1.12.11

Baby Steps into the Wonderful World of Stitching

I'm new to the world of stitching blogs. I've never done it before. Heck... in truth, I'm just a beginner stitcher. I'm still trying to decode terms like parking, frogging, 2 over 1 or 1 over 1 (is it just me or do they sound kinky?). Anyways, here I am... baby-stepping my way into the world of stitching.

I've done a handful of tiny (and I repeat, tiny) projects but never really went big time. Well, I'm about to. I'm on the verge of starting my very first HAED pattern. And it's James Christensen's The Chess Match. So far, I've got my fabby, my threads and my pattern. I'm just waiting for Christmas to arrive before I get my scroll stand. (YIPPEE! My sis is giving me a kick-a** one as my Christmas gifty).

I've gridded the entire first row of pages, I've hemmed the edges of my 18ct aida and I've wound my skeins of thread. Everything's all ready.

And I'm nervous as hell.
Hemmed up my 18 ct Aida.
Gridded my fabbie... using a water soluble pen... marked page endings with broken lines so I know when it ends and the next one begins. I made a mistake on the bottom of the page, so I stitched a yellow running stitch there... the next pages will have broken lines as markers for page boundaries. :)
 
            I love winding bobbins. I find it therapeutic. That, and I'm slightly OC about my cross stitching gear.
Did some test patches... top being 2 over 1, 2nd layer is 1 over 1... what do you think I should do? 2 over 1 or 1 over 1?


HAED: The Chess Match by James Christensen. 625w x 413h. 87 colors.

11 comments:

Karen said...

Hi I like more 2 over 1 on aida 18, and don't be nervous enjoy it, stitching HAED designs is great!! now I have 4 in the way, and a lot waiting to be started some day.

Regards

Karen =)

beawang said...

Hi!

It's so nice to meet a beginner stitcher like me! I would love to do a HAED someday. Right now, I'm starting slowly. This doesn't seem like a baby step to me! Anyway, I love your blog. It's well written and good luck with your stitching! Keep us posted!

Cheers,
Michelle

Yliander said...

don't think I would call A HAED a baby step but enjoy - they seem to be wonderful designs.

and I'd do 2 over 2 as i like the coverage it offers.

Yliander veteran Stitcher & Bookworm

Sunshine Stitcher said...

On 18 count I would do 2 over 1. But you should do what you are happy with. Have you made a decision yet?

Yliander said...

Opps didn't realise you were on aida - so when I said 2 over 2 I meant 2 over 1

Silje said...

Im going to be the odd one out and say 3 over 1, tenting. At least do a test patch. But then I have fallen madly in love with tenting. And I refuse to snap out of it too!

If you insist on doing full crosses I would say 2 over 1

ArtsyFartsy Panda said...

Hmm... I'll think about that SIlje. Thanks! I'll do a test patch for that later :)

ArtsyFartsy Panda said...

Just wanted to say, my super duper sweet boyfriend will be out hunting for a 25ct lugana for me though. :) If he finds it... then woohoo!! :D Here in the Philippines, there's nothing but aida, aida, aida. He has to go looking for it there in Singapore. :)

beawang said...

I saw some 25 count lugana on a Singaporean online store. I will look for the site and inform you. :)

beawang said...

Here it is:

http://www.crossstitchjoy.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=77_205_78

Enjoy!

ArtsyFartsy Panda said...

Thanks Beawang. :) He found some for me. 25 ct Lugana that is "beige-y" in color (I told him I didn't want any white). 2 meters. Wheeeee! I've got the nicest boyo ever. Now to wait for 2 weeks before he comes home for Christmas... sigh... so long...