I finally named my big huge sampler pattern – it will be Tramatina when it is released. And after I named it I promptly forgot why I named it that. I do remember that it’s a combination of the names of some very complicated friends. Unfortunately, I’ve had a big setback on that front. And it’s all my own fault. This is me being very depressed about this:
This is the sampler in question – see? I’ve made LOTS of progress! Two pages out of 18 already stitched. Yeah. Right. I AM really proud of this. It looks better stitched than it did as a bitmap on the computer! Unfortunately, one of those pages has to be entirely ripped out.
This is why. See that red circle? That’s the spot where I left out a little line of three cross stitches. Just three blinking stitches. In the first motif I stitched. And I didn’t even notice. The EO noticed on Christmas that the balancing motif didn’t look like the first one. He’s proud of himself for noticing. Actually, I’m glad too. It could have been so much worse. If this was for me – if it was a true sampler and not something I think I might want to put on the cover of the pattern, I’d just fudge it. But it isn’t. Because I based all of my counting on the location of stitches in that motif, everything in the sampler is off by one row vertically and three several horizontally, too. So I’m frogging the thing. That’s going to take time, and I have to admit I’ve been really tempted to just pull out another yard of linen and start completely over.
The thing that really grates on me? I made a conscious decision not to grid the thing because it was so big. I look at it now and realize I could have gridded it in page-sized pieces. A grid on the fabric would have saved me most of this grief, because none of the stitches would have lined up on the fabric grid where they do in the pattern grid. I hate the prep work for stitching. I am very tempted to skip it. And every time I skip it I regret it. Hopefully this will teach me. It better, because it’s a very painful lesson.
This is absolutely stunningly beautiful!! You canNOT be saying you have to rip the WHOLE thing out??!!If that is your meaning you are a brave and steadfast stitch WARRIOR! Wow! I have just discovered your blog-very interesting and I appreciate your book reviews especially.
Thank you, Annie. I’m glad the reviews are helpful.
Not quite the WHOLE thing. The vertical band of borders is fine. But everything where the count was based on that silly flower — all of the individual motifs — are coming out. Slowly. I try to rip about a square inch a night as I go. And I’m going to slowly start stitching a grid onto the fabric as I go to give me a bit of a break from frogging!