tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-697025114199060502024-03-05T00:03:28.628-06:00The Summer BallMy adventures stitching Sandy Littlejohns' masterpiece of Regency-era life.
Chart available from www.sandylittlejohns.co.ukUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-86859218380427269492009-12-27T05:57:00.002-06:002009-12-27T06:01:10.803-06:00The hiatus is over...Or rather, it's about to be. After 4 months hidden away, I'm about to pull The Summer Ball out of hiding and get back to work on it. It seems that some of the ladies on the Yahoo Jane Austen stitching board have recently started the pattern, or are about to start it, so I'll have some company.<br /><br />I'm going to decide this weekend if I'm going to re-start on some Aida, or if I'm just going to continue with the original start, knowing that I'll have to add a strip of muslin to the fabric for framing. No matter what I decide, I'll be putting some grid lines in before I stitch one single stitch! <br /><br />I'll start stitching on this one again on January 1--I wonder if I can finish it in a year?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-32183127385754295922009-08-28T11:34:00.002-05:002009-08-28T11:35:27.385-05:00Carolyn--Stitching StrumpetCarolyn,<br /><br />Please email me and I'll give you the run down on how to get a copy of The Summer Ball.<br /><br />AnnUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-89453048681632974812009-08-26T14:12:00.001-05:002009-08-26T14:13:21.836-05:00On HiatusThe Summer Ball is on hiatus until I knock out a few other WIPs! There are too many hanging around here and it's making me nervous!<br /><br />I suspect that I'll be back on this project by the time the weather turns cool...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-18859873009751650782009-07-02T06:56:00.003-05:002009-07-02T07:04:08.705-05:00Day 11<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r176/ann70821/?action=view&current=IMG_3334-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r176/ann70821/IMG_3334-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've gotten all the stitching re-done that I ripped, and a few extra stitches besides! My plans for the weekend are to finish the entire first column of 10 stitches--it's a 3-day weekend, so that might make it difficult to achieve, but that's the goal!<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-10529058548037250912009-07-01T07:16:00.003-05:002009-07-01T07:19:44.496-05:00Day 10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlHfs_w9nBOnYSr98DuQAEgke7CK-dNyon4junGx4U0w6J3mAulyGwznErumRB9SUMF8kJj4V52Pzj52NNcjkFVKNK8UNoNHqowjri5c-OsfiHfq6oV8qXRxR7w8EWSP8MqNSNlsADw/s1600-h/IMG_3324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlHfs_w9nBOnYSr98DuQAEgke7CK-dNyon4junGx4U0w6J3mAulyGwznErumRB9SUMF8kJj4V52Pzj52NNcjkFVKNK8UNoNHqowjri5c-OsfiHfq6oV8qXRxR7w8EWSP8MqNSNlsADw/s320/IMG_3324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353465243723061346" border="0" /></a><br />And more progress...even if it doesn't look like it! I went to my LNS and ripped out the 'old' colors that I needed to change, and even picked up a few new flosses for another set of colors that need to be re-kitted.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">Today I'll get to get back to stitching on this project--and I can't wait! (Sorry the photo is so dark...it was pretty early this morning when I took it and the sun wasn't out yet!)<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-32021388014578392702009-06-30T11:13:00.003-05:002009-06-30T11:18:25.861-05:00Day 9, floss organizationI decided last night that storing so many little baggies of floss was just and accident (a lost baggy) waiting to happen. So I sat on the bed last night and wound all the flosses I've used so far onto bobbins, which I am storing in their own box. I'll add a packet of needles and a pair of scissors to the box so that I have all the accessories I need safely in one place.