The Stitch Sampler

So I have begun working on getting my stitch sampler organized and started. I had the book, I had the material, the next thing was how to set the stitching up in the book. Some of this is going to be figuring it out as I go, but having the initial set-up ready to go is most of the battle. It has taken a while to figure out the logistics but now that I have a handle on it, it will be just a matter of sorting out the smaller details.

How I plan to do this is to have two swatches per page and they are both divided up into fourths. Each stitch sample will have the name of the stitch and the page number of the book it came from on the actual fabric. That way if something happens to the book, the records will still be on the fabric permanently and can be reassigned to another book. Of course I'm not planning on having to do that, but better safe than sorry.

What I decided to do is to keep the fabric as I purchased and let the sizing remain in it. It will be easier to stitch on this way since it is too small to put in a Q-Snap. I decided against painting the fabric for this reason too. Instead I am going to use different colors of DMC cotton floss. I am starting with bright colors, and then will switch over to color families. It will make it more fun and interesting and I LOVE color!

The amount of stitching I will do for each stitch will depend on when I am comfortable with it. Once I establish how many rows it takes to reach that comfort level, I will make it standard for the other stitches as well to keep it consistent and easier to manage.

So here is what I have done so far:

The easiest way I know of figuring out where
to cut is to fold the fabric and then cut along
the fold lines. I use a rotary cutter because it
gives a straighter cut.

The first cut and we are on our way.

Here are all the pieces. The original piece was
15"x18" (38.1x45.7cm).

Here is a label from the fabric as well as the
initial floss colors I will be using. So bright
and cheerful!

The book that I will be attaching the fabric to
and I will be starting on about the third page to
ensure there are a couple of pages to buffer the
cover from the work.

Two pieces fit very nicely on a page.

There will be four sections to each piece of fabric
where different stitches will be made.

So now the real work begins! The first stitches will be Reversible Cross Stitch (Version 1) on page 13 of "The Proper Stitch". Be aware that this set-up could be subject to change at any time depending on what is working and what is not. This is strictly a personal reference so it will be subject to errors, do overs, and whatever else happens. I'm okay with that since I have learned that something doesn't have to be pristine perfect to be valuable. Most important is that I am able to see what the stitch looks like and that it is accurate both front and back. I'm leaving the artsy, fun stuff to my Pear Blossom Journal, my samplers are strictly for the business of stitching.

So if you are interested at all in doing one of these, set it up the way it suits you best. There is no wrong or right way, just start, because you can always make modifications along the way.

I will have the first set of stitches done for the next post, so stay tuned. As this took so much more time than I expected, the difficult fibers will have to wait until next time too.

Thought nugget until then:
"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint.', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
~Vincent van Gogh