Sampler Progress

Well, I've finally actually started stitching my MIL sampler that took
me so long to design. It's really a simple piece. The designing took
so long because I was going the hard route of pencil and graph paper
and with no experience in charting designs. I keep thinking about
adding a border to it but can't think of anything that fits with it.
The top part has a verse I created, "When God gave you a son He gave me
a friend in you." Since I had trouble spacing the lines neatly without
lower lines getting in the way of descending letters from the upper
lines I put in a couple areas that will have withdrawn work in them --
between the first two lines and the bottom two and below the very last
line. Then below that is a cross stitch heart with an area of
Hardanger work in the middle of it.

I just finished the Hardanger part last night. Though it's not a very
large area, it took me a couple days to work on it since I've never
done Hardanger and I wanted to take my time. The Kloster blocks were
easy enough; they're only satin stitches. The cutting and pulling
threads was the hardest. I took a very big breath before making the
first cut but managed to quip to myself, "And now the first incision."
Even while pulling the cut threads out, I kept thinking "Oh, I hope I'm
doing this right!" It came out fine, though. :-) Everybody that's
seen it so far (just DH and his parents) have said how beautiful it is.
I got DH to take a few pictures of it this morning and will add them
to my Yahoo photo album when I have more.

I started on the cross stitch part this evening while visiting with the
in-laws, but I didn't get very far. This is the first time I used the
Gripit floor stand and frame I got on eBay. Here at home my usual spot
is reclining on the living room couch, since I have to keep my feet up.
It took me a little while to find a position with the stand that
worked good for me, and even then I felt like I was sitting too low.
But I had even more problems at my in-laws. Their couch is too close
to the floor to put the stand's legs beneath it, and there just wasn't
any way to get to it sitting up on the couch. So I had to pull a
dining room chair into a corner of the living room and sit on that.
But then I discovered the stand was too short! Even with all the
pieces extended completely, I had to lean over and felt like my left
arm was getting bruised by constantly pushing up against the lower
scroll bar. So then DMIL remembered a little wooden stool they have
that was just the right size to fit under the stand and made it tall
enough for me to stitch on. But by then supper was ready, so I got
only a few short lines done.
--
Suze
Cat hair? That's just an embellishment.

Sound's like its going to be lovely and a wonderful gift for your MIL.

Widgebe

--
Remove sillybuggers to reply!

WIP Amid Amish Life (middle panel), Lily Sampler, Berry Bear


Suzanne wrote:

Well, I've finally actually started stitching my MIL sampler that
took
me so long to design. It's really a simple piece. The designing
took
so long because I was going the hard route of pencil and graph paper
and with no experience in charting designs. I keep thinking about
adding a border to it but can't think of anything that fits with it.
The top part has a verse I created, "When God gave you a son He gave
me
a friend in you." Since I had trouble spacing the lines neatly
without
lower lines getting in the way of descending letters from the upper
lines I put in a couple areas that will have withdrawn work in
them --
between the first two lines and the bottom two and below the very
last
line. Then below that is a cross stitch heart with an area of
Hardanger work in the middle of it.
snip

On 2004-07-11 12:32:01 -0500, "widgebe" said:

Sound's like its going to be lovely and a wonderful gift for your MIL.

Widgebe

thanks! :-)
--
Suze
Cat hair? That's just an embellishment.