Question about TW kit

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 20:26:08 -0700, Seanette Blaylock
wrote:

I'm already dreading
what the back's going to look like, since there's a certain amount of
confetti in Guardian and those pesky blends that don't allow loop
starts [which to me are vastly tidier on the back than tails].
Once it's framed, who's going to see the back?
Darla
Sacred cows make great hamburgers.

"Caryn" wrote in message
...
Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply wrote:

This is the perfect time to use variegated fibers. I have done just
a
bit
of TW sstuff and used variegated floss in place of all those confetti.


(hitting herself upside the head) Why didn't I think of that? DUH!

Tia Mary, you're BRILLIANT!
Sue






I'll stick to doing it the way TW picked. You can't control the varigated
colors, the shading wouldn't be right, depth would be lost.

Caryn

I depends on how one cuts the lengths . Prefer overdyed floss myself and
there again it depends on how one cuts the floss lengths related to the area
you are stitching and the effect one wants. But then I am also willing to
put up with more floss wastage for the sake of convenience cutting out
sections I don't want to use like the whiteish bit in the blue green
variegated. I rarely stitch a pattern exactly , not sure I ever have
actually, and often make substitutions of fibres as I am not looking for
just another identical 6,000th copy of something. I stitch to suit my own
tastes and improve patterns accordingly. LOL! TW is never going to see it
so why should I worry.
Ruby

Darla had some very interesting things
to say about Question about TW kit:

I'm already dreading
what the back's going to look like, since there's a certain amount of
confetti in Guardian and those pesky blends that don't allow loop
starts [which to me are vastly tidier on the back than tails].
Once it's framed, who's going to see the back?

I get neurotic about it, mostly because of all the commentary in here
about how horrible it is if the back isn't as neat as the front.
Almost takes the fun out of it for me.

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

"Ruby" had some very interesting
things to say about Question about TW kit:

I depends on how one cuts the lengths . Prefer overdyed floss myself and
there again it depends on how one cuts the floss lengths related to the area
you are stitching and the effect one wants. But then I am also willing to
put up with more floss wastage for the sake of convenience cutting out
sections I don't want to use like the whiteish bit in the blue green
variegated. I rarely stitch a pattern exactly , not sure I ever have
actually, and often make substitutions of fibres as I am not looking for
just another identical 6,000th copy of something. I stitch to suit my own
tastes and improve patterns accordingly. LOL! TW is never going to see it
so why should I worry.

I did some major subs on "Memoriam" [Ellen Maurer-Stroh], such as
changing the fabric to black [the photo is on a light tan fabric. I
thought black went better with the piece itself and the color scheme]
and changing floss to rayon. If/when I ever finish the thing [it's
currently buried in a box], I may very well send her a picture of my
version. :-)

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

"Seanette Blaylock" wrote in
message ...
Darla had some very interesting things
to say about Question about TW kit:

I'm already dreading
what the back's going to look like, since there's a certain amount of
confetti in Guardian and those pesky blends that don't allow loop
starts [which to me are vastly tidier on the back than tails].
Once it's framed, who's going to see the back?

I get neurotic about it, mostly because of all the commentary in here
about how horrible it is if the back isn't as neat as the front.
Almost takes the fun out of it for me.

LOL! we have no way of knowing what your backs look like if you don't tell
us.
Ruby

"Becky Andresen" ) writes:

Well, I'm interested, Caryn. I've never been brave enough to try a TW
design. They look so complicated and time consuming. Am I wrong? I've ben
tempted to try a TW, but I never could convince myself to do it.

Enlighten me!
Becky A.

I have seen other replies to this, but I am not sure doing a TW is
just as easy as "one stitch at a time". I dont know about other forms of
embroidery, but it seems to me you need two separate skills to do counted
cross stitch. You need the mechanical skills to do the needlework, keep
the tension even, etc. But you also need some other skills to enable you
to follow the pattern, count across the canvas, etc.
As some rctners know, at one point I finished off other people's
UFOs. One I remember was Rebecca de la Tour's Moon Maiden. Why the owner
started it in the first place I never found out. But the way she
obviously stitched was to have a separate needle for every colour, and
then go across the rows one stitch at a time, interchanging needles. She
started at the tip of the crescent moon, where the first row was one
stitch, and moved down the moon. She got to rows which were about 15
stitches long, before she gave up, and I took over.
It seems to me that before you tackle a pattern like a TW, you need
to have the skills to thread the needle with threads which are sort of 25
cm long, and then stitch one symbol, following the pattern, not missing
too many of them on the way, and putting each of them, most of the time,
into the right place. If you cannot do this on bare canvas, then basting
a grid outlining squares of 10 by 10 stitches might help. But it seems to
me, that if you lack this basic skill, it is no disgrace, but I would not
recommend tackling a computer generated pattern, or a TW. Just my 2 cents
worth. HTH.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

"Ruby" had some very interesting
things to say about Question about TW kit:

I'm already dreading
what the back's going to look like, since there's a certain amount of
confetti in Guardian and those pesky blends that don't allow loop
starts [which to me are vastly tidier on the back than tails].
Once it's framed, who's going to see the back?
I get neurotic about it, mostly because of all the commentary in here
about how horrible it is if the back isn't as neat as the front.
Almost takes the fun out of it for me.
LOL! we have no way of knowing what your backs look like if you don't tell
us.

But *I* know! :-) [Seriously, Karen doesn't think my backs are all
that bad. I did a little bear ornament recently I thought was horrible
as far as how the back came out, but she said for plaid I did fine
(stupid little guy was wearing a plaid jacket).]

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL

I've never worked much with blends, so I'm not up to speed on the tricks of
the trade. It makes sense to make them up ahead of time. And I get really
sick of flipping back to check on a legend symbol that I just checked...and
already forgot.

