Over the weekend, I finished this Lizzie Kate design for a friend who lost a furbaby dear to her. I love how quickly these little projects stitch up (hours instead of days).
I got another one started at the dentist's office. My daughter broke a tooth (poor girl) and it took a while to numb her so I got about 90 minutes work finished. Then, I stitched another 90 minutes while I watched the Presidential debates. So...this is 3 hours work. Doesn't look like much, does it?! So, in case anyone wonders how long it takes to stitch things, you can see it's a big effort for us/me.
Okay my mind is swimming about stitching related questions:
Don't you wish designers would make their patterns fit into STANDARD SIZED FRAMES? I just can't see spending tons of money every time I finish an item and I don't want that many pillows! Do you think we can petition designers to consider standard frame sizes more often?
FABRIC: The items you see in my picture were stitched on 32 ct. fabric given to me in an exchange and were dyed by Silkweavers. The lugana is in the dog design and evenweave in the later. I loved these. I began looking and the color selection is tremendous.
I've also bought from Sassys Fabbys in Monaco and loved those fabrics as well.
So...where do you get your fabrics? Do you do color of the month auto delivery? Where are the best buys and what types are your favorites?
FLOSS: I usually stitch with DMC. Do you ever notice your Xs look kind of twisted, as if the threads do not lay right? Why? What am I doing wrong?
Okay....feedback time. FRAMES---FABRIC---FLOSS??? Yes my friends, this post has been brought to you by the letter F, as in FRIENDS. ;-)
33 comments:
I haven't done a cross stitch in years - I think I will have to try it again. You have motivated me! :D
Sam
That's just perfect for a dog lover!! Sorry to hear about your daughter's tooth. That's no fun. But glad you got in a little 'free' time (and I use the word 'free' loosely!) to stitch.
Love those projects! It amazes me how much patience it takes to do counted cross stitch.
Ah, now there's a list of good questions! Here goes:
Frames - You're absolutely right! I find myself looking at finished size just as much as I look at the design itself and the required supplies. Unless I REALLY love a chart, I don't bother unless it's standard frame size (or close to). Miras are the only exception.
Fabric - I have no preference and I buy them from anywhere & everywhere.
Floss - DMC was my only friend for years. Then I started using Kreiniks about 2 years ago. I only started using hand-dyed flosses when I started the SamSarah calendar this month. Honestly, I have no preference here, either.
Fantastic! It does take a lot of time, but I am sure the recipients just love it! Hope your daughter is ok!
Yes, I wish they would design for standard frames!!!! I railroad my stitches. Google it, I am not so good at explaining that. :(
I get my fabrics from ebay. Best deals I can find. EVER.
Parsley -
Your projects are beautiful and you have inspired me to pick up my embroidery and get busy!
As far as your concerns regarding framing; have you and the others considered buying mats {they come in different sizes, some are double} which would allow use of a standard frame? You can find them at craft stores as well as Dollar Tree or look at the framed 'art' in your thrift stores. I've gotten beautiful frames w/ mats for 50 cents. I just remove the 'art' when I get home.
Your Friend,
Deborah
FairfieldHouseNJ.com
I love your completed dog project, your friend is lucky to have you! I also get frustrated at not being able to put my designs in a standard frame, which is probably why I have so many pieces waiting to be framed! Fabric-I do not have much experience with different brands. I pretty much use the basic, which I buy at H__L___ when I am in that area. I know i don't get the best deal though. I have purchased my first piece of linen and as soon as I complete a couple of WIP, I will attempt that! Floss-DMC is the only floss I have ever used. Can you tell I'm not a person that likes change! To go with my linen fabric, I purchased a few skeins of a different brand, not sure what it is, but it was recommended with the pattern, so I thought I'd give it a shot too.
Fabric- I prefer to buy in lens if I can then I can touch it and see what the is like in real life.
Frames - yes please
Threads - when I'm stitching with two threads I railroad my threads. When you are putting your needle down through the fabric you pass your needle between the two threads and it helps them lay flat. Some people do this on both crises of their stitch I just do it on the top stitch. Google it!!
What a great gift for your friend.
Know she will treasure it.
