If you’ve never done blackwork and it sounds intimidating, don't worry! It’s super easy (really just back stitch). Here’s what one of my customers says about it:
“I went to Meredith with a half-baked idea that I wanted a cross stitch pattern for Little House on the Prairie, and in no time at all, she had whipped up a beautiful pattern. I started stitching it immediately, and it was such fun! The piece progressed quickly and easily. As soon as it was complete, I sent the finished picture to Meredith. I was in utter shock when she referred to it as blackwork! I had completed my first blackwork piece and didn’t even know it. I had always admired blackwork but was too intimidated to try it on my own. I had done a fair amount of cross stitch as a kid, but hadn’t touched it since I was 16. At 33, I picked it back up again, and it was only about a month later that I stitched Little House. Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can.”
Today I'm working on a pattern using a quote from Socrates. It's almost done, but designing the border has been slightly annoying. Hence, I am taking a break to write this entry.
My dad's in town so everything's been kind of busy and topsy turvy, with less crafting time than usual. I'm hoping to start this new piece tonight, but you know what they say about the best laid plans...
People are intimidated by blackwork? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteI can understand not liking it because a lot of cross stitchers hate backstitch, but intimidated?
I've heard it from a fair few, especially during pattern commissions, particularly if you use the world blackwork (even in combination with back stitch). I think part of it is seeing a specific name that's unfamiliar. Maybe it's all people who are new-ish to cross-stitch that I hear it from and aren't very confident about any sort of crafting.
DeleteHell, I've met people who are intimidated by cross-stitch and that's something they're much more likely to see and hear about.
Why do cross-stitchers hate back stitch? It can be annoying to outline a cross-stitch piece, I'll grant you, but otherwise the ease/annoyance levels seem equal.
I don't get the hating backstitch either, but it's something you hear a lot from cross stitchers. *shrug*
DeleteAs for me, the first blackwork piece that I encountered was the Blackwork Chessboard that I'm working on now, and rather than being intimidated, my reaction was "OOOH!!! I HAVE to try that!!" And I'm enjoying it, except for working with the DMC rayon floss -- it's easier than the metallic that the pattern called for, but it's still a bit of a pain.
Oogh, rayon floss is definitely an evil...
DeleteFor me my laziness and cheapness drew me to blackwork since it (mostly) goes more quickly and uses less thread.