Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Tips, Tricks & Techniques - anything to help fellow cross stitchers.

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Trylla
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Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Trylla »

I've picked up another UCJC piece to work on, and this time it's my Day 3 hardanger project -- Clover I by our own Mabel.

I've finished all of the kloster bocks and have even started cutting some threads and wrapping some bars, BUT I am having a devil of a time tucking in the cut ends into my blocks. Help!

I've spent a little bit of time searching the web for videos to show me what to do, but I can't find anything useful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Serinde »

Mabel does like to tuck in her ends, and has worked out a way to do this. :)

My take is slightly different. When I stitch the kloster blocks surrounding areas to be cut, I tend to pull the stitches slightly (slightly!) to make the eventual cutting easier to see. When the fabric relaxes, it seems to cover all but the worst ends. But then, I tend to work on really big pieces of tableware, and I'd be mabelling (is that even a term?; is now!) :P for a very long time.

Not much help to you, but I know Mabel will show up here and point you in the right direction.
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Mabel Figworthy »

Did someone call Mabel :-)?

Hi Trylla, I'm assuming that the description in the chart pack hasn't helped? I haven't ever done a video and I'm not sure I can explain it any differently from the way I do in the packs and the FAQ, but I'll have a go!

When you look at the cut edge of the Kloster blocks you will generally see either 2 or 4 ends poking out (2 if you've been cutting very close indeed, 4 if you haven't. I'm a wuss about cutting so I almost always have four :-)).
Because of the way fabric is woven (every thread goes over-under-over-under other threads) when a thread is cut its end will either point slightly upwards (if it was going over a thread at that point) or slightly downwards (if it had just gone under a thread). The ones pointing upwards will always be easier to see than the ones pointing downward.

Now let's start with the ones that point upwards. With your size 24 needle push them up a bit more. Now insert your needle behind the stitches of the Kloster block, and with the tip of your needle flip the two cut ends back on themselves and underneath the perle stitches. (You can use a smaller needle if you find it easier, but try not to catch the perle used for the Kloster blocks.)

Turn over your fabric, and do the same with the two cut ends pointing downwards (if needed).

Hope that helps!
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Trylla »

Thank you for the help!!

Mabel - I went back and reread the instructions in the chart pack, and they make more sense now. I don't know why I couldn't figure it out yesterday. I think I was trying to tuck them in by folding them back on themselves underneath rather than backwards on top. Does that make sense?

Either way, it is working for me now. See ... my very first properly tucked in set of kloster blocks:

Image
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Mabel Figworthy »

Wow, the difference is very clear, great work!
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by nachosmiley »

Wow that looks lovely and what a luscious shade of green...what floss have you used?
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Trylla »

nachosmiley wrote:Wow that looks lovely and what a luscious shade of green...what floss have you used?
I'm using Caron Collection Watercolours and Wildflowers in Emerald. It is a delicious shade of green, isn't it?
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Re: Hardanger Help (Mabel!!)

Post by Serinde »

What excellent stitching! And that emerald green is delicious, isn't it...
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