However as some of you who follow me on IG know, I finished Flowers of the Field last week, so I actually have something to blog about. It was a lovely design to stitch, but I'm glad I chose 32ct and not 40ct after all that over 1 lettering!
Here is a close up of the final part:
And the whole design completed:
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| A terrible photo, but long and narrow designs are so hard to capture! |
I know that samplers aren't every stitcher's cup of char, but I love them - original and repros! I love their deceptive "perceived" simplicity. Flowers of the Field, though not a difficult stitch by any means, contained a much greater variety of stitches than is found in any Chatelaine Design - designs that look very busy and complicated, but are actually quite simple to stitch.
Difficulty, like beauty, is very much in the eye of the beholder though - which reminds me of a recent article by The Oracle of Needlework. There are some reproduction samplers that I would love to attempt in the future that scare me to death, that other stitchers wouldn't bat an eyelid at. In a weird way the difficulty makes me want to stitch them all the more so - much safer to be an adrenaline junkie from the comfort of my stitching chair lol! The designs themselves look simple, but if you are fortunate enough to be able to look closely at an original (or if you are stitching a reproduction), you can see the variety of stitches used and the perfect tension (my personal nemesis!) applied to thread and fabric. The really mind blowing thing though after you've admired such a piece of stitching, is when you realise that the needlewoman that created the original piece was actually only a young girl!
In the future I would love to stitch a "scary" repro sampler as a learning piece for myself, really focusing on the quality of each and every stitch to produce the best piece of needlework that I can. For the moment though, the closest I can get to that is by stitching vicariously through SANQ, by reading through the last collection of the final issues on CD that will hopefully be dropping through my letter box sometime today.
In the meantime, who knows when I'll put another stitch in a piece of fabric.........my next blogpost may be quite some time lol!
Happy Stitching!
Very pretty ! Yes a great feeling to finish a project : )
ReplyDeleteSamplers are definitely not for me to stitch, but it certainly doesn't stop me appreciating and admiring the work other people put into them. You mentioned about young girls stitching samplers - don't forget they also didn't have the luxury of electric lights and daylight bulbs so many were stitched by gas or candlelight. That makes them even more impressive.
ReplyDeleteAs for your stitchy bug disappearing, I do hope it doesn't stay away too long. On the other hand, perhaps a little break is just what you need right now. Sometimes our bodies know best. Take care and I hope you're not away too long. :)
Beautiful stitching!! Hope the stitchy bug will be your friend again soon :)
ReplyDeleteYour sampler is stunning, perfect work! I can't imagine why you would be scared to start anything, I think you could buzz through just about any stitch perfectly. Your stitching mojo will return and whilst it langors you can read, read, read :)
ReplyDeleteYeah samplers are not for me. I've seen some that have caught my eye, but not enough to stitch them. Hope your mojo comes back :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful finish! I think you should enjoy your time doing what you want. Stitching will come back and re-assert itself when you're ready. And I still think Mabel's March design might tempt you to dig through your thread stash. :)
ReplyDeleteSamplers are not my cup of tea either but I like admiring other stitchers' work. Yours is lovely. It's great how we're all different and like different things! I just like my little xxs.
ReplyDeletelet's say we're resting our eyes flicking through pages at the moment, :)
ReplyDeleteI love this sampler, so very sweet and delicate! I agree with you, some projects scare the hell out of me too but we have to turn this fear into a push - there's nothing more rewarding than knowing you're applying yourself! :)
Your sampler is lovely. Band samplers are one of my loves. But I prefer modern designs to the reproductions. I find the lack of symmetry and consistency in repros annoying!
ReplyDeleteIf I have a large piece to photograph, I usually lay it out on the table and stand on a chair so I can get about it to photograph it!
Have you seen Nicola's Learning Projects on the Scarlet Letter blog? Maybe joining in with one of those would get your mojo back?
Otherwise, hopefully Mabel will kickstart it LOL
Beautiful and great project
ReplyDeleteMany compliments
Lovely finish.
ReplyDeleteCongrats it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous stitching! Congrats on the finish :D
ReplyDeleteYour sampler looks gorgeous. What a wonderful finish. I love the look of samplers very much and although I rarely ever stitch one I love to see them on some stitchers' blogs. I have never seen an original old sampler - what an amazing thought that they were usually stitched by very young girls.
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely. Well done, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful finish, Amanda. But- we lost you on flosstube and now possibly less posts about your stitching adventures?! That makes me sad. I can't possibly imagine the "stitching world" without you. And I'm sure I can speak for most people about that.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, take care of you and enjoy your time doing it!