Three marathon stitching nights have produced the following progress:
I really wish I could adequately capture the color of this. I am being a very good girl and pulling two strands and stitching with them, rather than just one and folding it in half to use the loop method. I realize now that doing it properly really allows the varieagation of the thread to show.
Spent some time on the YouTube last night trying to learn how to begin and end threads differently. I would like to learn how to do everything on the top of my work so that I don't have to constantly flip over to the backside...thinking ahead to diaylsis tme when I might need to really immobilize my arm and need to reduce moving it.
Today was grocery day and I am re-stocked with provisions for the next few weeks. I still don't have any appetite at all, but I did manage to get some good stuff to at least make sure I get a little nutrition...honeycrisp apples the size of softballs, brussels sprouts to roast with shallots, and my NewYork bagels to have in the morning with crunchy peanut butter! At the moment, I have a chicken breast cooking away in the toaster oven...I figure I'll put that on top of a little pasta tonight with a little spinach salad on the side.
Hmmmm...between all of this healthy stuff and the gallons of lemon water I'm guzzling you'd think I was some kind of health nut instead of a portly spinster in need of a cheeseburger!
Hope your week is off to a good start...here's to another Monday!
Coni that design is so beautiful and mesmerizing. Glad to hear you are eating healthy! and staying healthy!
ReplyDeleteTo start on the right side of the work, start your thread outside of the design area, taking a few running stitches, or even a backstitch and then a few running stitches, taking your thread to the back before the start of the pattern in a straight line from where you will start the next stitching, so that you are locking the thread under the first few diagonal stitches you are making. It takes a wee bit of thought concerning where the first stitched with new thread will be vis a vis the anchoring stitches, but works quite well. To end a thread without flipping, again, under the work until outside of the design area, then bring to the front of the work and make some running stitches, leaving a long enough tail so that when you are able to, unstitch it to the underside of the work and anchor under existing cross stitches. You will also tidy the start of the threads with careful clipping in the back when you are able. All the best.
ReplyDeleteQuestion? What are these two items on the upper part of the design?
ReplyDeleteHi, Helen! Do you mean the blue thing with the dog and the little silver square? If so, those are magnetic needle minders...you attach them to your project as a place to park your needles (and sometimes scissors).
DeleteThank you. Where did you buy them? Do you it leave when finishing the project for the day?
DeleteYou can buy needle minders at most needlework shops, and there are many online shops. I would start by entering "needle minders" in a Google search and go from there, or check Etsy. Yes, indeedie...I keep them on my project until it's finished or put back in the WIP basket!
DeleteThank you very much, Coni. I will do that.
DeleteI like away knots for starting. Just make a knot at the end of your floss. Then from the top side of your fabric, go down about a half inch to an inch from your starting stitch. Then come up where your first stitch will go in. Your stitches will go over the thread beneath the fabric. When you are near the know you can simply cut it off. For ending a thread, a simple way is to simply bring the remaining thread to the front and then when you are through for the stitch session you can go to the underside and work them in.
ReplyDeleteI think your piece of beautifully done.
You are moving along on your Ink Circles piece, Coni. Keep guzzling the lemon water; yum, bagels with peanut butter.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't strictly qualify as a top-side stitch, but I discovered the pinhead stitch a few years ago and it was a revelation to me. So helpful for confetti stitching.
ReplyDeleteThis project is just racing along.
ReplyDeleteYoutube is great when you want to learn something! I hope you were able to find something that worked for you :) And you are flying though this stitch!! It is so pretty :)
ReplyDeleteHi Coni - Mary Corbet shares some tips for starting embroidery threads on the front of the fabric that you can use for cross stitch too in this article. One of them is the "away" or "waste" knot Joan mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThe first method (which I've also seen called a "Loop Start") is a neat trick that I've tried with success, but it would only work for your usual method of stitching using a doubled single thread. Still, it might come in handy! Hope this helps :)