On Friday the fabric I had been waiting for so that I could start a new embroidery arrived (it had been out of stock for a few weeks). On Sunday I was finally able to find the time to do something with it.
I printed out my pattern that I designed some weeks ago, and started stitching. First thing, of course, was the counted tacking, and then on to the actual embroidery.
When I was on my research trip I purchased some thread for the embroidery. I had two different brands. I started off with one, and didn’t much like it at all. It seemed to go from thick to thin rather a lot. I changed to the other brand – it was much nicer! It seemed smoother, with fewer snags, and less variation in thickness.
I stitched the first motif, and then moved on to the second. I made a major mistake with the positioning of the second motif, and when I realised (at the end of stitching it, of course!) I had to pull it all out. I resumed stitching, with the motif in the correct place this time!
Because I am preparing stock for the craft show this week, the daytimes are filled with that. I’m only really able to stitch in the evening. However, during the day yesterday, it occurred to me that I had made a major error with the scale of the piece. I had made my calculations based on 25 count fabric (1 thread per millimetre), and this fabric is not 25 count fabric! Oh dear.
I sat back down with my computer and using the thread count of the design, worked out that it was going to be much smaller than I had anticipated. Too small.
The whole thing is going to have to be ripped out, and started again. All that precious thread brought back from Mystery Country… 🙁
Last night I started redesigning the pattern to make it the size I need. There are aspects of this version of the design that I am much happier with. Actually, the only thing that I’m not happy about is all that undoing! I know that the end result will be much better.
All this is to say that if you make mistakes with your counted embroidery, you’re certainly not alone. I do it too!
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
Thanks for sharing your ripping out experience with us. It is nice to know even expert stitchers have to rip out and begin again!
Oh I’m glad it’s not just me! I almost always have to rip out even small mistakes, because I can’t bear knowing it’s there. I always feel much happier when I re-stitch, knowing it’s as it should be. Of course, I’m generally following a pattern where someone has already worked out all the likely problems, whereas you are designing something unique which must be so much more challenging. I am quite certain the result will be worth it though. Happy re-stitching! 🙂
I’m sitting here at my computer at the moment watching The West Wing, and making sure the pattern is right before trying again. 🙂