Gridding.

I was thinking the other morning, you know how it is when your partners snoring at 4am, and I came to wonder what the hype about gridding is. For me I find it’s the only way I can keep track of where I am. But on the other hand I am constantly doubting weather I have counted right. I know on elegant kimono I made a basic mistake when gridding and I have struggled to “work around it” as I couldn’t be arsed to start the whole thing over again. I think I have cracked it, when I get near to the wrong bit I make it up as I go along. I know, I know naughty me.

If you do grid do you find that using different colours help? I find I use several different colours for gridding the same design. Also very bright colours help me for the darker or busier areas such as neon’s and reds.  I found a fantastic bright blue at my local 99p store which is great for gridding as I got four of them for 99p.

I also like that I can work around on different parts. I always start in the middle of the design and as you can see from pics I tend to wonder off and do other parts like the bottom of the dress or all the flowers. I doubt I would be able to without gridding as I don’t think I would have the confidence to count it out and just start from there.

I don’t know if gridding would work for samplers though as I have never tried.

I love finishing for the night and realising that I have completed a square a full 100 stitches, and setting a goal for the next night of finishing 3 squares.

What do you think of gridding does it help or do you prefer to “go it alone”

Do you grid with thread or do you draw it on. Which do you find is better?

Not long now

I have an update!!!!

I have been mainly working on the top of the kimono. I have run out of the darker green I need for the leaves. They are all in my Hoover. So I shall go buy some soon. You can see the basic shape coming along. I’m so excited.

Here is a pic

meh

There’s not a lot of stitching to report I’m afraid. Since my last update I have done roughly 30 stitches at most. I wake up every morning and think “today I’m gonna stitch like crazy!” and by the time I have put my son to bed I just collapse on the sofa.

Hopefully I will be able to do a decent stitchey update soon. I have been good though if I haven’t stitched I’ve typed up some posts so ill be uploading them soon.

I have been reading many blogs and there is some great work out there. Wow you should be proud of yourselves. Keep a eye on the hall of fame over the next few days.

I was wondering how many of you use cross stitch forums and what are your experiences of them. I am a member on one forum and nobody has posted in nearly two weeks. If you know of any please please let me know.

Happy Valentines

I hope you are all being spoilt rotten

whooo....

I am now a proud member of International stitchers. A stitching site started by Lesley, she is my partner this month. I’m so excited. This will be my first swap, ever! After I have confirmed she has received her item from me I will post pictures for everyone to see.

Heaven and earth designs are amazing. I have browsed through their website a few times and recently made an account. This may not sound like a bad thing but it now means I can buy things. And keep track of things I want.( 127 items in my wish-list) all I can say is hubbys in for a expensive xmas. Hehe. I think I could quite happily stitch Heaven and Earth designs for the rest of my life and still not get through all my favs.

Progress!

And a fair bit of it. Go me! As you can see 3 flowers a lot of diamonds, and leaves. I’m starting to hate leaves. I have also re-prepared the fabric as was having massive problems with the tension. Ironing has got rid of the horrible rings that my old frame had left.

I have added a few more links to the unusual designs page. They might not make much sense at the moment I’m hoping to put them into some sort of list over the next few days.

I was wondering has anyone cross stitched on silk. I have a red silk dressing gown I was thinking of maybe in the future using the elegant kimono design I am working on as a back piece. Does anyone have any hints or tips?

Elegant kimono is coming along ok I haven’t been able to work on it as much as I had hoped lately.

Progress

If you have anything you think should be posted on the Inspiration, Unusal designs or Hall of fame please let me know and ill include it when i update

New additions

So there been a lot of changes. 2 new pages. A couple of deliverys. I love my postman. 

I ordered a scroll frame from eBay. Very fast delivery. It’s not keeping as taught I wanted it but that could just be where I haven’t used it before I have been a little gentle with it.

Also the threads I ordered from Rosace Embroidery threads delivered. For free! Yes a freebie. 3 skeins of my choice. There are great. Quick go grab yours......

I’ve been making good progress but put wont pics up tonight as I’m shattered, so I’ll save them for tomorrow.

My new frame arrived!!! Instructions would have been helpful but I managed to piece it together. I have been using it for 2 days now and it has doubled my stitching time. My posture is better and I have a free hand so I can treat myself to a cappuccino and still carry on stitching.

I mucked up on “Elegant Kimono” so I had to undo about 500 stitches while whimpering into my cappuccino. It was so frustrating. But I managed to catch up very quickly and have replaced the stitches I took out. So it’s all good. The colours still amaze me. I think it will always. Even after it’s framed.