Natalia Frank recently stitched a gorgeous Navajo design on 40ct silk gauze. I am one quarter Navajo, though I don’t know much about the culture since I’ve not had much contact with that side of my family since I was very young. I thought it was a perfect way to bring that part of me into my miniature art, like gathering the pieces that make me who I am to include in my mini projects.
I checked out numerous books from the library and found many designs I liked, but it wasn’t until I did a google search that I found the perfect piece: a beautiful contemporary weaving presented by Steve Getzwiller (below, see the second weaving from the left for the one I was immediately drawn to). You can see more of these wonderful works here. So many intricate and beautiful designs to admire. I love the corn stalk weaving on the far left, too. True artisan work!
I was instantly drawn to the colors and shapes of that one particular design, so I set out to find a better photo. This was the best I could do. That is Steve Getzwiller.
I wrote to Natalia to see how she charts her patterns, and she offered to chart it for me. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to her. She saved me so much time and headache since I had no idea where to begin. She has captured the beauty of the rug in miniature scale, and I will soon begin to stitch.
Mine will be cross-stitched on 32ct Jobelan in parchment, though I do plan to stitch the entire rug, including the background. I just thought it would be easier on my eyes than stark white. I like the coloration as it appears in the first photo above considering the room I plan to put it in, so I’ll use colors similar to those instead of the warmer earth tones of the second photo.
I have the project on a wood frame since that’s what I had on hand. It is held in place with thumbtacks on the right side. I’ve picked my colors from my existing stash of floss, though I need to buy more of the center background color. I plan to buy several skeins so the dye lots will match since it covers a large open area. Most of the other colors won’t require as much, so I’m set as far as those go. I went with a subdued palette though I think the contrast levels will be quite nice overall.
With the fresh beginning, I am getting into the groove of it. I’ve set myself a goal of stitching at least ten hours per week. That should keep a steady pace going.
