Thursday, May 10, 2012

New Cross Stitch Project - "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

New Cross Stitch Project - "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa WentzlerMy next project is probably going to take forever, but this is such a gorgeous design, and my fiancé has an entire house full of furniture made from re-purposed Asian teak wood, so I am going to try to finish this before the wedding.

Here is a link to the chart, a stunning 13" x 17" monster, and a picture of the model piece:

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler
"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

Daunting, huh?  Well, here goes nothing.

I am going to stitch this beauty over two threads on 28-count antique white Monaco fabric.  It is important to note that there are some errata in the chart, so make sure to check TW's website before starting (she lists the errata for each piece for reference).  Also, there are some specialty materials involved, so here is where you can find them:
In case you are confused, the numbering system for Kreinik threads can be a little problematic.  The braids are described by weight (#4 is lighter than #8, #8 is lighter than #12, and so on up to #32), and the blending filament is a one-stranded metallic thread.  The number at the end is the color code: #002 is gold, and there are various different types (#002V = vintage, #002HL = high luster, #002J = Japan gold).  If you poke around the Kreinik website, you can see what I'm talking about.

First, I whip-stitched the edges to keep them from fraying.  You can just use any spare thread for this.  I used to use masking tape, and whip-stitching takes a little longer, but I don't like the sticky residue the tape leaves on your hands as you work on the piece later.  Here is a piece of the finished edge:

Whip-stitched edge - prevents fraying
Whip-stitched edge - prevents fraying
For designs like this, I usually stitch the outside border first and make ultra-sure that the dimensions are right before I stitch the inside.  That way, I have a solid, verified reference point for everything in the design.  You can just stitch one leg of each "X" the first time around to save yourself time if you need to remove stitches.  This particular design is wider than my embroidery hoop, so I stitch halfway across the fabric and then place a loose stitch with contrasting floss to mark the halfway point, like this:

Loose placekeeper stitch placed at halfway point to keep track when I move my hoop
Loose placekeeper stitch placed at halfway point to keep track when I move my hoop
When I go back to put the top halves of the "X"s in, I will remove this stitch - it is just temporary to help me count.

I also placed a loose marker "X" in the lower right corner outside of the border (and marked it on my pattern) to keep my piece from being flipped upside down as I work.  It is tough to see, but it's about an inch in from the outside edge of the fabric.

Marker "X" in the lower right corner
Marker "X" in the lower right corner

Now, I can stitch all around the outside of the design's edge.  Here is what it looks like when I'm done:

Entire edge finished - serves as reference frame for design
Entire edge finished - serves as reference frame for design

For this design, I am going to work one corner at a time until the frame is finished, then I will stitch the dragon in the middle.  So, to wrap up this post, here is a detail of the bottom left corner so far:

Detail of bottom left corner - one color only
Detail of bottom left corner - one color only


Until next time...


6 comments:

  1. Hi Erin........I found your blog and shop thru Etsy. Great Stitching!!! I've been stitching since I was about 15 (I'm 47 now - wow, how did I get this old?), but I still love xs.
    I do alot of embroidering for my Etsy shop but I think xs is still prob my favorite. I love to see the younger generation keeping the needle arts alive.
    I'm adding your blog to my google reader and I've added your Etsy shop to my circle.
    Good luck with your shop and keep up the great work!
    www.robinpich.blogspot.com
    www.etsy.com/thirtyone13

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  2. I forgot to add - i LOVE your blog and shop name, :-)

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  3. I am glad you like it here! Thanks for looking around. I have been cross stitching since I was about 12 years old (15 years!), and I love it even more now than I did then. I am trying to get away from pre-patterned work and start some of my own designs. I'm adding you to my subscription list!

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  4. The dragons will be beautiful, I have been stitching since I was 10......(20 years now) and I am amazed at how much I still have to learn, but I too am starting to branch out and recently have started designing my own patterns. It is fun and exciting. I love your work.

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  5. Hey Erin, I have a huge favor to ask. I have been working on this project since 2004. My daughter claimed right to the pages I was finished with on my pattern, so now I have a problem. I need the pattern for section 3 because I have a small segment that was left unfinished. Is there any way you would send me a jpeg of section 3. All I even need is the section between the two hind legs. I have an arch of the tail uncompleted. My email is 2moncurs@gmail.com. Please let me know if you are willing to do this!
    Thanks a bunch!!

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  6. Hope you see this and can respond. (1) What size fabric did you use? I can do the math myself and figure it out, but I'd rather ask. (2) Is the whip stitch really just wrapped around the edge of the fabric? Does it really do a good job of preventing fraying?

    I've had this chart in my stash for YEARS and am planning to start it in the next month or so.

    Thanks!

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