Our Friends' HAED SAL: Annette's Intro

Friday, March 6, 2009

Annette's Intro

Hi I am Annette and I live in northern New South Wales Australia. I am married with 3 grown children. 2 boys and a girl. I work from home which is great for sneaking in stitching time. We live one street back from the beach and it is wonderful to stitch at night time to the sounds of the ocean.

I love HAED patterns and how they stitch up. My main focus piece is called Leaf - artwork Selina Fenech. I have just started on Page 8 of 20. I have been stitching HAED's for probably 4 years now and have finished 5 Quick Stitches and 1 Full Size. I have about 8 Full size WIP and 2 QS's. I have 3 more kitted up waiting to be fitted into the rotation.

This is my latest finish Green Dragonfly - artwork CCKuik. She is one of my favourite HAED artists along with Nadia Tate. I have enough charts to last me at least 5 lifetimes. I guess I am a collector.

I don't mind how long it takes me to stitch a HAED as it is the journey that counts. I grid all my projects as I find it helps me pick up mistakes earlier and makes it easier to stitch the same colours in the squares near where you are stitching. I always stitch from left to right and from top to bottom. I can't stitch cross country - I have to fill in all the square as I go as I can't stand to have gaps in my stitching. Don't ask me why I do this as I have no answer.......LOL. I also love the over 1 stitching - everything else seems massive now. I love watching the picture emerge as I stitch.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone's progress.

8 comments:

BW said...: Welcome Annette! I am looking forward to watching leaf come alive. I, too, love Selina's artwork and have several pieces of hers that I would like to do.; March 6, 2009 at 3:16 AM
Wendy said...: Welcome Annette to our blog! Your designs you are stitching looks so great! I agree with you, I don't mind if it me long to stitch a HAED. It is the fun that counts for me. I enjoy so much the stitching.; March 6, 2009 at 4:09 AM
Yvonne said...: The colours for Leaf are so amazingly beautiful!; March 6, 2009 at 6:32 AM
Carolyn NC said...: Your progress is beautiful!; March 6, 2009 at 7:02 AM
Cindy F. said...: Welcome to our group Annette! I would LOVE to live that close to the beach...how relaxing:)
I also enjoy the process of stitching these beautiful pieces. Nothing wrong with being a collector:) I've learned better to get what I HOPE to stitch than wait and take a chance that it may go OOP and never find it again!
Leaf is truly breathtaking and your Green Dragonfly is absolutely gorgeous! Congrats on finishing it! It looks like a painting:) Beautiful work! Stitchy blessings...; March 6, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Caroline said...: So pretty!; March 6, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Kim D Messick said...: Great job! This may be a pattern I'll buy . . . oh - so many beauties! Keep going!; March 7, 2009 at 6:33 AM
Terri said...: Hi Annette. Its great to see you here too. I love your stitching and love leaf.; March 7, 2009 at 5:48 PM

Tutorials

How to Carry Threads
This is really easy...it takes a while to get used to though....and your back will look terrible...this you will have to live with...One thing...You will be working your 10 x 10 grids in colums...it makes it easier...
1. Start with a 10 x 10 grid..
2. Find your first symbol...and stitch all of that symbol in your 10 x 10 grid....When finished...
3. Find the same symbol on the 10 x 10 grid below it...take your needle and bring your thread up like you are going to make the first 1/2 of the X ...but don't do it...just unthread your needle and lay the thread down..
4. Go back to the first grid you were working on...and stitch the next symbol the same way....when finished bring your thread down....
5. continue each symbol until your first 10 x 10 grid is finished....
6. start the next 10 x 10 grid ....you should have thread there already for you to pick up and stitch...
Posted by Vickie 3/7/2009

Tent Stitching (Wikipedia)
Tent stitch variants
There are three types of tent stitch, all producing the same appearance on the front of the canvas but each worked in a slightly different way and having particular characteristics, uses, benefits and drawbacks. These variants of tent stitch are known as basketweave, continental and half cross tent stitches:
Basketweave tent stitch - The basketweave form of tent stitch is worked in diagonal rows up and down the canvas. The yarn on the back of the canvas has a typical basketweave appearance, with alternating horizontal and vertical stitches. Basketweave is the best stitch to use for covering large areas of canvas as it does not distort the canvas as the other two forms of tent stitch do.
Continental tent stitch - Continental stitch is worked horizontally or vertically across the canvas. On the back of the work, the stitches appear diagonally across two threads. This method uses more yarn than half cross stitch tent stitch but is more hardwearing.
Half cross tent stitch - Half cross stitch is worked horizontally or vertically across the canvas. On the back of the work, the stitch appears vertical or horizontal, not diagonal, and crosses only one thread. This method uses less yarn than other stitches but is not very durable as coverage on the back of the canvas is a little thin.