2020 Stashmas has arrived!

[Garnet]

Thank you Mabel, those photos are most helpful.

While I'm (still) waiting for my Perles to arrive, I had a practise on a doodle cloth, and my first attempt was like nothing you've seen before, I realised my foundation stitches were too far apart, my second attempt was better but still not fit to be seen, the third is getting better.

Mabel, can I ask, should I be pencilling the foundation stitches on to the fabric using a ruler?

[Mabel Figworthy]

There are very few "shoulds" in embroidery, I am happy to say , and much depends on personal preference.

Some people can get it really even by eye, in which case no pencil lines are necessary; some people can't, but don't mind the result looking a bit rustic and irregular, in which case again no lines necessary. If an irregular stitch would annoy you and you find that you can't get it even by eye, then by all means draw pencil lines. In that case I'd draw them slightly shorter than you want the stitch to be, just to make sure that you completely cover them.

Hope that helps!

[Garnet]

Thanks Mabel

[Serinde]

Ordinary chain stitch isn't my favourite, but I really like raised chain stitch. So much texture.

[Sojourner]

Please sign me up for the stashmas event

[Serinde]

That should be in your inbox now.

[fccs]

I haven’t started mine yet...working up the courage. LOL

[Serinde]

I have now finished (bar the ironing) the little project that needed to be done, so I'm getting my doodle cloth out to have a practice and also I'll be rootling round in my bits of fabric... Want to take the opportunity to use bondaweb, so need to get hold of some. Anyone know a good source?

I'll also be setting up a separate Stashmas Tree display thread in the next day or so.

[fccs]

I hope I have something to display at some point. I haven’t started...unless printing out the instructions counts, and then yay for me, I have started.

[mags]

I have finished the raised chain stitch

I now need to decorate the tree ( I used a plain fabric).

[Serinde]

I'll set up a separate thread for finishes. (Tomorrow, I think...)

[Mabel Figworthy]

Go Mags

[mags]

It's not perfect

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'm not sure how to respond to that because both "I'm sure it is" and "that doesn't matter" sound horribly patronising when seen in print without the tone of voice! All I can say is we are generally our own worst critics so it's probably a lot better than you think !

[Serinde]

Yes, we always are our own worst critics! Learning a new skill is never easy, but it is SO satisfying.

I now have bondaweb! (Thank you, chairwoman of my EG branch!) No excuses... (Well, apart from Thanksgiving. Even a small family Thanksgiving is still a Very Large Feast...) (And really and truly, I would rather be stitching...)