Now, I am not the best new starter in that it is not my favorite part of the process. It can be exciting and it is fun to gather the supplies together.... it is just the starting, where you have a giant piece of linen and the floss just laying there and the task laying out before you where all those stitches line out ahead. I also feel that when a finish happens that although I am happy, don't get me wrong..... it is a little bit of a downer. That you have lived with a piece for so long and put such work into it and, there you go, its done, the end. I think I like the part in the middle of the quiet doing..... just the quiet in and out of the needle and the repetitive motion of the needle and changing the floss and moving the hoop/qsnap around that's the part I like best. I know cross-stitching is different for everyone and everyone has their own secret reasons for the doing, some like the super quick turbo finish, how they accomplish these I haven't a clue as they seem to turn out one after another big project that seems to take me months to complete, I would guess it is the pile of completed projects building up that gives them satisfaction. The there are some stitchers that like the buying of stash and accumulation of linen and floss. Then are some that are great starters and have ton of wip/ufo that they never get back to..... I think we all fall into this catagory at some point. :) I guess for me it is the journey of the making not the beginning or the end but the getting there - well aren't I looking way to close at the reason for my stitching - let's just say that Miss Potter is almost finished and it is a little sad but, I am very happy with how she looks and had a lot of good stitching time in the making...... now I get to obsess on the framing - should it be black and plain like the photo of the original or black and fancy or some kind of gold or even - I don't know some kind of coloured frame..... any suggestions from the wonderful world of stitching??????
Here is a snap of last nights progress.
I have worked out a couple of the initials and will have those inserted and the last little doo-dads added this weekend...... then I think it is on to "Forgiveness."
Since I have had that kitted out for a while.
That's about it for today, thanks for listening - Have a great weekend!!!!!
Thank you for stopping by!!!!
Take care,
edgar
Here is a snap of last nights progress.
I have worked out a couple of the initials and will have those inserted and the last little doo-dads added this weekend...... then I think it is on to "Forgiveness." Since I have had that kitted out for a while.
That's about it for today, thanks for listening - Have a great weekend!!!!!
Thank you for stopping by!!!!
Take care,
edgar
I've read a lot by people who love to start and people who love to finish, but I think this is the first time I've read something by someone who loves the middle! I'm an inveterate starter.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it is the process of the stitching...for the enjoyment, sometimes the quiet and solitude, other times just to get lost in all that repetitive motion. I do love the new start and the finish, but the real joy is the journey.
ReplyDeleteYou know I just love stitching...I don't really care if it is the starting, middle, finish...I just love it all. I do love the starts though...sort of like a love affair, you have all this build up...you like something - maybe you fantasize about the pattern/project, you chase it (get the pattern, fibers, fabric), you finally get to sink your needle in it and then whamo...it's like you've been dating/married forever and maybe you've lost a little of the excitement....I don't know....
ReplyDeleteBut anyway...on to the frame...Hmmm...I think the fabric and fiber is so dynamic together, just fabulous really, that I think gold would over power it, but something too plain and dark would make it look a little drab...I think I'd have a whirl with looking at a black frame with some carving it...nothing too glam, but not a matte finish, just a little gloss to perhaps highlight the texture of the carving... Hmm....I bet that would look FAB!
After re-reading....hmmm...my post seems a bit lurid with the "sinking in of the needle part" -- OOPS! Didn't mean it "that" way ;)
ReplyDeleteInteresting perspective on stitching...like Anna, I think you're the first person who has mentioned they prefer the middle to the start or the finish! I enjoy all parts...a new start is exciting, the routine of the middle is comforting, and a finish is the reward for all that hard work.
ReplyDeleteAs for the frame...what about a pretty oak frame? If you find the right stain of oak (like a red oak), it'll bring out the red stitches and go along with the antique look. I don't know that I would choose black for this piece, but that's just me. And I also wouldn't put it in a metallic frame...I think that would be a funky blend of old-style stitching with modern framing. But again, that's just me. :-)
I love to start and finish, I love the stitching part and most of all, I love putting the framed/finished piece in my home...or giving to a special person in my life as a reminder they are loved.
ReplyDeleteMs. Potter looks lovely, in fact, she looks so lovely I wish I'd bought her. :-) What about a black frame that has a thin line of gold around the inside? :-)
Blessings,
Julie
http://jcayemberg.wordpress.com/
I feel differently about different projects, but in general I also prefer the middle stages of the project. I like seeing the progress, but it's also comforting to know that I'm not almost done. I sometimes have a hard job finishing off a project, just because I'm sad to see it end. Silly, I know, but true!
ReplyDeleteI like making progress. Sometimes when I work on big projects, I don't feel like I've made much progress and get bogged down in them. That's when I switch to a small project to get the sense of accomplishment that comes with a finish. It's great to hear about someone who enjoys the journey.
