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Okay. Got the 20 ct Ivory Jobelan yesterday and did what I said I would which is to try TOS again. I think two things helped. When Mabel told me that the afghan cloth I use is evenweave (18 ct) and getting the larger count fabric (previous was 28 ct) helped me to finally see what Abi was talking about with vertical and horizontal threads. I have always looked at the fabrics as squares like the charts. Anyway, I did the first part which is the cross stitch in the satin thread and though it is large and I don't love the coverage, I think this will work for now and if I get the hang of it I can always do another on my original fabric if I want.
Of course the first pic includes you know who, who isn't that interested in the actual work. Must have been naptime. I could not get her to move.

The trunk however is complete now and I think I counted right this time. Laverne does not deserve the credit she is trying to take for this.

a closer view. I think you can see what I mean about the coverage. If the next few stitches look okay I will post pics on the StitchSpecialist forum, but wanted to run it by ya'll first.


Carole

Well done for not giving up on TOS yet Carole! I guess the stitches will look huge to you especially as you are stitching over 1 on 25ct evenweave for LOTR and TOS is the equivalent of stitching over 1 on 10ct. I think it looks fine - as you say doing it this way may make it easier for you to see whats going on and enable you to eventually stitch it on your chosen 28ct fabric. I really hope this works for you as I so enjoyed stitching this piece - but if it doesn't you have plenty of other works I want to see updates for!

The cat is adorable:) She does exactly the same what my cats do when I try to do anything. Yesterday I was looking for my threads...Found them finnaly under the sofa...I don't know how and when they took them.........

I'll be checking your progress:) It's going to be a nice pice of art:)

Good start on this one!!!!! Hope that the new fabric will get you though this time.

Looking good!!! I can't wait to see your progress.... maybe that will give me the incentive to pick my colors and start on mine

I think it looks great! Kudos for not giving up..
Faith

thank you all for your encouraging words. I knew I would find them here. Now I am off to try then next group (which is where I went off the deep end last time ). Then on to Amulet and Emmeline. My plan is 2 colums of black on LOTR and then rotate to these and back again. Until I joined the forum I think I believed it was against the law to start one, let alone two or three projects at the same time. And I still have the hardanger patterns to decide on. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What fun!

Carole

I'm so glad you are retrying this Carole and you've definitely made a fantastic restart on it. LOL on Laverne, she is fantastic--I swear that she thinks that your stitching is all her doing!!! Looking forward to your next update.

Great restart and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress with it. My dog is my stitching partner, he cuddles up to me and I rest my sewing case(just a pencil case with my scissors, pencil, marker and some pins in it), my chart and my water bottle on his back I guess he should take some credit for my stitching.

rcperryls wrote:Until I joined the forum I think I believed it was against the law to start one, let alone two or three projects at the same time.

Heh, I'm still trying to convince my hubby that me having 2 or 3 projects on the go is a good thing as it means if I get fed up of one I can go to another and when I get fed up of that one I can go to the first one again.

I also think it's great that you're restarting! You work afghans, you can do this! We know it 'cus we all know your work and it's simply lovely!

I think the trunk looks perfectly fine, and if at the end you're still not that happy with the coverage on the trunk, try stitching it with 3 strands. I didn't like the coverage of the black on mine either but with the tree done now, I don't mind it at all.

I admire you so much for not giving up! Brava! And I have, by now, fallen hopelessly in love with Laverne. I wish you all the best with this and I'm so glad the evenweave thing clicked for you. If you don't like the coverage, like you said, redo it on your original fabric, later. In the meantime, we all get to learn all of these wonderful new stitches together.

I have completed the smyrna stitch. I knew that one because I have done it several times but this was different and once I saw what my previous error was and didn't redo it, I was pleased. French knots next and then the eyelot and I will post a photo. I am looking forward to new stitches too.

Carole

Laverne deserves every credit, though, for being beautiful and charming!

Glad you are stitching the tree again - we are 'stitching along' together! Though I haven't completed my tree's roots yet!
I'm just using bog-standard DMC threads, using 2 over for the better coverage. Dunno if that will work with the specialty stitches though.

I did the french knots. They are okay, but their placement leaves something to be desired, but I decided it was just fine. Started the eyelots and then will post again and rotate on to the cat afghan for a square or two. Though the stitches seem so far to go fairly quickly. I haven't had to do much though. I used regular DMC for the smyrna crosses, french knots and am using a variegated for the eyelot. don't know how it will look. I have some silk thread and some more satin but haven't decided if or where to use it. I'm glad that you started since so many have already finished its fun to have someone else working on it now also.

Carole

I agree! So glad to have someone to stitch with!

printed mine out last week! Might be tempted to join you this week! Although i haven't yet met my stitching targets for this month on my other projects!

Go for it!!! We need a few working on this together like the others did. I am about 1/2 way through the eyelots, which are part 4. I did think about doing part 5 before taking a little time off for my other projects since that would be about 1/3 of the way done. Have you decided on your fabric and thread? I thought I had, but it is changing a bit as I'm doing it. Lots more green than I thought I would be using. It is definitely a work in progress.

Carole

sounds like you are thoroughly enjoying stitching this Carole!! I'm so glad that you've given it a second try and I definitely look forward to seeing your next update

Can't wait to see it Carole! And don't worry much about placement, not only Abi said make it yours, I think the stitches and the design itself render themselves to not be perfectly placed as the chart says. I can assure you, a lot of my stitches (knots especially) aren't placed as the chart calls.