Long arm cross stitch

Here's some progress on my current lap project. Very soon, I am going to have to set the boundary lines and decide how I am going to finish the edge rows. However for now, it is some nice low-effort fidget work.

Next steps

Now that the heraldic surcoat is finished and out of my work queue, I've refocused on organizing my workspace, clearing out my project queue, and preparations for Gulf Wars.  These three tasks have resulted in a bit of churn in the work flow, with pleasing results.

My first reward is that I found a UFO in a random pile of stuff.  My Viking apron dress has long been neglected and counts as mostly finished garb.  The dress is a nice wool blend which is extra nice since I think GW will be cold this year.  If I finish stitching the roundels, it will be functional very quickly.  Previous posts on the dress are here

• http://helenestuff.blogspot.com/2012/08/starting-apron-dress.html
• http://helenestuff.blogspot.com/2013/04/apron-dress-progress.html 

Also, I continue to make progress on my current easy lap project - the doodles with long arm cross stitch mentioned in earlier posts

• http://helenestuff.blogspot.com/2014/10/long-arm-cross-stitch.html
• http://helenestuff.blogspot.com/2014/12/long-arm-cross-stitch.html 

My organization kick has extended to the digital world.  I am slowly cleaning up my blog and Flickr account so that things are easier to find and more synchronized.  My goal is to make it easier to find what you are looking for, follow project threads, and link the blog+flickr better.

Long arm cross stitch

Today I'm just sharing a little bit of stitching progress from this project: http://helenestuff.blogspot.com/2014/10/long-arm-cross-stitch.html

Long Arm Cross Stitch

In the past, I've fiddle around with long arm cross stitch, but didn't really feel like I'd really mastered the skill. It's not that the stitching is particularly hard, it's just that it's different from a lot of counted work I've done so far and it was hard to split my attention between a chart and a stitching diagram. Additionally, even when I have projects on the frame I like to have a lap project that I can carry around with me. I needed something was portable and not too fussy to pick up and put down frequently. Then the other day, I ran into a lovely little pouch based on the Goss vestments and I felt really inspired.

The handout very nicely put together and contains a great summary of the project. The original is from the blog http://www.zeitboten.de/seiten/u6almosenbeutel_goess.html . The pouch was so pretty and I thought - here is a pattern that doesn't need a chart! Hooray!

One thing that really makes long arm cross stitch look nice is the shine off silk provides a directionality and flow for the stitching. My spun silk is soft and nice, but not as great on shine. I rummaged until I found a box of cheap sari silks that I bought a few years back on an impulse buy. They aren't the nicest silk, but they have a great shine! I debated ground fabric for a while. I pulled out several great options - evenweave linen, some monaco cotton, and some aida. Ultimately, I surprised myself went with the aida. I have lots of it floating around. The aida is designed for cross stitch and it makes stitching easier in challenging circumstances. A lap project should be friendly and I figured there would be less squinting and fidgeting with those perfect little squares. The aida makes for a heavier ground than the linen does, but the stiffness also means I don't need a hoop - which is another plus for portability.

Now that I've made some progress, I can confidently say that this is a great lap project! The aida makes life easier and the silk has amazing shine. I really, really love the texture of the stitching; it makes an interesting geometric pattern really beautiful. The silks are as fussy as I remembered and they have these little slub chunks that are truly infuriating, but they were cheap enough to use on random projects. The first square was very easy to stitch, with almost no counting. I just followed the stitch lines and the geometry remained true. When it came time to start the second square I realized I needed a method, but the counting turned out to be very easy for this design. I haven't really figured out the final parameters of the project, so the connecting knot work on the edges is left open until I make some decision. I think if it's a pouch then it should be at least two squares in width. The ground is an 18 count aida to give some scale.

Long arm cross stitch

I've been doing a lot of playing around lately with different threads and techniques, and having a lot of fun with it. This is my test swatch for both a thread and technique. I've never done long arm cross stitch before, so I thought I'd give it a try. It is a little different rhythm than regular cross stitch, but the stitching itself is very similar. The result is a thicker stitch cover of the fabric that was used for all sorts of things in medieval times. The pattern is from a Dover Design book.

The threads that I used were Gütermann top stitch threads. This thread is made for decorative top stitching with sewing machines, but it's much thicker than normal sewing thread and I was curious. Overall, I was surprised that I love it! It's easy to handle, the cotton is very nice, and I don't have to deal with multiple plies. I feel a little silly to admit it, but I also really, really like that it's on a spool so I don't have to fiddle with it. Not only do I really like stitching with it, but the thread is also made for sewing machine work - so it's color safe and washable! Hooray! I think it's the perfect candidate for some heavy fighting garb.