Monday, November 2, 2015

Weekend Wrap-Up - So Close!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Did everyone check out Jo's Halloween Blog Hop? I think I might try and remember to join next year, it looks fun and I found some new cross stitch blogs to follow. :)

I'm so close to being finished Homeward Trail! I wish I could have stayed up the extra 30-60 minutes I needed last night. I only need to add maybe a dozen more beads, but I needed to move the Qsnaps and I couldn't count on finishing it as easily as I hoped. After all, I found 10 more cross stitches I'd missed when I was adding beads. That makes me wonder if there are other times I've missed stitches and forgotten about them. 

It makes a good argument for highlighting or crossing off your work as you go. The friend that taught me cross stitch used to pencil over the squares she completed and I did that at first. However, as I started larger and larger pieces it was kind of annoying to have to go back and scribble over each square, so I generally don't mark off progress now. 

I did with the latest HAED I attempted and I have a BAP that will likely have me do the same, but in that case I'm using a working copy of the chart and not the full chart anyway. 

On to the photos of Homeward Trail! And I updated the link since Herrschner's redid their entire site. 

The whole thing so far. If you look closely, I'm only missing beads in the bottom oval and the lower left quadrant. The couching was much easier with the correct kind of thread and I think it looks a little better. The thread is slightly darker than I'd like, but DH says from a distance you can't tell, so I hope that's true. 

And some detail:


This was a really enjoyable stitch. I'm so glad to be almost finished and I can't wait to put in the few finishing touches tonight. I might even get it mounted since it shouldn't take me long to complete. 

I joined the Monday Stitchery Link-up this week so we can check out how we've all done this weekend. My first time, so we'll see how it works. :)

So tell me, do you highlight or mark off your chart as you go? I've heard some of the iPhone apps make it very easy, but I don't have an iPhone and don't think they are available on Android as yet. How do you like to stitch?

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

18 comments:

  1. Are you talking about the couching thread being darker? I think it's terrific - gives a definite border look. If I'm stitching anything larger than bout 25 x 25 I make a photocopy and mark off my stitches. I can't count how many times that has stopped me from missing stitches or skipping a row in a block of colour.

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  2. How do you manage with all that lacy stitching. I would think that keeping the back neat would be difficult. It is very pretty. I have never worked with beads. Something to think about.

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous Tiffany.

    Linda

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  4. Wow, what a gorgeous design you are stitching - but all that white would send me into a serious spin!!!
    I do occasionally highlight my working copies of a chart but only the big ones or more complicated designs.... most of the time I don't have any problems with keeping my place. I do have to be very careful with the highlighter though... one time I got yellow highlighter on my fabric! Luckily I was able to stitch over it...
    Hugs xx

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    1. That's why I don't like highlighter as much. The risk of fabric bleed. A couple people have mentioned twistable pencils, I'm thinking about giving those a shot.

      And thank you! The white wasn't too bad when I went back to it. It was a little intimidating in 2012 for sure.

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  5. sempre piĆ¹ bello, elegante e raffinato, meraviglioso!

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  6. I don't know what couching is or where it is on your piece but the whole thing looks perfect to me! Beautiful work.
    I never used to mark off charts but I do now with the larger ones and I find it helps particularly if I get interrupted while stitching!

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  7. Beautiful pattern, and your stitching is lovely!

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  8. Wow! Your stitching looks amazing!
    Beautiful work.

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  9. I just love it. It's so beautiful and delicate. I love the couching. Gorgeous!

    I mark off my stitching that I've done with colored pencils. Crayola has these twistable ones that I enjoy. You don't have to sharpen them and I can close them if I throw them into my stitching bag so they don't mark on something. I do it with all my charts or I notice have no idea where I am.

    I enjoy the stitchery link party. Glad you joined in too.

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  10. This is a beautiful design, unusual and complicated. wonderful stitching. My method is similar to Bea´s, I might photocopy and/or enlarge a design and then cross off as I go but if it is a very small design I don´t bother.

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  11. It looks amazing and I'm sure you'll find the missing stitches!

    I used to highlight, but I would get "highlight happy" and do too much, so another blogger turned me on to the colored twist up pencils and I've been using those ever since. I do still use my iPad for finding those difficult to find symbols in confetti, but trying to highlight on the iPad took way too much time and after one rather unexpected app crash and I lost a day's worth of highlighting, I don't use the iPad for that anymore...too unreliable. Besides, I still really enjoy holding the paper pattern in my hands and I like the sense of accomplishment when I have an entire binder filled with colored in/finished pages!

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  12. Your Homeward Trail is so beautiful! And so close to being finished too.

    Thanks so much for linking up to last week's Stitchery Link Party and for linking back. I so glad that you joined in and hope you'll link up again.

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Thanks for any comments!

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