I almost can't believe I started and finished the little cross stitch below since I was last in here. I just haven't had much stick-to-it-iveness when it comes to crafting lately. Having another of this Little Sheep Virtues series (Faith) I'm torn between starting it or working on something else. I am finding that I'm enjoying focusing on one small project at a time these days, but I've been feeling the pull again to get back to my longer-term cross stitch piece. We'll see come next Sunday, I guess, what I end up doing.
Let's play a little eye-spy game, why don't we... Can you spot the mistake? Actually, there are two mistakes, but the first one I made (in the snowflake) I was able to disguise pretty well, but if you see it, kudos to you. I know where it is and I can't even see it.
The other mistake I didn't see until I had downloaded the pictures of this I had taken. This was my first time working on linen and boy, was it a bear for me. I ripped out and started over many sections. The mistake that is screaming at me as I look at the picture was something stitched early on when it was harder for me to see when I was "off". I ripped out and started over many sections and I'm sure this little project took me nearly twice as long as if I was using, say, aida cloth.
So many people talk about how they fell in love with linen once they started stitching on it, but other than its looks, I have grown no real love for it. Yet. I have a smoother piece of linen that I'm going to give a go. Though, somehow, it looks even more challenging to me than this fabric did - even though they're both the same thread count - 30. The above is just coarser and the spaces between the threads are larger.
I so wanted to like linen.
At the moment, I'm feeling no confidence that I'll grow in like with it, but I'm not going to give up yet.
Beautiful work. I don't see any mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe pieces of linen I have are different thread counts. Some of them are old clothes I cut up. Find a shirt your like in linen at a thrifts store. Give it a try.
Thank you, Salty. It makes me feel better that you can't readily see the mistake. I guess the fact that I didn't notice it until looking at the picture, tells me I shouldn't let it bother me. Re: linen... if I eventually decide I enjoy working on linen, I will definitely search it out in clothing at thrift stores. What a good idea.
DeleteI am with you on linen. I tried it once and never again. I will say, items done on linen are gorgeous though. I am not sure what mistakes you are referring to. Since we have not seen the pattern we probably wontfind the mistakes. I have an idea but with out seeing the pattern I am not sure. But would it be the snow? Consider it a design element.
ReplyDeleteIt's a mistake in how things line up. Otherwise, mine looks identical to the original. I'm glad you don't readily see it, though. :)
DeleteThat's how I get my linen, too. A lot of shirts end up at the thriftie, I think because they're high maintenance. However, cross stitch needs a definite even weave and a lot of linen has irregularities which are beautiful but better for other forms of embroidery.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe I remember thrifting a linen shirt once upon a time. Too limp and wrinkly for my tastes - then, anyway. Now it sounds like it might be comfy, actually. The linen I used above has various thicknesses of threads. I was really surprised that it all turned out even. I do wonder if my difficulty with it had to do with that, though. Sometimes it was just hard to know where to look.
DeleteIt's precious and for the life of me I could see nothing wrong with it. I tried linen, remember the black cat...black and 40 count...the worse way to start. Then I had a kit gifted to me that had the fabric as 30 count straw linen and I have had no problem with it but I also resorted to using a hoop with it. Is that a Little House Needle Works design? Lovely job!
ReplyDeleteLooking at my smooth 30 count fabric, I can't imagine 40 count. Yes, this is my first Little House Needle Works design. I really love that the designer used DMC for these Little Sheep Virtues stitches.
DeleteIt looks wonderful to me; I see zero mistakes. Linen does have a better overall appearance than Aida cloth, but I have never cross stitched on linen and can well imagine that it would be a bear.
ReplyDeleteI've feeling better and better about my mistake. :) Thanks, Vee.
DeleteI’m renowned for spotting mistakes and all my managers have always commented on my eye for detail. I have spotted the mistake but it took a minute so it isn’t glaringly obvious and I certainly wouldn’t unpick that corner.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in where the mistake is. Thank you for the encouragement to not unpick it. Seeing as I think it was at the beginning of that section and the very end of the border was woven into it, I think it would end up being an unpicking that had no end. When I look at it in person, I see it now, but I think with a steam and a tug it will be practically unnoticeable by anyone likely to look at it. And at some point in the future, it will likely be considered a quaint evidence of a hand-stitched item.
DeleteIt’s beautiful by the way!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. :)
DeleteI don't see mistakes. It is so cute. I like 28 count linen and some are better than others. You might try some even weave first. Quite cute.
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe I'll try 28 count then. Not sure why I didn't in the first place...
DeleteIt's so pretty I love anything to do with sheep. I can't see any mistakes and I wouldn't go pulling things out. I haven't tried working with linen for cross stitch I have a feeling my eyes wouldn't be up to the task.
ReplyDeleteWith a growing cataract and the likelihood of needing surgery to correct it and who knows what my near vision will be after that, I thought it was now or never that I try linen. I see a crisper image without my glasses for close-up work, but even this challenged me. It may also be because I experienced PVD this summer and am dealing with the remnants of that right in the center of my vision of one eye. It feels like a minor annoyance, but I think for things like this it may be a very real issue.
DeleteThat's really pretty Becki :) I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rain. :)
DeleteUh oh. I don't see the post I made last night. Oh well. Anyway,
ReplyDeleteI don't see the mistakes. It looks really cute.
I don't find any other comment from you, Maureen. Just wanted you to know I looked. :) I'm feeling much better about the little stitchery if so many can't readily see the mistake. Thank you!
DeleteI've never attempted to cross stitch on linen but I suspect if I ever did that I would make use of waste canvas (provided the design I was using wasn't TOO densely stitched). I can't see the mistake either!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you can't see the mistake either. I imagine you have sharp eyes for this kind of thing. :)
DeleteMy comment seems to have disappeared too Becki - another hiccup somewhere obviously. I remember telling you that the 'mistake' you see certainly isn't obvious because I couldn't find it.
ReplyDeleteI'm rewriting this comment because I don't think my first attempt was completely clear.
DeleteI'm going to leave your second comment here (at least for a while), Mary Anne, because this might be the easiest way for you to see it, and others might benefit from my response too.
What's happening to you is that I have my settings such that comments that are left within 24 hours of a post being published do not require moderation, but those that come in after 24 hours do. This is my way of minimizing SPAM comments. Once in a while SPAM slips through in that first 24 hours period after I post, but for some reason my bigger problem with SPAM is days after a post is published.
It probably would be less confusing for you if I just moderated all posts, but I really like having posts go live as soon as they can on a new post I've published.
Weigh in if you have a strong opinion about all that. I'm not sure I want to change how I'm doing this, but it could be helpful to know if anyone (and who) is inconvenienced (if they are).
I meant to add above... Hopefully, just knowing what's going on will relieve the confusion.
DeleteI couldn't see any mistakes and I think it is just the sweetest thing with the work Hope and that little sheep and snowflake. It is lovely!
ReplyDeleteHope is a good word for the time we're in.
DeleteNo, I see no mistakes! Surely if it looks lovely and not odd, then no mistakes have been made, just modified?!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you can't see it, Lucy. :)
DeleteI haven't tried linen; I know Kim and Sarah of Stitch and Stuff use it mostly for their pieces. Cute cross stitch! I can't see the mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stef!
DeleteI think linen lends an instant heirloom look to cross-stitch. As with any creative endeavour, it's fun to try new things, but not fun to work with materials/techniques you dislike.
ReplyDeleteYour finished project is beautiful and I cannot see any errors.
Thank you, Cinna. :)
Delete