Jo's stitching 2022

[Steam.Jo]

Having finished putting in the outside frame I decided to put the first couple of horizontal row bars. The first was in herringbone stitch:



The chart of how to do it shows a pattern that is only one full cross stitch high, the chart shows the pattern should be two. So I unpicked it And repeated it as shown on TW's original show piece as 2 full crosses high:



There is also a row of three sided stitch, which the instructions say repeat each line to give two threads side by side but the original TW piece only shows one thread so that is what I have done:



To avoid scrolling I then moved on to do the large diamond pattern in the boarder. Again the chart showing how to do the stitch and the original TW piece differ. I initially did as per the instructions and stitched into the same holes as the diamond edge pattern but took that out and ignored the chart and made my diamonds so that the thread goes down one hole back from the outer pattern's thread:



Why do I get the idea this is going to be one of those pieces



Jo

[rcperryls]

You could look at it as a challenge . is this from a kit? I would contact the manufacturer about the difference between the stitch instructions and the chart and the picture of TW’s work. I think a less experienced stitcher than you would be having a lot of difficulty with this. At the least the instructions could mention that the stitch directions are generic and there could be variations s in the specific project.

What you are doing is looking beautiful.

Carole

[wendywombat]

Wow!
Some chart instructions are difficult to interpret and often don't look like the finished picture.
So, what you are doing is perfect...and makes your sampler more personal.

[Steam.Jo]

You could look at it as a challenge . is this from a kit? I would contact the manufacturer about the difference between the stitch instructions and the chart and the picture of TW’s work. I think a less experienced stitcher than you would be having a lot of difficulty with this. At the least the instructions could mention that the stitch directions are generic and there could be variations s in the specific project.

Yes this it is a kit. Just Cross Stitch did it as a kit back in 1994. Since then the chart has been available in TW's sampler book.

If it was not a challenge I would soon get bored. I am documenting the "features", and their solutions, for anyone else who may wish to do one in the future.

Jo

[Serinde]

Not "bugs", then...?

[Steam.Jo]

I don't want any bugs near my stitching, especially moths

The Third and fourth separating rows were easy but the final one made up for it Having got to the middle I realised I had done the top half of the knitting stitch the wrong way round:



I felt a bit better when I realised the row was half a stitch too high. So this time I decided I would start in the middle and work out. To find the end of the row was in the wrong place



Did I mention that the two charts I have for the Harvest sampler shows this stitch in two different forms:



Finally I also noticed on the picture of the finished piece that the centre of the pattern is offset by one stich:



Onward

Jo

[rcperryls]

One of the first big projects I stitched was the TW Fantasy Sampler. I knew almost nothing about cross stitching but dived head in. I cannot begin to imagine how hard it would have been if I had had directions like that to follow. This was over 25 years ago. I bought the chart at a Needle Shop (which I still miss dreadfully. There is nothing but big box stores here now) and I don't remember any problems with instructions. The sampler still hangs on my dining room wall. I think you are doing an amazing job with this and I have no doubt whatsoever that you are stitching a masterpiece.


Carole

[Steam.Jo]

Wow the TW Fantasy Sampler You will have to post a picture of it Carole.


I have completed the stitching for the small leave row and started on the apple row:



The first thing that really struck me was how much more colourful my piece is than TW's original:



I am guessing that when they photographed their piece the colours were washed out by the lighting.

The small leave row still has some platinum beads to add to it but I am leaving those to the end. I was also struck how the original piece has distinct holes in the diamond pattern around the edge. Having looked at other people's stitching of the "diamond eyelets" some leave holes and others don't. I am in the latter group

Jo

[Mabel Figworthy]

Oh my, you're having your work cut out for you there - for persevering and getting it to look beautiful!

Speaking from the point of view of someone who draws stitch diagrams and writes stitch descriptions/instructions, because some stitches can be done on different scales (over one, over two etc) or at different angles (the arms of fly stitch can be quite close together or wider apart, it's still both fly stitch), and plenty of other variations, you could end up drawing four or five or six diagrams for a single stitch. What I tend to do is mention in the description something like "the diagram shows this stitch over one, but it can be worked over more fabric threads; refer to the chart to see what size is required in this design".

I'd be interested to know whether that would work (be less confusing and frustrating) for you from a user point of view?

[Steam.Jo]

I have just completed the Apple row:



Not sure about the colour they look a bit more like the colour of pears

Jo

[rcperryls]

The color may not be "apple" but it certainly fits in with the color scheme of the whole piece. Beautifully done and you are making great progress!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

They are very subtle apples - and they look great!

[Roland]

This is beautiful. Many of those stitches I don’t think I’ve done.

[fccs]

Beautiful, and I love the subtle apples.

[wendywombat]

I'm just catching up.

I love the subtle colours of this splendid sampler. Plenty of diverse stitching to keep up the interest which doesn't always happen in some big samplers.

[Steam.Jo]

I started on the Serpentine rows:



Only to find of the three different instructions for the big pink star on the chart I chose the wrong one I could have ignored it but it is supposed to be another of those holey stitches and I have done a diamond stitch so it will need to be removed

I have returned to my Fall Fairy in frustration

Jo

[rcperryls]

for the instructions that have come with this chart. The only time I can ever remember seeing more than one set of instructions for the same area in a chart, is when you are meant to choose the one you want to stitch. Did you choose one you didn't mean to or were the instructions not clear? It looks fine, but if it isn't what you want then taking a break and going to a different project before calling Mr in, makes a lot of sense to me.

Carole

[Roland]

How frustrating.

[Steam.Jo]

I still have not removed the offending stitches but have returned to my Fall Fairy:



As you can see I have made it all the way across the bottom (yes a couple of stitches I also noticed were still missing).

On top of the piece are my three prickers. Two come from I think they call them spot care kits these are not bad to use, a little thin in the hand so possibly they need sleeving and they are made of aluminium so very light. The third is a jewellers pin vice with a sewing needle in the end. Of the three the jeweller's pin vice seems to be the nicest to use.

I need to use prickers because the piece is being stitched on Aida rather than evenweave and I am using quarter and half stitches so I have to poke a hole through the centre of the tough part of the fabric. And it really is tough because I would swear this is a Chinese piece of Aida.

Jo

[Serinde]

Inventive solution to the problem.