Weekend Update

I am almost positive I did not stitch anything from Thursday night until this morning. That doesn't mean I wasn't crafty, however. I spent part of a drippy, dreary Saturday at The Crafty Framer in Largo, talking with Peggy and Lexy about getting some things framed. The rest of the day I spent pin stretching items with Lexy.

I have a number of finished projects that are sort of languishing in paper towel rolls, waiting for frames. Obviously the Pelican and Elemental Cosmos are among those. I discovered a 12X12 black frame I picked up a while back as a clearance special at Michael's, so I needed a foam board to use to complete it. Into that went Elemental Cosmos. Still not sure where I will hang it, but it is ready.

I also got quotes for the Pelican, a project called A Room With a View that is a lighthouse cross stitch, and a piece I did called Always Kiss Me Goodnight (pictured below, pin stretched) that I purchased at the 2013 Market Day sale at Crafty Framer. I completed the project just a month or so after the sale, and there it sat, all rolled up, waiting to be remembered.

We also talked about the FAST event that is next Saturday, and called and recruited a fellow stitcher and veteran of FASTs past, to come and join us. Lexy will not be able to make this FAST (boo) but she will be there in spirit.

Pin stretching a 28 ct piece of fabric, as I learned, can be tricky. It does not take a lot to throw the design off center, or pull it out of true. My first attempt was not very successful, so I went home and removed all of the pins. Last night I gave it a second attempt, paying a LOT more attention to detail and trying very hard to keep a straight row of pins. It isn't perfect, but it does look better than it did.

Also, I managed to acquire more Kreinik #4 Very Fine Braid 001 and Kreinik Blending Filament 032. I bought all that Peggy had, just in case. So now I can get back to the mask (I hated knowing I needed colors even though I could do other portions of the project).

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 6

Not too much progress - I have had other things taking up normal stitching time at work. And the filament goes slower than just cotton anyway. I dislike tangles as much as the next stitcher, but it is especially annoying when the shiny filament detaches from whatever it is that helps give the filament some strength. Just when starting a new strand to stitch. LOL that was when I put it down last night for the night.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 5

I ran out of Kreinik #4 Very Fine braid last night. I also misplaced my Kreinik 032 Pearl Blending Filament spool, I think at lunch at a restaurant, so that will have to be replaced as well.

So, since those colors were not readily available to work on the face part of the mask, I moved to the border. As you can see.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 4

Moving right along. You don't appreciate the effects of your light source until you work with a dark fabric. Sometimes I fly through the pattern, seeing everything clearly. Sometimes I can't seem to see my hand in front of my face. And then the stitches look like squashed bugs.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 3

I am not sure I am using the Kreinik Very Fine Braid #4 properly. I wonder if I should be using two strands instead of one. The blending filament, for the pattern, is clearly stated as one strand of cotton and two strands of filament. But the braid, I am assuming, is supposed to be two over two, just like the rest of the cotton. I will have to ask the stitching groups I am a member of and see what they think.

At any rate, I am going to have to buy more braid.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 2

I am not a fan of stitching with blends. This pattern has a number of blending filament colors, and then that metallic fine braid. I tend to pull my stitches tight. The filament and braid tend to shear when I do that, so I am having to slow down. And tearing out mistakes with filament is not entertaining either, so that is making me slow down as well.

Maybe these are good things, in the long run. n the short term, they are annoying. But it is starting to come together after only the little bit I have done.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 1

So, new day, new project! Actually, I have been pondering making this mask since I saw it in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Just CrossStitch magazine. I am making it for an old friend who, I remembered somehow, collects masks. This project will be done on 28 count black linen, and includes 5 spools of Kreinik blending filament and 1 spool of Kreinik braid. Lots of greens, yellows, silvers/grays. The pattern was designed by Sharon Pope.

Here is the first section of stitches.