When I last wrote, I was just getting underway with my Trifles sampler, a special request from Younger Daughter.  Some of you expressed surprise that I don’t plan out these larger stitched projects all at once, graphing them up in their entirety before I start.  But I don’t, although this one is shaping up to be a bit less chaotic than my usual process.

To start – here’s what I’ve done so far:

First off, I hemmed all the way around the edge of the cloth.  This is something I rarely take time to do, and always regret skipping.  It was furiously frustrating – to have the ground in hand but put off stitching, but I steeled myself to it and completed. 

Second, I basted lines indicating the centers, north-south and east-west.  Long time pal Melisande will smile at this because the thread I always use for this purpose is plain old sewing cotton left over from the bridesmaid’s dress I sewed to wear at her wedding.  It’s a pale baby blue – dark enough to be seen on white ground, and light enough to show on dark; non-fuzzing, quick to pull out, and non-crocking. 

Yes, when originally stitched the two center lines intersected, but it’s my habit to pick out the guidelines as I no longer need them, so that they don’t get caught up by the embroidery stitches.  I determined my center and began from there, removing and clipping my basted guidelines prior to working the cross stitching.

Cross stitching?  Yup.  Plain old cross stitch for the alphabets on this one.  Also for the Daleks, one of which can be seen adjacent to the big “P.” 

In this case I have actually graphed up the entire center section that bears the inscription and the offspring-mandated Daleks.  Younger daughter prefers symmetry to chaos, and she specifically requested that I do everything I could to align the words neatly.

Now, what to do for the rest of the piece, once the motto is complete….  Originally I thought I’d do more strips from my upcoming book, just for the fun of trying them out.  But the late 19th century alphabets in brown and gold silks is giving the piece a particularly steampunk look.  Again welcome, since Younger Daughter is a big steampunk fan.  I suppose those bands could work, but now I have been seized upon by a Concept, one that has affixed itself to me like a tiny homesick kraken. 

Instead of strips, I will probably do this as a montage in inhabited blackwork – the style that features solid outlines, with various shapes filled in using geometric fillings. 

Off I fly to draft and cut some standard stencils for my shapes, and to play with their placement.  Stay tuned!