Notes for "Light and Lacy" - Page 2

Light & Lacy Notes - Page 1

These notes are for the EGA Nittany Valley Project, Camelia #4 by Jean Hilton to be stitched in Spring 2003.

Suggested Stitching Order

If replicating the design on the cover, do the smyrnas in 12 perle cotton, and all other stitches in  one strand of floss

1. Tiny center Jessica (Chart in Seminar).
2. Eight Point Star (Chart in Seminar)
3. Ring of tiny Jessicas.
4. Octagon of symrnas around central motif, then eight medium circles of smyrnas, then conecting angles. (At this point you can do all the smyrnas if you like - see step #6 for details).
5. Center Jessica in eight medium smyrna circles, then medium Jessica star. (Chart on Page #79).
6. Rest of smyrna stiches. I started with teardtops, then added corner octagons, then connecting segments between teardrops and octagons.
7. Jessica and star combo at each corner.
8. Eyelets on each side.
9. Last grid star in diamonds.
10. Filling stiches last. You may need to experiment to see if you need them all. All three variants did something different.

Watch Out for...

1. Jessicas in general (see diagrams and page 31)
   1. For any Jessica, plot the end points  in a diagram. Then figure out the start (point 1) and end (point 2) for one line and stitch that line, gping up at point 1 and down at point 2.  Some charts in this book only gve you the first guideline on this principle
   2. Return needle to point 1, then move clockwise to next starting point in circle (point 3). Go up through point 3 then stitch to end point one point clockwise from point 2 (this is point 4).
   3. Continue moving stiches clockwise until jessica is complete. ends until you are done.
   4. Whenever you stitch into a new hole, make sure your needle goes above pre-existing stiches.
   5. Whenever you stitch down into a shared hole, make sure you needle goes beneath pre-existing stiches.
   6. NOTE: Steps b-c can also be done counterclockwise.

    

2. Ring of Tiny Jessicas - I think the chart is a bit confusing here. Remember that in most cases, the only shared hole is at the corner. This is one of the harder areas (especially if you use a metallic).
   
3. Center/Corner Stars
   1. I'm not a baster, but in this case I found that stitching a construction guide "diamond" construction line corresponding the the outeroints of the first star almost essential (see diagram).
   2. Try to use the longest possible thread (up to 24" or more) so you don't have to use another strand.
   3. The stitching order is odd, but on the back it will form a square.
      
4. Smyrnas - If you rotate your canvas  in quarter turns (90°) to stitch each side, and are concerned that all smyrnas be laid out consistently, then you may need to stitch "backwards" on two of the sides  (1/4 and 3/4 turn) so that the stiches lay in the same direction. I was not concerned.
   
5. Medium Stars - Except for the horizontal and vertical "compass" points, all other stiches are at a corner of a smyrna. The compass points are between two adjacent smyrnas. See also tip #2 above.
   
6. Eyelet  (see chart in book)
   
7. Diamond grid - see chart in seminar. This stich is worked from the outside in. The outside edges start out strart, but become curved when later stitches are done over the outside edge, pulling them in.
   
8. Filling - Be creative! There are three areas of filling suggested, but all three variants (2 in book, Elizabeth) do something different, usually SKIPPING one of them.

Other Tips

1. There are lats of blank quadrants in the chart. I found it very helpful to fill in key details as needed.

 

Light & Lacy Notes - Page 1