ReplyDeleteI would look for a frame that brings out the red in your piece. I think, as others have said, black or gold could overwhelm it.
I understand about feeling overwhelmed in starting a project. Kitting up a project can be fun -- all those fabric choices, all those threads. Then you take the first stitch. One lone stitch in a sea of fabric. You look at all those stitches yet to come and wonder (at least I wonder since I do have so many UFOs from years past) whether this will ever be finished. I have always liked the finishing, the last few stitches. I feel such a sense of accomplishment, but it only lasts a moment and then, well, the chances are the finished stitching goes in a drawer.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why I am enjoying stitching Hawaiian Mandala. I know it is a long term project and will be with me for years, so I feel no need to stitch quickly and "finish" it. I can't finish it. Most of the pattern hasn't even been released yet! Instead I am focusing on the threads in front of me, the immediate design area I am working on. The only real problem with such a large work is that instead of posting a picture on my blog every day showing some sort of progress, I have to wait several days for the design to come into focus. That can be frustrating, but I have to remember that I blog about my stitching and I don't stitch to blog.
I felt the same way when I was on Block #11 of VoHRH. I loved working on that piece so much, I never wanted to put it down. But then a family crisis happened, I stopped stitching for months and when I finally got back to stitching it was Block #12, SOLID stitching, mostly black. By the end I was glad to be done.
ReplyDeleteI like the whole process from starting, to stitching the piece, to ending and then finishing it. I only have one true UFO, and I know it will stay a UFO.
I'm with you on enjoying the middle part of the stitching the best. Starting a new project is exciting, and finishing is a proud moment, but in the middle, it's all about the actual stitching.
ReplyDeleteAs for finishing a Quaker, I'd always vote for the primitive style (simple; dark; distressed, perhaps). Choosing a wood color/stain that matches the thread could be very nice.
I am a really good at starting new projects. I am also pretty good when the finish line is in sight. I don't usually fare so well with the middle part!
ReplyDeleteMiss Potter is looking fabulous :) I am terrible at picking out framing, and tend to finish mine like the model. I am afraid that I can't be much help there!
You said it so well, Edgar. I agree - the middle is the best part. The smooth motion and repetitive action of the needle is the wonderful reason why I stitch too :-) Now, on the other hand, I also love seeing my framed works on the walls too. Also a good part.
ReplyDeleteI love the act of stitching, watching something come alive in my hands, knowing that I created the image on linen! The thrill of friends oohing and ahhhing over my work!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Edgar!
Donna
I love your stitching and I too stitch...I have a blog as well if you care to take a look and here is the link to my Blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://lindakscreativityworks.blogspot.com
You do beautiful work and I love all of your projects....keep up the good work.
Take care & Happy Stitching
Oh im so bad at deciding frame colours i could never offer you any advice without seeing it in person! Good luck deciding though. It is a beautiful piece.
ReplyDeleteI wish i enjoyed the middle bit, i LOVE the thrill of a start and the thrill of a finish but i get bored easily and quickly and the middle makes me want to put it away for a while. Daft i know ;-)
Wonderful progress Edgar! I love the act of creation and the repetition of it all. Very meditative!
ReplyDeleteHello Edgar! I can't believe in all this time I haven't found you before now! Lovely to 'meet' you!
ReplyDeleteYou've got some lovely finishes here and wonderful progress pics.
For me, it's the 'doing' of the piece that I love. I'm not overly fond of the start, because it's all so blank but that soon passes. As soon as it's finished though, I can't wait to get it framed so I can give it away. I've been stitching for more years than I can remember but I've got barely a finish that I keep with me.
My Chatelaine that I'm working on just now is the exception to that rule though, I'm keeping that :D
Just a quick aside, regarding your other post about your first ever word.......My daughter's first word was 'animal' and she's still so into animals of every variety and description. Big style!
I really like all of it except for the kitting up part. Digging through my DMC threads to find the right number thread is not fun and I have them organized. Now, if I'm just picking out my own colors from overdyeds it's a different thing.
ReplyDeleteMiss P is so pretty! I would find a woodstained frame that matches the warm reds/browns in the fabric and thread that you are using.
You have really been busy! I love the BP piece! Your work is so inspiring! I really like starting pieces myself! My mom always fusses at me, because she only stitched one piece at a time! I also love finishing a piece and hanging it on the back of the sofa so that I can step back and see the whole piece, because I really don't have an image in my mind of the finished piece because I'm only working on parts of it at a time! But I also like the stitching part, too! lol I guess I just like everything about cross stitching! lol You trip sounded wonderful! I really envy you - I don't travel much! Have a great day!
ReplyDelete