Murmured's Firefly Fairies

[SusanF]

Whata really lovely project. It may take you a long time to finish it, but it will be so worth it in the end. Keep posting us updates on how you are getting on, you've no idea how a little encouragement from this forum can keep you going when otherwise you'd get discouraged with a big project and put it down.

[Murmured]

Thanks everyone for the lovely and supportive comments!

Here's my latest update, I've done quite a bit on the blue fairy:



When I started this, a year or so ago, for some reason I decided to do all the backstitch square by square, when I came back to it, I decided I didn't really like it but had done too much to turn around now. When I started to do the back stitch on the second fairy's wand, I decided doing it square by square truly looked horrible, so I ripped it all out and did it in big swoops. Now I have one of each of the wands,

The piece by piece (also with beads and no background interference, so not really a fair comparison):



And one done it big swooping sections:



I'm really not sure which one looks better, and I have to frog one of them! I'm leaning towards getting rid of the square by square one. I have also done some of the sparkles and stars in a square by square way, but it doesn't bother me as much as the wands, so I think I'll leave them as is. What do you guys think?

[~threadbear~]

Hmm, if you really dislike the square by square, then you need to frog it or it will always bother you.
Myself, I thought it looked fine, but it's how you feel yourself. It has to be right for you, especially on a piece that has such a lot of effort put into it.

Love all the bling on these though.

[tattyted]

I quite like both. It kinda gives each fairy their own personality. After all not every fairy in the world has the same wand!...

[Ennii]

Your progress is soo beautiful!

[Midge]

Fabulous!!!!
I love the marbled fabric too, really sets it off.

[Rose]

I think I have to a gree with Tattyted. I would leave each one as they are the difference give each fairy her own unique personality. Your progress is so nice I love the look of this. Wonderful wonderful.

[Jilly]

They do look individual as they are, but if you are anything like me you will suddenly be fine with it, or just rip it out

[Mabel Figworthy]

If you decide that fairies with individual (different) wands is OK, leave it but if you have even the remotest suspicion that it's going to bother you whenever you look at it, FROG IT NOW -- this is too large and complex and beautiful a project to do in any way that is not exactly to your liking! (My personal preference would be for the longstitch ones, the rays look more "ray-like" if that makes sense )

[Murmured]

Thanks for the advice guys!
While I want to convince myself that they will look good with different wands, but I just don't think I can The perfectionist within me will just forever be disappointed.
I'm going to frog the green fairy's wand first thing when I get home from work, then what's done is done. I think it will make me feel better about the situation, though I can foresee it being horribly messy. I think I did the backstitch and gold confetti stitches as I went, so they're all mixed up. So I'll be ripping a whole lot out. I just hope I have enough of the gold thread to go around .

[nettie]

Sorry to hear you have to frog but your stitching looks fantastic you are coming along so quickly with it!

[~threadbear~]

Hopefully the frogging wont be too painful. Some metallics though can be very badly behaved when you do. Have some to help you brave it out!

[Lisa]

great progress, it is soooo pretty

[charmagne_capalad]

It's looking so PRETTY!!! ....and goodluck with the frogging...and yes, you really should do what you feel like doing or else you'll have regrets in the end. Take care!

[Slinky]

For what it's worth, I would go for the long stitch too. As Mabel said, it's more ray-like. And us x/s-ers are perfectionists by nature (so I'm told) so you must do whatever to get it just right for you or you'll never be happy w' it

This project is WAAAAAAAAAAAY nicer than the chart picture suggests - I have it in my stash, newly moved up my list of projects to do on the back of this thread. Your work is beautiful!!

Tell me, the DIY-sunburst bit. How did you achieve that?

(Have a cake )

[Rose]

Oh I totally understand wanting it to be perfect. I have frogged out many a project that had me pulling out hair just because I had one stitch wrong and even though it was fine to the unknowing eye, but because I knew it was wrong it just sat there and taunted me.

[~threadbear~]

Yep, I agree with Rose. It just has to be done! I've also frogged things I could have got away with but because I know it's there, it would always annoy me, lol.

[mauveme]

Just brilliant, love the fabric too.

[K1nS]

Lovely work

[Murmured]

Well the wand has been successfully frogged and redone. Good thing I wasn't expecting to salvage any of the gold thread, because it was a total mess to remove!
If I'm going to be totally honest, when I'm standing a meter or so away from the cross stitch, the wand doesn't really look any different at all, but you can tell from close up, and it just makes me feel better

Tell me, the DIY-sunburst bit. How did you achieve that?

I cheated, the fabric I'm stitching on came with the bleached sunburst already on it. Though there should be instructions on the back of the chart, as to how to do it yourself.