Now I've begun work on the hearts and flowers motifs at the bottom of the chart. Which brings me to my latest novice stitcher quandary. There are three different colors in each flower, one with only three stitches. So I use the dark green color for those three, starting them with the loop method, then have to stop to change the color to lighter green or red. Do I re-thread a needle each time or keep other threaded needles on hand? Then when I move to the second flower, since it's not close enough to the first one to carry the thread, I use the leftover threads from the first flower, but I can't use the loop method since the thread is now too short. All this threading really slows things down and I keep feeling that there is some secret that makes this re-threading easier. But maybe I'm just hoping for a quick fix and there isn't one. I have to keep reminding myself that it's the process and not the finish that's the key here. But if anyone has an tips as to what they do, I'd love to hear them!
8 comments:
Small House Sampler is looking lovely. To save rethreading have you thought about buying a Pako Needle Organiser?
It's looking good!!! Very pretty! It really depends upon my mood when dealing with an area that has a lot of color changes. Usually I try to do all that I can in one color and then switch colors. Other times, I thread a new needle for each color as needed.
Small House Sampler is looking fantastic! I usually do everything I can in the color I have threaded, then re-thread to a new color. Sometimes this means skipping around on a chart a bit, which is why I try to start out with a color/section that gives me a good foundation to work from.
I don't keep seperate needles threaded for a couple of reason. First, I'm notorious for losing needles, then finding them later by stepping on them, with bare feet. So I try to keep as few needles as possible out.
Second, I'd lose track of what needle was threaded with which color of floss. Of course a needle organizer would help with this, but I never felt the need to buy one.
Well If you're using the loop method to start and then you have to snip to go to another area of the same color, what I do *if I'm using DMC or some non-hand dyed threads* is I take one strand of the snipped thread (see you would have two strands after snipping) and fold it in half to use the loop method again. I do this with the same strand of thread *if I'm skipping around using the same color* until the strands are two short to halve. See what I mean? Then I go back to the original strand from the first snip and start all over until it is too short to use.
The loop method is great, but you can't use it for hand-dyed threads so it's good to practice the "non-loop" method too :) But I DO prefer the loop method as well! LOL!
I use the loop method to start and then cut off when I've finished the stitches, if its too far to carry over then I just keep my thread in a needle and use it again without using the loop method. If its a hand dye or over dye thread I never use the loop method.
I often have 2 or 3 needles in my needle holder at a time when I am stitching a design like LHN that uses a few colours for a flower/house etc.
BTW - Your new start looks wonderful.
Your little sampler house is looking lovely :)
I know what you mean when you just have a few stitches to do in a different colour with a little bit of thread. I don't think there's a quick fix really except maybe to do the larger patches of colour first and then you can thread the little bit of thread behind the others to get from patch to patch(does that make sense?) You can buy needle organisers though so, if the rethreading is bugging you, buy a stack of needles with one for each colour :)
I do a similar thing to Vonna although sometimes as you say, the lengths in the needle are too short to separate and loop, but too long to waste so I just use the non-loop method. Sometimes if I'm only doing a stitch or two of one colour I will weave it through the back of some other colours on the back first and just be very careful when you start that first stitch not to pull too hard and pull the tail through. Other times I just leave a tail and stitch over it with the next couple of stitches. I only ever have one needle out.
Love your current stitching. It's really pretty.
I do what Vonna does if I need to move sections. Either that or I'll just do all of one color then switch to another.
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