My Blog List

Friday, June 12, 2015

I get so lost looking at what others are doing….

I have several blogs bookmarked and drop in to see them all the time.  This isn't so bad, but I then will click on blogs they show as favorites and so on and so on and so on until I'm so lost in blogger land that I can't remember where I started.

I also belong to 4 different stitching groups on FaceBook so the amount of time I spend on FB now has more than doubled keeping up with all the posting.  People are posting all the time, where do they find the time to stitch?  Obviously they aren't trying to keep up with all the posts.

….so it's ALL THEIR FAULT that I don't have time to blog for myself :) and that my stitching is suffering.  I'm having too much fun surfing the web and spying on others…

One of the thing that always amazes me is where people start their projects.  More than once I've been working on the same project and find that we are in totally different areas.  And I think…hummm do they know something I don't?  Is their way better than mine?

We all have our favorite starting point.  Some people are consistent with how they start a project, I am not one of those people.

Sometimes I like to start in the middle, but then the decision is do you stitch up or down?  When I start in the middle I tend to stitch down.  However my problem is my arms are short, so I can't expand the q-snaps and still reach the stitching area.  I've semi-resolved this problem by turning the whole thing upside down :).  My Ice Angel was started in the middle - all that rayon white…yuk one day I'll pull this back out and finish it up.  I'm sure she will be a headless angel for a while as there is a lot of white in the skirt.

Some people start in a corner…..I started the PeliCan in the left upper corner, also did my Thine is the Trick and Treat in a corner.

I enjoy doing it this way when I think I could get totally lost if I started in the middle.  Also if there are multiple pages, it's easier to keep track if I work each page and then move on to the next.  I really want to get back to this chart - I think it will be great on the 40ct. linen.

Some people start at the top and work their way down.  I started Peace Angel at the top.  I really love this angel and have wanted to do her for a long time, so when Arwen was born I thought it was a perfect time to start.  I've just not done much on her in the last year.   Arwen turned 1 in February, but I figure I still have a few years to get it done, as Donna was 4 and Addison was 3 before their angels were done.  Michael my oldest grandchild's was done when he was born…well the first always fare better than the next.  At least I've managed to keep up with the Christmas stockings.

And then there are the band samplers - to me these should always be started at the top, but again I've seen people starting them in the middle or bottom even, me its gotta be the top.  I run a thread down both sides and the middle, helps to keep me on track.  Nothing worse than doing a speciality stitch in silk and find out you were off by a thread and have to rippppp it out.

Looking at blogs I'm always impressed with the people that do the HAED, or similar charts.  I'm impressed with those that have what look like hundreds of threads hanging down waiting for the next row.  I have a hard time keeping track of 3 or 4 threads, would never be able to track more, my hats off to you all.  I also am impressed with those that grid their work, I've done this with some counted canvases, but haven't fully tried it with counted cross stitch yet.  I used a modified grid when I started my August Peridot Fairy - I gridded enough to be able start the head, but yet to grid a full chart.  So no pictures of gridding from me.

So what is your favorite way to start a new project.  Is it dependent on the project?  or do you have a favorite way?

Sandy

6 comments:

  1. I always start in the upper left corner :). You could do an haed you don't have to park with them. I don't :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful stitching!
    I like to start in the upper left corner on something with many pages, like a HAED. If it's a smaller chart I start in the center, then work my way up to the upper left corner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will start in the middle if I'm using a fabric that may be a tight fit, and then work my way up. I like working left to right, top to bottom. That being said, I always try to start at top left! I have three HAED's that I'd like to start next year so I'll try the gridding option. I'm wired to handle only a few threads hanging!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a strict middle starter! 99% of my projects start in the middle, even the Smalls that I do. I just like things to be centred properly.
    Then I work up to the right, then across to the left then bottom right and bottom left. Because I'm right handed and I stitch in hand the left hand side of the fabric gets handled the most so that's the part I stitch last usually.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your stitching is gorgeous Sandy, as always :)
    I am a tried and true middle starter...even when they chart otherwise. I have tried starting elsewhere, but it just sends me into an epic failure as I end up with my finish totally cockeyed, 5 inches of fabric left on one side and 2 inches on the other...I am ashamed to admit, LOL.
    I'm with you on the HAEDs, I've purchased two of the Santa designs and have yet to work up the courage to even start...
    I start in the middle and work my way right to left and up to the top of the main design until it is finished, and then I work on the outer area...unless it's a large design, then I divide it up into four quadrants and work in a counter clockwise direction until each quadrant is finished.
    Have a great week...it's supposed to get hot here in SoCal this week...stay cool!
    Hugs
    Ma

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun and interesting topic! I always start in the middle, and then I stitch by colour in any direction that I fancy. I almost always grid my fabric since it saves me time in the long run when I count; and the added bonus is that I almost never have to do any frogging! It also helps me to move around on the chart and stitch whatever takes my fancy at the time. I have never tried a HEAD design, and cannot see that happening in a very long while... ha ha! Although I have GREAT admiration for those who stitch them!!!

    ReplyDelete