Sunday, October 25, 2020

All About Polly

Hi gang! I had hoped to make a progress report last week, but I was too caught up in my stitching to make a post. So this week I thought I'd do a long rambly post all about my current obsession, Polly Phillip 1772 from The Scarlet Letter.

I stitched on her a solid 7 days before I put her down, but I had to pick her up again a few days later. (The force is strong with this one!) I've had a few trials and tribulations with her, which I'll discuss in a bit, but I love how she's stitching up. I might be able to put her down for a while now (Luna is glaring and tapping her foot) but I'll be anxiously waiting for my next chance to pick her up again.

So, last time you saw her, I was only 2 days in and still fleshing out the border. Here she is after 12 days of stitching:
I must say, those blue flowers are really eye catching, even across the room. I think those are hydrangeas, and the other is a carnation. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) I wish I could've gotten to a yellow flower, but that will come in due time. The border stitches up pretty quickly, but there are a lot of stitches in there. The main line of the vine is very symmetrical, but every nook of each flower's space is filled with narrow curling leaves  or blooming petals. I really like it. As I mentioned before, the border is full cross stitch, which I'm doing with 2 strands over 2 on 36ct Pecan Butter.

Above that is the first (last?) bit of verse, which ends in "Avoid Sin." Very good advice. The big letters are regular cross stitch (I used 2 strands again) and the rest is 1 over 1, full cross stitches. I'm still very slow at 1x1, and my stitches still look a bit wonky close up, but stepping back, it all evens out and looks great. So I'll keep at it. I'm trying to use the tutorial from Twisted Threads as a guide, but it's a very brief tutorial, and only covers stitching in a straight line. If anyone knows of any other tutorials, please let me know! :)
And of course, once I started the first pastoral scene, I just couldn't stop. It's all stitched over 1, mostly tent stitching, but the pattern suggests to outline each motif with a full cross stitch and then fill in with tent stitch. I'm not doing that for everything, but I did it for the big flower, which really helps keep the outer stitches from disappearing. I figured the grass, bushes and leaves can be tent stitch only to give them a more natural feel? And I can always change my mind later. The flower stem looks a little spindly tho...

As for the trials and tribulations I mentioned. Well. [This might not interest anyone who isn't planning to stitch this chart, but if you'd like a little peek into Scarlet Letter charts in general, or if you're just bored and curious, read on. Also, I think I just need to vent a little, and this is my blog, so... :)] 

tl,dr: Always double check your charts for accuracy!

I'll start by saying that the chart is essentially okay, as in I can stitch the whole thing as is just fine, but there are some little things I've had to tweak. The chart is computer generated, not hand drawn (though I do have a SL chart that is). However, they've used the larger 11x17 pages rather than the standard 8.5x11, and there are some places where it appears they've had to do some manual cutting and pasting and photocopying to make a full chart. They did a really good job, but some of the lines are wonky at the joins, so I have to be extra careful when counting. Also, the graph isn't numbered, so I had to take some time to line up each section of my working copy (I always make a working copy) to avoid accidental overlaps. As an additional whine, I could add that the graph is small and a bit blurry, but it copied just fine and I can always blow it up if need be.

I thinks that's all the minor stuff. I would like to add that I do have a more modern SL chart that is just like any other pattern these days: computer generated, nice big, dark symbols that are easy to read, and a standard size page. I'm not sure when they updated their charts, but Polly is from 2004, and my modern chart is from 2014.

My biggest headache has stemmed from the cover image of the pattern -- or rather, the assumption that it was correct. I don't know what the story is about the model or who stitched it, but it is incomplete. I know that's really a "so what?" but I'm the type who constantly refers to the completed image for guidance, about colors (especially if the chart is blurry and I can't read the symbol) or motif placement, to make sure I am where I think I am. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be as big a deal, but the chart has one major flaw: The text and pastoral scenes, charted separately because they are over 1, do not line up with the border chart, and there are no markers on the border chart for placement beyond the first letter of each text line. 

This actually took me a couple days to sort out, made worse by the incomplete model, made even worse when I realized the SL website actually shows two different stitched models: one of the full piece, and one for close up pics. However, the versions differ from each other! Since I'm starting at the end of the verse, I counted it out several times to make sure I had everything in the correct spot. Unfortunately, it didn't line up with either version of the model, which made me very nervous. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay with my placement now, but I won't really know until the whole line is stitched. But the text graph was 4 threads too short in placing the end of the row, and the pastoral scene was 7 threads too wide. So I'm very glad I counted.

Here are two versions presented on the SL website. The left is from the cover photo on the pattern. The right is closer to what is charted, but still incomplete (missing a butterfly). Notice how the first one is missing a large chunk of tree?
Scarlet Letter also has a gallery of completed works, and here you can really see the difference between the pattern model (left) and the actual finished piece (right):
The model's top panel is pretty sparse in comparison, but I think the biggest difference is in the bottom scene. On the model, the rolling hills are completely different, and the bits under the central urn are missing. It also seems that the left leaf and flower were a bit improvised, as they don't match the chart at all. There are many other little differences, but you get the idea.

