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

▪volume number: 1925▪ FREE NECKLACE DESIGNS ▪

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

We’ll be issuing a newsletter regularly, with a new freedesign each time... exclusively created for the VIVA ZIVA! newsletter.

Over the last months we’ve painted several styles from the late 19th and early 20th century…. from Arts and Crafts to Art Nouveau and early Modernism!

We thought you would like to see these RECENT PAINTINGS…. .

….PLUS……A NEW DESIGN for ANOTHER WALL TAPESTRY INSPIRED BY MACKINTOSH !

FREE NECKLACE DESIGNS

With these three Mackintosh inspired design components, we created several bold necklaces, called ‘Stylized Tulips’ ….. featuring a technique ‘Stem Stitch Filling’.

STITCH ONLY ONE OR COMBINE ALL THREE! They’d make wonderful gifts

Click here to see our newsletter back issues that may interest you!

WHAT’S IN EACH VIVA ZIVA! NEWSLETTER?

• New Designs & Updates
• Recent Paintings
• Your Stitch to Try
• FREEDesign
• Ask the ZIVA DIVA!
• Next Issue

NEW DESIGNS & UPDATES

NEW WALL TAPESTRY INSPIRED BY MACKINTOSH

We just had to add this Mackintosh-inspired ‘Scottish Thistles’ motif to our stained-glass Wall Art Collection!

This motif of the iconic national flower of Scotland dis-plays the fluidity and asymmetry of the Art Nouveau period, and yet it also features curved abstract shapes which evoke characteristics of the early Modernist Movement.

To see our other adapted Mackintosh wall art tapestry ‘Summer Rose’, go to Stained Glass Patterns for Wall Art page.

COLOUR PALETTE

We have added a palette of cool and warm neutrals to the flowing ‘stained glass’ panels as a backdrop to the stronger range of bright roses, rose-pinks, blues, purples and cool turquoise-green.

SIZES

Sizes available:

• approx. 20” x 36” (50 cm x 92 cm)
• or approx. 24” x 43” (60 cm x 110 cm).

NOTE: Custom sizes are available up to 36 “ wide.

What a wonderful dynamic and colourful accent our Scottish Thistles wall tapestry adds to this contemporary bedroom with its neutral palette of taupes and greys!

RECENT PAINTINGS

Two styles from the late 19th and early 20th century……..

The first one above is an ART NOUVEAU cushion design called ‘White Iris’, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting ‘Iris 1889’.

And the second one ‘Dogwood Flowers’ , is a MODERNIST design based on the Abstractionist Art Movements from the early 20th century.

Go to our CUSHION DESIGNS page for more detail about these dynamic designs!

Another strong design movement from this period …… ARTS AND CRAFTS!

Arts and Crafts designers created not just a style, but arguably THE style of 20th century decorative art.

There were many influences that came together to create what came to be known as the “Aesthetic Style”.

The Arts and Crafts Movement played a role in the founding of Bauhaus and Modernism.

At ZIVA, we adapted a stunning early 20th century Gavin Morton-designed Arts & Crafts carpet to create our Morton Donegal Cushion and Area Rug designs.

MORTON DONEGAL CUSHION

The vibrant red field of this design complements the bold Turkish-inspired geometric trellis design of multi-coloured hooked palmettes, and angular vinery…

with one central graphic flower motif in a delicate grey-blue.

MORTON DONEGAL AREA RUG

And the same client also ordered the Morton Donegal Arts and Crafts Area Rug.

We’re just putting the finishing touches on this approx. 24” x 45” (61 x 114 cm) magnificent area rug……it’s ready to stitch!

Go to our Arts and Crafts Area Rugs page for more background on this classic design.

YOUR STITCH/TECHNIQUE TO TRY

STEM STITCH AND STEM STITCH FILLING

STEM STITCH

The Stem Stitch is normally used to create a fine line, straight or curved, in your stitching. You can add or delete the number of threads on your needle for different thickness affects.

