I seem to have what we stitchers refer to as start-itis. Some of the most fun in stitching comes in the planning of projects – picking a pattern you love, sorting among gorgeous fabrics and fibers to pull together supplies, and dreaming of what you’re going to do with the finished project. Then you actually have to get down to a lot of time-consuming work. Most of my stitching friends have tons of projects started that they’re working on off and on as they savor the joy of that beginning stage.
Among hard core stitchers there are several pieces that are looked at with awe and envy, massive undertakings that become a needleworker’s white whale, but there might not be any design that better fits that description than the Marbek Nativity. I looked and looked for a great picture online, but I came up short. The thing is so massive that it really doesn’t photograph well.
I spent an absolutely joyous day at my local needlepoint store as we piled fabrics around and discussed the changes we’d need to make to get what I want. The piece is designed to be mounted as panels in a special frame, but I wanted to stitch it all up as one big piece. This presented a bit of a problem because it required me to reconfigure the whole pattern, which I did by making working copies of the pattern and cutting and pasting them together, and then I had to get a piece of fabric big enough to fit it all. Making some changes to make it as small as i could, this is still going to be about a yard wide.
After going a few different directions, we decided on this gorgeous linen that is dyed twice to create a beautiful mottled effect in blue and sand. I think it will be perfect for a desert nativity scene with angels flying overhead.
As if reconfiguring the whole pattern wasn’t enough, we also decided to change out a lot of the special fibers they used. This part gets really inside stitching, but to get the size fabric I needed I had to choose a very close weave. Which means that some fancy fibers are too hard to use. If you have these tiny little holes, then some of the metallic or fuzzy threads just won’t fit. Plus, this was originally designed in the 80’s, and some of the colors they chose weren’t, shall we say, subtle.
We swapped out the metallic colors the designer suggested with this beautiful palette of muted golds and pearls.
I think in ten years, when I finally get this thing finished, it’s going to be absolutely stunning.
oh WOW, GOOD LUCK! Am looking forward to following your progress on this! I have seen it completed at my LNS….absolutely stunning!
A woman from my hometown Methodist congregation in San Jose not only completed it, but donated it to the church. Each year it's displayed in the narthex all Advent long, and it's one reason I took an interest in needle craft to begin with. GOOD LUCK!