The Elementals - HAED Update Feb. 3

[dragoness]

I notice many of you use more than one colour at a time also you block ,ive never tried this but may in the future , as i just use one color at a time and dont use another untill the whole colour has been used,So sectioning of would probably be of great use to me when im doing each colour ...

[BizzieLizzie]

I have been doing the parking block by block, but I think I'm going to change how I do it. I've ended up with so many colors parked that they're starting to annoy me. I think I'm now going to try just finishing off each color either until there are no more reachable stitches or until I use up the thread on the needle (if that makes sense). I don't know if I'll like that method any better, but I'll try.

Thanks, Mechie. I like that idea. I work in 10x10 blocks going down the columns and have been wondering about doing all of the stitches of the same colour down the column as far as they go, to save rethreading time. I'll be very interested to see how you get on with your new method.

[mechie]

I notice many of you use more than one colour at a time also you block ,ive never tried this but may in the future , as i just use one color at a time and dont use another untill the whole colour has been used,So sectioning of would probably be of great use to me when im doing each colour ...

Most of the time I do like you do, one color at a time, but this project is so large that I would get lost if I did that. Plus, this one has so many color changes and place where there are only a few stitches of a single color that it would be easy to miss a stitch if I were to try to do it by color.

Thanks, Mechie. I like that idea. I work in 10x10 blocks going down the columns and have been wondering about doing all of the stitches of the same colour down the column as far as they go, to save rethreading time. I'll be very interested to see how you get on with your new method.

I'll let you know how it works. I started doing it that way a little last night and it seems to be going good, but I've only done about 1 1/2 10x10 blocks that way so far.

mechie

[rcperryls]

I never thought of doing one block of 10 x 10. I have been going row by row, which is okay with all the black that I am doing. Haven't really thought of it when I get to the colors. I don't park threads, because I think it would drive me nuts to have threads hanging, plus I leave them in the needle because I hate threading needles over and over again. Do you do all of one color in a block, and then the next color, until all that block is completed. End the thread and then start it over in the next block? Is my question making sense?

Carole

[BizzieLizzie]

I never thought of doing one block of 10 x 10. I have been going row by row, which is okay with all the black that I am doing. Haven't really thought of it when I get to the colors. I don't park threads, because I think it would drive me nuts to have threads hanging, plus I leave them in the needle because I hate threading needles over and over again. Do you do all of one color in a block, and then the next color, until all that block is completed. End the thread and then start it over in the next block? Is my question making sense?

Carole

Yes, your question makes sense, and you've got it spot on, except I don't end the thread when I've finished that colour in the block. I started parking row by row in each 10x10 block and it took forever, but then I found this: http://www.craftywriter.co.uk/?page_id=404" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank. So now I do all of the first colour in a 10x10 block and park the thread in the block below, then all of the second colour in the block, etc. I find this new way a lot faster as I don't have to change colour or rethread as often.

[mechie]

I never thought of doing one block of 10 x 10. I have been going row by row, which is okay with all the black that I am doing. Haven't really thought of it when I get to the colors. I don't park threads, because I think it would drive me nuts to have threads hanging, plus I leave them in the needle because I hate threading needles over and over again. Do you do all of one color in a block, and then the next color, until all that block is completed. End the thread and then start it over in the next block? Is my question making sense?

I had been doing pretty much what the link BizzieLizzie has shows, but I'm finding that having so many colors parked is getting annoying. What I'm going to try now is doing all of a color in a 10x10 block and if that color continues on in the next block I will carry on in that block until I run out of thread on the needle or finish all of the color. Then I will go on to the next color in the original 10x10 block. I don't know if this method will work for me or not, but I'm going to try. I hope my explanation makes sense.

mechie

[destructiveernie]

Thanks for that link, I think I now understand what you all mean by parking threads!!!!

[megan_bright]

This is going to be so beautiful! I really like that you started in the bottom left...haven't seen that before.
I don't park threads. I grid 10x10 and go through each color for an entire page at once...or at least I have been so far. It isn't as instantly gratifying as doing a block at once, but I don't want to change threads all the time lol

[Parksfarm]

Congrats on starting your first HAED - beware, they are VERY addicting, lol. I love Wall's pieces and have several, just haven't started any of them yet...

