Incoherent Scribblings

I seem to have taken to posting the SBQ every other week lately but I am going to get back on track… starting next week!

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Christine and is:

How do you handle blended threads? Do you kit the blends up before you start a piece, or do you grab what colors you need and blend when the need arises? If you kit up the blends beforehand, how do you store them? Do you have another option for blends to share?

I blend (or tweed) on the fly. However, I have tried a couple of different methods for storing blends if I have a left-over length after I finish a section.

I tried punching holes in a length of cardboard and then writing the color numbers (e.g., 415/503) over the holes once, but for some reason this method didn’t really do anything for me.

Instead I just take the left-over length and wrap it around one of the bobbins that composes the blend. (e.g., In the 415/503 combo I would wrap the left-overs around the 415 or 503 bobbin) Since I usually work on the same project for a few days at a time this works pretty well as long as I don’t have two or more blends using the same colors. When I move on to a different project I either toss the blend or, if the length is still usable, separate the threads and return them to their respective bobbins.

After an inadvertent two week hiatus, the SBQ is back with the following question:

When you stitch a pattern that you have downloaded do you print out the pattern or do you stitch directly from your computer screen?

When I first discovered cross stitch charts online I didn’t just download them, I printed as many as my ink jet cartridge would allow. However, as time went on and I literally found thousands of patterns online I printed charts as I decided to stitch them. I printed charts for much the same reason that I printed journal articles I found online: I believed it was easier to stitch (or read) from paper as opposed to directly from the computer screen.

Then I moved back to the United States.

Now I am sure you are wondering why this is a significant factor in the whole printing vs. stitching directly from the computer screen dilemma and the reason is that when I decided to move back to the US I opted to leave the charts that I had printed out behind. I had the charts downloaded and burned on disk anyway and it was much easier (and cheaper!) to move them that way than try to move a couple of pounds of paper.

I had every intention of reverting back to the method of printing the charts off as I decided to stitch them, but I ran into a slight problem: I had (and still have) no printer at home. There were times when I could access a printer, but of course this never coincided with a time when I was moved by the urge to stitch one of the charts that I had downloaded. Therefore, I learned to stitch directly from the computer screen and have been doing so quite successfully for about a year now.

I still print out charts that I have downloaded now and then when I remember to put the chart on my flash drive, take it to work, and print it out, but these days I mostly stitch from the computer screen.

The only downfall that I have found is that it is extremely difficult to stitch from the computer screen and watch DVDs on the computer at the same time!

Woot! I just finished happy dancing while watching the first season finale of Heroes! (I absolutely heart that show!) Yep, the stitching on Outi’s belated birthday exchange is now complete and it is just waiting for the finishing. I really wish I could show a pic of it right now because it is so pretty, but I guess it will have to wait until she receives it.

* * *

Since I don’t have any stitching photos to share let’s do the SBQ. Today’s was suggested by Kathryn and is:

Have you ever helped anyone else learn to stitch? Have you ever helped anyone learn a new stitch or technique?

As some of you may remember, I started teaching my niece how to stitch last year. Considering that she was only six at the time I just taught her the basics, but apparently it was enough to keep her excited about it. Every time I talk to her on the phone she tells me that when she comes to visit me over spring break that she wants to make sure that we spend some time stitching! I love the fact that it is something we can do together and maybe one of these days we will actually finish that beginner piece of hers.

Of course, since I had such good luck getting my niece excited about stitching my mom also took the opportunity last spring to “volunteer” me for a 4-H workshop where I had a chance to introduce stitching to 6 girls between the ages of 8 and 12. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with my teaching technique that day and if I ever get the chance to do it again I have some ideas how to do it better.

As far as new stitches or techniques go, the only person I have ever helped learn new ones is myself. I taught myself hardanger and a variety of other specialty stitches with the aid of good diagrams. In fact, I just learned the double herringbone stitch Monday night while working on Outi’s birthday exchange piece.

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Nancy and is:

What tips would you give to a new stitcher to help her stitch faster and neater while still keeping it enjoyable?

While cross stitching may be a hobby, in my opinion the actual mechanics of stitching is a skill that needs to be developed over time. No matter how much experience one has there will always be stitchers that stitch faster and neater than others… that’s just a fact of life.

However, my main advice for the stitcher (new or otherwise) who wants to stitch faster and neater is to practice, practice, and practice some more! I suppose one could always try different techniques to improve skill and speed, but the reality is the more one stitches the better one will become.

That being said, I personally discovered that my stitching speed increased dramatically when I found my own “stitching path.” Once I abandoned the idea that I must stitch all of one color, left to right, horizontal row by horizontal row, my needles started flying. I found the freedom to enjoy cross stitching in my own way and as a result I have dozens of neatly stitched projects to show for my efforts.

This week’s SBQ is:

Do you railroad?

Sometimes. I don’t railroad a lot, but I find it most helpful when working with blended threads.