I love your dog project, you friend is lucky to have you! My answers to your questions: Frames-Yes, I would love is more projects would fit standard frames! I currently have a stack of stitched pieces that are waiting to be framed, because with a house full of guys, I do not need a lot of pillows sitting around! Fabric-I am old fashioned. I still use the same old Zweigart that I learned with over twenty years ago. I don't get the best possible deals on it though, because i usually buy it at a big name brand hobby store when I am out in that area. Just recently discovered 123 Stitch, and purchased a piece of linen with a pattern, and I'm anxious to give that a try! Floss-once again, old fashioned! DMC is the only floss I have ever used, but with the linen, a different brand of floss was recommended and I purchased that as well. As soon as I complete a couple of WIP, I'm ready to branch out a little bit!
I love your Lizzie Kate pece. I do agree about designs fitting standard frames, it can cost so much to get odd sizes.
Lovely gift and we are sure it will be appreciated. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly
You are so talented.
I love your dog projects, too cute.
Floss, there is a right and wrong side to floss, if you run your fingers ever so lightly going up and then going down, you can feel there is a difference, one way being smoother, the other some resistance. I grew up with lightly wetting a sponge and running my floss along it, not to soke it but to just give it a hint of water and the threads lay nicer. I was recently introduced to thread conditioner that is supposed to have the same effect but I hate it and find my floss tangles even more. As others have suggested, the rail road works with the first thing i mentioned being a smooth side and a corser side to threads, if you take one thread and fold it in half then you acturally get one running smooth and the other half course. My dear friend and teacher of cross stitching also told me the floss shouldn't be longer than a 12inches, because it rubs on the fabric and it looses it's sheen from the friction of going in and out of the material, thats why when we end up ripping out you see the floss get ugly looking. I hope that helps, it works for me.
I sometimes find framed art work and then remove their picture to insert my needlework. Using mats can also help with the fit, I prefer linen to aida cloth... and DMC as I always have the colors and it is less expensive than always getting specialty threads. I use a laying tool when I feel my threads need help to lay as nearly perfect as possible.
You do beautiful cross stitching!
beautiful project xx
These are looking great. I really love lizzie Kate designs !!!
I very seldom frame anything but giant projects so I'm not the one to answer the frame question! When I am designing, it is the idea in my head that determines the size of the finished project...
I buy my fabric from 123Stitch in bulk and dye it myself so I guess I'm not much help there either! My favorite fabric color is tea stained. The natural hues go with most anything and I know it won't bleed when I wash it.
Twisted stitches? You need to learn to "railroad" as you stitch. It takes a bit more time but your stitches are neater. You get faster at it with practice. Also drop your needle and let it unwind more often. I sometimes remove the needle and let both threads unwind/separate then rethread. You can google "railroading" for pictures of what we are talking about. It really does make a difference.
I use 99% DMC in my stitching too. Colorfastness counts a LONG way with me and they have the best variety of colors at a decent price. I like the fancy overdyes, the silks and whatnot but I really don't like paying $2.50 a skein or more!
And don't believe the "the thread going in the wrong direction" myth. Even DMC will tell you it's nonsense! Embroidery threads can be used in either direction and you cant tell the difference at all. I used to have a link to a site that explains the myth but I've lost it along the way...
Congrats on the finish and start. They look great.
I agree 1,000,000%. I so wish designers would think of us when designing and make the designs to fit standard frames. I might have more hanging on my walls.
Linda
Hi Parsley....wonderful stitchery.......love the dog verse......so true.......hope your daughter is o.k. ......Blessings Francine.
Well,
FRAME-I take my finished works with me and I buy frames ,which fit the most,or as you do I take to frame them...It takes weeks and often I am not satisfied...But I can not really but normal patterns from normal designers in Serbia,so I am a special case,I think...:D
FABRIC-I like linen the most.I make exchanges ,because I can not buy fine linen in my country...(me again:D)and I like 2x Aida.
What was the third?
