TTD List

Day 151: "TTD Lists" can take many forms. Some are short-term, e.g., "things to do today." Others may have an obligatory completion date, as in "mop the kitchen floor before Rob comes to visit." Then there is the biggest category, the "things to do before I die." I've ticked off quite a few of those over three-quarters of a century, and although I never climbed the Willis Wall (largely because I couldn't find anyone crazy enough to partner with me), I did become a published author, if only of articles in small magazines, newspapers and instruction books. I hiked the Wonderland Trail twice. I climbed Mount Rainier six times by five routes and, as a bonus, spent a night on the summit. But those were the biggest of the "big ones." Not all my goals have been as lofty. Now, I feel the press of time, so I'm scientifically engaged in ticking off a few more, like "weave Norse Kitchen" and "do that bird blackwork piece you've wanted to do since you bought the book fifty years ago." Norse Kitchen is my next project for the table loom, and I started the bird yesterday. I think...at least I hope I have enough time to finish both.

Blackwork Off My Plate

Day 279: Tucked into a bookshelf where I only remembered it when I was getting out a new volume of sudoku puzzles, the blackwork Dresden plate I started some four years ago wasn't getting much attention. It was nearly finished when I stowed it there (I think because I had guests coming and did some quick tidying), but for some reason, I just wasn't getting back to it. Finding it again a few days ago, I decided to remedy the situation. For those of you unfamiliar with this style of needlework, it's similar to counted cross-stitch in that it is usually worked on counted-thread canvas (not always, but it's easier). Geometric designs are often shaded from dark to light by gradually omitting some of the stitches, as can be seen in the blades just right of noon and and those appearing in every fourth unit around the clock here. The possibilities for variation make blackwork visually rich despite being monochromatic. The blackwork plate is now off my plate, waiting to be mounted in its frame to match a companion piece (a maze).

Dresden Plate Blackwork

Day 85: Occasionally, there are times when nothing seems to work according to plan with respect to my daily posts, and for reasons I am at a loss to explain. It might be that I "slept crooked" or "got up on the wrong side of the bed" even though to do so literally would flatten my nose against a bookcase. My photographic "eye" will be off, compositions unbalanced; my physical eye likewise, focus an unattainable object. On those days, I often arrive at evening in a critical state: "What am I going to do for a blog shot?" In desperation, I cast about for anything within the confines of the house which (a) I haven't photographed in a while and (b) has the makings of a story in its depiction, whether related to the subject or not. More the woe on my part if my literary skills also turn turtle, as the saying goes.

Blackwork thus becomes topic du jour. The piece currently in progress is based on the classic Dresden Plate quilt pattern. In this particular execution, every fourth segment is done in a "shaded" style, stitchery more dense toward the center of the plate, fading out to the basic stitch elements toward the outer edge. In designing blackwork stitches, the artist starts with a basic form which allows for repetition within a given space. If a shaded look is desired, additional stitches are added. Note the sections at one o'clock and five o'clock.

Winter weather has kept me from working on this piece for the last two weeks. Cold weather turns my fingertips to sandpaper, and often as not, I pull the thread out of the needle before it can pass through the canvas. Using hand lotion is out of the question because it would carry to the cotton. Gloves (even thin nitrile) are not an option. I'm crocheting with worsted instead. Winter is almost the only time I work with heavy fibers.

Blackwork

Day 38: Blackwork embroidery is essentially nothing more than backstitch and/or running stitch and therefore is fairly simple to learn. What gives it its charm is creating filler-patterns using nothing more than those elementary stitches. The distance covered by the travelling thread (the thread on the back of the work) is the key to keeping the work flat and even. On Aida cloth, it should never be carried across more than two squares without catching it down under another stitch. Planning the line of travel for complicated patterns can be challenging. This piece is called "Lost in a Blackwork Maze" and was made following a commercially-prepared graph with a few variations of my own. I have made several versions of it over the years and finally finished one (11" x 11" on 16-count cloth) for myself!

Blackwork

Day 306: Forgive the hasty post today. It comes through a small hole in a busy agenda. Some days are like that, hard to find a moment to write, let alone take a photograph, but I haven't missed a one in almost five years and don't intend to let that record fall.

Closely akin to counted cross-stitch, modern blackwork embroidery is generally done on canvas or scrim (fabric to be removed after the stitching is complete). In mediaeval times, counted-thread canvas was not available, and thus the needleworker spaced the stitches by eye, and skill was measured by the uniformity of the work. The blackwork was often quite elaborate and extensive, covering large areas of a garment with tiny, delicate stitchery, the detail of which could only be seen close up. Such fine work is seldom seen today, as most embroidery is done on 14-22 count canvas, huge by comparison to the weave of the linens of yesteryear.