Patterns, Pointers, and Practices: Fiber Arts Hacks

Above you can see a group of small color patterns. One of them should look familiar to you because you saw a version of it turned into a larger all-over pattern on a table mat not long ago. With this post I want to emphasize several points that I have made over time about patterns — but that I have not before grouped together for emphasis.

Needlepoint placemat from our first post of 2019

Archive your small needlework samples!

First of all, I want to remind you of the value of working a small sample of a new pattern, whether it is geometric like these or more representational. This is especially important if you are planning to change the color scheme or other aspects of the pattern. I make many of my samples on durable plastic canvas in tent stitch, largely because I learned it early in life and use it as a kind of "shorthand". (If you want to learn about how I got started in the needle arts, follow this link: February 28, 2013 post) These samples are durable and easy to file in a convenient box for future reference. They may also have other uses, as you will see later in this post. If counted cross-stitch is easier for you, get a quarter yard of the small "baby check" gingham. That will make a number of samples that you can tape or staple on index cards and store in a larger box.

"Ancient Pathways", framed needlepoint by Annake

We have worked with a few repeat patterns before, but now I want to show you how such a technique can work on a scale that is large enough to be suitable for framing or even larger projects. This one, like some of the smaller motifs on this post, was adapted from a Native American design. I call the resulting framed picture "Ancient Pathways", in honor of an ancestor who left the Appalachians and settled in the upper Midwest and all of the other Eastern Cherokees who settled there rather than follow the "Trail of Tears". Notice the alternation of colors at the edges of the motifs and the structure and strong diagonals of the turquoise background between the motifs. Negative spaces like backgrounds can contribute a lot to a design.

Let's consider how one of these small patterns would work as a repeating design. Here is an enlarged graph of the middle design in the set at the top of this article. Decide how many horizontal and vertical repeats of the design you want on your selected canvas or fabric. I have left an empty row of squares all around the design so you can outline it if you prefer, rather than joining the design repeats directly together. If you don't want to border the motifs, simply trim that row of squares off the pattern or ignore it.  Check your canvas or fabric very carefully to make sure you have enough room for all of the repeats you want, plus an edge to turn under all around. Outline the spaces for the repeats with a running stitch (yes, even on canvas) in a bright or dark color that you are not using in the design, and pull those stitches out as you finish each motif. That is a little more work, but it will keep you from making disappointing mistakes.

Some of these small charts work well as linear designs. They can be expanded from one end or from both ends at the same time. See how the ends are each half of a design feature? Linear designs are great for belts, hatbands, straps of all kinds, etc. They make interesting picture frames. Or, if you like, they can simply be used to border a piece that is done in a solid color. The following chart shows the third design above repeated linearly.

Graph of a simplified version of 3rd design at the top of post; choose your own color scheme.

I have a shady straw hat for the summer, a Stetson-like cowgirl hat, and a felt fedora for the winter — all of which can hold a series of changeable needlework hatbands. This has earned me the nickname of "The Lady in the Hat" at the local Farmers' Market (as in, "Ask the lady in the hat; she probably can tell you.")  For directions to center and join a hatband design, follow this link: post for Sept. 30, 2016. Ladies from a certain organization will understand the significance of the purple butterflies on the red hat.

If you look closely at the linear pattern, you will see that the top and bottom of the center of the motif are also halves of a feature, so this design can also be expanded upward and downward to make a 4-way design. Several others of these designs can be treated the same way.

Three more small needlepoint design samples

Pink & green diamond motif latch hook rug

These designs can be expanded for much larger articles like afghans and rugs, even tiled as flooring or back-splashes above kitchen counters. Here is a very simple design made into a rug. Notice that the changes in the shades of the selected colors creates an illusion that the designs are three-dimensional. This would be interesting on a needlepoint pillow, too. It also qualifies as an interesting optical illusion.

Simple optical illusion design in needlepoint

Optical illusions have been very popular with our readers and we have received requests for more of them. I promise to return to the subject in 2020 with more examples and patterns. I'm including a simple optical illusion in this group of sample patterns. Can you figure out how it is made? How might you use borders to make the design even more "dimensional? Think about it.

Those of you who have followed these posts for some time know that I like to start with a central design and "grow" it outward in all directions. We have worked with 4-way, 6-way, and 8-way designs. There will be new patterns in each category in 2020. When we do art and craft shows, we try to jot down notes about the questions and comments made by the people who stop by our booth. I base a lot of the next season's topics on those notes. We heard you "loud and clear"!

At the top of this post, I hinted that you might find some other uses for these small needlework samples besides practice pieces and reference. The most obvious ones are coasters from the square or diamond-shaped designs and bookmarks or luggage tags from the linear ones. I'm sure you can think of others (and we would like to hear about them). Each year I choose some of my favorite samples (often adding small decorative pins. buttons, or charms) and use them to decorate our holiday tree. Here are a few of our favorites.

Season’s Greetings,

 This post by Annake's Garden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.