Monthly Archives: January 2016

On Kaloscai (Kalosca) Embroidery, Trial and Transfer

Art, Needlework, , ,

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This Hungarian Kalocsai embroidery motif is from a tablecloth which we purchased when visiting Hungary.   Hungarian embroidery is quite famous.    You can see more examples here.  While

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Here I executed a Kalocsai pattern stamped in blue on the white fabric, purchased in Hungary, using the colors indicated under the stamp.    It is done in the simple satin stitch and stem stitch, using size 8 perle cotton.    The edging is in the buttonhole stitch.

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In 1989, I entered a contest the aim of which was to design a cross stitch in honor of the Constitution.  This was my attempt, to translate some of Kaloscai color and design into cross stitch.  It did not win anything.  However I gained the experience  that the simple transfer of color and design elements does not yield an equally attractive result.

The rules I followed are:

  • Bind the flowers together with green stems
  • Combine dark pink and light pink in one flower
  • Have an intermediate color pink
  • Combine pink with yellow-orange or dark yellow accents
  • Combine dark yellow with light yellow in flowers
  • Combine lavender with purple in flowers accented with dark yellow
  • Combine red with maroon in flowers, using light yellow accents
  • Make a large pink flower and a large red flower
  • Use sprays of forget-me-nots, and small round flowers.

I am still searching for the reason those rules work so well in the Kalocsai embroideries, as opposed to in the cross-stitch, or other places.

Into the New Year! Calendars

Useful stuff

This At-A-Glance calendar I like!  I can make notes of upcoming events, and organize tasks on it, as well as make quick calculations.  Somebody I know even used it simply as a notepad.

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On this date, I am still transitioning into the New Year.  Somehow this year, I am finding it easy to write 2016 in the date, instead of 2015.

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Here is another kind of calendar from Calendarpedia, which can be nicely used as a checklist.  Happy New Year everybody!

 

We Are Still In the Holidays!

Holidays

DSC08815Although it is January 6, 2016, we are still in the holidays at our house.  Nearly a week into 2016, we still have the Chinese New Year to which we can look forward!  We can cherish the poinsettia for months or years.  We are still  digesting events, and putting things back into place.   We have spent nearly two months on the holidays, from before Thanksgiving to now.  Needless to say, these holidays are extremely important to us, as others’ holidays are important to us, too.