Wednesday 26 April 2017

WIPW - RIP

Work In Progress Wednesday is progress in reverse! Fortunately RIP does not mean Rest In Peace, I have not put a dagger in


Trinity Green

just a seam ripper.

RIP is the verb rip, and I have been ripping open seams to be able to re-sew them.
You see, I must have stretched the 'tagliatelle' a bit (as these strips of fabric have no paper backing) while the 'snakes' stayed firm. Some seams have stretched a bit more than others, and I didn't notice. (It HAS been a tough week and my attention has been elsewhere).


If any work is boring, it is ripping up seams that ought to have been perfect! So I have been working slowly and the flimsy is still not completed.


Greeting Card

Do you remember the dim photo I showed as a teaser the other week?


Well here is a clear picture of the wool embroidery.
Stitches used:
Fern, French Knot, Long Tail Chain, Seed, Stem, Straight, Twisted Chain, Twisted Satin, Woven Detached Chain, Up and Down Buttonhole

Wool is such a lovely thread to work with.

28 comments:

Julie Fukuda said...

Why I sew by hand ... in the end, it is faster than ripping out machine stitching and doing it over and over again.
I just LOVE that little wooly basket of flowers. Happy Spring!

Rachel said...

It's a charming little card. Unpicking is very tedious, but when you are pleased with the finished result you will forget about that!

https://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com said...

Oh dear the ripping doesn't sound fun but the basket is delightful.

carorose said...

I have had this trouble with paper piecing and I took to adding paper to the backs of my stripping just to get it all sitting right. Seems a drastic solution and getting the paper off was a pain but it sat right. I love your card.

Queeniepatch said...

I, too, prefer hand sewing, but THIS quilt would have taken years and years to make by hand. Paper piecing also ensures the triangles at least look neat. The problem is that the triangles are backed by paper and the strips are not so they glide. Wth more pins I think the problem is solved for the remaining 'pasta'.

Queeniepatch said...

I feels I am wasting time! On the other hand I have been listening to an audio book, which is something I can't do while I am using the machine.

Queeniepatch said...

The ripping isn't fun, but I invited Stephen Fry to come and read me a bit from Harry Potter while I was working, so THAT was enjoyable.

Queeniepatch said...

I agree, a drastic solution, but the paper does ensure the seams get straight.

Pamela said...

The seam ripper is our friend, but we hope to never use it. The card is lovely.

margaret said...

no fun unpicking best of luck with it. Wonder have you bias edges on the triangles that have caused the problem. Such a lovely wool card you have made

prairie said...

That is so sweet. I would like to have my stitch class do that. I think they would like it very much. There are five in the group. May I copy it for them? It's just what we need, I think, for a little project. Kathie

Anonymous said...

What a shame that you have to unpick, it is a job that nobody likes. The card is a beauty, very nicely stitched

chitra said...

A good way to do tedious work is with a audio book. your embroidery on greeting card is beautiful.

Queeniepatch said...

Ripping open seams was no fun but it is done now.

Queeniepatch said...

The unpicking and resewing is done.
There might be millions of bias edges on the triangles, but that is not a problem when you stitch on paper - one of the real advantages of paper piecing. No the problem is that the triangles are backed with paper but the thin green/purple/gold strips are not. The strip might stretch a bit but the triangles are in a 'straight jacket' of paper and can't shift at all.

Queeniepatch said...

Are you referring to the basket of flowers embroidery? Yes, you may copy it and I hope you enjoy using other stitches than the ones I have used. Be creative!

Queeniepatch said...

Unpicking was a boring job, but it is done now, and I DID have the chance to listen to an audio book.

Queeniepatch said...

Some work does not require attention and we can listen to music or a story. Other types of work means you have to concentrate on what you are doing, and then you miss a lot of the story when your attention is elsewhere.

crazyQstitcher said...

Most frustrating to re-do the stitching but better now than to live with buckled seams forever. Your patience will be rewarded with the extra effort.
Love the basket of flowers. Wool is easy to stitch with but not always as neat as yours is.

Queeniepatch said...

The woolen basket embroidery is very small, maybe that is why the yarn behaved so well.

Janie said...

I had a home-ec teacher who said, 'If you sew you will have to unpick seams from time to time." She said it matter of factly. I always remember her saying that and remember to just take unpicking as part of life and just get in and do it. You are doing a great job Queenie, and I know it will turn out super.
Your stitching is fabulous!

Queeniepatch said...

What a great teacher! In school we should all have teacher who teach us things that we will remember long into our adulthood.
Unpicking IS part of sewing, and nothing to feel bad about. Get on with it, reflect about what went wrong and resew it correctly. I'll try to learn from this experience.
Thank you, Janie, for sharing.

Stitching Lady said...

Hello Carin, this unpicking device - it is constantly in use when I am at my working table.
The woollen basket ist very pretty. I like the satin stitch over the sewn line - I made satin stitch today over two lines - quarter inch apart from each other. For letters your stitch will be perfect.

Queeniepatch said...

Who can live without a seam ripper!
The basket was fun to make, and I was pleased to be able to use so many of the TAST stitches.
The Satin Stitch Outline makes a nice strong impression, but I would like it to have been a bit smoother. Was it the wrong thread? Should I experiment with silk? DMC stranded cotton floss?

Anita said...

such a pretty basket.I guess no one can live without a seam ripper

Queeniepatch said...

The seam ripper is packed away firmly, the flimsy completed and all is well!

Annet said...

Such a pity you had to frog part of your trinity green. Love the wool embroidery!

Queeniepatch said...

When working on a large quilt it can be difficult to keep an even tension, especially as one of the two layers stitched together has a stiff backing (paper) and the other not. Lesson learned!