<br /><br />After I finish my housework today I'm going to head up to the LNS to start removing the stitches that now need to be redone because of the problem with the size of the fabric and the matching of floss colors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWtdYhn_ISWQbhMa4GRUZA1pW4kAUs7H2aPtBultUD3y27qFuz9N3gDeUHCHarkcL7aYlhmZjW66anwn6Fx7sYXM2iau3oZxdy1UTLruou_hbDJ2-FlKq-veSvQeoyqP3XcUc65JS-A/s1600-h/IMG_3321.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWtdYhn_ISWQbhMa4GRUZA1pW4kAUs7H2aPtBultUD3y27qFuz9N3gDeUHCHarkcL7aYlhmZjW66anwn6Fx7sYXM2iau3oZxdy1UTLruou_hbDJ2-FlKq-veSvQeoyqP3XcUc65JS-A/s320/IMG_3321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353154921312084258" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-15279693232418573062009-06-29T17:26:00.001-05:002009-06-29T17:28:03.127-05:00Day 8Nothing new to report today. A long day at the tennis court, watching my hubby play and working on a smaller, easier-to-transport project was how I finished out the weekend. Look for real news tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-66529616495081071192009-06-28T00:08:00.002-05:002009-06-28T00:10:44.644-05:00Day Seven, no stitchingNo stitching today--my husband's been playing in a tennis tournament all weekend, so I've been stitching on my small carry-along piece while I've been at the tournament with him.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-47198437432895189912009-06-27T12:40:00.004-05:002009-06-27T12:55:31.938-05:00Crisis averted<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r176/ann70821/?action=view&current=IMG_3306-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r176/ann70821/IMG_3306-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I'm going to have to do some ripping before I can start stitching again. I'm just afraid that there isn't enough of the green wall color and the gray floor color to cover the extra 40+ square inches of fabric that need to be covered now that I've learned that my fabric is 28 count rather than 32 count.<br /><br />Luckily I found that 3 of the greens are an exact match for DMC floss that I already had at the house. Two of the shades of gray in the kit don't match either their assigned Anchor color number, or the DMC equivalent. I liked the Anchor color a little more than the DMC, so I purchased 9 skeins of Anchor to replace/supplement what I already have.<br /><br />I'll still have to sew some waste fabric onto the right edge of the fabric when I get further along, but at least I think I've managed to save the project.<br /><br />Now to compose a letter to send both the the magazine and the distributor of the kit about the problem...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C-YhhIBg5gmDTKDFALNLvGLFoIKP1s5r-m4ghDfRrRtDMyYu0rlG043e1thYCYQrFtsJfcPEk80yGYYckMhnyZ3_Tl9iqGr1D58XnMW5EVzp9EXKB4jTOOI4TRL4MBtYqBOZ6SwtmA/s1600-h/IMG_3307.JPG"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-62749190692477063232009-06-26T05:15:00.005-05:002009-06-26T06:49:08.748-05:00Day 5, and a crisis emerges<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL4-DFVGmkn1d1xLF9c3c5urr7_BUHgRqlAKtymY7SxW6BYqQKHxpX5aoMVD-P5jHd-lUfyl9uMK6Zxfme5oDpDOpIRKbkfebUl609osQq-2b5d4kuk4xQidifVBDl37DJMb_-vkBdA/s1600-h/IMG_3297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL4-DFVGmkn1d1xLF9c3c5urr7_BUHgRqlAKtymY7SxW6BYqQKHxpX5aoMVD-P5jHd-lUfyl9uMK6Zxfme5oDpDOpIRKbkfebUl609osQq-2b5d4kuk4xQidifVBDl37DJMb_-vkBdA/s320/IMG_3297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351601487005076930" border="0" /></a><br />As I mentioned, this is a kit that I purchased from West Coast Embroidery (the distributor for Cross Stitch Collection magazine). When I ordered the kit I was offered a choice of 2 fabrics--16hpi Aida or 32hpi even weave. I selected the 32 hpi even weave fabric both because I don't generally like the hand on an Aida and because I find it easier to work partial stitches on even weave. The stitch count for the chart (verified with the chart) is 128x479, which works out to a design area of 8x30 when stitched over 2 on 32hpi fabric.