Boy, where was my mind yesterday? I had quite a few typos there. I just get so excited and in a hurry that my mind and my fingers don't match! I apologize but it will happen again I am sure.
If you have stitched your sample, please post a picture in the Yahoo Group for all to see.
I had a question yesterday that I thought was a great one. How do you decide which category to file your stitch under (okay that's a preposition but that's the way I talk. I don't say 'under which to file. . .')? Well, for me, with my spreadsheet that I shared with you a couple weeks back, it really isn't a problem. I can look at a category and pull a stitch no matter which category I decided was the one to file that particular stitch under.I try to think of which category I would most likely use is -for instance a leaf stitch would definitely go under something like shrubs, but it also is a good background, border, clothing, etc.. So even though I have hundreds of stitches under background, I can look at the stitch name, if I want, and see where else I thought I might use it. Or if I am working on a basket I might find the perfect stitch that has a small 'x' but the Bold 'X' is in backgrounds (meaning that is where the actual sample is filed). Also remember that this spreadsheet list is not stagnant. We want it to be dynamic. As you use stitches - let's say you use a double brick stitch as a hairdo in some stitch guide you are following - you might want to consider going to your spreadsheet and marking an x under hair for that stitch and making a note of it on the area provided on the sheet I gave you. The great thing about a spreadsheet is that you can always sort the spreadsheet alphabetically by stitch name as a new stitch is added.
I also liked this question because it made me think of something else. We all learn from each other. When you find that you have used a particular stitch for a certain situation please share it with the members of the Yahoo Group. Same thing for threads used with a particular stitch. The list of suggestions I provided can't begin to cover possibilities.
Another thing to keep in mind - these are just samples to get you comfortable with the technique and the common name. Notice I said common name because we all know that it is hard to tell what we designers might end up calling a stitch. Just because a stitch is centuries old doesn't mean that we remember what it was called. Anyway, there are many ways to stitch a technique. The Woven Cross Stitch I listed yesterday was over 4 canvas threads. This stitch can be almost any size. It just needs to be even-numbered area - 4x4, 4x6, 6x6, 8x8 - and there are additional rows that will need to be placed on top. Just look at the diagram closely and you can see a pattern as to the path of the stitches. Just continue on with that path until you have run out of holes. There can be an empty hole remain or you can fill them all, your choice.
Here is a picture of my stitched sample for yesterday's posting. In addition to making the stitch larger, I could further embellish it by adding a bead or French knot in the center. I could 'frame' or 'box' the stitch by laying a thread between the squares such as a metallic. Over on the Yahoo Group, Marilyn has experimented to include some of these suggestions! YEAH Marilyn!
On my page for my Stitch Sampler Notebook, I listed that I might consider using a finer thread if I were incorporating this into a design as the Size 5 pearl cotton is a little heavy and thick. But it really depends on what I am stitching and what results I want in the end.
I have a confession to make here. I created this system for my use because I do not always know what stitch might happen to be a good background stitch, or sky, or dress for the particular project I am working on. If I already know that, then I don't need to reference my Notebook. The Notebook helps me out in times that I don't really know what particular stitch I want to use at the time - in other words a mental block (sometimes they last a really, really long time. ) Say I am looking at a cool santa and I don't know what I want his coat to be. There may be a great stitch I have listed as a major (capital bold X) bush, for instance, that I also listed as clothing and it might be just what I was looking for - advantage here is that I can see the stitch actually stitched. And, quite honestly, I enjoy just looking through the Notebook sometimes. It is amazing what we forget.
Wow! I sure didn't mean to ramble on like this today.
Have a great day, get over there and join the Yahoo Group (instructions listed further down in the blog postings I think April 4 maybe) and until next time, Stitch with a Smile!
Sandy
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