06
Jun

A sneak peek, or perhaps just an admiration break

by HML

In addition to Owl and the Pussycat, my other long-term stitching project this summer is a band sampler. It’s intended to be a gift, so I’ll leave out certain identifying details about it, but I’m using Victoria Sampler’s Heirloom Birth Sampler chart with just a few changes to the text to suit the occasion.

Assembling the supplies, and a look at the ribbon embroideryAs per the directions, I chose to stitch the sampler on 32 count Belfast linen, platinum color. Everything about this project is new to me, from stitching on evenweave fabric (after a few false starts on a practice piece I’m getting the hang of it) to the embroidery threads (I’m loving the various silk flosses), ribbons, and beads, and nearly all the stitches are new, too. The sampler doesn’t need to be completed until the fall, so I’m going to take it very slowly, one or two bands at a time, learning the stitches as I go.

Another look at the embroideryThis week I finished the first three bands. The top band is a gorgeous garland of ribbon embroidery and beading, which may look more difficult to make than it was. The ribbon had to be handled carefully to keep the loops full, but the stitches themselves were easy to learn (and the ribbon loops are a great hiding place for any stitching sins). The garland is followed up by a band of pulled three-sided stitches, then double-sized cross stitches.

So far so good, but there’s a lot more left to do, and I’m especially nervous about cutting the fabric for the hemstitched band a few rows down. If it doesn’t work out, I can always give the intended recipient a gift card instead, and nobody will be the wiser.

Related posts:

A very late gift for Thing Two
From fish to fowl and feline
Hardanger update: second project finished

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 9:13 am and is filed under sinister craftiness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

One Response to “A sneak peek, or perhaps just an admiration break”

  1. Mandy N
    June 20th, 2008 15:38
    1

    I esp. like the delicate colours and garland in the sampler.Ah ! To be truly accomplished…now, lap it up, Heather. :-D Truly, a thing of beauty is a joy forever- didn’t Keats write a similar line ? Beautifully done. Cheers ! -Mandy.