I started my first real stitching on Stars yesterday. I already had a corner in place and had done all six of the little sashing corners but I have begun to think that they all used too much thread to allow the full effect to show. So I pulled out the two big corners and one of the little sash corners. In the photo above you see one of the two big corners that I finished. I think I will stitch the other two big corners before I forget how they are done, then test stitch the little sash corner with smaller thread coverage and see how it looks. Then I'll either remove all the sash corners and redo them or start on the top borders.
I've already got one problem I'd like input on from counted thread stitchers: The big corners (and probably all the star quilt blocks themselves) have lots of starts and stops of many threads. My corners on the back are quite thick with pin stitching/Locking L starts and stops and I've discovered that many of my Locking Ls were put in holes I need to put some other threads in later. How do you handle starting and stopping threads when you have so many stitches and threads occupying the same space?
UPDATE: I forgot to mention Tony Minieri graciously gave me permission to post photos of my version of his Stars design. Thank you, Headmaster!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
10 comments:
I never do the borders or sashes until the last just for this reason Jane. I always bury my starts and stops in the borders. Then one can just stitch over them without the problem you are experiencing. I also start a project in the middle and work out. Probably all wrong but it works for me and I don't have a counting problem then. Good luck - love your colors. I have it in my stash to do sometime.
Thanks for the tips and the compliment, Anon. Once I have the top borders in, I can bury my first row of star block threads there, then move down. That will work nicely!
Another way: Do away waste knots to start and stop for now...Bury them all later...It is a little messy looking on the front for a while, but that way you can work in the order you want to, and bury when convenient. I do this on canvas as well.
Good thought, Pat. I will try away waste knots for the next corners I do and see how that works. Once I have some border in, I can use them to bury threads as Anon mentioned above. Keep the tips coming! I am finding them very useful.
I am a big fan of waste knots when I start a project - bury the ends later. Another thought is that you have those nice long pieces of sashing right next door - can't you either do a L stitch in them to be covered later, or just run the tail under that sashing area to be secured later when you stitch there.
MN Stitcher, I'm thinking about ripping out the sashing I've done to date and doing it with a thicker thread coverage than Tony recommended. I see some of the canvas through the black threads. Otherwise, I'd use the sashing for away knots. But not until I am certain I won't be removing it.
I go with away waste knots to start and then quite often when I have finished with the thread take it way off to the side and bring it through to the front and leave it there. Then I weave in all the ends - both starts and finishes - at the end of a section. Looks horrendously messy but tidies up nicely at the end!
Alison
Guildford UK
Ooo, this is going to be fun to watch. There's a local group stitching it here, and all the variations are already amazing.
Gryphon, we'd love to see photos of how your local group is progressing. If they wouldn't mind....
Alison, that's a very clever way of handling the ends. I'll remember this!
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