Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Enchanted Cottage

Design: "Enchanted Cottage" ~ Dimensions ~ The Gold Collection Petites
Designer: Barbara Mock
Fabric: 18 count ivory Aida
Thread: cotton embroidery floss (DMC?)
Dimensions: 7" x 5"

It's finally done... or is it? The chart calls for a ropey-looking border to the oval worked with gold blending filament, as well as some more decorative elements done in gold on the flowers in the corners. I heartily dislike both blending filament and metallic thread. Gold always seems tacky to me. I'm not sure what to do -- I'm tempted just to leave it as is. I'm going to put it away without framing it and ponder it for a while.

I started this in 2000, and I never enjoyed working on it very much. I think the end product looks nice, but it was not fun to stitch. Here's why:

~ I don't like filling every last inch with stitches. I need more blank space for contrast.

~ I also dislike half cross stitches, which are all over the place here. They are difficult to count, and I don't like the look.

If anyone has opinions on what to do with the oval border and corner details, let me know!

1 comment:

Panda said...

The finished product looks great! I agree, half cross stitch is a pain, and looks strange to me, too.

I say, if you don't like the look of the gold braid, leave it off. A nice frame will make a nice substitute.