Referring to the image at right,

• Work the stitch by bringing the needle up at 1, down at 2; usually 2 threads away.
• Before pulling the yarn down on the canvas, bring the needle up at 3, and pull the yarn snug to the canvas.
• Go down at 4, and come up at 2, and tighten the yarn again.
• You can hold the yarn to either the left or right of the needle when working in a straight line.
• When working a curve, it should be held outside the curve. This is very important to master with the necklace design in this newsletter.

STEM STITCH FILLING

For this newsletter, we used the Stem Stitch Filling as a Feature Stitch for the large ‘tulips’, both three fuchsia colours and one purple colour, in the pattern.

It works extremely well to fill a space and emphasize the flowing nature of the design.

As shown in the top image to the left, start by outlining the space you want to fill with the standard stem stitch.

Then, working close to that outline, continue to work more rows inside the space until it is full. (bottom image)

Note: Generally, the stem stitch filling is also excellent for subtle shading of colours in an area.

PRACTICE THIS NEW STITCH FIRST!

Keep practicing on a piece of 14hpi canvas until you feel you are ready to stitch the free design.

FREE DESIGN

NECKLACE DESIGNS INSPIRED BY MACKINTOSH

THE DESIGN

The free-flowing pattern, called ‘Stylized Tulips’, interacts with all three sections so you can stitch all the components together to create one dynamic collar necklace approximately 5.5” (14 cm) wide........

Or stitch them individually!

Why not stitch just the wider central design and attach it with chains to a silver choker collar necklace as shown?

Also, each smaller end section (approx. 1.5” (3.8 cm) wide) would look fantastic stitched individually or together on a long chain! Lots of possibilities!

THE COLOURS

We chose fresh crisp contemporary colours of fuchsia, tur-quoise, primary blue and purple for the ‘tulips’, complemented by a range of light to mid greys.

We suggest that the stem stitch on the principal ‘tulip’ and its stems in each sec-tion be in black thread, and the smaller ‘tulips’ and their stems be in a dark grey. This will give an illusion of depth to the design.

More subdued colours to suit a par-ticular outfit?

You could limit the colour palette to one or two accent colours for the large ‘tulips’, complemented again by a range of neutral greys.

READING THE CHART:

COLLAR NECKLACE CHART

• This chart below shows the all three components together to create the collar necklace at approx. 5.5” wide (14 cm).
• The staggered spacing of the three components allows the necklace to shape around the neckline.
• NOTE: There is a common black border between each of the three components.

INDIVIDUAL NECKLACES CHART

• This chart below shows the individual end components for creating separate necklaces, each at approx. 1.5” (3.8 cm) wide.
• The centre component can also be stitched separately to create one wider necklace on its own at 2.25” (5.7 cm) wide.
• NOTE: The colours and design for the individual smaller necklaces have been revised slightly so each one works aesthetically on its own.

TIP FOR BEST EFFECT

Both charts show standard tent stitch for stems, which can be stitched as shown.

For a more delicate and elegant result, use the stem stitch for all the stems in the design. Using the chart as a guide , draw all the stems on your canvas with a pencil, and follow the lines with the stem stitch to create the curves.

FINISHING IDEAS

For making up ideas for the necklaces, go to our Eighth Newsletter , ‘City Mosaics’ necklace, for more details on assembling the necklaces.

YARN COLOURS

All the yarns for the motifs for the Mackintosh necklace designs were chosen from DMC Mouliné Spécial (Six Strand Embroidery Floss) range of colours.

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

NEUTRALS

• GREY/WHITE 762
LIGHT GREY 02
• MEDIUM GREY 318
• LIGHT MAUVE GREY 211
• DARK GREY 317 (on stems and outline for smaller ‘tulips’ )
• BLACK 310 (on stems and outline for larger ‘tulips’)

COLOURS

YARN QUANTITIES

As a guide, you will require approximately the following:

INDIVIDUAL NECKLACES

• Smallest necklaces: one skein of each colour* and 2 skeins of neutrals (*red-purple 208 not used )
• Central necklace: one skein of each colour** and 3 skeins of neutrals (**dark blue-purple 333 not used )

COLLAR NECKLACE