V I V A Z I V A ! n e w s l e t t e r

▪volume number: 1313 ▪ FREE 'OP ART' CUSHION DESIGN ▪

Thanks so much for subscribing to the VIVA ZIVA! Newsletter.

We’ll be issuing a newsletter regularly, with a new free design each time... exclusively created for this newsletter.

NEW DESIGNS JUST RELEASED!

We’ve just finished creating the ZIVA CARPET COLLECTION and the ZIVA NEEDLEPOINT ART COLLECTION for those of you who have asked us for larger projects to work on!

Learn the Brick Stitch, and stitch this RETRO OP ART design, ‘SIXTIES ILLUSIONS” , to create a funky cushion.

Repeat the pattern and you can make it the size you want!

WHAT’S IN EACH VIVA ZIVA! NEWSLETTER?

• New Designs & Updates
• Your Stitch to Try
• FREE Design
• Ask the ZIVA DIVA!
• Next Issue

NEW DESIGNS & UPDATES

ZIVA CARPET COLLECTION DESIGNS

TWELVE NEEDLEPOINT CARPET DESIGNS TO CHOOSE FROM!

Why not create a needlepoint area rug inspired by the feminine and luxurious allure of ART NOUVEAU …..

Or by well-known British designers from the ARTS and CRAFTS Movement?

Or why not stitch an area rug pattern inspired by the ART DECO era….

a period famous for its revolutionary and striking abstract and geometric patterns, as shown in the photo above.

All timeless designs that work well in today’s homes, and will last for generations!

On the Shopping for Area Rugs page, you will see the sizes of the rugs listed. Contact us if you are looking for a custom size.

NEW FEATURE FROM ZIVA: PRICE REDUCTIONS FOR AREA RUGS!

Hand-painting these large canvases is labour-intensive.

To reduce the cost to you, we offer an ALTERNATE PRICE OPTION to some of the area rug designs.

That means we would NOT HAND-PAINT the central and/or background colour, where it’s feasible with the design motif.

The Description Section on the Shopping Page states where this alternate option is available. Your choice.

MORE TO COME! I’m presently developing some Persian and Modern needlepoint carpet designs to add to this collection!

ZIVA NEEDLEPOINT ART COLLECTION DESIGNS

NEW FROM ZIVA!

NINE NEEDLEPOINT ART DESIGNS TO CHOOSE FROM!

A wonderful selection of needlepoint art designs on offer… modernist-inspired designs from the 1920’s flavoured with Art Nouveau touches and adventurous abstractionism!

Or you could select minimalist designs inspired by the eloquent simplicity of Japanese designs also from the 1920’s.

Celebrate the beauty of textile art and create a stunning tapestry for your home!

Just as for Needlepoint carpets, Ziva offers PRICE REDUCTIONS FOR NEEDLEPOINT ART!

On the Shopping for Needlepoint Art page, you will see the sizes of the tapestry designs listed PLUS the alternate pricing for NOT HAND-PAINTING the background for some of the designs. Have a look.

Again, Contact us if you are looking for a custom size.

MAKING UP TIPS FOR NEEDLEPOINT ART

On the Needlepoint Art page, we have included ideas for making up your textile art…. from wall hangings, to stretching the canvas on a wood frame...

Or elegantly framing it like one of my clients, Starr (at right), has done with a deep burgundy suede mat and a majestic flat black frame. Stunning!

Thanks for sharing your photo of your beautiful needlework ‘Poured Colours’ with us, Starr!

ZIVA’S DESIGN UPDATES

TESTIMONIALS

They’re ZIVA’s designs, but they’re your creations!

Thank you for sending your wonderful Testimonials and letting us share them with our subscribers!

Above left is Peg, whose stitched ‘Morris’ piano bench cover was featured in the last newsletter. Her tapestry is now upholstered and sitting handsomely in her son and daughter-in-law’s home.

Karen (above centre) is proudly displaying her finished custom ‘Dutch Iris’ handbag . She’s stitched it exquisitely in a silk and wool blend thread from Silk and Ivory, with the side gusset and strap made up in soft black leather.

And here’s Nancy (top right) standing beside her beautiful Tabriz piano bench seat pad !

Note the very clever use of straps to hold the seat pad to the bench top. Great idea!

Keep sending your finished Ziva needlework: I’d love to share it with Ziva’s subscribers.

WELL DONE TO ALL OF YOU !

YOUR STITCH TO TRY

THE BRICK STITCH

WHY THE BRICK STITCH?

I created a funky OP ART cushon design for this newsletter… but what stitch to use?

I wanted a stitch that would give me hard–edge, clean lines to be sure that the optical illusions in the design would work.