I'm not pointing out all these disparities to cast aspersions at Scarlet Letter. Like I said, I don't know the story behind the model or the person who stitched it. I'm not here to judge. But I remember when I first saw this chart and I had that jolt -- you know that jolt? Like, you see something so amazing you know you have to make it part of your life, even if it seems impossible? That jolt? But I hesitated because I had a sense like it wasn't quite balanced, I guess. (hard to put these things into words) The center panels did seem sparse compared to that dense border. But seeing the actual finished piece, I feel that sense of balance now. Like, Yes, there's that piece I didn't know was missing! And I just wanted to share that with you. Polly is beautiful. I wish SL had a better representation of that. Also, I wanted to make everyone aware that you should always double check your charts, especially if they're older. But don't be afraid to stitch them!

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Startitis?

 It seems I've started quite a few projects this year, some of which were planned, but most were not. This year has been so crazy and I have so many things in my stash I want to start, I felt like a little indulgence was allowed. But of course, once I gave in, it was hard to stop. So I've kind of made 2020 into another "year of starts," and there are a few I haven't shown here yet.

Last year there were a couple Blackbird Designs that really caught my eye, but they were special retreat projects that only a lucky few received. So I patiently waited for a whole year to finally buy these charts, and I just had to start one of them. That one was Come Into My Garden:

I started this on August 18th, cuz I just couldn't wait another moment. Unfortunately, my schedule was kind of tight in August, so I only got in 3 hours of stitching (for a whole week!), but I really do love this. It has a real delicacy to it, and it just feels very feminine, if that makes sense. The fabric is from an indie dyer on Etsy called Tropical Stitches. It's 40ct in sort of a peachy tan called Angirella, and I think the colors will look great on it. Don't know when I'll get back to this (or any of these) but I'm glad to have it started.

I'm sure you've all seen those Carolyn Manning charts that look like quilts? She has several different types, each with several different color palettes. I'd like to stitch about 25 of them, but a few months ago, I settled on 1. I finally bought it with all the threads in September, and promptly caved in and started it on the 20th. This is Amethyst from her Shooting Stars collection on 32ct Antique White Lugana:

The colors don't quite match the mock up on the cover (just a bit darker) and my camera really struggled with the saturation here, but it's looking pretty good so far. There are 9 pages and I already have one tiny partial page complete. It is hard to put this one down. It's so easy to keep going and fill in all those gaps! We'll see how long this one take me. There are at least 2 more I really want to buy. Also, in case you're wondering, the 4 charts at the bottom are actually separate mini charts, so you can stitch the smaller designs if the big ones are too, well, big. :)

The next one was a spontaneous start, but it's intended as a gift for someone next year, so that's my excuse. Nevermind that it's totally adorable. I found this at So Easy Pattern on Etsy:

I really like these geometric designs, and I guess Amethyst wasn't enough. But really, this looks a lot like my friend's little Dachshund, named Penny for her copper color:

I'm just stitching this on 32ct Ant. White Lugana, and it's only about 4x7. I have almost a year to finish and frame it, so no pressure. :)

Last was a mostly planned start that happened yesterday. I knew I had to start something big on the 10th because I love how that date looks: 10-10-2020. I've already started enough ginormous full coverage projects, so I thought I'd start a sampler. There were a few that I really had trouble deciding between, but in the end, I started Polly Phillip 1772 from The Scarlet Letter:

I think this was the first of their charts I really fell in love with, and finally purchased last year. I almost started her back in April, but I was still trying to be a little bit good. So now she has a place of honor as my big start. And I'm so loving her right now! I'm using 36ct Pecan Butter by Lakeside Linens, so I'm using 2 strands for the full crosses. However, the scenes in the center are all done over 1 with tent stitch, so it'll be quite a contrast.

As usual, I've started in the bottom right corner. I dithered about stitching the outer most border, since it's not actually stitched on the model. But I found some other pictures online, and decided I do like the look of that outer line. It gives it a very structured, finished look. The floral border is so much fun to stitch. It's a combination of rigid structure, with everything outlined and a very symmetrical vine, plus the organic flow of curling leaves and asymmetrical motifs. And the colors are super amazing. I'm just using DMC, but the palette is really vibrant. I can't wait to stitch more.

I've cleared my stitching schedule this week so I can focus on Polly, so let's see how far I get! I'm hoping to finish up this corner and work my way up to the first scene at the bottom and try out my tent stitching skills. The stitching is pretty dense though, and it'll be hard to tear myself away from that border. But hopefully I can post again next week with an update. Until then, happy stitching!