Elizabeth 2

Thank you so much for your words of encouragment regarding Elizabeth, I really do appreciate your comments. 

I have temporarily put the family tree to one side as it was taking over my life, and I am not in the mood for my card-making at present, so the stitching has been the winner.  I don't seem to be able to rotate my hobbies on a daily basis - I am usually totally involved in one of them to the exclusion of all else until suddenly I drop that one and pick up another.

So, as I said, the stitching is "it" at present - I even sat up in bed one morning at 6am with a cup of tea and Elizabeth instead of my Sudoku. 

Last night I finished off the central border which will be where the wording will go and I was very happy and much relieved when that all joined up perfectly.  I am so enjoying this one - even the challenge of altering it.  I am not really a pink person but I do love the colours - they are so cheerful and bright and look wonderful on the magnolia linen (thanks again Terri for a great choice). 

Inner circle all finished - tree not finished.

Yes, it is sideways !!!!!!!!

.. and this is the top left corner but WHY has blogger turned these three photos around ???

So sorry, but I have downloaded these photos several times now and blogger just turns them sideways.  I am off to babysit and will try again tomorrow to fix them.

I do believe I have managed to get better photos this time - certainly my new iron has done a much better job on the linen.

Cheers for now,

Mary

The ins and outs of Elizabeth

I finally started on Elizabeth back at the end of July.  I gave up trying to fit it onto the frame and instead I am just using a hoop which is fine. 

I started stitching at the top left corner going a little way across the top but then continuing down the left border just to make sure that it would fit.  I had put in a few nights of stitching before I had a really good look at it and I knew the discepancies in the pattern would drive me insane.  I know there are some stitchers who faithfully replicate these antique samplers and they will probably be horrified when I say that I have to alter the pattern. 

So I started again, this time from the top centre and I worked my way down, ensuring that each section was aligned.  I have now done the basic stitches for the left border, making sure that each pattern is identical.  (I hope !!)

The centre line - you can just see the top of the tree which is now dead centre.

You can see part of my original start as well as the second attempt.

I keep going back to the picture of "Terri's" Elizabeth and I just love it and it looks perfectly fine, but I guess it is just that I am stitching this and know that it is "out" so I have to alter it.  Having said all that I am really enjoying it despite all the unpicking and the challenge of 'getting it right'.  In fact, I think I will spend some of this cold afternoon getting some more done.

I am pretty sure that I won't be putting Elizabeth's name in the centre either - I will probably put my Daughter's name and date of birth in there instead. 

Mary