The Stash Busting Canvaswork Footstool – Stitching Begins
Once I’d drawn out the size I thought I needed for the footstool cover, I needed to think about how to break it up and make something that looked deliberate.
I could, of course, take inspiration from Grandmama’s everlasting crochet blankets, made, I think, purely to keep herself occupied in times of trial. But somehow, that didn’t seem quite right. Maybe the footstool area seemed too small for that to work properly.
I gave some thought to how to divide up the space, but compared with the Crazy Canvaswork Cushion, the idea fell together really quite quickly.
I divided the area into seven sections, one long diagonal and three on either side, and then stitched along those lines in grey wool, using framed mosaic stitch.
Then I started with the first section. The colour scheme was rather determined by what I felt I had a sufficient amount of thread for, and I decided after some experimentation that I was going to confine myself to diagonal stitches, and what’s more, that the diagonal stitches were all going to slant the same way. I’ve discovered that not all “Tapestry Wool” hanks are created equal, and some are distinctly thinner and sparser than others, so I really don’t need the added difficulty of making stitch directions mesh!
The next episode – Episode 37 – of SlowTVStitchery is now live. It considers the attraction of literary adventures, additional details on the Amarna Family Group, and the preferability of overcast weather for goldwork.
Your grandmother’s crocheted blanket is beautiful, and yes, I can imagine her making them was a comforting process for dealing with stressful events. The footstool pattern and beginning looks great.
Well, that’s off to a bold and cheerful start. My maternal grandmother used to knit endless blanket squares after her eyesight began to fail. She didn’t worry over much about dropped stitches, she just enjoyed the process. A good attitude. We spent a lot of time unravelling them back to the last good bit and picking up the stitches for her again.
Oh, I have been getting behind haven’t I. I love your grandmama’s crochet blanket, the colours are so rich and warm. I also love your angel. The gold you are stitching does indeed flicker and glimmer like the or nue. It catches the light as the angle of the thread turns down to the canvas, and the subtlety of the different golds is wonderful.
The canvaswork footstool cover looks very vibrant, but having revisited your crazy canvaswork cushion I suspect your intention to use up the stash may have been derailed, or, more likely, your stash is rather large!!! And what self respecting stitcher wouldn’t have a large stash I ask myself?!!!
I hope your inspiration flashes again when you revisit the Amarna group. A lot of unpicking might be a tad dispiriting, so hope you can find a solution to the challenges that makes you happy.
Enjoy the soft winter light when it’s there 🙂
You’re off to a good start, and have accomplished a lot already. I can see the yellow and red in Grandmother’s blanket, and am wondering if you have enough yarn of some of the other colours in the blanket. Then the footstool and blanket will be a beautiful combination for home comfort.
I love the cheerful colours of that crotchet blanket.
Love your grandmothers crocheted blanket. I have a collection from my own grandmother so I know just how important they are.
Far more sensible to do diagonal stitches, I spent so much time undoing on a canvas work cushion some years ago.
the blanket caught my eye immediately! The vibrant colours are wonderful.