Thursday, March 19, 2009

New start and some stitching questions.....

Well ...I just couldn't help myself. Since I am down to one current WIP, "Old Glory Angel", I gave into the temptation to start something new.


I have had BBD "Autumn Bouquet" kitted for awhile and finally started it this week. I am stitching it on 22 ct. over 2 mainly because I love the fabric color and I had it in my stash. So it is going to be rather large finished. I have a long wall that I want to hang this on so the finished size should be about 30 inches wide. I really like the muted colors of the design, which makes it look so "vintage", and it almost has a "stamped" cross stitch look. Very pretty!


Starting this design made me think about starting and stitching. Where do you start a new design.... in the middle or in the top corner? I always start in the middle...I guess I don't trust myself to start anywhere else! Through my blog hopping, I notice that a lot people seem to start at the top or in the corner. Just curious why this may be your preferred way to start?

I have also noticed that people seem to stitch a design completely from top to bottom or left to right, regardless of the number of color changes involved. Do you stitch this way? I am pretty much erratic and will stitch all over the place! ( It is the same when I mow the grass... I never mow in straight lines, but tend to go all over the yard! Just makes it more interesting.) Just curious if this is your preferred method to stitch and why?

I have been stitching on "Old Glory Angel" and only have to fill in her dress, which I should definitely finish this weekend. I also have two ornaments ready to start and will try to stitch those next week if I finish the Angel. Too many designs.....so little time! Oh well....time for bed. Sweet dreams and happy stitches!

12 comments:

  1. Your new piece is very pretty!

    I think it depends on the design for me. Sometimes I do different pieces of it all over the place, especially if it has a lot of little motifs. The biggies I usually start at the top left and work very methodically across and down, because this method works really good on a scroll frame and I still do a lot of 'in the center' starting. But really it's all in the design where I make the 'start' decision.

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  2. I myself, USUALLY start in the middle but the projects that I start recently have pages and pages so I start it on the top left corner. Also I just started LK Halloween Double flips, well only three of the patterns have come out so I had no choice but to start at the top. I find a problem with finding where to start at the top when I do because they say to start 3 inches over and three inches down, well Im always nervous someone didn't cut the fabric right so I tend to start close to the edge lol. As long as it can be framed right? :)
    Candi

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  3. Only ONE WIP?? Karen, Karen, you must start not only one, but more, more, more pieces! Then you can join the rest of us nutties who have too many to even mention! JK Love your new start - will be so pretty.

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  4. I will start the majority of my projects in the middle and if the piece has a face I tend to work towards filling that in before anything else. For some Mystery SALs and patterns that are several pages long I will start in the top left hand corner. I have a handy tool called the "Stitchers Friend" from Wild-Heart Designs. It is a 3" square which I use to find my place when starting in the corner.

    I agree with Carolyn NC. One WIP is not enough. Love the BBD piece!!!

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  5. Great start you have done!! You had only one WIP ? I do have more and I'm working on a rotation now, so I won't get bored by one WIP. It is really fun to do.

    I usually start my cross stitching in the middle. Only on a HAED I start in the corner.

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  6. Very pretty new project! I usually start in the middle I don't trust myself either to start anywhere else :)

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  7. Love the BBD!

    I prefer to start in the middle of a piece and work outwards from there. I don't want to start too far away from any stitched area for fear of miscounting. I usually stitch white and other very light colors last if possible.

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  8. I totally depends on what i am stitching and where I want to start. I use to start in the middle only but I have gotten to where I will start just wherever I think I should. I can not even explain how I decide. . . that is sad! LOL

    Great new start, lovely stitching!

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  9. I also start in the middle then stitch all over the place lol

    The thought of mowing that way had me in a fit of giggles :-)

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  10. Love the new WIP!

    As for where I start & why, I almost always start at the top left. I used to start in the middle but then about 10 years ago or so, I started doing SB band samplers and had no choice but to start at the top left. Now I pretty much stick with that because I tend to do mostly samplers. I then work out & down. I try to stitch as much of the same color as I can within range of what I've already stitched, for ease in counting. Then I'll switch to another color and do the same.

    Fun questions! :)

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  11. Love your new start :)

    I'm a middle starter kinda girl and I don't like to hop all over too much because I'm always afraid of miscounting.

    I did start Peppermint Twist in the upper right corner, but it sure did feel weird! lol

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  12. I love your new piece, but having only one WIP - that is just shirking (LOL)!!

    I used to only start in the middle, and still do some of the time, but if it is a pattern like the L*K stamps, or a huge one of many pages booklet, I start at the upper left corner. Then, I will usually try to stitch on length of thread in one color, moving as necessary, and then another length of thread in a different color - really cuts down on Boredom!!

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