Isobel's name plate -- FINISHED!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Yes, I have finally made a start! I've figured out that if I complete one letter a week I should be all right, as it doesn't need to be framed until the new year (I am not sending this through the post!) -- if I can email her a photograph of the completed stitching for Christmas so she knows what the present will be, that's all that is needed.

I decided to start on the B, partly because that and the O are the most time-consuming letters (several cats per letter and lots of detail) and partly because it was closes to the centre of the design.

Stats: It is worked on 36ct antique white Fabric Flair cotton/modal evenweave, over two. The letters are going to be worked in several shades of lilac/purple, in DMC satin thread. I tried two strands, but this turned out to be far too chunky, so one strand it is. The cats and other details will be worked in 2 strands of DMC stranded cotton.

The original design is full cross stitch only, but the backstitch goes right through them which I don't like, so I'm using fractional stitches and squashed stitches and squashed fractional stitches .

And here is what I've done so far:

[Rose]

That is going to be so lovely. She is going to be one happy girl!!!

[Slinky]

The original design is full cross stitch only, but the backstitch goes right through them which I don't like, so I'm using fractional stitches and squashed stitches and squashed fractional stitches .

Fabulous start Mabel. Beautiful colours.

But. A question if I may. Fractional stitches, I get. Squashed stitches, I get. What is heaven's name are squashed fractional stitches (other than virtually impossible to do/see on 36ct fabric!!)

Please tell.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I made them up...

I wanted something that would give a smooth line when the backstitch went across a row of four crosses, and so I experimented a bit and first came up with this:



But that turned out to be too fiddly, so I tried some other things and eventually settled on this:



Sometimes I wish I didn't mind the backstitch-over-full-cross-stitch style of designing, but I simply know from past experience that it would keep bugging me whenever I looked at it, so squashed fractionals it is .

PS I probably will leave the full cross stitch in the cats, as the fur outline is not meant to be exact.

[Fljotsdale]

Well, I do fractionals for the same reason - but your 'squashed' fractionals look a good idea. I've seen squashed crosses illustrated, but the addition of the squashed fractional is new to me.

[Slinky]

Thank you Rose for that explanation.

Like you, it bugs me when the actual stitching does not closely follow the backstitch line, and I use fractionals wherever sensible to smooth out discrepancies. And I agree that an elongated backstitch over four squares is a knotty one.

But you could have put me in a room for 100 years and I'd not have come up with squashed fractionals. Perhaps you should patent it! Mabel's Stitch perhaps?

Many thanks.

X

[~threadbear~]

Mabel that is fabulous, I love the colours
I'm of the same mind, that I have to make fractional part of a design rather than full crosses . Not sure I could even begin to attempt those squashy fractionals.

[Sarah Gixxer]

This is going to be lovely, Mabel! The purple DMC satins are gorgeous.

I completely agree about backstitch going through crosses - my Celestial chart was like that and I new it would have bugged me if I stitched it that way, so I made up lots of fractional stitches to keep them inside the lines as well.

[Dazbo666]

Mabel, I have to say your work continues to give creative inspiration

[nettie]

Those satin threads look fabulous are they easy to work with? I have used squashed stitches before and I love the squashed fractionals idea. All my evenweave projects don't need fractionals at the moment but I will keep this idea in mind for future!

[agi]

Mabel, you have been really creative again!

[coffee_freak]

[Mabel Figworthy]

Because of getting horribly distracted by that biscornu I didn't make the one-letter-a-week deadline, but I have done some, and am hoping to have the B finished by Friday as we're going to see sister-in-law and niece this weekend and I'd like to take a picture to show her the progress. Not looking forward to all the backstitching though...

[wendywombat]

Shiny colours!! This is looking good!

BTW I HATE FRACTIONAL STITCHES!
That is I hate doing them but not looking at them stitched by someone else!

[Rose]

Looks mmmmmmarvelous darling!!!!!

[agi]

So good!

Wendy, fractionals are not that difficult on evenweave!

[Serinde]

I hate them, too. Especially 3/4 stitches on the left side: the main colour thread goes the WRONG WAY.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I know what you mean, Serinde, but it's either that or lots of bits of full cross stitches sticking out underneath the backstitch, or bits of red from the shirt ending up inside the lines around the cat and bits of grey from the cat entering the backstitch surrounding the shirt -- and that annoys me even more!

[Serinde]

Let's go to the Stash and Grab and drink to our mutual pedantry!!

[K1nS]

You have made a great start!