Greek Window is finished!

Now I can work on the July BJP and/or the quilt guild mystery quilt or even my Unstarted Quilt Project! That is, if I can fit it in around the County fair starting and my husband's 50th High School class reunion this weekend! 

Back to Basics and Learn a New Technique, Week Thirty

Outlining in progress. two colors down and the third 9and last) in progress. It's all in long stitch and most uses Anchor coton a broder. AAACK! That skein makes untangling DMC knots look like a cakewalk! And some of the stitches are so long that I keep snagging them from the back! If asked, I prefer backstitch but I can see that this approach adds something different to the piece that backstitch could not.

Back to Basics and Learn a New Technique, Week Twenty-nine

Fudging solved. Two more colors (one for the flower centers and one blended in the frame). Then it's find all those missed stitches... I don't know why but I always seem to miss one or two (or more, lots more) here and there and have to go back before backstitching to fill them in...

Oh, and I entered two samplers into the county fair: Garden Sampler and Floral Alphabet. I have to take them to the fair office on August 1. AAARGH! I don't know if I can face "rejection"! But it was one of my goals for this stitching year so...

Back to Basics and Learn a New Technique, Week Twenty-eight

As I was stitching the gray shadow at the bottom, I found an error! GASP! 2 stitches off in the blue window on the right! AAACK! Somehow, I miscounted AWFULLY near the top right a one of those little gray shadows to the side turned up the first goof. Have no clue where the second is but by the time I reached the middle, I was off two...

This is a kit and there isn't any spare thread so ripping out THAT much of a design is unlikely… Fudge time. But it put me off stitching for three days --- finally started back up on Saturday with a plan. Luckily, the piece has a wonky feel so fudging shouldn't make it look too odd.

You'd think with something this small, I could do it error free. No, not even with a small piece. DRAT! I need to count better, double check more often --- and read the instructions! What fun is THAT? LOL

Back to Basics and Learn a New Technique, Week Twenty-seven

I'm surprised at how muted the colors are looking on "Greek Window".

 I hope that the backstitching which follows will make it "pop" more...

Back to Basics and Learn a New Technique, Week Twenty-six

I've picked out my fabric for my July BJP (it's a red batik) and decided on my theme (it HAS to be July 4 --- my favorite holiday besides Christmas!). And my new cross-stitch piece is Michael Powell's Greek Window, on 14 ct Aida using Anchor floss. My progress over the past three days of stitching: