In Answer to a Question

A while back the lovely Ria had a question. Now Ria and I know each other because we both like three things. We like to knit/crochet and we like NASCAR and as we are both on Ravelry and we have become friends through a forum there for fellow NASCAR fans. Oh, the third thing we both like? Well that would be our favorite driver.

Tony Stewart...yum

So, I promised Ria I would answer her question and I've finally gotten everything together so I can give you pictures with the descriptions. I figure Ria isn't the only person who might find this blog who has the same question so I thought it deserves a really good response.

Ria asked, "I thought you put the fabric in a hoop while you stitch. Do you re-hoop it every time you work on it? Does it stretch the fabric if you leave it on a hoop?" 


The answer to the first part is, "It depends." 

You see some people like to work "in hand". That means that you don't use a hoop, or other stretching devise (and we'll come back to this later), you hold it in your hand and as you work on it you may need to roll or bunch it up to stitch depending on how large the piece is. This technique is very handy because you can carry your piece with you without it taking up a ton of room. I like to work in hand, and do most of my stitching that way. However there are times when that isn't the best choice.

The next option is a traditional hoop.

They come in all shapes, sizes and materials. From round to oval, made from wood or plastic, they all do the same thing, they keep the fabric taunt so it's easier to have uniform stitches. Hoops have been around for hundreds of years. The best are hand made from high grade wood and are finished to a silky smoothness. Then there are cheap ones that often have rough edges. I tend to shy away from those because they can pick the fibers of my linen. However, I own a few hoops and have been known to use them from time to time.

Next comes Q-snap frames. Made from PVC these frames come in a variety of sizes from 6"x6" to 17"x17". I remember the first time I saw Q-snaps. I loved them. They are light weight yet sturdy, don't snag your linen and can be rearranged to make all different sizes since they are modular pieces that snap together. I personally own some of every size. They do keep your fabric fairly taunt. Most people use a cotton fabric between the c-shaped clamps and the fabric they are working on to protect their stitches, especially if they are having to use a smaller sized q-snap than their design. Some just like how adding the extra fabric helps keep the fabric stretched.

See how our own Jackie has her q-snap fixed with some cotton Warm and Natural (if I'm not mistaken) between the fabric and the c-clamps? As with a hoop it is best that you remove your fabric from the q-snap when you're not working on the piece. Depending on if I plan on picking the piece back up the next day, or in a few hours, I sometimes just "loosen" the fabric by turning the clamps inwards, which takes the stretch off the fabric. However, I wouldn't store a piece on a q-snap for any length of time. (Oh and I ALWAYS remove a piece from a hoop.) The advantage of the q-snap is they don't leave huge creases that hoops do.

Then there are frames. I actually have a couple of different types. The most common are scroll frames.

This is my Drawn Thread Alphabets on the scroll frame. I started out working in hand but realized that this piece is so long that the fabric was getting in my way. I have a number of different scroll frames, different size scrolls and scrolls that are different. This particular set of scrolls you have to sew the linen onto a strip of fabric that is on the scroll then you put them into the size bar you want to work with, and as you work you "scroll" the fabric from the bottom to the top. It doesn't take long to sew the fabric onto the frame with a sewing machine, and you can get a fairly taunt working space. This piece is really long, over 30", so this will work out well.

I have some scrolls that you don't have to sew the fabric on. Some have a groove in the scroll (dowel part) that a "thing" fits in that holds the fabric. I don't have a picture of this set, nor do I remember who the maker is. The "thing" that fits in the groove and holds the fabric are two very thin dowels that are held together. I haven't used this type in awhile, but may pull it out for one of my other pieces. The other type I have has just a plain dowel that you then use a Velco strip attached to the dowel and your fabric to hold the fabric on the dowel. I've never actually used these. I have the dowels and the Velco made for them. You do have to leave yourself an extra margin at the top and bottom because when you remove the Velcro from your fabric you probably have to cut it off.

Finally I have one other type of frame. Stitch Away mounts are handmade and come from Canada. I love it for smaller pieces. I own the smallest size and have had it for years. Learning to mount your fabric in the frame is different and takes some getting used to, but the results are great. Plus it's a piece that will be around for years.

Using a frame is nice, but you almost have to have a stand to put them in to be able to stitch without getting tired. I've owned a K's Creation Baby-z lap stand for a number of years and I like it because my Stitch Away mount, q-snaps and my scroll frames will all fit in the clamp.

I like that it will collapse down and I can pack it in my suitcase when I'm traveling on vacation. Mine still looks great after years of being used.

I hope I've managed to answer the questions Ria had without muddying the water even more. Everyone has their favorite way of holding the fabric to put stitches on, no way is more correct than the other. The good news is there is a way that works for each person and for some of us it just depends on the project. Now, when can I teach you to stitch Ria???

One Goal Accomplished

I know, it's only January, but we find our happiness where we can. I'm sure that it won't be long before I fall off the goal bandwagon for this sampler, but for at least one month I did well.

My January goal for Drawn Thread's Alphabets was to complete the entire top alphabet.

 

I'm not sure I like the cream colored 100/3 silk that the "T" is done in. I don't think it shows up that well, but then again it's not done as crosses, but as a double 4-sided stitch. I'm going to leave it and then if I really don't like it later I'll go back and rethink the color/thread. 

One of the things I've noticed is that my fabric, and I actually purchased the called for fabric, looks completely different than the picture of the completed one on the DT website. I'm chalking it up to the photography. The picture I made above is really pretty close to how my fabric looks. 

 Next month I'll do the vine and blue alphabet on the left side below what I've completed.

One band down!

I did everything I needed to do this month on Random Thoughts to put me on a good pace for finishing this year:

That's the entire top row, with two of the borders done. The instructions say to wait to stitch the borders until you withdraw the threads for the hemstitching, but the way I figure it, I only need to wait on the borders around the four corners where the threads will be withdrawn. I redesigned the white house to look like the townhouse where we live...mainly because I thought I had counted wrong while stitching it and was looking for a way to reduce the amount of frogging! But now I'm happy that I did it. =)

Only one wrinkle...I noticed the large pine tree is one stitch too far to the right. *sigh* I've already cut it out so I can just start restitching next month.

Count them! Two Finishes!

So technically one is completely finished while the other is just stitched but in my book that's finished!

First it's the class piece from the trip Jackie & I took to AZ. From Stacy Nash it's a pinkeep drum.

Peacock Pinkeep Drum
Stacy Nash Primatives

I have to say that I'm excited that I started this piece and completely finished it during January. What a way to start the year! We had so much fun putting this one together. It's stuffed with sawdust and then "antiqued" with walnut crystals. Plus I made my strawberry pretty mangy looking all for the sake of authenticity. See...

The companion piece is being worked on with the hope of completing the finishing late February. We'll see if that works out!

Then there's this unexpected finish. I didn't have it on my initial working list of 15 items for January but I was looking for something else and saw that there wasn't that much left to do on it. So the before looked like this...

Really, not that much left. And let's face it, any project that is that close to being finished that was started in 1996 should probably be worked on and finished. So, I pulled it out and worked on it Saturday when I went to Sampler Guild and then that evening and finally last night I finished!

Simple Elegence
Stoney Creek Designs

That's it all finished, with beads and everything. The funny blue spot is the light showing through the crystal bead. Tried to take the picture several times and still kept coming up. This is a piece from WAY back when I went to Spirit of Cross Stitch. This was the Sunday Sampler in 1996. It was taught as a "round robin" where you sat at a table and different teachers came to you to teach the specialty stitches. I was looking at my book and that year both Ginny and Ken Thompson taught a stitch. How lucky I was to meet and be taught by such great stitchers!

I'm not taking this to be framed, it's not that large so I thought I'd do a cube/standup/thing. Oh heck, Geeky Heather usually helps me make them, but I'm fairly certain I can manage on my own if I can just find the perfect fabric for the backing and what I want to decorate the top with. I need the board you use to "build" your box which I keep meaning to go and get scraps from my framer for but haven't yet and I should be in business. I'd like to get it finished since it has a spring feel to it and would look lovely out somewhere in the house.

I've made some progress on other pieces as well. I seem to be really in a stitching mood so that's getting a lot of attention. Hope everyone has had a great first month of stitching/knitting/or whatever makes you happy!

some progress

Here is a picture of the progress I've made on Shores this month. This is block 6, the left side of the large center block. I'm really enjoying working on this, but it is so huge! The plan for today is to fill in the water at the bottom, then switch over to block 7. With 2 football games on today, I'm sure I can manage it!

Progress to Date

Since the beginning of the year, I've finished a couple of my projects on my 2011 goal list. Except for the Pinkeep Drum, these projects were started in 2010 and were pretty far along and therefore were not the most challenging goals to meet. I'm glad that I have one quilting, one stitching, and one knitting finish for the year!

Jo Morton Log Cabin Table Topper

Peacock Pinkeep Drum by Stacy Nash

Chris's Scarf

Update to my list of goals:

1. Grid and Grommet Bag - currently about half done Goal: finish it or ditch it

2. $5 Quilt - currently 50% complete. Lots of applique left. Goal: progress

3. Stitchers Garden Quilt - currently 75% complete Goal: finish the top

4. Quakers and Quilts - currently 80% complete Goal: progress

5. Jenny Bean Halloween - currently 50% complete Goal: progress

6. Knit to Fit Sweater - currently 70% complete Goal: progress

7. Per Terras (a/k/a the Albatross) - currently 80% complete Goal: finish it

8. Scarf for Chris

9. Jo Morton's Prairie Basket - currently 50% complete Goal: finish

10. Jo Morton's Log Cabin Table Topper

11. Stacy Nash Peacock Pinkeep Drum and Linen School Girl Sewing Book - neither currently started as I'm waiting on my pre-stitching kit. Since I'm taking a class on this my hope is to finish these both in class with Stacy this month. Not sure that is realistic (it wasn't!).

12. Scarf for Mom - not started but have yarn and pattern Goal: Progress

13. Try to do the finishing on an ornament. Goal: Learn a new skill.

A Re-Finish

I finally finished a scarf that I was reworking. The design is Lacy (or Lacey) Baktus. The first time I "finished" it was in December, but was just a few yards short of the amount of yarn I needed.  Bought a 2nd skein (yay Ravelry) then decided to rip back and make it a bigger scarf.  Finished the last few rows in time to wear it to work today! The yarn is Jitterbug by Colinette in the colorway Toscana. Hard to tell but the base color is a sort of sage green, with splashes of burgundy, royal blue, gold, purple and lime green. This was a fun knit and the 2nd time I've used this free pattern.

Cross-stitching? I finished the front of a Blackbird Designs Token but won't post it until it's fully finished (i.e., assembled). That might be awhile!