<br /><br />I had elected not to grid my fabric before I started. I hate all those pieces of floss hanging around the edges! If I had gridded my fabric I would have noticed the problem before I started. But instead of stitching grid lines I simply created an 8x30 rectangle, placed it on the fabric, and determined my starting point in the top left corner.<br /><br />While stitching last night I noticed that I was going to be closer to the bottom margin of the fabric than I am on the top--and by more than just a stitch or two. I grabbed my tape measure and saw that what I had ALREADY stitched was 8 inches in length--and I still had 18 stitches to go before I reached the bottom of the chart! I couldn't have mis-measured that much, could I?<br /><br />So I checked the stitches--and lo and behold--I wasn't sent 32hpi fabric, I was sent 28hpi fabric. I quickly ran to the computer to plug the new numbers into a floss calculator to see what the new dimensions of the piece will be--9.12 x 34.25!<br /><br />With great trepidation I take out the tape measure again and measure the length of the fabric. Instead of having an generous margin on the right side of the fabric I'll have about one-half inch, plus the selvage.<br /><br />So now I have a dilemma. Do I rip, or continue? If I continue I'll have to get some waste fabric sewn onto the selvage so that I can keep the fabric in the Q-Snaps when I'm working on that side of the chart as well as so that I can properly prepare the finished piece for framing.<br /><br />I'm going to have to look at the floss and see if I feel 'safe' continuing with the floss in the kit, or if I think I'll have to re-kit the major colors--the ones used on the walls and the floors--to be sure that I don't run out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-27152212327304856902009-06-25T15:03:00.001-05:002009-06-25T15:03:18.602-05:00Day Four<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADCR97TbWryLj_W_IGlImkCMDb9nUN7CseJ26OF6OKw9s1NglBewGNnoLVDf4yHP4FzkG3KeHoNC1ahyUqT2PFAmQa9zEYvWRUHW4xhBeCLGSX3XASlqYVFStUfCdVDTBpxGf6vlBCQ/s1600-h/IMG_3287.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADCR97TbWryLj_W_IGlImkCMDb9nUN7CseJ26OF6OKw9s1NglBewGNnoLVDf4yHP4FzkG3KeHoNC1ahyUqT2PFAmQa9zEYvWRUHW4xhBeCLGSX3XASlqYVFStUfCdVDTBpxGf6vlBCQ/s320/IMG_3287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351113956179254834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Summer Ball by Sandy Littlejohn</span><br /></div><br />A bit more progress on the wall...I stitched another block, and 2 stitches on the next block.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Laura G</span> asked a question: Do I carry the threads? The answer is yes and no. On the first 3 blocks the colors tended to be repeated in such a concentrated area that I did carry the threads from section to section. However, there are already places where the concentration of color doesn't make carry threads practical, so I start-and-stop a thread to stitch those areas. I recently saw this neat needle organizer in the Nordic Needle catalog, I may have to order one just for this project to help me keep those threads straight! I think it would be really nice to have a needle already threaded for each color in this chart.