7.08.2015

Stitch by Stitch ~ Row by Row...

 I am starting to close in on a finish,
 it makes me feel giddy knowing I am close to conquering the 2,727 Olive "fill-in" stitches.
I am "sewing" an autumn lawn in this piece. 
 I love the subtle variation in the Olive floss,
 perfect for a dried out October lawn,
 don't you think?

And, I couldn't resist to show that sweet little witches shoe
over in that corner!

Do you often finish a piece and wonder how many stitches were needed to complete the piece?
  This is something we designers don't typically supply in the pattern (we wouldn't want to scare you)
but,
 with modern software programs 
we do know the number of stitches.  

   When I am done charting a design,
 I print off the page that supplies me with the total stitches in a design.

I find this very useful when it comes to the next step of stitching...

When the design is completed I will have stitched 9,528 stitches.

At this point the floss colors are not always accurate.  
 Floss colors are most often determined as I stitch. 
 Once the piece is stitched,
 I will go into the program and change out the colors of flosses,
 most often to all hand-dyed threads.


After totaling the number of stitches
 I do some simple math. 
 I know how many stitches I can stitch an hour,
 and I know that I typically dedicate two hours of stitching time in the early morning hours and then two hours in the evening. 
My calculation on this piece told me that I should have it finished by this weeks end
and folks I am right on task!

   This also guides me in knowing the cost to hire the piece stitched, if I choose to to go that route.


I will be sharing 4 new Autumn & Halloween-themed cross stitch designs shortly,
stay tuned! 


With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda

15 comments:

Doreen Frost said...

Just beautiful Brenda.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I wish all designers would supply the number of stitches for each color.. I can't always assume that calculating the stitch count is correct..if I want to know how many actual stitches are in a pattern...unless it is solid stitches...which most patterns aren't. Your work looks beautiful. Can't wait to see the new patterns.

basketnut said...

WOW....I actually have wondered time to time how many stitches go into a piece that I am working on. Interesting tid bit of information. Looking forward to your new releases. Tammy

woolwoman said...

Cant wait to see your autumn/Halloween designs - they are always so neat ! Interesting to get a peek into your design analytics. Enjoy the grass and hope you stay on track. Mel

Jeannine520 said...

You're really teasing me with that picture. What I can see looks great. Your Autumn and Halloween designs are my favorite, I can't wait to see them.

StitchinByTheLake said...

Thanks for the insight into the process - very interesting! blessings, marlene

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

I do enjoy seeing how designers work. The vertical stripes for the grass look good too.
I chose you as my Designer of the Month for June on my blog, I've been stitching the January Wordplay, so very unseasonal!

Nancy said...

Love your designs, I've stitched many! As for total stitches on charts, I have always listed that. Found it helps people decide if they want to commit to a piece based on size. Nancy

anniet said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
anniet said...

I have often wondered how many stitiches I stitch in an hour. I will have to time myself. I can not wait to see this pattern!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

I'd love to have the number of stitches included with a pattern! I'm looking forward to seeing your timely finish!

Unknown said...

What software do you use? That is a handy feature. Love your designs.

Unknown said...

I think maybe you just gave me inspiration to speed up my stitching....dedicate time in the day for it rather then it just being here and there when I feel like picking it up. I need to be a bit more organized about my time. I used to be like that when I worked....it all fell apart when I retired LOL! BTW I did know the software can tell you how many stitches...but I also know I have some charts in my to do list I NEVER want to think about....or I may never stitch them :-)

Unknown said...

Where can I order?

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