My Zellig – Final Comments

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.

My Zellig – Step 5

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.

My Zellig – Step 4

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.

A Wonderful First Year

I want to thank all of you who have visited my blog during this first year! It has been a wonderful experience and I’ve really enjoyed sharing my needlepoint with you. As you have seen over this past year, I’ve created many new things – and made many mistakes along the way. I’ve learned a lot along the way and I hope you’ve learned about adapting art from my attempts.

And how amazing that today – the last day of my first year of blogging – that I reached 20,000 hits on the blog with visitors from 100 countries!!!

I hope I’ve inspired a few of you to try adapting a favorite piece of art into needlepoint.

There are so many beautiful items that still inspire me. Below are 2 I love and would really like to adapt soon.

My Zellig – Step 3

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.

My Zellig – Step 2

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.

My Zellig – Step 1

Let’s start with the original tile so you can see how much I’ve simplified the pattern to create the first version. To the right is another color variation of my little tile design. This time it’s on pale salmon canvas and the cotton threads are salmon and olive green. I didn’t stitch the background and wanted you to see how it would look without a stitched background.

For Step One you will start with the lighter color you selected for the squares. There are four squares, each with 11 stitches on a side. You need to leave 5 threads (four empty holes) between the squares. The stitch diagram below shows the four squares. The software I’m using is a cross stitch program, so the stitches shown are backstitches. All stitches are over one thread, but the software doesn’t let me leave space between the stitches.

Note: Do NOT turn your canvas as you do the four squares. All stitches should go in the same direction.

Each day I will also show you a stitched sample of the tile as we go. That way you will know how yours should look at the completion of each step. For Step One I’ve stitched the four squares in a medium greenish gray.

I’ll post Step Two tomorrow. Happy stitching!

Zellig – Would you like to stitch along?

I’ve introduced you to zellig tiles, and showed you what I want to work on. I also told you I’ve seen this motif and others like it in many forms in Morocco art. Here are two more examples. The first is a door that has other types of wood inlayed to create the motif.

The other is a musical instrument where the design was created using wood, bone, and pearl for the design.

Since this design is so complicated, I find that the best way to start adapting it is to pull some of the elements and create a smaller design first. Then I can go back to the original design and try to add more elements to it.

So I started with just the center of the tile I showed in my last post.

By analyzing the design, I found an 8-point star in the center of the design that was created by placing squares together. I know that the lines forming these squares continue on to other elements, but I want to start with something easy and then see how I can expand it later to be more complex.

I created 4 squares first. I then added 4 squares that are on point. This arrangement created the 8-point star in the middle of the design. The design in the original had the motif enclosed in an octagon, to I added that as the outside edge.

The beginning version of the tile is shown below. It’s not quite 3 inches square.

Then I thought, since it is so small, you might like to stitch along with me. Friday marks the end of my first year of blogging. So I’m going to put up stitch diagrams for the rest of the week for this little tile. If you would like to stitch along, you will need:

4 inch square of scrap canvas (or larger – design is less that 3 inches square)

2 shades of one color for the boxes

3 shades of a different color for the rest of the tile.

If you want to use a colored canvas, you won’t need to stitch the white background. If you use white canvas, or want to stitch the background, choose a light color to set off the design.

We’ll start tomorrow.

Zellig of Morocco

Zellig (or zellige or zellij) is the art of mosaic tiles used in Moroccan homes and buildings. One site I really enjoy exploring is http://www.wonders-of-morocco.com/sommaire.php?lng=en&pays=en There is a lot to explore, and each area you click on has slideshows. Zellige is in the middle row on the right and has slideshows of pools, tables, and fountains all done in zellig tiles. This gives you a good idea of how versatile these tiles are.

The designs the artists of Morocco create are very complex, but absolutely gorgeous. They are used for bathrooms, walls in main areas of homes and public buildings, and fountains in the courtyards of homes or in public areas.

Tiles are made in solid colors and then cut into smaller sizes to make the mosaic patterns you see here and on the website. The photo to the left is from a wall in a public building.

As you can see in the second photo, they love complex designs and lots of colors. This is a fountain in a public area. Many of the patterns remind me of quilt patterns. I love the carved arches as well, but will concentrate on the zellig for right now.

I have one particular design that I have seen repeated many times in all kinds of settings. I want to create a design like it, but it has to be broken down to simpler elements in order to needlepoint it. Here it is.

Over the next few days, I’ll show you how I broke it down and created a small tile design. Stay tuned over the next couple of days for a special event as well.

High Atlas Pillow – Progress 3

Another rectangle is now complete, but I’m not sure I like it. I used white Trio to make long stitches and then used Ginger to stitch over it. I think this looks fairly good. The other sections are brown Splendor and yellow Trio. The sections in the middle of three in each row are one stitch wider than the other two. This alters the design a tiny bit. Then I found out that the rectangles are not 5 inches like I thought. They’re 4.75 inches. The individual sections are one inch long and that leaves one section about 4 stitches shorter than the others. I decided to put the smaller section in the middle of the rectangle and reverse the colors  - just to be different.

There are two more rectangles to go – one will be completely filled in like the first one, and the second with have some open areas like this one. Even the border will have some open canvas and some solid stitching. I’m still experimenting and learning.

Here is the pillow as it looks today.

I will continue to work on the pillow as I have time. But I have something different planned for several posts next week. We’re going to study Zellig from Morocco. Stay tuned.