Eastern Promise - Updated October 1st - Framed

[Ceitidh]

Looking fab already!

[rachdun]

Looks great so far

[gyork]

wow that's beautiful, great progress

[Cecilia]

What a beautiful design . You've made a good start. Your friends are so lucky to be getting this.

[jocellogirl]

Got back from the long weekend at lunchtime and feel ready to take on the world again!! Quite a bit of stitching done considering most of it had to be done after the girls went to bed.




I'm doing the backstitch as I go, as there's quite a bit and I may go round the twist if I leave it all to the end. French knots and beads will be done last (except for the peacock's eye - I had to let him see!)

I'd like to thank whoever it was who recommended turning the fabric on the frame so you are handling the back rather than the front. I turned it round as it was getting a bit grubby along the top and it's keeping it much cleaner.

I'm really enjoying doing ths one - it's so vibrant. I may do it for myself once I've finished this one (and all the other hundreds of projects on my list!!)

[Raine]

Vibrant is a perfect word for it! Just looking at these colors makes me feel good. You're doing a wonderful job.

[rcperryls]

lovely. there is so much detail, and you are doing a great job.

Carole

[jocellogirl]

Thank you for all your lovely comments. It's great being able to share something you love doing. I'll update before we go off in the caravan again (a week on Monday for 10 days this time).

[karen4bells]

Great progress update! Very pretty stitching

[Rose]

What beautiful work!!!!!!!

[jocellogirl]

Good morning

Here's the latest update for my Eastern Promise.


Here's a detail of the section I'm working at the moment.



I'm panicking a bit that I won't be finished in time. I've set a deadline for mid September, as it will have to be framed. So I reckon that's 35 days left to work on it. I think I've been at it for about two and a half weeks in total so far, which leaves double that time to get about two thirds of the stitching done, plus the writing which I've still to design, plus about a trillion beads, which I've never done before!!!!!

I'm also a bit wary about washing it. It's going to have to be washed, as there's a really grubby line from before I turned it on the frame. I'll wash it before I put the beads on, but does anyone have any recommendations about what detergent / soap / water temperature to use, bearing in mind all the metallics and strong colours. I've never done such a big project before, so they never really got this dirty and didn't need washing. HELP!!!!!

Also, any advice on how to attach the beads would be really useful. I bought some wonder invisible thread, as I'd seen that one of the Mirabilla designs used it to attach the beads to a design, but it seems really thin and flimsy. I don't want saggy beads!!

All advice would be gratefully received.

All the best,

[Mabel Figworthy]

It's beautiful, and all speed to your needle for making the deadline!

Washing -- I have had good experiences with lukewarm water and Fairy liquid (the real stuff, not a supermarket own brand), gets it clean, then rinse out until the water runs clear (I mean no soapy feeling left) and it looks great. But definitely before the beads

[jocellogirl]

Thanks Mabel

Sound advice. I'll give it a go.

On a better note regarding the deadline, I phoned the framing shop this morning to see how fast they can do it and I was reassured that they need a week at most and could even do it in a couple of days if I take it to them before it's finished and they get started making the frame. So that gives me another week or so. Phew!! I think I'm going to need it.

All the best,

[rcperryls]

Beautiful work so far. I love your updates. The colors are so pretty in this one.
Glad the frameshop can help. Good luck on meeting your deadline. I can't advise on the beads (I don't do beads), but there are some excellent beaders on the forum who will help you out, I am sure.

Carole

[jocellogirl]

Thanks for the encouragement. My reason for being so late starting this one was that I was doing a birth sampler for my good friend, Gina.


Call me superstitious, but I don't like starting birth samplers too early, just in case, so that kind of held up progress with this one. Anyway, a healthy baby girl was born on July 19th, so after finishing that one I could get going properly with this one!!

It's going to be good to do something when I'm not racing against the clock!!

[rcperryls]

Lovely sampler. So cute. I'm a bit superstitious about things like this too and have usually waited till after the baby was born to even start one. So you are way ahead of the game. And you have some very fortunate friends to get such lovely personal gifts.

Carole

[karen4bells]

The baby sampler is just adorable!! Very nicely done! Great update on the Eastern Promise--your stitching is so very neat and precise!!!

[Rose]

Both your works are lovely. The sampler is very cute I am sure your friend really appreciated it.

As for advice on washing and also on beading if you go to the Tips and Tricks section there are all sorts of threads to help you out.

Good luck with your deadline!!!!!

[Fljotsdale]

The baby sampler is cute, but the Eastern Promise project if lovely! And such neat stitching! You are a very meticulous stitcher - I'm a little slapdash myself, but I can see how much good stitching enhances a project.

[tiffstitch]

Great sampler! And great progress on Eastern Promises, I'm sure you'll be done on time!