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq8PB0Vv0xPteZwrQaox4KomFcCL-AVkWG8bV1pgP852GmbElKUiBAICojlWnDaDpXX9L7BhKGPuRViyBH_JcSIdwQXEh6qErzMkM0LUZQVPKJhTq-Q2gYjVNyFTHkusffKZ8pKpFyw/s1600-h/needle+organizer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 367px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq8PB0Vv0xPteZwrQaox4KomFcCL-AVkWG8bV1pgP852GmbElKUiBAICojlWnDaDpXX9L7BhKGPuRViyBH_JcSIdwQXEh6qErzMkM0LUZQVPKJhTq-Q2gYjVNyFTHkusffKZ8pKpFyw/s320/needle+organizer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351115902469041154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pako Needle Organizer available from Nordic Needle</span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-84394525273198516982009-06-24T06:57:00.001-05:002009-06-24T07:03:48.321-05:00Day 3The mirror is completed, and 4 new colors have been introduced! The greens are wonderful--and they are one of the dominant colors in the design because they are the color of the wallpaper. Good thing I like green!<br /><br />I've learned that this is not a good late night stitch for me--the size of the fabric is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"></span> too small for me to use my glasses, not small enough for me to see easily without them. I'm going to start working on this at lunchtime instead, and save my night time stitching for something else!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5yem9a3AiRNGDwgDXAqyAieb8aq_nlD6sSeJXDtkMzAtKgtTH63l3Oji5Pwszjtfip-NGJ0fHdqBnW9qqanQ6eEqH6qbC987YlA_tYwpZKHdXPWyvhH9V-9RUqrvPg_tYt_LiScyBA/s1600-h/IMG_3272.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5yem9a3AiRNGDwgDXAqyAieb8aq_nlD6sSeJXDtkMzAtKgtTH63l3Oji5Pwszjtfip-NGJ0fHdqBnW9qqanQ6eEqH6qbC987YlA_tYwpZKHdXPWyvhH9V-9RUqrvPg_tYt_LiScyBA/s320/IMG_3272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350862530090112674" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-45559873185783732502009-06-23T08:00:00.000-05:002009-06-23T12:35:42.985-05:00Day TwoThe subtle color variation in the left side of the block is becoming more noticeable. It's taking me about an hour to stitch a single block, maybe on the weekends I'll be able to find the time to get an extra block or two stitched.<br /><br />I'm railroading every stitch so that the thread lays flat and looks neat. I don't see much difference right now, but I'm sure that I will once I have a large portion of the chart stitched. I wonder what constitutes a 'large portion' on a project of this size?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lGblKvH7WclnmmP2becnsSq3tkFqBsSDggeP2L8SELlPNu1Ic3IhxZJZwuIhuxnYor7r3uFLIptrzaVq1Oud-PAXLuoKjYyxCj_1w2JosVkw62XVD8JmrYwec8yQLbBBeUz1Vtv4Nw/s1600-h/IMG_3265.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lGblKvH7WclnmmP2becnsSq3tkFqBsSDggeP2L8SELlPNu1Ic3IhxZJZwuIhuxnYor7r3uFLIptrzaVq1Oud-PAXLuoKjYyxCj_1w2JosVkw62XVD8JmrYwec8yQLbBBeUz1Vtv4Nw/s320/IMG_3265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350507430186087442" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69702511419906050.post-82294524700714296042009-06-22T10:51:00.000-05:002009-06-23T12:33:12.670-05:00Day OneWell, I've started. No gridding, I'm just going to jump in and stitch those 10x10 blocks. Hopefully this will work.<br /><br />The project is much larger than I every really understood. It's going to take well over a year, unless I drop everything else and just stitch on this. I don't want to do that--there are too many charts in my stash waiting to be stitched as it is! Besides, I'm afraid that I'll burn out on this one if I don't have other projects to work on. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGIsgFNXzl1AaPjAmytnjSpT5Z6-SJgvf_inOMeYBJbtUtHZWMphPVZTMmBXYBoNAENK6VCYZkz9aM6Pd-4xS76Szboa2Uh2NDoWEjK0y23jqoizEAFV2xb11AKHyv8xnMPGsMy2iNQ/s1600-h/IMG_3252.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGIsgFNXzl1AaPjAmytnjSpT5Z6-SJgvf_inOMeYBJbtUtHZWMphPVZTMmBXYBoNAENK6VCYZkz9aM6Pd-4xS76Szboa2Uh2NDoWEjK0y23jqoizEAFV2xb11AKHyv8xnMPGsMy2iNQ/s320/IMG_3252.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350474322104180354" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In this picture you can see that the left side of the square is actually made up of two colors. It's virtually impossible to tell that with the naked eye.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0