I must admit that I sat and stared at the first window at the bottom of the Haunted House for about 15 minutes wondering just where, EXACTLY, do I begin. I finally decided to start in the middle of the leftmost window frame where I could get a good run of the full stitch. I put my waste knot at the bottom and worked down. Remember we are going to stitch over the greenery associated with the pumpkin. You don't have to start where I did. It just made sense to me. If anyone has another starting tip, please pass it on.
With that start, now all I had to do was continue, compensate, and look for color placement. I referred to one of the extra pictures that came with the guide to make sure I was traveling around the top of the window in a manner somewhat like Amy did. This is not a "mindless" stitch because of the color changes. But I got thru it.
So finally I finished the entire first window. I am feeling pretty confident that I can now whip these window frames out quickly.
Please do pass on any tips or tricks you think might help us all. I am by no means an advanced stitcher. So I am not your teacher, just a fellow stitcher. I daresay that we will all be more advanced stitchers by the time we finish this project!
I had promised myself that I would not post pictures of my pets. But Ethan finally figured out that I was taking pictures, so he posed for me. How could I deny his quest for fame? Alas, he has no tips for us. He just sits and watches my needle go up and down.
Hi, Peggy and fellow stitchers - I just finished staring at my canvas and wondering where to start the walls just as you did. That's when I decided to check in to see if you had commented on the walls - and you have. I've decided to start on the far right first floor wall where you cover up the spider web and the spider with wall stitches. I worked on the roof all during the week and finished it this afternoon after a marathon viewing of CSI Miami episodes last night and The Wedding Planner this afternoon. It's good to see that much of the canvas completed. Hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I am!
ReplyDeleteGreat posting, Peggy. Your tips are very calming. Ethan looks very comfortable in front of the camera. Hope to see him again soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Melinda.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin.
Hi Peggy - glad you chose a point to dig in.
ReplyDeleteEthan looks just like my Sammy. Sammy is lord and master of this household. More Ethan pics!!
Thanks for posting. I love reading tips for different areas. I tend to push some of the big projects aside because I get scared that a section will not be right. I know, dumb reason but some canvases can be intimidating.
ReplyDeleteFor those new to blogging, if you left click on the photos, they will become enlarged. also, on a mac, if you simultaneously press "command" and the "+" keys, you can further enlarge the image. On a PC, press "ctrl" and the "+" keys. The images here are of such high quality, you can really enlarge them as much as you need without them becoming blurry.
ReplyDeleteKathy
I think Melinda used a better starting point. The section with the spider is large, letting you set the stitch and the shading in your head before you get to the thinner areas. So, if you are wondering where to start, go with the spider area.
ReplyDeleteAre you working two needles simultaneously for the shading?
ReplyDeleteYes, I did to begin with. Then I found myself stitching the light areas first. I guess you could do it either way. But yes, I did have two needles ready to go. The sections above the door went quickly because you don't change threads.
ReplyDelete