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I had been doing pretty much what the link BizzieLizzie has shows, but I'm finding that having so many colors parked is getting annoying. What I'm going to try now is doing all of a color in a 10x10 block and if that color continues on in the next block I will carry on in that block until I run out of thread on the needle or finish all of the color. Then I will go on to the next color in the original 10x10 block. I don't know if this method will work for me or not, but I'm going to try. I hope my explanation makes sense.
mechie

I think that's basically what I do - I work in 10x10 but carry on the colour outside of that grid within reason until it runs out. Then I go back to the original grid and choose the next most popular colour. This helps me not to sit there for 5/10 minutes trying to figure out the best 'path' to take when it comes to lots of confetti and what colour to stitch next! I've not tried parking, but I don't think I could cope with all those lose threads!

[nettie]

Great start and a fabulous piece!

[rcperryls]

Bizzie Lizzie wrote:

I started parking row by row in each 10x10 block and it took forever, but then I found this: http://www.craftywriter.co.uk/?page_id=404" target="_blank" So now I do all of the first colour in a 10x10 block and park the thread in the block below, then all of the second colour in the block, etc. I find this new way a lot faster as I don't have to change colour or rethread as often.

I bookmarked this to really look at it later, thank you.

I think that's basically what I do - I work in 10x10 but carry on the colour outside of that grid within reason until it runs out. Then I go back to the original grid and choose the next most popular colour. This helps me not to sit there for 5/10 minutes trying to figure out the best 'path' to take when it comes to lots of confetti and what colour to stitch next! I've not tried parking, but I don't think I could cope with all those lose threads!

Thank you all for your suggestions. and mechie, thank you especially for letting me "hijack" your thread for a little bit, while I'm trying to figure out what works best for me.
I do appreciate it. And I really love your HAED. And am very much looking forward to seeing your progress.

[mechie]

Thank you all for your suggestions. and mechie, thank you especially for letting me "hijack" your thread for a little bit, while I'm trying to figure out what works best for me.
I do appreciate it. And I really love your HAED. And am very much looking forward to seeing your progress.

No problem! You're not the only one trying to figure things out. I've enjoyed hearing how others do things too. Hopefully I'll have enough progress to post an update next week, but with 2 little ones running around, stitching time is limited.

mechie

[Juel]

This is a gorgeous design and you made a great start! I can't wait to see more!

[Theresay]

I notice many of you use more than one colour at a time also you block ,ive never tried this but may in the future , as i just use one color at a time and dont use another untill the whole colour has been used,So sectioning of would probably be of great use to me when im doing each colour ...

That's how I do it, too, but I beginning to feel that this method is way too slow for big projects like HAED. I don't like the page by page approach, neither (tried that with a Mystic Stitch design), so I think next time I'll use a little of both--finish the top pages by color then moving on to the next row.

Most of the time I do like you do, one color at a time, but this project is so large that I would get lost if I did that. Plus, this one has so many color changes and place where there are only a few stitches of a single color that it would be easy to miss a stitch if I were to try to do it by color.

mechie

I usually leave those small stitches for later when there are more stitches in place in the surrounding areas.

[Darlene]

Okay, sorry everyone, but what is an HAED?
thanks, darlene the new one on the site

[Theresay]

Okay, sorry everyone, but what is an HAED?
thanks, darlene the new one on the site

Heaven and Earth Designs. A site many people (including me) find irresistible ^_^

[Darlene]

I took my time and actually read each and every post, so now I know what HAED means and I even went to the website and downloaded a couple of their free charts. Such different and beautiful designs. I can't wait to start on the Christmas animals one after I get this Last Supper finished.

[Darlene]

Thanks Theresay, as you saw I did figure it out, but thanks for your reply.
I too can see where I will be drawn to that site also.

[tiffstitch]

Great start on Elementals! And very interesting discussion on parking. I can't wait to start one (any, all!) of my HAEDs, but i can't let myself get even more distracted from this January challenge. Your link was very helpful.