Oh,yes FLOSS-No normal floss...Puppets ad Ljubica.I think it is not very popular in the USA...Ljubica is Croatian from the formal Yugoslavia,it is very similar quality as DMC ,I like it very much.Puppets is awful...I often use Venus from Hungary,it has a long color palette as DMC ,but it not a very good quality...I use DMC as often I can,but I have a few colors...I do like it.Well nothing is perfect,sometimes it twists...but I do not mind.:)
Greetings.:)
Bernadett
Parsley,
I totally agree with you about the frames. Sue Hillis and Donna Bayliss (By the Bay Needleart) are two designers that do design with standard frames in mind. I just wish more designers would jump on the standard-sized bandwagon, especially when designing seasonal items. As far as fabric, I just love Picture this Plus and am in their fabric of the month club. I have ordered everything from 18 ct. aida to 32 ct. linen and have never been disappointed. I also love Lakeside Linens and buy 1/4 pieces at 123 Stitch. 28 to 32 ct. Jobelan has a great feel to it and I also buy it from 123 Stitch. As far as floss, I predominately use DMC; however, I am more and more saving my pennies and buying overdyed cottons; my favorite is Gentle Art Sampler Thread. I have tried silk, but can't manage it without turning the air blue! Overall, I really think 123 Stitch is the best place to buy online.
Have a great rest of the week.
Karen in Maryland
Great finish!! Congrats :D
Okay, here we go.....
Framing - I have only ever framed one piece and that was from my mums Christmas present one year (Picasso's rooster). I got it framed professionally. Most of the stuff I finish is ornament size LOL
Fabric - I belong to Sassy's colour of the month, but I am thinking of stopping and just buying as needed. I have also bought from Stitchers and Spice which is an Australian company. And I prefer joblean, it just feels so nice.
Thread - I mainly use DMC but tend to go outside the DMC box when stitching ornaments as I have some silks and overdyes that I received in exchanges that I use on them.
I use all sorts of linen brands but mostly Lakeside Linens and Picture This Plus, with some Weeks Dye Works thrown in. Mostly it depends on what my LNS has on hand but I would like to venture out a bit and try ordering some different things. I will say that Picture This Plus has the best 'mottled' look. Lakeside Linens were beautifully mottled when they started out years ago but now you can hardly see any as I guess they are doing their dyeing more in mass lots.
I use all sorts of threads...I do use silks on lots of things but I'm not a 'silk snob'. I still love good old dependable DMC and I use many of the hand-dyed cottons like Gentle Arts, Weeks and Crescent Colours. I do find that WDW knots more on me though but they have a lot of great colors. I do the 'railroad' stitching when I feel in the mood LOL. It does take me longer but if you have some theads that just don't want to lie right it helps a lot- as others have mentioned, I just railroad the top thread - my time is too precious to do both bottom and top! Also I find that sometimes I don't need to railroad stitch at all and the threads are lying great on their own. It just depends on how things are going.
As for framing...well I usually get my things custom-framed and yes it's expensive...that's why I have a box of unframed pieces that never seems to get emptied!
Yeah, I wish that designers designed for normal sized frames. That's why I purposely made the piece that I designed for an 8x10 frame. Hee hee.
I can only afford fabric from SCRAP right now so I'm making due with what I have.
Dunno about the thread though. Sometimes it does it to me as well but I let it untwist itself. My next experiment will be with satin floss.
What a perfect gift for your friend. I know it will offer great comfort at this time.
Totally agree with you on the frame thing!!
Good questions!
Frames - It would be nice, but I'm usually more concerned about being able to fit a design on a fat 1/4. I'm learning how to do my own framing, so theoretically, the size won't matter.
Fabric - If you've looked at my blog, you know I have quite a collection of hand-dyeds. >blush< I have belonged to the Silkweaver FOTM club, and also Polstitches. Silkweaver's club was a good deal. The fabric wasn't always as expected, but I did get some really pretty ones. I love Polstitches, but I was just starting to spend too much $$$ all around, so I'm trying to stash diet. Blech! Right now, I'm completely in love with Leslie's Under the Sea fabrics. I think you can only get them on Facebook right now, though. Maybe she'll do a website soon.
Floss - I always wet each strand and railroad, but even then they sometimes twist. I've started using a finger to hold the strands down as I pull the top leg to the back. Seems to help.
*hugs and stitches*
I use all different threads - DMC, Sullivan's, Anchor, many hand-dyed and over-dyed. I'm a floss addict!
I usually order my fabric online from various ONS'. I did belong to the Silkweaver's FOTM club, but when Zweigart took over, I dropped it due to Zweigart's poor packaging and horrible customer service.
I choose designs that appeal to me and don't really care or pay much attention to the size. If I'm planning on framing a piece, I usually choose a standard size frame that's larger than the stitched piece so that there is a nice margin around the design and I can center it in the frame.
I am stitching clueless but I sure love that tribute you made for your friend!
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