Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

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agi
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Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by agi »

There are so many talented people in this forum, and I was thinking that apart from doing SALs together, which is great fun, we could do something really unique as well. Some of us can design simple patterns, some are very good at changing the colour schemes, also, there are a lot of free patterns available which don't have any copyright on them (like the very old ones) and can be used as a starting point...

So, my suggestion is that we design a band sampler for our forum. Everyone who wants to participate can design one (or more) bands. A band can be a few stitches or a few inches wide. We only need to agree on a general style, whether it is floral motifs, or mostly geometrical, older style or modern or a mixture - you know :)

Then everyone who wants to stitch it, can adapt it to their liking as far as the number of colours are concerned, which band to stitch and which to leave out, the width can be different, too, since these are usually repetitive patterns - the possibilities are endless.

Of course, all forum members would be welcome to stitch it, not only those who contribute...

Now, this is just a rough idea, if you think there is some sense in it, help me make it more elaborate. Ideas and opinions welcome.
Last edited by agi on Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by Mabel Figworthy »

What a lovely idea to celebrate this great forum with a special project! Strangely enough I am just putting together ideas for a band sampler myself, using the wide linen band I was asking about -- I want it to be like the original band samplers in that it shows different stitches, motifs, threads and techniques for future reference, and I hope to do one with the stitching class if ever I get to season 4 :-).

So as I love band samplers that part of it appeals to me very much, and so does the idea of creating something that is uniquely of this forum -- the thing that might stop me from joining in is time :-( . I'll be starting the Stashaholic SAL next week, I've still to finish the tea tray and aunt's labrador, I don't want to neglect my silk alphabet and BoInk as much as I did last year... It would depend on when it would start and what sort of pace we'd be taking it at?
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by agi »

At this point I would say.... whatever we want. If you are not free now you can do the, say, 8th band...
Or we can start the whole thing later. Or start now and go as slow as we want.
Anyway, Mabel, dear, it wouldn't take you THAT much to design one band..., come on! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by Mabel Figworthy »

*goes enthusiastically into teacher mode*

When there were no pattern books and every girl learnt to stitch from her mother or older sisters, they would record pretty motifs, useful stitches and so on by actually stitching them on a piece of fabric. Whenever the piece was full they'd sew on another piece (often using various hem stitches which they could then keep for future reference too) until that was full and so on, and they'd end up with a long band (usually kept rolled up) full of motifs and stitches and techniques that they could refer back to when they were stitching their bedlinen or hemming a nightshirt.

The earliest samplers were often band samplers, and they're coming back in fashion -- people now make long narrow samplers with bands of different stitches and techniques, e.g. pulled work, hemming, beads, cross stitch, florentine and so on -- but nowadays of course they are decorative rather than a record of useful stitches.
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by Mabel Figworthy »

When I was beginning to plan my own band sampler I looked into linen band -- I wanted a traditional look -- and someone helpful on this forum (I'm sorry I can't remember who -- apologies!) pointed me to Arts & Designs. They can order anything from the Rico catalogue, which is full of both aida and linen band (click the link, choose English, then embroidery, then catalogue, then Bands).

The catalogue doesn't give prices, but the 20cm wide linen band is £7 per metre and the 10cm linen band £4.25 per metre, which is extremely good value. Using band means you don't have to hem the long sides of your sampler, just the cut edges, which is a bonus :-).

You could order a metre, filll that, order an other and sew it on to the first, and so on -- I've just been reading a blog of a lady whose band sampler (still in progress and containing a great variety of materials and stitches) now measures 13.5 metres/14.8 yards :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by agi »

Actually, I always thought they are called band samplers because they place the patterns in lines instead of a central or scattered placement - I may be wrong, though. And I read somewhere that they were made on small and long stripes of fabric because the leftover edge of the fabric was used for teaching the children, that was no good for anything else.

As for the size... I would think a bellpull size would be big enough - but we will see as we proceed, won't we.

So, do you think we need to do a special sign up thread for this? Or let it be more spontaneous, and whoever has an idea, can publish it in the... whatever we call the thread where we can share patters we own the copyright to? Or start it in the SAL section?

I suggest we agree on the width: if the linen band is 20 cms, and we want some frame around it, let's say 14 cms? That's what, 5 and a half inches? And if the pattern is repetitive, anyone can make it longer or shorter if they wish.

And of course, we have to make sure we don't break copyright rules, so it has to be either original or something that has expired, like the ones we have already mentioned, e.g. Beeton's Book of Needlework on the Project Gutenberg site - there are more there, if someone doesn't know, worth checking.
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by agi »

I don't think there is a specific size - originally they might have been quite long, if they hang from the ceiling (or wherever the wire from the bell came in). I believe we can leave it open - everyone can choose a long piece of fabric and then finish when they feel like it.

