This. design. nearly. drove. me. mad.
This is Christmas Gathering, from the December 2008 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. And yes, it's been on my to-do list for that long. I wasn't intimidated by its complexity--it's just fabric and thread; no need to be intimidated by cotton!--but I knew I would have to be in just the right frame of mind to tackle it. I stitch to relax, and I anticipated this would be... ahem... a less-than-relaxing project. I was correct. Oh boy, was I correct. The design is only 4 1/2" on 32 ct. linen, but the instructions filled an entire magazine page. Backstitching, straight stitching, beading, blended needles, highlights, layers, blending filament, fractional stitches, couching... it's all in there. That was very detailed work, but it wasn't what made me nuts. No, what made me nuts were all the mistakes in the chart, and the differences in the instructions and in the way the model was stitched, such that you couldn't tell whether the mistake was in the stitching or in the instructions. I ended up doing a lot of improvisation using the model photo as a guide, which was... not at all relaxing. By the time I finished the center of the design, I was so worn out with this project that I found myself wondering if I liked it better without the border. Knowing myself, I figured that was because I was at a stopping point, and not because I really liked it better without the border, so I put it in "time-out". After a couple of weeks, I forgave it (mostly) and decided to stitch the border, and here it is, all finished. It's stitched with DMC on 32 ct. Smokey White Belfast. There is blending filament in the snow on the ground, in the snowflakes in the greenery over the barn door, and in the couching that makes up the snowy roof line, but the camera isn't seeing it. It's beautifully sparkly.
I'll have a little more to say about working with blending filament in another post, but right now I'm just basking in the glory of having survived this project. And my next project will be super simple.
Honeybee, your finish is stunning -- the sheep, the quilt block, the cardinals, the barn. I look forward to your comments about blending filament down the road. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. You have been missed.
ReplyDeleteI have ear marked to do this pattern. Your`s is beautiful. After all that work enjoy. Happy Stitching.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely exquisite. Your white stitches are divine ... very lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have a pattern in "time-out" as well, to borrow your phrase. It was just placed in that spot last night. I do not want to see it again for a very long time. So I, too, am stitching something simple in the meantime.
I've always liked this piece, but I too was intimidated by all of the color changes. All of her designs are so detailed.
ReplyDeleteThat's the worst when you find several mistakes, thanks for the warning!
Yours did turn out beautiful though.
Sit back and enjoy it.
Marilyn
wOw! I am in LOVE with those sheep. What a glorious piece. Well done my friend.
ReplyDeleteWild rumpus that it sounds like stitching it was, it turned out sweetly. Beautifully!
ReplyDelete:):)
Melanie
This is just gorgeous! I am so sorry it was frustrating but it is exquisite! I love your blog but am very poor at commenting (my apologies for that and will try to get better).
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful. I loathe it when there are pattern mistakes and you are left trying to figure things out. x
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely! I want to do this one, not so sure now!
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, but how awful that the pattern had so many mistakes. I know that when I design my own pattern, I stitch it myself and often find mistakes. I wonder if the person who stitched the sample made changes that weren't noted. How frustrating.
ReplyDeleteThis finish is enchanting! I’m sorry it gave you a hard time!
ReplyDeleteOh, that is beautiful! Too bad you had so many problems chart and instructions.
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