too long....simply pictures...

New Bear of a Start

I purchased this chart ("Love" by Dahlig) within an hour after it's release, and I may have lost my mind but by the end of the day I had all the DMCs and fabric ordered!  Fabric was an issue for this one, I decided on full crosses but was not happy with the way DMC 310 (black) covered on 25ct.  I considered 22ct lugana with 2 strands of DMC, but that was too large. There was 28ct with one strand, but I feared that was small (insert my Goldilocks moment).  I finally decided on 25ct lugana antique white with black silk.  Of course my stitching store was out, and I had to wait for an entire week before starting!

I have now had the project for 1 week and am 2,000 stitches in (all black and I love the coverage).  I will post an update once an image starts to emerge. 

DMC has a grain! Seriously?

I discovered on the HAED Bulletin Board (BB) that our beloved DMC floss has a grain.  That's right, stitching against the grain can cause your crosses to appear less shiny, to fuzz, or even to lay differently.  "To find the grain direction, cut a length of floss, loop the thread over so both the cut ends lie next to each other.  Holding the cut lengths close together, about 1/2" from the tips, use one finger of your free hand to gently tap the cut ends.  Watch carefully - the end that balloons most is the end that should be threaded through your needle."  Colette (taken from the HAED BB)


Funny, I always ignored ends that ballooned and threaded the oposite side! The Maiden

Here I am

First let me say thank you to The Maiden for creating and inviting me to this blog!!! What fun we will have !!!!!
My name is Juls and I have always been fascinated by HAED's!!!! Now its an all out obsession......so let me introduce my two works.......

First is Catch Me....

and my progress....

the first page is almost done!!!!! There is large blocks of color on this one...... and I am so loving her!!!!! She has lovingly been named Charlotte.....it just seemed to fit!!!!

Next is Tower of Stoneywood

...... and its progress  .... lots of confetti stitching but loving it tooo!!!!

All told I have 12-13 in my stash with another on the way  which will be started very soon.....thread gathering will soon begin in earnest!!!!!

Again thanks to The Maiden !!!!!!

Glimmer

Here is the second HAED I started, Glimmer by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. This piece is a modest 15 pages (combined it is more like 10 pages) and 78,400 stitches. Stitched with one strand DMC over one on 25ct Lugana (a pale yellowish pink color).  So many HAEDs so little time!

Note: I started at the upper right hand corner.

Progress on Pretty

Stitched on 25ct antique white Lugana one strand DMC over one. I have completed 12,000 stitches of 264,375.  A drop in the bucket, but I just keep telling myself stitch by stitch.

Pretty by Nene Thomas

The Heaven and Earth Design that started it all. 

I am always startled by how much of this piece translates to my own story.  After 2 years of cross stitching, I ran across a HAED on google images and have been hooked ever since! Initially I was intimidated by the 46 page pattern, but as the picture begins to emerge I have no doubt I will finish this long before my 15 year deadline!

Welcome to the Insanity! The Maiden