I showed you a little of the Framed Mosaic last time. The first thing I did was finish that section up. Here’s a photo of half of the piece with all the medium green in place.
Then I needed to put some Antique Mauve into the corners. I tried the darkest shade I had and it didn’t look right. It looked too red in comparison to the mauve in the overdye. I ripped it out and did some rethinking. I came up with Mosaic Checker in the two darkest shades that I had left after removing what I had stitched. Mosaic Checker is done with Mosaic done in every other two threads. Then you go back with a different color and do four Basketweave stitches. Here’s the first corner all stitched up.
I like the way this looks and stitched the other three corners. There are open spaces in the corners that let the canvas show through. This light green and brown canvas add the lightest shade of green without having to do any stiching. Now I have the area between the large 8-point star and the corners to stitch. The center will be stitched last.
The on point squares have been adapted now so I was able to complete the dark green diamonds. Here they are all completed.
So now I can finally get started on all the other parts of the tile and lots of color! I said that I wanted to use all Mosaic stitches and so far I’ve used the traditional Mosaic stitch for all the framework. Then I used Diagonal Mosaic for the diamonds. Time to start work on another Mosaic stitch. This one is called Framed Mosaic. I started by stitching the traditional Mosaic stitch in an overdye floss – leaving one thread between them horizontally and vertically. Then I went back and filled in those empty spaces with a medium green Continental stitch. Here’s one section that I have completed so far.
When these four sections are completed, I’ll start on the sections next to the diagonals. I’ll use the same stitches and threads. When all the overdye and medium green are completed, I’ll start on the four corner sections. There will be some sections that will not be stitched, allowing the vintage canvas to show through.
Don’t forget to check out Anne’s version at The Cape Stitcher – she’s farther along and the colors are very different from mine. It’s fun seeing what different people decide to do with the same design. It gives all of you an idea of what you can do with a project you are working on. Try changing colors or change a stitch or two and see how it changes everything. It’s a lot of fun and lets your personality shine through.
I’m back at work on the zellig again. I’ve completed all the framework in both the light and darker ecru color. I’ve only used the traditional Mosaic stitch so far and things seem to be working out well.
Tonight I will redo the top and bottom on the on point squares so I can finish all the dark green diamonds with nice, straight lines.
Then I get to play with other Mosaic stitches to fill in the rest of the design. I’ll start with the four corners and work my way toward the middle.
Two steps forward and one step back. I’ve decided to keep the second shade of ecru that I’m using for the on point squares. But the Gobelin stitch over two threads wasn’t working at all. I can’t keep all the stitching going in the same direction throughout the piece, so I ripped out what I had done in that color. I’ve gone back to Mosaic stitch to do them.
The first quarter of the design has the framework completed, and I’ve started on the second one. All the squares on point are completed. But I’ve run out of Anchor #926 – the lighter color. I ordered some a few days ago and it should be here any day now.
While I wait for more thread, I decided to start working on the center. I’ve stitched two of the arms in very dark green (Anchor #218) using Diagonal Mosaic. The one that is on a slant looks great, but the one that in straight up and down is squared off. I’ll need to decide if I should remove two stitches that are over one thread in the darker ecru and redo them in dark green. I hate ripping out stitches, but if it will look better, I’ll do it. This is why I don’t write instructions until I’ve stitched it – to find these little deviations that make the design look better.
Anne at The Cape Stitcher has just posted her second progress report as well. No, we’re not having a contest to see who can finish first. I normally post every three days and I try to keep to that schedule. And I’m quite sure that Anne will finish first.
I also spend time each day stitching (or planning) three projects at the same time. Last night I was working on a general plan for the next rug, then went back to stitching on this project. I also managed to finish the last of three large stockings for my three granddaughters. Now I need to get good backing material for them so I can get them finished and sent the first week of December.
Time to work on the third of the rectangles that border the center square. This one is on the opposite side of the center from the first rectangle and repeats the use of small triangles to create a motif. This is a motif that appeared on my first Moroccan rug, the red one.
This one had no problems and stitched up quickly. Looking at it today, I think I should pull out stitches at the very bottom of the Gobelin bands and add one more stitch. I don’t like the canvas showing through in those places. Here is the rug after the third rectangle was completed.
Each time I worked on this pillow over the past week, I’ve look at the rectangle to the left of today’s rectangle. And each day, I dislike the open weave on that rectangle, so I ripped it out and stitched it again. This time I used a solid color and a simple diamond stitch to fill in the area. I like this better, but I think it’s still the weakest of the rectangles I’ve stitched so far. I won’t rip it out again, but it’s still not quite fitting nicely with the others. Here is the reworked rectangle.
I did pull apart the four strands and then put them back together, but it doesn’t cover as well as I would like. Trying to decide if I should pull out one part and redo it with 6 strands. Not sure yet. On to the last of the rectangles.
I would like to see the tiles you have created with this zellig pattern. You can email them to me at jan@threadmedley.com. There is a link in the column on the right. I’ll put them up on the blog if you give me permission.
I originally designed this little tile because I wanted a design I could use as tile on the wall of a needlepoint Moroccan room. As you can see now that you have stitched the tile, it’s WAY too big for that idea. I will have to create a much smaller tile that can be repeated for the walls of a room. If I use the Mosaic Stitch as a tile, and change colors as I create a pattern, maybe that would work better. Now I need to play with graph paper. See why I don’t get a lot of stitching done each day? I get a new idea and have to sketch and try things out while it’s fresh in my mind.
