Last night I finished Sophisticated Lady, a JDR Brazilian embroidery piece. It was the first stitchery I'd done in a looooooong time from a pattern and only my second attempt at Brazilian embroidery. In the process, I learned
- long bullions are easy; curved ones are difficult. Quite often, a small length of thread just wouldn't allow itself to be pulled taut.
- cast on stitches are almost as boring as buttonhole stitches so prevalent in stumpwork and a lot harder. Getting the tip of the needle back through the fabric a short distance away from the original 'exit' without pulling the thread through was very challenging! Most of the stitches twisted as I pulled the thread through the cast ons or took the thread to the back. Matter of fact, I had trouble getting the thread through those suckers with some, many, most of the stitches. Plus, the thread kept slipping out of the eye as I was casting on.
- biz, a bleach alternative, rocks!!! The shop owner, referred to me by Dianne, from whom I bought the pattern sent me a long message about how to clean up the piece when I told her that the stamped lines showed through or shadowed much of the stitching which was extremely off putting. I had purchased the design because it was supposed to beginner/intermediate even though I despised the face. I didn't stitch it and crossed my fingers that the biz would remove the guidelines. It did!!! She's faceless yet elegant ;-)
- I am fluent in English but some/many of the instructions and diagrams were a bit confusing.
Will I do more?? Probably small freebies but not 'complicated' purchased designs unless I get a chance for a one on one or one on twenty (aka a class) so I can correct or overcome my bad technique.