State of the Stitch: HAED Case

Well, as a reward for letting him play with the boys (college buddies) all day yesterday (read from before the kids awoke to just before bedtime), Chas has taken both children to the grocery store and I get some silence for a few brief moments. How do I spend my time? Not stitching--that would require clean up first. Not packing--that would be too much like cleaning up. Scanning. Yes, scanning.

I had been planning to post cross stitch wips by designer for some time. So sad that I have so many wips that I can do it this way. Or wonderful. I guess it depends on your perspective. I'll go with wonderful.

I chose HAED not because they are the fast favorites (I love my wips pretty much equally for different reasons just like my real children). Merely because my actual progress is so minimal for each wip that I can fit them all on the scanner bed, though not at the same time. So bear with me, brace yourself and buckle your seat belts....

First up is what I believe to be the first HAED I put needle to: Nadia Tate's Quick Stitch Star Fae. Still love the colors, but I don't think it has been in actual wip rotation since probably 2006 or so. I hate, loathe and despise stitching with that awful sparkly stuff listed in the materials. I started it and although the shine is lovely, it is too bulky for the fabric, which if I recall is 32 count. I obviously used half cross stitches as you can see in the outline of the wings. Not entirely sure how I feel about how that looks. Still the colors are pretty and the finished size with all the stitches in may cause it to turn out just fine. Several HAED stitches have very strong positions regarding the use of half versus whole crosses.

Someday I will finish it. Or maybe Angie will.


The next design up is Nadia Tate's Quick Stitch Buttercup Kitty Fae. I can take credit for helping to inspire this one as I had described wanting a buttercup fae in great detail. Turned out great for very personal reasons and I won the original ACEO. I am woefully uncertain about the hair and face, but many long time HAED stitchers reassure anyone who asks that the colors will be phenomenal when the project is complete.

Regardless, I do love just stitching Nadia's backgrounds. It is so pretty don't you think?



Moving on to Josephine Wall's Pegasus and Castle Bubble Quick Stitch. Stitching the solid color was very soothing actually. I am still using half stitches for this one, which makes the corner look odd. I had plans for fixing it.

But really, I should just have plans for stitching it.


Then I have Scott Gustafson's Frog Prince 3 (another quick stitch--I could comment on the misnomer, but I believe the fault lies with the stitcher not the chart). I started this one ages ago for Angie. When she was smaller, she called the princess "Angie" and kept asking when I would finish the picture of her with the frog.

sigh.

I love the image, but I loathe the confetti stitching, but it is somewhat more bearable by my use of the half stitch.

However, I am so very, very, close to finishing--relatively speaking of course.

Next is an out of print HAED by Sara Butcher (soon to be something else as I believe she is getting married). I am so happy I bought this one ages ago. It is my first attempt to use a whole cross. I dislike the whole cross even as I appreciate the fact that it does not distort my fabric (half crosses tend to pull the fabric in one direction--a problem I now handle by using Q-snaps when I use my half cross). The coverage with one strand in a half cross on the higher count fabrics is just fine, even for these darker colors. I resent the incredible amount of time it takes though. Still, Angie's face lit up recently when she saw this chart, so I need to get back to it.

Another full cross is next: Automne by Christopher Vacher. A friend saw this and admired it. I was grateful for the excuse to stitch it. I love the vastness of this piece and the knotwork. The solitary figure (and no I haven't reached it yet) speaks volumes. It is a lovely piece of art.

Page one of the chart is finished and I have moved on to page two. On page two, I decided to go to using all of one color before moving on to another color. I was hoping that this would help me avoid missing a stitch here and there. I looks great, but I don't know if my theory will work since it has been at least a year since I touched her last.

Finally, this next chart has been my primary HAED in 2009, a quick stitch of Citrine by Rachel Anderson. It is part of a stitch-a-long and I have been a most miserable participant: rarely posting and seldom stitching. I returned to my half stitching ways with this one on belfast linen. I love the large blocks of colors and came up with another ingenious way of gridding: changing thread colors for the grid of each new page. You might be able to see it in the picture. I have big plans for this design once it is finished. I had hoped that a SAL would keep me motivated to stitch. Nope. I was distracted by my new found love of quilting.

This list, I believe, covers every current HAED wip. I am fairly certain this statement is accurate, but let's just say I have some wiggle room just in case I find another long lost HAED wip.

I have finished only one HAED design: Ballet Pigs Quick Stitch by Sara Butcher. I still haven't finished it so that Angie can have it in her room, but the stitching is done.

Future State of the Stitch posts will include Teresa Wentzler and Chatelaine.

I will wander through the rest of 2009 as I please, crafting here and there as the spirit moves me. In 2010 however, I need to develop a plan to balance quilting with cross stitching and perhaps the occasional clothing-sewing.