This zellig pattern can be repeated to create a larger design that can be placed in a tote bag, etc. The design below was done with the same cross stitch software but I used the colored squares instead of stitch lines. This way you can try changing the stitches if you want and create your own version of the design.
An on point square is created in the center of the four repeats. I’ve put an 8-pointed star in the space with a Smyrna Cross in the center of it. You could also create your own little motif to fill the space. Let your imagination guide you – have some fun!
I’m hoping to take the original tile and create a version that is more complicated and closer to the original. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Right now it’s back to the pillow so I can get it completed. Look for posts on that later in the week.
Today, we will complete the design by stitching a border. In my stitched model below, I used a lime green. The colors for this model are a little unusual for me, but I think they look good together.
I did this border with 6 strands of floss, and it looks a little heavy. You could choose to use 4 strands if you prefer. It will still cover nicely. Gobelin was used for the top, bottom and sides. The slanted lines are done in backstitch over 2 threads.
Starting at one of the corners of the squares done on point. Count up 4 threads and make the first Gobelin stitch, going down and left over 2 diagonal intersections. When you complete 10 Gobelin stitches start the first of the slanted lines. The first stitch starts 1 thread below where you started the last Gobelin stitch and goes over two intersections. The second stitch starts 1 thread to the left of where the first slanted stitch ended and goes down under the last Gobelin stitch. You will do a total of 5 backstitches over 2 threads. For the second slanted line, you will need to add a compensation stitch over 1 thread to make the lines equal. Turn the canvas a quarter turn and do 21 Gobelin stitches, then the slanted lines again. (Note: The first two Gobelin stitches will go down in the same holes as the last slanted backstitches.) Continue around the tile turning your canvas as you go, ending with Gobelin stitches to complete the first side which was only half done when you started.
If you are using colored canvas, you don’t need to stitch the background. Your tile is completed.
If you are using white canvas, or want the background stitched, you can fill in the background now using the Basketweave stitch. I prefer to stitch the inside of the boxes first and then the space between the boxes and the border. Be sure to have the Basketweave stitches slant in the same direction as the box stitches to make it easier to stitch. When you get to the area around the arms, you find that two arms have stitches going in the wrong direction. To stitch around them, just do a stitch that goes in the same holes as the longer (over 2 threads) Mosaic stitches. Ignore the Mosaic stitches done over 1 thread. They don’t need to be covered. It’s only a half space (more or less) and won’t be noticed. My completed model is below.
Tomorrow I’ll show you how it would look if you repeated the design to cover a larger area of canvas.
Yesterday was a tiny area. Today is easy, but more area to cover.
The four arms radiating out from the center 8-point star will be done today with a darker or lighter shade of the color you chose yesterday for the star. I did the center in a medium brown (which is a dark shade of orange in this case) so I stitched the arms with a lighter orange. 
Diagonal Mosaic is an easy stitch. You’ll make 4 small rows of this stitch for each arm. Notice that the last stitch in each row is a compensation stitch over 1 thread.
The diagram below shows one arm completed. I alternated colors for the stitches to make it easier to see how each row is done.
Be sure to turn your canvas a quarter turn as you start each arm to make it easy to place the stitches correctly.
When you have finished the four arms, your tile will look like this:
Tomorrow, I’ll show you the border around the tile.
Here is the last of my samples to show you color ideas. I used two shades of turquoise floss for the boxes. The center was done in medium purple Sprinkles. The arms were done in light purple Fyre Werks Soft Sheen.
On to Step 3 – the center 8-point star.
Each side of the star is done with 5 slanted stitches.
The first stitch is over 3 threads, then over 2 threads, over 1, over 2, over 3. See the stitch diagram to the right.
The stitch diagram below shows where the stitches go within the design. All the stitches start by coming up in a hole shared by the first squares you stitched and done in an empty (clean) hole.
Turn the canvas a quarter turn, and repeat the stitches. Note that the first stitch is over 2 threads this time. All other stitches are the same. See the second stitch diagram to the right. Continue turning the canvas and doing the 5 stitches. When you get to the last side of the star, the first and last stitches will both be over 2 threads because of previous stitches.
The diagram below shows how your canvas should look after you complete this part of the design.
You know have small square in the center of the star. Complete the center by stitching a Scotch stitch using the same thread. The diagram below has the Scotch stitch in a different color to make it easier to see.
Tomorrow we will work on the arms that radiate from the center star.
Here is another example to give you ideas for colors. I used an overdye cotton for the outside edge. Then I pulled other colors for the boxes and the center sections.
Now that you have the first four squares completed, we need to move on the four squares that are on point.
Make sure your stitches slant to the right and keep it in that orientation while you stitch the four tilted squares. There are only 9 stitches on each side this time. Again, the software doesn’t allow me to leave space between the stitches, so when you see a solid line, it’s actually 9 back stitches. Two of the stitches are already part of the first four squares. These new squares are behind the first ones. Just do the stitches that are black in the stitch diagram below. The brown ones have been completed already.
These new boxes are stitched in a darker shade of the same color already used. This helps make them appear to be farther back in the design, adding dimension to the design.
Here is my stitched sample showing the first two steps completed.
Now you can see the 8-pointed star in the middle. We’ll work on that part tomorrow.
