V I V A Z I V A !
n e w s l e t t e r ▪volume number: 1822▪ FREE SLEEP MASK DESIGN
▪
HAPPY NEW YEAR! BONNE ANNEE!
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 the VIVA ZIVA! newsletter.
WE’VE BEEN VERY BUSY SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER!
We thought you would like to see some of our RECENT PAINTINGS . What a busy 2017 we had!
PLUS…… A SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEW ART NOUVEAU CARPET DESIGNS to add to ZIVA’s CARPET
COLLECTION.
FREE SURREAL SLEEP MASK DESIGN
We were inspired by the surreal women’s faces in Picasso’s art and created our own interpretation for his cutting-edge art called ‘40 Winks’.
We’re featuring the UPRIGHT CROSS STITCH in a range of bright blues for the closed eye as your new stitch to try!
A BOLD YOUTHFUL DESIGN THAT'S FUN TO WEAR!
Click here to see our newsletter back issues.
WHAT’S IN EACH VIVA ZIVA! NEWSLETTER?
- New Designs & Updates
- Recent Paintings
- Your Stitch to Try
- FREE Design
- Ask the ZIVA DIVA!
- Next Issue
NEW DESIGNS & UPDATES
SNEAK PREVIEW! NEW ART NOUVEAU CARPET DESIGNS COMING SOON!
An elegant timeless trio of fluid graceful designs with varying colour schemes and styles to suit today’s interiors!
These three new Art Nouveau carpet designs are presently in the concept stage, and we’ll be putting their sizes and prices on the site by spring 2018!
These designs would also work well adapted for seat benches, piano benches or wall tapestries
Custom sizes are always available, just contact us!
RECENT PAINTINGS
More samplings of recent paintings !
FIRST……
We’re pleased you love our new Stained Glass Cushion designs!
We’re painting them as quickly as counting canvas holes will allow!
….. And also, we’ve been creating larger canvases for carpets, seat benches and wall hangings …..
...from a very bold Arts and Crafts Celtic-influenced area rug called
KNOX'S KNOTS!
NOTE : Our client opted not to have the background painted in order to reduce the costs. This is always an option with ZIVA !
….to a delicate and very detailed Persian design for a three-sectioned custom window seat bench almost 10 feet (3 m) long called
TABRIZ (First section just being completed in photo)
and just shipped…..
…. a dynamic Prairie Style ‘stained glass’ large wall tapestry, called
‘AUTUMN SUMAC’ adapted from the stained glass panels by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
With a 24” x 39” (approx. 60 x 100 cm) painted area, our adjustable easel was needed for this one!
YOUR STITCH TO TRY
THE UPRIGHT CROSS STITCH
The UPRIGHT CROSS STITCH , was selected for the graphic closed eye lid on the sleep mask, to create a textured surrealistic effect
HOW TO DO THE UPRIGHT CROSS STITCH:
- Work a vertical stitch over 2 threads and a horizontal stitch crossing it, also over 2 threads.
- Work subsequent rows so they fit in between those of the first as shown.>
- Upright cross stitches can be worked alternately with basic cross stitches as shown to become St. George and St. Andrew Stitch.
PRACTICE THIS NEW STITCH FIRST!
Keep practicing following the sequence of stitching in the chart until you feel confident. Then you are ready to stitch the free design.
FREE DESIGN
ORIGINAL VIBRANT AND COLOURFUL SLEEP MASK DESIGN….. INSPIRED BY PICASSO!
THE DESIGN
We were inspired by the surreal women’s faces in Picasso’s art and created our own interpretation for this cutting-edge design called ‘40 Winks’!
A special thanks to our young designer, Heather Claire , who designed and stitched it!
The size of the mask is 3” x 7” (approx. 8 cm x 18 cm)
COLOURS
We selected a rainbow of vibrant colours of yellow, gold, hot pink, rose-reds, green and purples, with a palette of bold blues on the closed eye…. all on a vivid orange background!
The black eyelashes on both eyes have been accented by black metallic beads!
YARNS
We used
100% Silk thread from the Silk Mill (www.thesilkmill.com) on the entire sleep mask in order to get the electrifying Picasso-like colours we wanted.
STITCHES USED
We stitched most of the sleep mask in the Tent Stitch, with the closed eye in a range of bright blues in the new stitch to try, the Upright Cross Stitch.
The black eyelashes were stitched in the STEM STITCH (used before in newsletters #1004 and #1212).
