Sunday, August 31, 2008

Any advice from other stitchers?

I can't believe summer vacation is over. The kids are returning to school and the kids will be returning to the hospital. We typically have a low census until school starts. Hmm.....

I have been stitching a lot but have no photos to show my progress. I finished stitch Peace but am uncertain how to finish it - any suggestions?

I am also looking for some input about redwork. I just did a piece and when I moved my hoop I noticed the color of my cloth was a bit darker than the portion which had been outside the hoop. The background seemed to have a reddish tint. I know I didn't pull the thread over the bare part when stitching. Does floss give off a fine lint that collected? I took one of those lint rollers and went over it which helped. That light residue even seems to be in between the stitched parts. I'm guessing floss sheds a bit when you stitch. Maybe when you use other colors it isn't as obvious as when you use all one color. Let me know if you've had the same thing happen to you and how you deal with this. I used DMC floss - I'm not sure if that might be an issue or not. I look forward to hearing your experiences.

I hope everyone had great summers! Thanks for visiting - feel free to leave a comment and visit me again soon!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I do a lot of blackwork. I don't seem to have that problem, maybe it's because I use silk thread. Perhaps try that?

Jennifer said...

DMC is usually colorfast, and I've never had a problem with it bleeding, but you can try pre-rinsing in lukewarm water before you stitch. If any color bleeds, rinse until the water runs clear, then blot with clean white towels or paper towels. Repeat until there's no bleeding in the water or on the towels, then let the floss dry before stitching.

You can also try a thread conditioner like Thread Heaven to coat the floss before you stitch with it, and I would also recommend getting brand new needles. Sometimes the inside of the eye can get roughed up and shred the floss as it passes through. New needles might help with that, especially if you go for John James or Piecemakers needles.