Monday, April 27, 2020

Spring Into Summer New Start Binge #4 - Wrapped Bars and Dove's Eyes

And so the new starts continue this week with something a little bit different. Rachel started a very fun one as well, so please check our her post as well and cheer her on. 

I've been trying to start smaller projects so I can get some finishes each weekend as well and not add too much to the WIP pile. This week I chose this one since I've had some experience with hardanger, although it's been a few years. I did enjoy it then, and this seemed a simple enough pattern. 


Why is it that the smaller projects always seem to have the most mistakes? I made 5 major mistakes on this one. Most of which I fixed, but one I didn't figure out until the end, so I'm leaving that one.

Here's how the kit looks:

and it includes everything you need except a qsnap/hoop/etc. You definitely need something to keep your fabric taught when you're stitching hardanger.

My first error involved miscounting the Kloster blocks. Those are around the outside of the "holes". I did manage to do the central satin stitch correctly, so I measured from there and the second time I stitched them correctly.

The cross stitching comes before any snipping, so I started on the dark green as that was a good framing point for the rest of the stitching. 

Notice anything? I'm one thread off on section of green, and it will affect the rest of the project, so I had to frog all of that. My third error was in the white backstitch border between the green and the gold. I was half a thread off count yet again. That got frogged as well. 

I then stitched in the lighter green colour, and as I was about to finish the last 4th, I realized I had flipped my stitching around and was doing all the crosses in the opposite direction. I was not about to frog all of the lighter green, so it is still that way in the finished project. That's the danger with these square pieces, you really need to mark the top, or these mistakes are easy to make. 

That's 4 errors so far. I almost stitched one of the reds incorrectly like the lighter green, but I noticed after one stitch, so I don't think that counts. 

As I got to the end though, I ran out of the thread to wrap the bars. As I changed to the new thread I noticed it was thicker. 

"How odd. Maybe it's because I've been using the other thread so much it's become thinner?"

And then I remembered you're supposed to do the Kloster blocks with the thick perle cotton and I had forgotten to check and done absolutely everything with the thinner perle cotton. And of course I ran out before the end, so there are some of the final wrapped bars and dove's eyes in the thicker perle. DH couldn't find the errors, I know they're there, but I'm done with this project. 5 errors is enough. It's complete and still looks good enough. It's not like it's going in a competition or anything. 

Here it is in its infamy:


I hope you all had a great weekend and had less frogging than me!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

10 comments:

  1. What a pain but it sure turned out gorgeous!

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  2. It seems your project is forgiving , it is beautiful, looks perfect to me, this is a lovely design.

    Stay Healthy
    Catherine

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  3. It's very pretty! I'm glad you managed to persevere and finish it!

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  4. It's turned out beautifully, no one would have known you had the little hiccups with it.
    I do like to see hardanger, a long time since I did any. Maybe this lockdown will encourage me to break out a kit I have and give it try again ... or maybe not LOL
    Warmest wishes x

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  5. That was definitely a learning project! I also find smalls attract more frogs than larger projects. I do mark the top of my Just Nan smalls as well. Just in case.

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  6. I always find the smaller ones get more errors as I'm just so excited to have a quick stitch! Such a stunning piece x

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  7. Oh my, if I were you I would have given up long before it was finished...but you are clearly made out of sterner stuff than me, haha. However, it looks so pretty and I cannot spot any mistakes! And luckily my own stitching weekend passed without too many mistakes:D

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  8. Positives first - congratulations on persevering (again!) and finishing another new start during the weekend. It's really pretty and delicate.
    But oh no to the errors! Did you get frustrated or just shrug and laugh that this project was being so mean to you? At least you didn't have any errors in the cutting so that's a bonus. Let's keep everything crossed that your remaining new starts are all straight-forward. :)

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  9. I agree, small projects are the froggiest! But it did end up looking great and I can't really tell where the mistakes are now.

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  10. In spite of the frustrating errors, it looks lovely! Good for you for not giving up and finishing it.

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Thanks for any comments!

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