Needs help ...please

[charmagne_capalad]

Hello everyone! I'm having problem with my current project "Golden Pair" which has 84 colors. It has endless shades of greens and grays. I'm working on it by squares (10x10). I'm getting tired of endlessly changing threads. I haven't tried gridding but I read somewhere that its great for large projects. Can I still grid my project even though I'm halfway on it already?

[Rose]

I don't see why you couldn't grid now. I mean your going to take it out in the end so do it right at the beginning or now should not be a problem. I personally don't do griding but there are some members that do, they will be sure to offer better idea of if this is do-able.

[agi]

Yes, of course, you can grid now. I suggest the water erasable pen, I think it is the easiest way - it works for me.

[Becca]

I do mine just by choosing a colour thread which there seems to be a lot of in the area i'm working on, then doing all the stitches i can in that colour until the length of thread i've cut runs out. Then i just pick another colour there is a lot of in the area and do the same. It definitely doesn't produce the neatest back in the world, but i think it's the easiest and quickest way of stitching.

[Jilly]

I am with Becca, I often chose the darkest one to start with, gives a very distinct base to build on, or the lightest if I am working on dark fabric

[Serinde]

You can definitely start gridding at this point. Be very, very careful to count the work you have done correctly.

I don't stitch in strict 10x10 squares. I tend to work on a motif -- a leaf, for example, or the sides of a boat -- until it is done. I regularly work designs with 50+ colours (could explain so few finishes! ), and I would find it much more difficult without my needle organiser (Pako, as it happens) because I can have a whole group of needles threaded at the same time.

Becca's idea is also one I use. I often will find an outstanding feature (the vein of the leaf) which will give me a visual reference in the design. And, as she says, stitching the dominant colour in the area will help.

You'll figure out a system which will suit you: stitching is meant to be fun and relaxing, after all!

[charmagne_capalad]

Thanks for your advices...I've strictly followed the 10x10 method since I'm afraid to mess up the project due to confusion to so many colors shades. I hate frogging. But I feel great that I made it halfway through amidst all the confusion. I think I would have to stick to projects with lesser number of colors in the future.

So...I guess...I will really try gridding as I want to get back to finishing the Golden Pair.

[Mabel Figworthy]

stitching is meant to be fun and relaxing, after all!

Relaxing?

*looks at WIP/To Do pile and twitches gently*

*looks at stash and admires all the pretty colours and the fabrics*

Aaaaaaaaahhh (= big sigh of bliss) -- you're right, it is relaxing .

[Rose]

Another helpful hint is to make a copy of the pattern and cross out the stitches you have done as you go. Maybe you already do this but if you don't it helps with keeping track of you stitches, if you do like a lot of us do and use a color until it runs out. You can mark off with a highlighter or a pencil or colored pencils what ever makes you happy.

[coffee_freak]

i would grid but be careful when stitching..

and I do the same..
make a copy of the patter and use a highlighter to mark what you've stitched..
I use a yellow one that way I can see under it when it's back stitch time..or to recount and make sure I didn't make a mistake...

i also start in the middle...
it's very hard to explain how i stitch too..lol..

[lacemaker2004]

Hi
I don't grid but I do mark what I've stitched as I finish up the section. You might also (if the design allows it) continue with the same color until you run out of thread or the block of color runs out. I work that way on my Christmas Elegance which has tons of four shades of green and gets terribly boring after a while (...ssssshhhh...don't tell Lacey my parrotlet though!)

Q: where does one find a water erasable pencil. I've got a piece that had tons of colors and tons of confetti stitching that I would love to grid now that I'm about 25% done.

[coffee_freak]

usually any crafty type store..usually in the sewing isles..

[mags]

I'm all for gridding - I knew after only a few stitches on my cat picture (in gallery), also the owl I am currently doing (in SAL section), that I would not be able to do it without. I would not have enjoyed doing them if I hadn't gridded, so what is the point of doing it if you can't enjoy it.

[SusanF]

I've found that for a large project I've started that has many similar shades, double highlighting really helps. I take a copy of the chart, then first mark in yellow the stitches I'm about to complete for that colour. (I'm also working in roughly 10 x 10 areas, but completing all stitches for a single colour in that area). When I've completed these stitches, I highlight those stitches on the chart in green. It really helps to see what you're doing when you can't really tell the colour of the stitches apart on the fabric.

[godzoned]

I do mine just by choosing a colour thread which there seems to be a lot of in the area i'm working on, then doing all the stitches i can in that colour until the length of thread i've cut runs out. Then i just pick another colour there is a lot of in the area and do the same. It definitely doesn't produce the neatest back in the world, but i think it's the easiest and quickest way of stitching.

i like this idea Becca I think i'll do mine that way. I'm working with 50 colours at the moment.

89!!!! oh my goodness are you mad?

I have tried doing it by squares as charmagne_capalad has done.

What is gridding?
What is frogging?

I never show the back of my work. Its never ever tidy!

[~threadbear~]

Frogging is when you undo stitches that are wrong. So you 'rip it' which sounds similar to the noises a frog makes 'ribbit' ... so that's why it has the name of frogging it.

Gridding, if you look in Mags gallery I believe you can see some of her WIP gridded. It is on her cat design 'majesty II. She tends to use red thread I think, and grids an area such as 10 x 10 to help her keep right on more complex designs.
Agi on the other hand uses a washable pen, so she draws her grids on the fabric and it washes off after.
You can see Agi's design gridded if you look on page 7 HERE you can see Agi's gridding as well.

[agi]

It's page 8 - but thank you, Tbear fro explaining it so well.

[~threadbear~]

It's page 8 - but thank you, Tbear fro explaining it so well.

Whoops, sorry trust me,

[godzoned]

Thanks Threadbear.

I do plenty of stitches wrong. lol
I just sew over them. I'm afraid that I'd have my work unravel if I rip them. (ie: unpick that stitch?)

I've only ever been taught how to do the normal X stitch not any fancy stuff like you lot do. I haven't even done backstitching either or special knots. lol. Never been taught and mum doesn't like stitching. Her mum used it as a punchment aparently for my mum to do. how horrible!

[freelady]

I understand your concern about your work unravelling if you unpick it, but if you sew one complete stitch at a time rather than a whole row of one way, that won't happen. Frogging is a pain, but makes me feel better when it is done. I use a needle and gently 'pull' the thread starting with the last stitch and work my way back, stitch by stitch and it has never unravelled so far. I'm sure I more than most as my eyesight isn't brill and I makes lots of mistakes.

Good luck.