APR-JUN: Big Swap!

[Philpepe]

Since we're talking about stitching speed, I'll just chime in and say I'm not sure how fast I'm going, but I do know that I have been stitching so much the past few days that I feel like I'm getting a slight case of carpal tunnel in my left wrist. It goes nicely with my recently discovered heel spur...

[carand88]

i will also jump on the bandwagon and mention that i don't know what my stitching speed is and that i have, also, been experiencing some pain in my right wrist. i'm thinking of resting it for a couple days. it's going to hard since i have no job and i've been on a stitching high since i started this swap. luckily, i'm done stitching for the swap, but i have hit a wall in in the sense that i don't have all that i need to completely flesh out my ideas yet and the one store i thought would have what i need in the area does not have what i want, so i have to wait to care to go farther area to get what i need. -sigh- darn you farm country not having towns with craft stores in them .

[blackmageheart]

Just when I thought RMDC couldn't top the BMH-Hr post, he somehow found a way!
Would love to stitch this (after my swap gifts of course!)

It goes nicely with my recently discovered heel spur...

Aww, I've heard they can be quite bad - hope it's not too painful for you.

Hope your wrist is ok carand, and yours too Philpepe.
Can't recommend regular breaks enough to people. I know you all want to get your gifts out on time, and that some of you may be ambitious in your projects, but your well-being is most important to me. If you get pain in your wrist(s), take a day or two off - it will help!

[Philpepe]

It goes nicely with my recently discovered heel spur...

Aww, I've heard they can be quite bad - hope it's not too painful for you.

Hope your wrist is ok carand, and yours too Philpepe.
Can't recommend regular breaks enough to people. I know you all want to get your gifts out on time, and that some of you may be ambitious in your projects, but your well-being is most important to me. If you get pain in your wrist(s), take a day or two off - it will help!

Yea, the heel spur can be pretty bad. I was barely able to hobble back to the cross stitching section in Hobby Lobby the other night to get the rest of the floss I need for my first swap gift. Been taking it easy and wearing better shoes the past couple days though and it's feeling a lot better. Didn't stitch much the past two days either, so my wrist is feeling better as well.

I just get so into stitching that it's like reading a good book, and I just can't put it down!

[Philpepe]

Haven't stitched much at all the past few days, but I'm about to have a nice break where I hope to get quite a bit done. I'm expecting to be almost, if not all the way, finished with my first gift by the end of next week!

Then I'll just have to figure out how to do the other(s)!

[caslzelda]

Finally I've made a pattern for the big swap but my goodness I've never stitched on black aida before, and I swear that when I finished this project, i'll never do it again! My poor eyes...

Black aida is an evil b****

[blackmageheart]

Black aida is an evil b****

It is! Try putting a white towel or piece of material under it (like on your lap or something) - that will help you to see the holes in the black aida a little better!

[no_need]

Black aida is an evil b****

It is! Try putting a white towel or piece of material under it (like on your lap or something) - that will help you to see the holes in the black aida a little better!

I know that no one will be doubting BMH and her all-consuming stitching powers of amazingness, but I thought I'd weigh in. When I was working with black cloth (28 ct evenweave) I found that the easiest thing to do was to put something light coloured on my lap, as BMH says, and then to angle my work light at that rather than the project. Obviously this only works if the room you're in has good light anyway, but the extra light reflecting off the white object makes the holes in the fabric particularly clear, and I found I could stitch much faster this way.

[blackmageheart]

When I was working with black cloth (28 ct evenweave) I found that the easiest thing to do was to put something light coloured on my lap, as BMH says, and then to angle my work light at that rather than the project. Obviously this only works if the room you're in has good light anyway, but the extra light reflecting off the white object makes the holes in the fabric particularly clear, and I found I could stitch much faster this way.

That's a very good tip!

[BooChocoBoom]

Finally finally got supplies in!