threads, and colors in needlepoint and still add up with a fun design!
The original lighthouse looked too much like a New England lighthouse to me instead of what is found locally in the Chesapeake Bay area. My inspiration for my lighthouse was the Hooper’s Strait lighthouse which is now part of the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum. I’ve also placed it on my name tag close to where St. Michael’s is located. I changed the sailboat from the original design so that it looks more like a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack. Or at least to my eyes!
I also changed the shape of the Chesapeake Bay to show the major rivers that flow into the Bay. The original design did not show any rivers and was stitched in a solid color. I stitched mine with a variegated thread (1 strand of Water Colors Night Sky) to try to show some of the movement of the water. I did try a pattern stitch but nothing worked very well so I stitched the Bay in continental so that the color would change horizontally. To add more of a watery feel, I also added a strand of blending filament (Kreinik’s #006) which is a teal/blue color to try to show some of the water sparkles.
I also added some stitching to show the Chesapeake Bay Bridges. I couldn’t fit both of the twin spans on my name tag, but one will show the connection between Maryland’s Western and Eastern shores. It will also add a metallic element to the design and a subtle sparkle in the center of the Bay.
The background is stitched in a Horizontal Brick Stitch in Vineyard Silk’s Tone on Tone in T-808 Sand. This is the first time that I have used Vineyard Silk threads and I thoroughly enjoyed this new thread. I didn’t have to worry about laying threads and since I needed to stitch this quickly that was definitely a consideration in what fibers I selected. Vineyard Silks has a very nice hand and covers 18 count very well. I’m looking forward to trying their other two lines of threads.
I’m very satisfied with how this turned out but if I was going to stitch this design again I would change one thing. I stitched the bay with a straight left side as when see from high above, there isn’t much curve or large rivers on that section of the bay. If I was doing this again, I would curve the bay more on the left so that it doesn’t look quite so rigid. Unfortunately, since I was stitching with a variegated thread by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late to add a little more curve as the new stitches would never have blended in with the original stitches.
I also carried the Brick Stitch throughout the ANG Baltimore Seminar and the lettering for my name. This gave a softer less distinct look which I do like. If I was going to do this again, I would consider basket weave stitching with DMC #5 a small area around the lettering. The lettering would be more distinct and it would be easier to stitch the Brick Stitch through this area.
I also removed a stitched crab that was in the original design. I felt it made the design too busy and since the pattern included a silver crab charm, I felt the stitched crab wasn’t necessary.
To create my design I spent a lot of time with graph paper, maps of the Bay, pictures of the Hooper’s Strait lighthouse, and of Skipjacks. It took apx. 8 – 10 hours to design my name tag. Once I had it graphed, I was able to decide on the colors I would need for the various elements and I started stitching. I didn’t keep track of my time, but I would estimate that it took between 15 – 25 hours to stitch. The compensation slowed me down a little but the real time was spent stitching the Bay. Somehow I got off in my counting from the graph and I was adjusting the stitching from then on. So I guess you can say that from the middle to the top of the Bay, I was designing as I was stitching! And after all of that hard work on the design. Sigh…
There is also some subtle back stitching on the design, around the lighthouse and to show the ropes on the Skipjack. These may not show up very well in the pictures but they do add to the look of the design when seen in person.
I’ll post pictures of the name tag once it’s finished!
Jane, you were curious as to how I would fit everything on this small space. What do you think?
Jane, Pat, and Kelly, pictures as promised!
By the way, our house cable was nicked by the cable company while running new cable throughout the development. They repaired it very quickly but have you ever lived with three other people (two of them teenagers) all going through Internet and email withdrawal? It’s not a pretty sight!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
Original Comments:
- It is great! I really like all the details you designed. And, you have my sympathy for the cable withdrawals. Hard to believe a few years ago, we all managed just fine. LOL
And there was much shouting, laughing and general celebration! Happy Dance!!!
I’m planning on taking my stitched name tag over to my local LNS tomorrow so that it can be made into a finished name tag. They’ll place it over mat board, add a backing, and then sew on cording around all four sides and for a necklace. I picked out a nice tan batik this afternoon that will be used for the backing fabric. I’m not sure what colors we’ll pick out for the cording as we’ll have to see what will work. I definitely want to have the main color of the cording be the tan but somehow I also want to add in the blue or the subtle green color that’s in the background.
I posted earlier that I was going to change the design. I do appreciate the hard work of the volunteers who designed the original name tag but I decided that I wanted to make it more mine and more reflective of the Chesapeake Bay area. That’s one of the reasons I love needlepoint. It’s harder to modify a cross stitch pattern (or at least in my opinion it is), but I love that you can change stitches, threads, and colors in needlepoint and still add up with a fun design!
