The "no frills, no gremlins (hopefully)" cross-stitch cafe

Flat_Eric

sweetcarer wrote: »

Hello Girls,

On for a wee time during my lunch at work - now that I can't stitch at work I can check up on you all.



I usually start in centre - paranoid at not having enough fabric - usually ends up I have plenty. Have done with this with season samplers I am doing. But with the learning sampler I had to start in the top left - the designer has not released the middle part yet. I have worked out what size the top should be and started about 2-3 inches in and down. So I should have enough.




Will be learning alot of different stiches in the learning sampler (and I felt like I needed a challenge and wanted to learn more) - that is why I choose and evenweave (36hpi). Here is the plan for the coming months.

• September 2013: Satin Stitch border – you can do it all or just a bit each month as you work your way down.
• October 2013: Cross stitch only (the designer issued September and October together).
• November 2013: Smyrna crosses, Rice Stitches, Upright cross stitches
• December 2013: Cross stitch, two different sizes of eyelets
• January 2014: Variations of Smyrna crosses, Double Leviathan
• February 2014: Cross stitch only
• March 2014: Various shapes and sizes of Rhodes stitches
• April 2014: Cross stitch, Rhodes stitches, Rice stitches
• May 2014: Algerian Eyes, Double Herringbone, Lattice
• June 2014: Cross stitch only
• July 2014: Queen stitch, Norwich stitch, Cushion stitch
• August 2014: Cross stitch, Rhodes stitch, Ray stitch
• September 2014: Jessica Stitch, Wave stitch, Rhodes Stitch, Mosaic Stitch, Satin stitch
• October 2014: Cross stitch only
• November 2014: Crown stitch, Satin stitch, Rice stitch, Cushion stitch
• December 2014: Cross stitch, Eyelets
• January 2015: Four sided stitch, Ray stitch, Satin Stitch, Smyrna cross
• February 2015: Cross stitch only
• March 2015: Frame, relax and admire

The cross stitch only are the letters themselves. The designers also notes -

NONE of these stitches are particularly difficult once you get the hang of them, even the queen stitches and the french knots (there are only a few of these though, and if you really hate them you can just leave them out).

Well better get on with some work - keep well, till next time.

Kind wishes

sweetcarer

Re the Learning Sampler, is this a kit or chart you are following??

Mrs_ceejay

Winniepooh
Good luck with your new venture,it will be a great success,everyone is rooting for you.x

Ailsb

Arggh the silly system lost my post. Here's a shortened version.

nmm - looking good as normal.

beg - your wine cushion is great, I live the use of the buttons really finishes it off.

winnie - good luck for today.

sweetcarer - sorry if I've missed your posg but who's the designer for the learning sampler?

FabB - if I'm stitching something large, complex or where being 1 stitch out will be very noticeable I grid the fabric. I've used magic aida in the past and its great but I had trouble removing the kines so will only use it where the stitching is going to cover the whole of the material. Be careful about using cheap "washable gridding pens" from the likes of ebay, they don't always wash out. I now spend ages griding with thread, when I post a photo of my Nativity ABC you will see what I mean.

Take care everyone and have a good Friday.

mrs-moneypenny

Ailsb wrote: »

FabB - if I'm stitching something large, complex or where being 1 stitch out will be very noticeable I grid the fabric. I've used magic aida in the past and its great but I had trouble removing the kines so will only use it where the stitching is going to cover the whole of the material. Be careful about using cheap "washable gridding pens" from the likes of ebay, they don't always wash out. I now spend ages griding with thread, when I post a photo of my Nativity ABC you will see what I mean.

Take care everyone and have a good Friday.

wise words indeed! i learned that to my cost when i had to restart titanic after almost 2 years of stitching:mad:

FabB

mrs moneypenny

2 years?? wow not sure I could start again after that long.

ailsb thank u re the advice about pens. wen I do get round to it I promise not to be stingy

blue-eyed-girl - that's a pretty cushion. the heart button is gorgeous.

nmm - I did a small tatty teddy for my sister and the different greys were so awkward to keep up with. needless to say im in awe...

*Louise*

Ailsb wrote: »

I've used magic aida in the past and its great but I had trouble removing the kines so will only use it where the stitching is going to cover the whole of the material. Be careful about using cheap "washable gridding pens" from the likes of ebay, they don't always wash out. I now spend ages griding with thread, when I post a photo of my Nativity ABC you will see what I mean.

Totally agree - I buy the ones from sewandso, haven't had a prob with theirs. The one time I had a problem last year was because I washed with water that was too cold and 'set' the pen, but it came out with some removal spray in the end.

I grid with thread when I use black fabric

sweetcarer

Hello girls,

Here I am, having my wee peek in here, while having my lunch and missing my stitching - work definately gets in the way of stitching

FabB wrote: »

sweetcarer
can't believe how organised u r. I cant plan things at all. I would just do things as I remembered them. Go u!!

It was the designer that has organised what we do each month, as she is revealing each part each month.

flowerofscotland wrote: »

Isweetcarer I love doing other counted stitches and one of my WIPS (probably more of a UFO at the moment) is 26 Stitches by The Drawn Thread linky to what it will look like finally
As you can see I haven't made much progress

26 Stitches 28 Feb by stitchyfeather, on Flickr

I've heard of most of the stitches on your list but Jessica stitch was a new one . Do you get good instructions for each new stitch? I will enjoy seeing your updates and perhaps they will spur me on to working on 26 ......

We get very detailed instructions from the designer which come with each part. It only cost $15 (or $10 if you belong to the sampler world FB page). She has also set up a FB page (private) for members doing it and releasing the design - also she emails a PDF too.

blue_eyed_girl wrote: »

sweetcarer - thanks for sharing all the stitches with us. Is this something that you subscribe to with the designer? How big will the finished piece be?

It is a subscription but I feel its so worth the money. Think I have paid about £30 - pattern, material and threads. As I am using 36hpi over two my pattern will be 11" x 28" (28cm x 71cm approx). You can choose whatever material you want to (but probably best an evenweave or linen) and what ever colours you wanted (any manufacturer).

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Re the Learning Sampler, is this a kit or chart you are following??

As I said it is a FB stitch a long. I will post link to page but it is private and you may have to join after you have paid your fee for the design. A new part comes out each month for 18 months. Will post link when I get home as I can't access FB from my work computer.

Designer is really helpful - she stitches it along with us but is one month a head - and shows pictures of each stage. Think there is about 50 on the FB site.

Better finish my lunch and get back on with work.

Kind wishes to all

sweetcarer

Mags_cat

This one makes me very happy - and quite proud I've got this far...


Top row done! by Mags_cat, on Flickr

This one just makes me faintly hysterical...look at the size of the fabric! That's on a king size bedspread, for reference :eek::rotfl:


It's only when I take it off the frame... by Mags_cat, on Flickr

Mrs_ceejay

Hi,b.e.g
I started gridding out 12days of Christmas (Margaret sherry) about 11am,am still at it,it's 1pm now,got three more squares to do,but it has to be done.I can do each square as a little project.
Started gridding the other projects I want to do,dimensions (beautiful bird) and lanarte (Arabian woman),thought get all that done and I can dip into them as I want.
My eyes are now going square to match!!!
Happy stitching x

Mrs_ceejay

WOW
Mags cat it is huge!!
Saw you was doing it a few pages back and thought it extraordinary
then,but hadn't grasped its size.
It's going to be magnificent x