How do you start?

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:53 am

I have seen on another post that someone started their project by counting to the edge of the picture and starting to stitch from an outside edge.

I am a big chicken and I start all of my work from the center of the material and the center of the pattern. I always work up to the face. I love to have the face done first. That is just something I do.

I like to stich things with faces, that is why the current square I am doing with the building is so hard for me to get excited about.

So how do you ladies start?????

catkin · Post by **catkin** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 6:03 am

I find the middle and then look for the largest block of stitches nearest to the middle. This means I have a good anchor when I start introducing more colours. I find it better than starting with the middle stitch if the ones near it are an other colour. Does that make sense?

Joan

Gingercat · Post by **Gingercat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:12 am

I work the same way as you Catkin. Find the middle and count out to a
big block of colour

Becca · Post by **Becca** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:55 am

I start right in the middle, i'm too scared of messing it up otherwise

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:12 am

yip, I'm with everyone else on this one, I start in the middle and work my way out but I've just bought a chart book and the chart is over 9 pages so when I start it I will have to start from the edge and work my way out....It makes me quite nervous but I'm sure it will be fine (I hope)....Will keep you all informed when I start it....

Denise
xx

tab72 · Post by **tab72** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:12 am

I also start from the middle, i would have thiught it would be harder to start from the outside and work in i've never heard of that one....

Becca · Post by **Becca** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:59 am

Denise, the chart book i'm working from is 9 pages long, all i did is find the page that had the middle in it and find the middle of that.

StitchingAgain · Post by **StitchingAgain** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:36 am

To me it depends on the design... if it's square-ish, I'll start at one of the corners, but if it isn't (like a piccie of a stocking I'm doing at the moment) i'll start in the middle.

fairie56 · Post by **fairie56** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:04 pm

I start in the middle, like the others. I'm too afradi that if I were to count wrong, I would end up with the design off centre. But, if you think about it, starting from the middle of the fabric, the overall tension of the stitching is "radiating", like spokes in a wheel, thus keeping it even. Does that sound logical? Anyway, that's my point of view!

an_drea · Post by **an_drea** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:42 pm

I repeat it , but I begin from middle, too.

Now I'm stitching a Mystic Stitch, that is 12 pages (if I remember correctly) and I began it from the centrer too.

Maybe, the next one I'll try to gebin from an square to check if there are differences or not...

See you!!

Sungirl · Post by **Sungirl** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:53 pm

I also start from the middle, and begin with the biggest chunk of colour in the general vicinity. I'm stitching a wild flower garland for my mother at the moment, and the centre is a very large blank (except for some back stitching that makes up a spider web). The anxiety attacks I went through as I had to figure out which corner would be best to begin with aged me overnight, but it's turned out great. I will, however, go back to my tried and tested stitch-from-the-middle technique as soon aspossible!

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:21 pm

That was a bit like my latest WIP there is nothing in the middle so had to count down to get to the top of tiggers head...it was a nightmare...I think it looks ok anyways lol

emar · Post by **emar** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:29 pm

I usually begin with the corner. This makes me think, that I won't make mistakes from the very begining

I am thinking about starting any pattern from the middle, but as it would be a new experience to me, I am a bit afraid. Do you color your charts --> indicating what area is stitched? I find this too difficult

I better count

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:36 pm

When I'm working on my current project I always carry with me the threads, charts, aida, thread cutters and a pencil....I always pencil in each line that I do to make sure I don't stitch the same line twice...which I've done before and didn't realise until I was about 15-20 lines up and it wasn't matching up...

lindagibb · Post by **lindagibb** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:49 am

No matter what size of project I am doing I always start in the middle working the top right hand quarter first then in the following order the bottom right hand quarter, top left hand quarter and finish with the bottom left hand quarter. That way I am not handling the stitched sections too much, particularly if I am not using my floor stand.

mauveme · Post by **mauveme** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:14 am

I like to start at the top middle, I mark the centre then baste stitch the design area, I use a ruler to count the stitches, I have bveen lucky and not made an error in my calculations, however there 's always a first time.

Linda

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:58 am

I always make a copy of the pattern I am doing and as I stitch then I mark off the squares if I don't then I forget were I left off and I have done the same row twice and then spent two days picking out all the work I had done. Boy was I mad. Now I mark all my work and I still make mistakes once in a will.

Becca · Post by **Becca** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:33 am

I always colour in the squares on the pattern when i have done them, i'd be completely lost otherwise