Year of Stitch: February Update

I’d say I’m still trucking along on this challenge, but that would be an understatement. I want to embroider everything now. I’m shirking my other deadline projects for these… But at least I’m happy!

Look at how this turned out!! I will say, the finishing was a bit of an odyssey. I’ll start at the beginning. Remember those new transfers I was trying? I am no longer a fan. They were not all that easy to wash out.

They left these little white flecks behind… I guess I could’ve washed it a second time, or maybe used a lint roller, but who has the time? I likely won’t buy these again.

I then went on to finish it like I finish most of my hoops: blanket stitch a back to the front. It’s always a pain, because you’re stretching it like it’s on the hoop with zero support from the hoop, but it usually looks so good. This time, I had to fight with it a lot…

It got a little cattywompus, so the stitching showed on the front and back… I could’ve lived with the back. I ended up restitching that area, pulling it tighter, further hurting my hands, but at least it turned out!! That means I’m on to the next sampler.

Here it is!! I stuck to my “iron transfer on the wrong side” method. Just because I won’t buy them again doesn’t mean I won’t use what I have. We’re two stitches in: split stitch and satin stitch.

I will say, I don’t see myself using split stitch again. It’s cumbersome, because you’re always checking that you’ve evenly split your thread, and for all that effort, it doesn’t look very nice, at least for lettering. Shannon demoed a six-strand one that may make a neat border. The good news is I never have to use this stitch again, if I don’t want to.

Satin stitch and I go way back, but it’s one I’m always looking to improve. I’ve actually put off a big embroidery project hoping to get some practice with this stitch on this sampler. I think I am managing so far, but I did just start.

I believe this sampler will be finished by the March update (along with maybe another, out-of-challenge project…), so stay tuned!