Ready for another bookmark project?
This is the second in the series of four bookmark patterns I designed to go along with Monica Ferris’s needlework cozy mystery series. The patterns were originally designed to be used as give-aways at the book signings for her Needlework Mystery series.
This design would be a perfect gift for a Spanish speaker or student of Spanish.
The Spanish phrase featured on the bookmark was mentioned at the beginning of the book Embroidered Truths, the ninth book in the series. Translated into English, it says everything depends on the color of the glass you see through.
It’s sort of a Spanish take on the English saying looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.
The design uses only one specialty stitch, the Nun’s Stitch, for finishing and the usual cross stitches and a small amount of backstitching for the letters. Once you finish cross stitching the pattern, work the Nun’s Stitch all the way around, then remove the loose threads to create the fringe. No framing or other sewing is needed to complete the project.
The thread colors are important in this design since they mimic the actual colors displayed when light passes through a prism, so please stick to the colors used or a shade close to those specified for the rainbow effect.
For this design, the fabric color isn’t important and can be changed to any equivalent evenweave or linen fabric you have on hand, although you’ll want to choose a fabric that will contrast well with the lighter colors used for the white in-coming light and the pearl Kreinik braid used for the prism. Just remember to use a floss color that matches your fabric for the Nun’s Stitch finishing so it will blend into the background.
Keep in mind that if you select an evenweave or linen fabric in another thread count, you’ll need to re-calculate the amount of fabric needed. For a fabric with more threads per inch such as 36-count, you’ll need less fabric and the finished bookmark will be a bit smaller; for a fabric with fewer threads per inch such as 28-count, you’ll need more fabric and the finished bookmark will be a tad bigger. Best to err on the too-big side than not-enough. Sorry, this pattern isn’t recommended for use with Aida-type fabrics.
If you’re new to doing the Nun’s Stitch, as with other specialty stitches, it’s best to practice on a piece of scrap evenweave or linen fabric before you begin working it around your almost-finished bookmark. The chart includes diagrams to show you how to work the stitches and how to make the turns at each corner.
To get started, click Colors Bookmark Chart to download and save the chart. Zoom to enlarge the chart to fit your paper size, then print it out full-page-sized in landscape mode. Then you can start choosing the colors of your fabric and pulling out your floss and braid to get started stitching.
Do you remember learning in science class about how a prism bends light and breaks it down into its composite colors?
Did you also learn the simple mnemonic for remembering the order in which those colors are displayed?
In case you’ve forgotten it (or were never taught it), here it is: Roy G. Biv.
For the next bookmark in the series, the Treasure Bookmark, keep visiting LogicalInsight.net for not just the next the bookmark patterns, but also for other projects to inspire your creativity.
