Keeping it real: Two stories about frogs

It isn’t easy stitching (with) green.

Why is it that small projects often give the most trouble? I have 2 lovely projects I was working on last week and both have given so much hassle. I think I’m not paying attention! I’ve been careless and it is wasting my time! Let me tell you about it!

Last month I showed my start on Betsy Morgan’s Satin and Silk Reticule. I got flustered with it because one of the threads was misnamed in the key and left off the materials list entirely. Thankfully it was noted correctly in the instructions themselves which proves the adage, “when in doubt, read the instructions!!”

I had the needed color in my stash and could proceed. It’s a pretty design. The threads are all Gloriana silks which I love to use. I got to use some of them twice as much as I planned, even.

I spent 2 hours on that floral band only to discover when the green vine was finished that I’d placed it down one stitch too far-fortunately I had not put in the satin stitch flowers yet. No solution presented itself so it was frogged and restitched. Now it is fixed and I can move on!

My other problem project is Jane Marshall. Oh Jane, how I am vexed with you. I stitched the lower case alphabet in the wrong color-I used green instead of blue! I stitched one border exactly copying the first border when it was supposed to be a different pattern. I stitched yet another border in the wrong color, yes, green instead of pink. You’d think this was my first project or that I’m just making up my own sampler! (I didn’t take any pictures when I found those mistakes I was so disgusted and now I wish I had so you could see how much had to be picked out!)

Now, I really like the model of this chart and I do not really want to make it into my own design. A little at a time I picked out and corrected mistakes. Here it is with all the corrections made and ready to move on.

I will not make any more color mistakes in this one. I have written out the color key for myself very clearly in the chart!!

Sometimes with a mistake I must redo it right away like with the reticule above. With other mistakes I need to put them aside and let the sting of my lost effort and time dissipate before I go back to it. I’m too frugal to totally throw away a project, but I’m also discovering another true adage: needlework doesn’t just take patience…it teaches patience!

4 thoughts on “Keeping it real: Two stories about frogs

  1. Hi Mary: I have been there myself with having to correct charts, it can be a hassle. The bag is going to be lovely when finished.
    Have a wonderful day.

    Catherine

  2. I’ve altered charts, and once undid nearly half a project as it didn’t feel right. Hopefully the frogs will hop away now.

  3. Oh those darn frogs! Your corrections look good, I hope that you are frog free from now on.
    Most times I fix the mistakes straight away, but sometimes when it’s too bad I have to put it away.

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