It also had to be a stitch that works equally and precisely no matter whether it’s stitched horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

The BRICK STITCH ticks all the boxes!

You’ll notice with the photo above, I was able to create the hard edge of the cube by stitching the vertical stripes with the vertical Brick Stitch.

I then stitched the Brick stitch horizontally for the horizontal stripes in order to emphasize the movement of the design.

Likewise, its strong lines and flexibility enabled me to use it diagonally to strengthen the interaction between illusion and the picture plane.

METHOD:

Study the chart to the right. Take a piece of scrap canvas and yarn and practice the stitch, following the steps below:

1. On the turquoise row, bring the needle up at A to the right side of the canvas, count over two threads up and stitch down at B.
2. Like rows of bricks, bring the needle up at C one row up, count over two threads up and stitch down at D.
3. Repeat in the same manner over the length of the row.
4. Start the next row (in orange) and stitch from left to right staggering the stitches as described above.
5. Work compensation stitches (in purple) to create a straight edge

PRACTICE FIRST!

Keep practicing until you feel confident that you’ve got it! Then you are ready to stitch the free design.

FREE DESIGN

‘SIXTIES ILLUSIONS’ CUSHION DESIGN

OP ART, POP ART and the SWINGING SIXTIES!

Using the Brick stitch exclusively, I created several optical illusions in this ‘OP ART’ cushion design, inspired by the art movements of the ‘Swinging Sixties’.

One square of this psychedelic design is approximately 6” square.

Its 12 bright primary colours and geometric shapes can be repeated to create four squares for a 12” x 12” cushion (above) ; 6 squares for an 18” x 12” cushion etc. As big or as small as you want!

The design takes on a different illusion, with each square interacting and vibrating with the one beside it! Groovy!

Other ways to use this design?

Why not frame it for a bit of retro Op Art fun? What about making it up as a tote bag … also possible! Teens would love it!

Go to the brick stitch free designs page to see some of these making up ideas.

Other yarns?

I stitched the design in cotton yarn (colours listed below), but it would look amazingly vibrant in silk or silk and wool blend yarns.

NOTE: I doubled up the cotton yarn on my needle to hide the canvas. If you use other yarns, test how much yarn you need on your needle before you start.

READING THE CHARTS:

NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• I’ve divided the chart into two vertical sections to make it easier for you to read in this newsletter format.
• Print the left side and right side charts.
  You will see that I’ve overlapped the design on the chart, so that there are 7 vertical rows repeated.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE CHART:
• Carefully cut along the inside vertical line on the right side chart.
• Line up the design vertically, overlapping the right side chart over the left side chart (Use the top 2 blue stitches on the right side as your guide).
• Make sure both sides are straight and tape together with transparent tape to make up the full chart.

CHART #1 BRICK STITCH CHART LEFT SIDE

CHART #2 BRICK STITCH CHART RIGHT SIDE

YARN COLOURS

NOTE: For best coverage of the canvas, double the yarn on your needle throughout.

All colours for the cushion are chosen from DMC Soft Mat yarns.

They are readily available at your local needlepoint shop or online.

12 DMC SOFT MAT yarn colours :

• #2947 bright orange
• #2900 red orange
• #2396 light mauve
• #2719 fuchsia
• #2827 light blue
• #2995 bright blue
• # 2820 dark Blue
• # 2912 light green
• # 2909 green
• # 2499 dark green
• # 2398 grey purple
• # 2497 red brown

Taking into account of doubling the yarn for best coverage, you will need 2 skeins of each colour to stitch one 6” square of the design.
Multiply by 4 to create four squares as shown above, times 6 for six squares, etc.

OTHER MATERIALS

You will also need :

• mono interlock or evenweave canvas at 12 mesh;
  Allowing for 2” (5 cm) of extra canvas on all sides, you will need:
  10” x 10” of canvas (25.5 x 25.5 cm) for one 6” square:
  16” x 16” (40 cm x 40 cm) of canvas for four 6”squares , etc.
• Needlepoint Needle: For 12-mesh canvas, use size 18 needle
• Masking Tape
• For making up: cotton or wool fabric for back of cushion in one of the pattern colours and cushion filling

Go to the ZIVA site for more detail info on the MATERIALS required.

STITCHING IN PROGRESS

• As usual, start by putting masking tape on the canvas edges to protect the yarns from getting frayed.
• POSITIONING ON THE CANVAS:
• Allow for 2” (5 cm) of canvas on all sides around your finished tapestry.
• You can start stitching the pattern at the top right (or left) if you want, and work you way from top to bottom.
• Or you can start with the central cube pattern as I did. If you do start there, allow for another approximately 1” (2.5 cm) of stitching at the top and sides when positioning on canvas.