Torchwood

[Dazbo666]

Just started ANOTHER project.... it's SUPPOSED to be John Barrowman ?!

OK so it's only a mini project, but it's been such a long time since I did the Dave Tennant project, I think I need to finish sort out my plans to frame them together.

[nicgoss]

Great stuff and fantastic start!!!

[Dazbo666]

Well, just a couple of hours of stitching, and I think it's already starting to take shape


...and just for the record, this is the first time that I've used gridding on a project, but it makes stitching soooo much easier to plan !

[Angel]

Ooooh I see Eyes!

What are you using to grid?

[~threadbear~]

Looking good Daz! Seems to be growing quickly as well.

I've never gridded either. I just worry I would count wrong.

[charmagne_capalad]

Congrats on your progress on this one! It's really great that for a couple of hours...it's taking shape already! ...I'm sure you'll get this done in no time!

[Rose]

He looks great and yes I see the eyes also.

[agi]

Looking great already!

[Fljotsdale]

Well, the pic is sort of like Barrowman. Maybe it will look more like him in Xstitch! Good start, anyway!

I see the advantage of marking your fabric, now. You can start anywhere you like, stitch anywhere you like. Hm. I might just go that way. More like a jigsaw, less like a maze... !

[Dazbo666]

I should have another update pic or two to post later this evening - I'm sure you'll be quite surprised at how much progress I've made during the last couple of days off work.

@ Angel, i'm using a very soft pencil, (3B or 4B lead I believe). It means that I don't have to risk damage to the cloth by pressing unneccesarily, and also should wash out quite easily
@ Fljotsdale, Yes it's much easier to relate my place on the chart with the position on the project. I'll definately be much more keen to grid my projects from now on, it just makes working the whole project feel much more open and relaxed
Also, I wasn't entirely convinced by the look of the chart at the beginning, but I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised by the progress of the project to date.

WATCH THIS SPACE

[~threadbear~]

Right'o Daz!

*Pulls up bench for everyone to wait for updates*

I'll break out the choccy then shall I?

[Dazbo666]

...I'll break out the choccy then shall I?

heehee, any excuse LOL

[~threadbear~]

...I'll break out the choccy then shall I?

heehee, any excuse LOL

Only thinking of everyones comfort of course!

[Dazbo666]

Progress as of Mon evening / Tues am


and this most recent piccy taken about 10 minutes ago...

[Fljotsdale]

Ooh! You're getting on well!

And since you are using a pencil to mark the fabric, I dare say you will be able to use an erasor to remove anything still showing when completed? A good quality erasor, though, I think, as those nasty cheap ones would very likely just smear the graphite rather than remove it.
Must experiment. Pencil would be much easier than using thread (I don't fancy using ink, even washoutable ink, because I've never needed to wash my projects and don't plan to start!)

[Rose]

I stopped using a pencil to mark my fabric. (I only mark to find the center) I stopped because I found it very hard to remove the marks at the end of the stitching. I even have one project that you can still see a bit of the marks, that after several washings and the use of a brand new eraser and some hand washing and scrub. It was on a white aida fabric and some of the area is not stitched so you can make out the marks. Just a heads up.

[Dazbo666]

definately not what I wanted to hear, but thanks for the info. I'm still relatively new to stitching, so still finding some things by trial and error.
I guess I should be relieved it's not on a BIG project, but there's a first time for everything - maybe I'll be lucky and it'll wash out properly

[Rose]

I will definitely keep my that is washes out for you and that mine was just one of those flukes.

[charmagne_capalad]

Great progress Daz!

[Fljotsdale]

I stopped using a pencil to mark my fabric. (I only mark to find the center) I stopped because I found it very hard to remove the marks at the end of the stitching. I even have one project that you can still see a bit of the marks, that after several washings and the use of a brand new eraser and some hand washing and scrub. It was on a white aida fabric and some of the area is not stitched so you can make out the marks. Just a heads up.

Yes, unless you get those expensive crumbly or putty-like erasors from an art shop, you would have problems. I have never used pencil or erasor on anything but paper, but even on paper cheap erasors are rubbish - they always leave a smear or damage the surface of the paper. Of course, that doesn't matter much for most things, but for art and (I should think) fabric, you need a high quality art erasor that doesn't damage but does remove without trace.
The crumbly erasors wear away quickly but they do a good job. The putty-like erasors you pull a bit off and just dab at the marks you want to remove, turning the bit of erasor all the time, and dumping it as it gets soiled, and pulling off a fresh bit. So, you can see that both sorts are not only a bit more expensive than ordinary erasors, but they get used up very much more quickly too, adding to the expense factor. But they are worth it - for art anyway. Not sure about fabric. Yet.

Though actually I haven't bought any for years, not having done any art for years...