New here...and work in progress (photos)

ok the last weeks since the previous photo have been mega busy but sadly not relating to cross stitch... still, apart from work and course work, kid holidays and making two costumes DD, I have also been entertaining friends from Downunder and having a blast ... so sometimes stitching becomes less of a priority for an excellent reasons because you are busy spending time with people you love...

here's an update.. in recent weeks I have been almost solely adding a single stitch or three here there and everywhere so the over all result is a bit less obvious... still I post a photo to show myself that there IS at least a little progress...

13 March 2009

Looking really good!!! The grapes are now filled in enough to make me a bit hungry when I see them

Kiwidutch.. YOu are an inspiration. I picked up my Birds and Snowy BerryBushes again after leaving it because I got bogged down with all the little stitiches I forgot and needed to do them..one here,,one there..I have blocked it out and that helps to find the right colour. And I will peck away at the singles until I get them done and can go ahead into a new area. Thanks

and I have just started stitching in December " Delft-made Dish with Grapes" by Michiel Van Huysum, Over Two threads on 25 count ecru evenweave. ( 4 threads in the needle)



Meredith has been very very patient in helping me via email as I messed it up the stitching completely by starting this Over One thread on 25 count evenweave in November with only one thread in the needle and not two..



...an entire month stitching and it became really clear that the blends weren't working as well as I had hoped... so (sigh) I unpicked the lot...

Not as bad however as pushing ahead vainly with something that obviously wasn't going to work in the end.

Photos of progress on the Over Two piece...

Dec 4th 2008:







31 december 2008



usually I start in the centre but for some bazzare reason started at the bottom for the first ( and last) time in my stitching life... first time to grid the fabric too... excellent move I have discovered. Sadly full time work gets in the way of serious stitching time, but I'm fairly quick so we will see how long this takes to complete.

WONDERFUL to see that the progress on the pieces in the gallery...

So.. that's it from me for the moment ... more as the stitching progresses [/color][/quote]

It must be fun to do this together, they sure are beautiful updates.
Patricia, isn't it difficult to stitch with 4 threads?
Fenny.

Fenny, it is not me that is doing 4 threads. Sometimes the way the posts are set up it is difficult to know who has posted what.

Sorry Patricia, started to read the whole thread from the beginning, so the question is for Kiwidutch.

Fenny.

quote:

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Originally posted by fenny
It must be fun to do this together, they sure are beautiful updates.
Patricia, isn't it difficult to stitch with 4 threads?
Fenny.

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Hi Fenny, sorry for the late reply, family and work stuff has taken over 1000% at the moment ....

actually I'm finding the 4 threads are stitching up really well... I like the coverage .. 6 thread is very dense (I tied a test piece, but whilst it's still stitchable, the difference between 4 and 6 threads is negligable in the end I think, so doesn't warrent all that extra thread use.)

therefore ... I'm working over two threads on 25 count Lugana fabric, instead of my "usual" one thread over one on the same fabric.

When stitching o-o I always use a size 28 tapestry needle ( get a good supply of them because the mega thin eyes break easily) and switched to a size 26 tapestry needle when I started on Grapes , over two threads... but after a while I found that I liked the smaller needles better so am back stitching with the size 28's .

Could be that I am just used to the smaller needle after 6-8 years of o-o stitching, but I also find that it travels better though the holes , cleaner. A needle threader is a must though...

...I might be stitcing mad but i'm not loooking for stitching insanity

I need to post a HEAP of o-o photos... via some shoves from some friends, I have been thinking of doing a blog... anyone know of any way to get paid for one? or for articles ?( wishful thinking I'm certain) and/or a good blog site to set up with?

sooooo. for me the 4 thread hasn't been a problem, but I'm an experienced stitcher and have also had no problem with o-o, fractional threads in all sizes or specialty threads... does that make a difference? probably not... in my humble opnion, if you are hanging out here on SQ looking at these stitching threads then you obviously haven't been intimidated by the patterns so i don't think you will be frightened off in the least by 4 threads in the needle

quote:

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Originally posted by kiwidutch

How is everyone elses stitching progressing?

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Like you, things have been hectic here, too - my oldest son is playing soccer all over the east coast, and that's keeping us busy, though we haven't gone to any of his games that are out-of-state - too much driving and expense. My work has been a madhouse, too, with the quarter just ending and the new one starting up. And a new dog, who is not the sharpest needle in the pack It's hard to have a dumb dog when your other dog is brilliant

I've been stitching, though, trying to keep up with my rotation. I'm getting some progress in, but of course, not as much as I would like. Where your summer is short, ours is almost too long, and I've been in a fall mood lately - I finished a small Halloween piece the other day, and seem to have acquired more Halloween things... it's my favorite season next to Christmas You can check out my blog for yesterday's update, and flip back through a couple of weeks to see what I've been doing:
http://tinyurl.com/mkcpwq - Multiply
http://tinyurl.com/pptnyp - Blogger

I'm still trying to decide if I'm taking any pieces to the fair this year - if I do, it will be a different fair than the one I've gone to before, if I can find some stitching that fits this other fair's size limitations Just not sure I feel like bothering with it - it will likely be a last-minute decision....

Kids go back to school on August 10th - not sure I'm ready for that, and of course, I know they aren't. It's been nice having them home to do some of the laundry before I get home - not that it has seemed to free up any stitching time???

Good luck getting back to your stitching - time outside with the kids is more important anyway - unless they are making you nuts Or is that just mine?