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I took a break from Dare to Be Different to indulge in a few more Hardanger experiments this weekend -- one of them a late addition to the fold as you will see!

Here is #7:



25ct cream DMC cotton evenweave; #5 / #8 DMC 3813
Great coverage in the Kloster blocks. #8 is perhaps a little thick the backstitch and filling stitch; they lose definition. Using #12 would solve that.

And #8:



25ct cream DMC cotton evenweave; CWC / CWF 051 Abalone
Good plump coverage in the Kloster blocks, even with strong contrast between fabric and thread. CWF is just about all right for backstitch and filling stitch, though it is losing a little definition in the dove’s eye. This could well be my favourite combination!

Before I post #9, a brief remark about evenweaves. Generally I prefer cotton-mix fabrics -- Jobelan, which is cotton/modal, being my absolute favourite because it's soft and has a lovely sheen. That does come in 25ct but I've never tried it yet. Lugana is a cotton/rayon mix, and slightly less soft and shiny but still very nice. However, while doing the Hardanger I didn't notice a lot of difference in ease of working between 25ct Lugana and 25ct DMC cotton evenweave -- and as the DMC cotton is a lot cheaper (£3.50 for a generous fat quarter -- 3" wider than Lugana -- as opposed to £6.35 for a standard fat quarter of Lugana) I think I'll stick with that!

Right, experiment #9. I was thinking of trying 25ct fabric with #12 for the thinner thread but didn't really want to do another one in Perles, and then I remembered some Gloriana silk pearl threads I'd indulged in some time ago -- one skein of Princess Perle which is said to be #5 but is actually a little thinner, and one of Princess Perle Petite, which is overdyed Kanagawa silk and similar to a #12. I love them! They are so smooth, and, well, silky . And with their slightly stronger texture I think they stitched up very well:



25ct white Lugana; approx. <#5 / #12 (Gloriana Princess Perle and Princess Perle Petite)
Coverage in the Kloster blocks good, especially considering that I used a relatively dark thread on white. The Petite thread is fine enough to show the details in the backstitch and filling stitch well. I think this might work very well on 28ct, because the Perle is between #5 and #8.

Beautiful work as always. I despise working with Jobelan, Lugana, etc. It always winds up distorted, skewed or with areas of very loose weave while I'm working with it. Given the popularity of these fabrics, it has to by my technique. Do you treat the blended fabrics differently than pure cotton or linen?

Thanks for giving a run down on the fabrics... I was curious about the types of fabrics you used... I love the color variatons of the last one too
Faith

Wow ~ Mabel this is a amazing! Truely stunning ~ I am in awe of your intricate stitching and precision, well done
xx

Jarvis, the only difference really is that I'd be more inclined to work cotton "in hand" than blended fabrics; having said that, Lugana really doesn't feel that different from the cotton fabric, and I have been known to stitch on Jobelan, Jazlyn and on hand-dyed fabrics (which also tend to be softer) "in hand" without too much trouble -- I don't really know what I do differently from you, and with your experience and the great work you produce I doubt there's much wrong with your stitching technique!

Beautiful work, Mabel!!

Stunning stitching, as always!! I must say, I think the last one, with the 'smooth and silky' threads is absolutely beautiful!!

Lovely work Mabel

great work!!!

Very pretty!!!!

Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing all the results of your experiment, now we will all know which one to chose...


(I think I have already mentioned that we would need a "hats off" smiley. )
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(he took the hat and even the scarf off)

Thanks, Mabel. I guess I just need to bite the bullet and play around with it more. I'm still awed by anyone stitching in hand.

I only ever stitch in hand when I'm being too much of a cheapskate to cut enough fabric to use a hoop (generally when it's a hand-dyed fabric, or one I haven't got a lot of), or when I'm using up scraps for things like the Hardanger experiments. Otherwise I much prefer the even tension that a hoop gives, and for the higher count experiments I will definitely be using one!

lovely

Oh Mabel I love your use of varigated thread and the gold on black looks spectacular. I haven't done any hardanger yet but I have already chosen my thread, black cloth and coaster designs to start me off ... just need to set aside a time =}

Very nice work Mabel

Just caught up with this thread Mabel and have spent so much time reading it that huuby had is breakfeast and dressed and tapping his foot waiting to go out for the day.

Great work and love your experiments. When you have finished will you be doing a photograph of them all together like you did with mother and child so we can see them all together. At the present time when you posted new ones I had to keep flicking back to the ones you had done previously to compare for my self.

very nice, but i dun no how to do

Great work