Playing with threads and deciding on colors makes me happy.

It’s not just because I like embroidery thread and I like color. It’s more than that!

When I get to the point of selecting colors and threads for a new project, I know that I’m on the brink of a new adventure.

Since thread selection, for me, is often the last part of the whole designing and planning process, I’m always in a state of excitement when the threads are gathered before me!

This weekend, I designed a project that’s been simmering in the back of my brain for quite a while.

Getting an Idea Out of Your Head

I knew that, if I didn’t sit down and actually do it – get the design out of my head and set the project up and gather all the supplies – it would keep bugging me and bugging me and bugging me until I did do it.

This is one of those projects that wakes me up in the middle of the night and then keeps me awake while I think about it… and think about it… and think about it.

It’s been hovering on my mind since last year, in fact. I’ve written notes on it, I’ve doodled ideas for it. But I haven’t bothered to actually tackle the designing and gathering. There are just too many other projects going on!

But now there was nothing for it. I had to sit down and get it out of my head.

Designing on the Computer

Especially if I’m planning a piece of surface embroidery, I start on paper. But this particular project isn’t free style surface embroidery. It’s actually counted work, for 48 count silk gauze.

It’s not a super original design, by the way. Similar designs have been done before! As you will see when I show it to you, it’s certainly not “new” in design concept. What I’m working towards is a different finishing concept.

So I sat at my computer to do the design stuff. I use a program called MacStitch by Ursa Software (which I wrote about here) when playing with counted designs. It works well for my needs and it’s quite affordable.

Setting Up the Fabric

Once my design was satisfactory (though I won’t really know exactly how satisfactory it is, until I stitch it the first time), I set up my fabric by stitching a piece of silk gauze to a larger piece of cotton muslin.

Normally, I’d do that by machine, but I don’t have a machine in my studio. Instead, I used herringbone stitch and sewing thread to stitch the silk gauze into place.

I’ve written about the process of setting up silk gauze for stitching here. The reason for doing this is that it gives you excess (and less expensive) fabric for hooping or framing up the silk gauze, so that you can keep it under good tension while stitching.

I prefer this method to taping silk gauze to a piece of mat board and holding it in your hand. With mat board, there’s just not a lot to grip on, and the gauze doesn’t remain taut.

If I can get my paws on a pair of stretcher bar frames that are small enough, I’m going to put the piece of stretcher bars rather than in a hoop. With counted work, I find that stretcher bars and a floor stand are the way to go, so that both hands can easily be used for stitching. With one hand above the work and one hand below, the stitching process is much more efficient.

Gathering the Threads

Finally, the last step – gathering threads!

I’m using one strand of Soie de Paris by Au Ver a Soie for stitching. You can learn more about Soie de Paris in this article here, which includes tips for stitching with it.

I pulled all the colors I think will work with my design. As I stitch, I might make some adjustments. Once I’ve solidified the color choices, I’ll go back to the computer and write the threads and numbers in, so that there’s an accurate color key for the chart.

So that was my Sunday Afternoon Project! Everything for the project is gathered together in a small tray, ready to grab when I can finally sit down and start stitching on it.

Now I can get back to other, more pressing work, without the planning part of this project constantly nagging me.

But you do realize what’s going to happen, right?

Now I’m going to wake up at night and think about stitching the project. And until I start, I won’t have a decent night’s sleep!

I suppose there’s only one thing for it…