I've never used the highlighter system. I'll be starting a large project
soon, and so I might try that approach. I always could never be sure of
where I left off.

I browsed the website and really liked it. I have the pattern for the Fruit
Bellpull in a book somewhere, but I never realized it was a TW design. I
might try that one when I get the time.

Thanks for the tips, Caryn!
Becky A.



"Caryn" skrev i melding
...

Like all needlework, they are just one stitch at a time.

I have found there are several things that help me do a TW without pulling
out
my hair.

I organize all the blends before I pick up a needle. Some people use
bobbins,
others baggies, but I prefer to use strips of old manilla folders,
hole-punched
along one edge. I write the symbol and floss number(s) over the hole, and
cut
and hang the appropriate floss from the hole. Thus my blends are ready,
the
symbol is handy (I get tired of looking at the legend all the time).

I have also found that working copies are mandatory. I even choose which
highlighter color I use based on the color of the floss I just stitched
(pink
for all red, pink or skin tones; green for leaves, blue for stones, greys,
etc
etc), this allows me to pick up a project that has been put aside for a
while
and be able to stitch it without studying the chart forever trying to
figure
out where I left off.

The TW Bulletin Board has some very nice, helpful people on it. There are
stitchalongs for most of her projects, so you can ask questions specific
to a
project there.

You can access it via: www.twdesignworks.com, click on the bulletin board
link.

Caryn

Wow. I didn't think anybody stitched like that. One stitch at a time,
switching needles the whole way? Goodness, I don't think I'd have the
patience to do that even as a joke.

The way I've always stitched, even in little projects, is just the way you
described. I'll take a long thread (usually about 36cm) and work on a color
until all of it is done in a particular area. Then the next color, and so
on. I've never basted a grid onto my work, but then...I've never tackled a
truly large project.

*deep blush* My main trouble, however, is that my mother never taught me
anything more then the basic X stitch. I picked up 1/4 and 3/4 stitches on
my own (how hard was that?!). So I'm all set for basic stitches. I just
can't seem to manage the fancier things. My French knots always fall apart,
my Lazy Daisies are mutant monsters, and my Satin stitches barely pass
muster. I don't want to say I'm an incompetant stitcher...I just lack the
skill.

I know I'll have to learn the more advanced stitches before trying a TW
pattern. I just can't seem to find a tutorial on my level - "Advanced
Stitches for Complete Stupids Like Becky"

Oh well. It's not like I'm in a rush to do a TW. I've got a few projects
lined up to keep me occupied for a while.

Me + Needle = Danger to Myself and Others...
Becky A.



"F.James Cripwell" skrev i melding
...


I have seen other replies to this, but I am not sure doing a TW is
just as easy as "one stitch at a time". I dont know about other forms of
embroidery, but it seems to me you need two separate skills to do counted
cross stitch. You need the mechanical skills to do the needlework, keep
the tension even, etc. But you also need some other skills to enable you
to follow the pattern, count across the canvas, etc.
As some rctners know, at one point I finished off other people's
UFOs. One I remember was Rebecca de la Tour's Moon Maiden. Why the owner
started it in the first place I never found out. But the way she
obviously stitched was to have a separate needle for every colour, and
then go across the rows one stitch at a time, interchanging needles. She
started at the tip of the crescent moon, where the first row was one
stitch, and moved down the moon. She got to rows which were about 15
stitches long, before she gave up, and I took over.
It seems to me that before you tackle a pattern like a TW, you need
to have the skills to thread the needle with threads which are sort of 25
cm long, and then stitch one symbol, following the pattern, not missing
too many of them on the way, and putting each of them, most of the time,
into the right place. If you cannot do this on bare canvas, then basting
a grid outlining squares of 10 by 10 stitches might help. But it seems to
me, that if you lack this basic skill, it is no disgrace, but I would not
recommend tackling a computer generated pattern, or a TW. Just my 2 cents
worth. HTH.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

*deep blush* My main trouble, however, is that my mother never taught me
anything more then the basic X stitch. I picked up 1/4 and 3/4 stitches on
my own (how hard was that?!). So I'm all set for basic stitches. I just
can't seem to manage the fancier things. My French knots always fall apart,
my Lazy Daisies are mutant monsters, and my Satin stitches barely pass
muster. I don't want to say I'm an incompetant stitcher...I just lack the
skill.

I know I'll have to learn the more advanced stitches before trying a TW
pattern. I just can't seem to find a tutorial on my level - "Advanced
Stitches for Complete Stupids Like Becky"



TW doesn't throw in a lot of specialty stitches (other than lots of quarter
sts, which you say you've mastered) other than in her "samplers."

The Castle, for instance, is straight Xst and backstitching. Nothing fancy,
just lots of blends and fractionals. Not even a lot of confetti in that one.

Confession time.....my french knots tend to unravel too, I hate doing them, and
my lazy daisy's can lack evenness. I don't let it bother me much, try to avoid
patterns that use a lot of them, or just grit my teeth and do my best when I
have to use them.

This is about having fun, relaxing and creating beautiful things. If specialty
stitches aren't fun, there are lots of patterns out there that don't use them.

Please don't feel you are "stupid" because you haven't mastered a skill you
don't enjoy. I think we put way too much pressure onto ourselves. We all seem
to expect perfection from ourselves even when out of our comfort zone. Relax,
it's supposed to be fun! Don't stress over small stuff, and it doesn't get
much smaller than a french knot! lol

Caryn


Blue Wizard Designs
http://hometown.aol.com/crzy4xst/index.html
View WIPs at: http://community.webshots.com/user/carynlws (Caryn's UFO's)