After reading your post about Heaven and Earth Designs and spending countless hours perusing the website...I found myself coming back to the "Woodpecker Tapestry" by William Morris over and over again. It only has a 43 page pattern (don't tell Jimmy that I used up all of the new black ink cartridge he just bought). I agree this is a lifetime project and will probably take that long to get done. It is stitched on 25count, one over one, with a finished size of 14x24 1/2. And apparently the fabric doesn't matter because there is none to be seen. I am all for the SAL..but are you willing to wait 20 years for completion? I figure I retire in 18 and it'll take a good year of doing nothing but stithing to finish.
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I was so excited to see this yesterday I actually squealed in delight! (I did consider this piece, it is stunning). Never did I think I could convince someone to do a HAED stitch along! I have been perusing blogs the past few weeks and have picked up a few tips:
ReplyDeleteFabric selection is key. When working a project for a long period of time the stitches may become loose or distorted. I am going to get a Lugana, it is thick and easy to stitch on and I have read that several HAED stitchers prefer it.
Lines may appear in the design if you work stricly in 10x10 squares. Try to work into other squares to prevent this (especially since we do not wash our finished product).
HAED recommends blocking your fabric with a basting stitch, but I am too lazy and not mathematically inclined.
Frames are recommended. The Maiden
This is truly an amazing piece. I salute you two for your dedication, I do not have the desire, nor the lifespan (and eyesight) to ever finish such an undertaking. Good luck on this one. I love you guys, The Crone.
ReplyDeleteI am 2,000 + stitches into my HAED (the sad thing is this is barely 1%!). Some more notes:
ReplyDelete1. I am stitching on Lugana (it is not the brightest white, but the next step down). Gina from Stitchers paradise recommended it. I find it VERY easy to stitch on and I am twice as fast. I do not even need magnifiers, and I have had no eye strain headaches.
2. A beading needle is necessary
3. The pattern calls for 2 strands of DMC on 25ct one over one, but I am stitching with one strand DMC. I orginally tried two, against Gina's suggestion, and it looked horrible. My stitches were all bunced up and messy. The one strand looks so much nicer, like I painted the fabric, and I cannot see any white from the fabric because the crosses are so tight. The Maiden
The Crone mentioned she was on the HAED website looking at patterns. Come join the Dark Side...
I am going to have to buy a piece of fabric next time I am down in Las Vegas. There just is no Stitchers Paradise in the Northern part of the state. Although I have a long line of other projects I need to get going on before I start my venture into Heaven and Earth Designs.
ReplyDelete