READING THE CHART:
- The chart above shows the distribution of all the colours with the small circular graphic on the eyelash ends to show where the metallic beads can be sewn on (optional).
- You can stitch the entire motif in the Tent Stitch, if you prefer.
- OR, as an option, you can stitch the blue range of threads on the closed eye in the Upright Cross Stitch and the eyelashes in the Stem Stitch.
YARN COLOURS
All the ’40 Winks’ yarn colours for this dynamic design were chosen from an amazing range of SILK thread colours from the Silk Mill (www.thesilkmill.com).
They are readily available at your local needlepoint shop or online.
- BACKGROUND COLOUR
- NEUTRALS
- #4221 Vanilla
- #3420 Black Satin
- YELLOWS
- #3027 Lemon Peel
- #4053 Saffron Crocus
- PINK-REDS
- #3004 Rosa Mexicana
- #3345 Jungle Pink
- RED-PURPLES
- #3342 Ripe Raspberry
- #3341 Cranberry
- PURPLES
- #4024 Cobalt Violet
- #4023 French Lavender
- BLUES
- #4076
Caribbean Green
- #3286 Cool Cyan
- #3285 Kingfisher
- #4061 Nigella Hispanica
- GREENS
- #3147 Pistachio
- #3145 Andalusite
QUANTITIES
As a guide, you will require three skeins of the background colour, two skeins of the black, and one skein of the remaining colours.
OTHER MATERIALS
You will also need :
- White 14 mesh (hpi) interlock canvas. The finished size of the motif is 3” x 7” (approx. 8 x 18 cm). Always allow 1” – 2” on all sides of the stitched area.
- Needlepoint Needle: For 14 mesh canvas, use size 20 needle
- Masking Tape
Go to the ZIVA site for more detail info on the MATERIALS required.
IN PROGRESS
- Using the chart as your reference, stitch the free flowing shapes of the motif (except the closed eye) in the Tent Stitch as shown above.
- As an option, you can stitch the eyelashes in the Stem Stitch, also as shown above
- Next stitch the closed eye shapes in the Upright Cross Stitch. This is the stage we’re at with the progress shot above.
- Once you are happy with the shapes, you can stitch the orange background in the Tent Stitch.
MAKING UP SUGGESTIONS
- Trim the canvas back allowing for approximately ½” to 5/8” seam allowance, to accommodate half of the bias* seam binding when finishing the edges.
- We chose a black cotton lining for the back interlined with a layer of thin cotton batting.
- We attached a thin black elastic to each side (adjust the length to suit), and finished the edges with a black bias* seam binding.
(* Bias seam binding is recommended to curve around the edges)
If you are looking for other making up ideas for your sleep mask, there are several tutorials on the internet that will inspire you!
ASK THE ZIVA DIVA!
QUESTION:
Hi Ziva,
I’m working on a very fine canvas with stranded silk thread, and I’m having a difficult time with it tangling and fraying. Silk is expensive and I seem to be wasting a lot of it. Can you suggest something? Diana, Canada
ANSWER:
Hi Diana,
This can be a problem with most delicate threads, such as silk. First, I would suggest that, with finer threads, it’s best not to make the thread too long on your needle. This can reduce the tangling issue.
It also advised to use ‘conditioned thread’; a process you can do as you’re stitching with, for example, beeswax, microcrystalline wax, or products made specifically to treat and condition thread such as Thread Heaven or Thread Magic.
They all help thread resist fraying and tangling. They stiffen thread for threading into needles, make unruly fibres
behave and smooth surfaces susceptible to ruffling and breaking.
NOTE: Wax products are not recommended for use on wool.
Conditioning the thread as you go will slow down creating your project, but it will be worth it with better results! And it should reduce thread wastage!
I hope this advice helps.
Regards, Sylvia McLeod
WHAT NEXT?
The next VIVA ZIVA! Newsletter #1823 will be issued in the fall of 2018 .
I’ll be including:
- New Designs & Updates
- A new Stitch to Try with a
- Free needlepoint design: to be announced in September 2018
- And lots of other features!
Please contact me if there is a particular stitch you’d like me to use for a free design in a future newsletter!
Share this newsletter with friends and relatives.
They can also go to my subscription page on the site to get on the mailing list for the next VIVA ZIVA! Newsletter
Looking forward to sending you the next newsletter!
Sylvia McLeod
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