A bit more 'Tea or Coffee?'

Don't you just hate it when you run out of thread?  Well a particular colour of thread.  

When I first started embroidering 2 years ago I dug out my old cross stitch threads and I had 3, nearly full, skeins of DMC 3371 (the very darkest brown) and I remember thinking 'I'll never in a month of Sundays use all that'.  

Never say never Kimberley!!!  Because I just ran out, not after finishing a flower or stem but right in the middle of it, probably another 2 inches of thread would've done it.  (grumble grumble).   But all is not lost, I've called the store closest to Hubby's work and there are 2 skeins (I'm not taking any chances) sitting on the counter waiting for him to pick up on the way home.  Who says he doesn't have his uses?? 😝💋

Anyway, not too much left to go now, although all the bits currently accessible in the hoop are predominantly 3371 (of course they are!).

I took the whipping off that centre flower, I tried living with it for a few days but it wasn't growing on me.  I've left the large light coloured flower to the right a bit more 'open' and we'll see how that sits once the lower bits are filled in.  The one thing about this design that I don't like is those big flowers and I must say that after stitching them they haven't gone up in my estimation either.  😀

Never mind though its all just for fun.

Latest learnings:

• Next time I decide to stitch onto a pieced fabric try and use a backing fabric as well.  I'm not sure if everyone finds this or if I just spend too much time pulling/tightening my fabric in the hoop.  The original swatches were pieced together using a machine, ironed flat and all that.  But a number of the seams have still looked a bit, um, just not secure as I've then hand sewn over them.  And I wonder if a backing fabric may have helped this.  (or just added to the issues haha).  Although I guess thinking about it crazy quilters often piece onto a backing fabric as they go to get all those fancy shapes, so maybe thats how they get around this type of issue.
• Next time I buy linen give it a good tug and stretch before buying it.  The darkest bit of fabric on the bottom left is some type of linen that I bought at the fabric store (its not an embroiderers linen) and the weave is so loose.  Although again I guess a backing fabric would help here.

What next?

So I'm starting to think about what do once this project is done and I really do like the idea of a stitch sampler and the more I look at the one I already started the more I think I've moved on from that and the style of it isn't for me any more.

So I found these drawings of leaves online and I'm thinking they make quite good inspiration for a stitch sampler.  Ideally I'd like a fabric book that I can just pull out when I'm looking for a 'look' or a certain stitch.  So I might ponder these for a few days and see if I can come up with a bit of a plan.

I also haven't forgotten that I need more needle-painting practice.  So I should keep my eye out for something not too serious that will give me some more exposure to that.

I'm back to work next week so stitching time is going to be drastically cut.  😂

Thats it for now.  Thanks for stopping by.