I know I am not as good at organising things as most of you - it's not in our culture (seriously! - I am amazed at your efficiency sometimes), and also I tend to be the kind of person who likes to change things on the go and leave things open as much as possible. If you can help me make it more organised, please, do so :)
Agi

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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by mags »

Just so that this doesn't die before its started, thought I would have a bit of a play.
I thought it might be nice to incorporate "cross stitch forum" or at least "c s f" into the design but without it being obvious. I used a small alphabet from Jane Greenoff's cross stitch designer,
Image
squashed together, mirror imaged, and added a few hearts. I went for 70 stitches wide as this would be 5 inches in 14#.
What do you think ? Feel free to ignore if you don't like.
Image
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by Angel »

I got out my sampler book and had a look at Band samplers as they were origionally (the most recent sampler in here is 33. They're all meuseum pieces). And I came across this lovely little saying.
Conversation speak with ease
Shun Barberous words
As rocks in trees
Elzabeth Brain
1785

And I thought, that's beautiful! And it really works with the forum. So this is what I came up with:
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The big stars are those eyelets. Start in the center of thee stitch and go out to the point, back to the centre and out to the next point...You know the ones?
The little stars are double cross stitches? I have no idea of stitching names. You do a cross stitch X then you go over the top with a cross on it's side + so the crosses are bigger than normal crosses.

Please tell me someone knows what I'm talking about and can translate my gibberish for me?
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by agi »

Here are some very simple things I have come up with, feel free to choose whatever you like from them, and also change them if you want.

The first three are just very narrow ones that can be used as dividing lines between wider elements of the pattern.

The fourth is based on some Hungarian folk motifs, the structure is similar, but I made it up myself. Since our folk art is mostly in two colours, black and red, I chose those but of course, you can choose whatever colour you want. For example you can make every little flower a different colour, the winding stem green, and the little blackwork lines another colour again.

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This is a simple geometric motif, and here I did play a little with the colours just to show what variations are possible. I myself prefer the first version, but if you want a more colourful band you can change the colours, and, as in the third line, you can also fill in the background.

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And here is the same with symbols:

Image
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Last edited by agi on Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by agi »

I have made up something else again. I don't want to overpower this thing with my "ideas", please don't think that. I only did this, first, because I enjoy fooling around with my program, and mostly to show those who are hesitant to join (saying "I cannot design") that there are some very simple methods. Look what I did here: I chose a very simple star motif and made four different things: a simple repetitive band, another one with different sizes, another with the colours turned to the reverse - assisssi style (imagine this in variegated thread!), and another in blocks reversing colours. You can play further with adding more colours, charms, beads, etc.

So just think of a nice, simple little motif (a flower, a heart, a leaf, a bunny - whatever) and play a bit, it is so easy.
I really would like a lot of people to pick up their courage and join us in this.

So consider this just an example of possibilities...

Image
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Re: Suggestion for creating something together

Post by mags »

Some more

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Image

and, have made a start :D :D :D
Image
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by agi »

Here it is. I didn't start at the top, I left some space there because I am still looking for a good starting line :)

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This is a piece of coffee-dyed Aida, and some Madeira silks I got from my BF for Christmas - her choice of colours. I might add the two silks I received from Mabel, I will see how they look together, and also may buy one or two colours more... :shifty: :whistle:
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by agi »

I drew another band. This comes from one of those old, in-the-public-domain books that are free to use. It is much wider than the others:

Image

Edit: I found some small mistakes in my drawing, have corrected them, so this is now the hopefully good version.
Last edited by agi on Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:51 am, edited 2 times in total.
Agi

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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by agi »

Here is where I am now:

Image

I am so sorry, the colours don't show up well, I can never make a really good picture. :(

Kell, that star-shaped pattern of yours stitched up really beautifully. I don't know how you intended it, first I tried normal blackwork stitches (one stitch in each hole) but didn't like it, so ended up doing it long stitches, and I think it is great. :applesauce:

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The variegated silk is one I received from Mabel a while back, and although it's a tiny bit different in some shades from the others, I like the overall effect. First I intended to do backstitch around the shapes inside but decided against it, I prefer it as it is.
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by mags »

Mmm butterflies - might have to see if I can design something :D

Next update - I wanted to include one of Agi's bands but found that it was too sort of 'heavy' compared with the rest of what I'd done, so I changed it a bit and came up with this. Hope you approve Agi.
Image

and here it is stitched up
Image

Going to rest this for a bit to do other stuff......
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by agi »

One more pattern line with some variations:

Image

Image

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and here is where I am at the moment.

Image


Anyone wants to add something new? :lol:
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by Zeb »

Taking inspiration and courage from you guys, I spent the last hour and a bit creating this...

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Clicking on the picture should take you to my blog entry about it with a printable version if you are interested in stitching it. It is my first ever cross stitch pattern that I've designed myself so don't laugh too much! :oops:

I'll be using it as the head piece for my band sampler.
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by mags »

Done a bit more. There is a band here that I haven't charted up yet - will do that soon. Planning on using a modified smaller version of Zebs band next, but going to put it away for a while.
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Re: Creating something together - started! Please, join us :)

Post by Jaki :) »

Only saw this last night so don't know if I'm too late to join but I've designed this anyway, to do the flowers stitch 5 spokes then come back up at centre & go over & under the spokes til they're covered, not piercing the fabric as you go or pulling too tightly, hope you like my efforts :)...

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