The original lighthouse looked too much like a New England lighthouse to me instead of what is found locally in the Chesapeake Bay area. My inspiration for my lighthouse was the Hooper’s Strait lighthouse which is now part of the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum. I’ve also placed it on my name tag close to where St. Michael’s is located. I changed the sailboat from the original design so that it looks more like a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack. Or at least to my eyes!
I also changed the shape of the Chesapeake Bay to show the major rivers that flow into the Bay. The original design did not show any rivers and was stitched in a solid color. I stitched mine with a variegated thread (1 strand of Water Colors Night Sky) to try to show some of the movement of the water. I did try a pattern stitch but nothing worked very well so I stitched the Bay in continental so that the color would change horizontally. To add more of a watery feel, I also added a strand of blending filament (Kreinik’s #006) which is a teal/blue color to try to show some of the water sparkles.
I also added some stitching to show the Chesapeake Bay Bridges. I couldn’t fit both of the twin spans on my name tag, but one will show the connection between Maryland’s Western and Eastern shores. It will also add a metallic element to the design and a subtle sparkle in the center of the Bay.
The background is stitched in a Horizontal Brick Stitch in Vineyard Silk’s Tone on Tone in T-808 Sand. This is the first time that I have used Vineyard Silk threads and I thoroughly enjoyed this new thread. I didn’t have to worry about laying threads and since I needed to stitch this quickly that was definitely a consideration in what fibers I selected. Vineyard Silks has a very nice hand and covers 18 count very well. I’m looking forward to trying their other two lines of threads.
I’m very satisfied with how this turned out but if I was going to stitch this design again I would change one thing. I stitched the bay with a straight left side as when see from high above, there isn’t much curve or large rivers on that section of the bay. If I was doing this again, I would curve the bay more on the left so that it doesn’t look quite so rigid. Unfortunately, since I was stitching with a variegated thread by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late to add a little more curve as the new stitches would never have blended in with the original stitches.
I also carried the Brick Stitch throughout the ANG Baltimore Seminar and the lettering for my name. This gave a softer less distinct look which I do like. If I was going to do this again, I would consider basket weave stitching with DMC #5 a small area around the lettering. The lettering would be more distinct and it would be easier to stitch the Brick Stitch through this area.
I also removed a stitched crab that was in the original design. I felt it made the design too busy and since the pattern included a silver crab charm, I felt the stitched crab wasn’t necessary.
To create my design I spent a lot of time with graph paper, maps of the Bay, pictures of the Hooper’s Strait lighthouse, and of Skipjacks. It took apx. 8 – 10 hours to design my name tag. Once I had it graphed, I was able to decide on the colors I would need for the various elements and I started stitching. I didn’t keep track of my time, but I would estimate that it took between 15 – 25 hours to stitch. The compensation slowed me down a little but the real time was spent stitching the Bay. Somehow I got off in my counting from the graph and I was adjusting the stitching from then on. So I guess you can say that from the middle to the top of the Bay, I was designing as I was stitching! And after all of that hard work on the design. Sigh…
There is also some subtle back stitching on the design, around the lighthouse and to show the ropes on the Skipjack. These may not show up very well in the pictures but they do add to the look of the design when seen in person.
I’ll post pictures of the name tag once it’s finished!
Jane, you were curious as to how I would fit everything on this small space. What do you think?
Jane, Pat, and Kelly, pictures as promised!
By the way, our house cable was nicked by the cable company while running new cable throughout the development. They repaired it very quickly but have you ever lived with three other people (two of them teenagers) all going through Internet and email withdrawal? It’s not a pretty sight!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
Original Comments:
- It is great! I really like all the details you designed. And, you have my sympathy for the cable withdrawals. Hard to believe a few years ago, we all managed just fine. LOL
NC Pat – Needleart Nut
- Hi Pat,
- Hi Pat,
Glad you like the details on the name tag. I also have some very small buttons that I'll add to it once it comes back from the finisher. We have to add our Windy Meadow details!I'm crossing my fingers that they can have it finished in time for seminar. If not, I'll probably change it into an ornament.
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
- Good luck with getting it, and have a wonderful time at seminar!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
- Good luck with getting it, and have a wonderful time at seminar!
NC Pat – Needleart Nut
- And a lovely picture it is! Love the nametag Cynthia. The lighthouse looks just like the one in St. Michaels.
- And a lovely picture it is! Love the nametag Cynthia. The lighthouse looks just like the one in St. Michaels.
Kelly W.
- Hi Kelly,
- Hi Kelly,
Thanks!Glad to hear that you think I managed to make my lighthouse look like the Hoopers Strait lighthouse!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
- Hi Pat,Thanks!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
Originally Posted: August 4, 2007
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
- Hi Pat,Thanks!
Cynthia
Windy Meadow
Originally Posted: August 4, 2007
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