Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Having trouble finding someone you like on my blog from before also let me know. I am still working out a few kinks in the layout but I think it's mostly working.
Onto my dilemma... And maybe someone, somewhere knows how to to fix it...
I was working on Castles in the Air the last two nights. I have not been liking this project at all. Even though the pattern is okay (but hard) and I like the colours I am using... I figured out last night why I have been struggling with it so much. My linen is unevenly stretched!?!?
I use scroll rods for all my projects... and for whatever reason (as I have never had this happen before) my Penny Copper 32ct linen is stretched more in some places than others. And we are talking significantly so. :(
Anyone have any suggestions on what I can do about this? (besides start over... I won't do that I'd rather just leave it as a UFO).
Here are some pictures of it to date... I got the first peacock completed from Part 4. (I know I'm crazy behind on this SAL).
This is a big photo to try and show you that the linen is wonky... not sure if you can tell from the photo (if you click on the photo it will get bigger for you). I do know that it could use an ironing, but I don't think that will help the stretched linen...?
Here is a close-up of the Peacock that I just finished working on last night:
And here is the entire piece to date:
Alright... I keep promising a giveaway and not getting around to it. I know I suck. Sorry we are quite busy at the office and with my medical stuff I just keep forgetting. I will do better soon I promise. ;)
Thanks for all your comments on Elfland and about the stupid cold that is still trying to hang on at our house. I am pretty much good, the B/F is still a bit sniffly but I think it's not going to get much worse. So that is good that it didn't become epic for us.
21 comments:
I don't have experience on working with linen (not available around here), so can't help you there. The piece itself looks beautiful, so I hope you find a solution. (btw you're not crazy behind, I stil haven't even started it!)
What about having it dry-cleaned? Maybe they can get it de-wrinkled and more back to shape for you. Lovely piece, really like the Peacock!
Hugs
Julie
www.justjulie.typepad.com
I honestly don't see an un-even-ness to the linen. It might just need to by blocked with an iron. Are you sure when you put it on your scroll rod that the fabric was cut straight? I've been getting a lot of fabric lately that is cut slightly crooked.
Can't really see the problem with the linen from the photo--I hope you do find a solution since Castles is looking great and I love the color of the linen...
Love the new layout of your Blog.
The only suggestion I would have for your wonky linen is to take it off the scroll, press it so it's straight and then put it back on the scroll. It looks really good in the pics.
The uneven-ness isn't noticeable to me, but I'm wondering if you iron it if it won't help get it back to shape.
I like your new blog design very much. :)
As for the linen, I don't see the problem in the pictures. I did a piece on some linen that had a different count for the width vs. the height. At first it bothered me, but I just decided that it was fine the way it was.
I have never worked on Linen...keep in mind that my Isaiah 40:31 project is the first thing I have done on any thing other than Aida...but could the unevenness be solved when the material is stretched a bit more when it is framed?
It looks lovely Mel. I think I should finaly start on mine...
I run into the uneven linen problem on and off - some parts are stretched tight but the middle is slack. You can either restitch it to the scroll rods or you can buy these stitch garters. I think that the Nordic Needle carries them. It seems that the larger the piece, the harder time I have getting it sewn on the rods evenly. With the garters, they attach to your linen, wrap around the side bar and then velco in place. Really pulls your linen taunt.
My girlfriend has another solution. She actually cuts her fabric a tad bigger than what she needs and attaches it to the scroll rods with masking tape. She never seems to have a problem getting is evenly stretched on the rods. It's as tight as a drum. Then she just cuts off the bit of fabric that was attached with the tape.
I wonder if it is because Linen thread has a slubby nature...so linen cloth might have weaker bits.
Who knows?
I would contact the manufacturer of the linen cloth you are using....they might have a solution...or you might have a rogue piece. I have only ever worked on small pieces of linen so I can't comment much more.
It does look beautiful though.
I don't stitch on linen so can't help you with that problem but I do like your new blog layout.
I can't say I'm much of a linen fan; having only used it for ornament-size things (and struggling with that!).
Castles looks beautiful to me! The colors are so vivid and gorgeous on the fabric. From what I can see in the photos, the fabric looks fine. I've only been collecting the charts and haven't even considered starting it so far!
Deb suggested the garters; 123Stitch actually carries them now (I asked Joanne about them when I ordered the first ones from Nordic Needle). I love those things and really get things tight on the scroll rod and my floor frame with them.
It may be wonky, uneven, and hard for you, but to me it is beautiful! In this photo the colors are delightful! Don't stop, I'll regret it :-).
I'm sorry, I have no wisdom to offer on the point of unevenly stretched linen.
But your piece is so beautiful! I really, really hope you don't decide to stop, I think it looks amazing.
It's absolutely gorgeous!!!
Linen looks OK to me - mine always looks like that anyway, lol! Usually comes out in the framing. love that piece.
I stitch in hand so can't help you there, sorry! Maybe take it off the rods here and there?! Deb had some good suggestions.
Love the new blog layout!
I have to agree with everyone else. It looks fine from the photos, but I know that our problems are sometimes hard to see through photos. I would take it off the scrolls, iron it and maybe even try lacing what you have done to see if you can stretch it to your satisfaction. If you can, then put it back on the scrolls (the attachment may be uneven to get the material just straight) and keep going. I would hate for it to become a UFO! I'm not much farther than you. I have both peacocks done and slightly more. I think all the color changes are what is slowing me down on picking it back up frequently.
From the photo, your stitching is beautiful and the stretching doens't show. Hopefully with some steaming it will settle down.
The new blog layout looks great.
Really love your new blog layout, very calming & relaxing.
your stitching looks lovely, coming along nicely & if you hadn't have mentioned it I would never have known that the fabric wasn't quite stretched right. I'm afraid I can offer no assistance on how to fix that either.
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