Eliz Laidman

Good day everyone.  Here she is, Eliz Laidman from Threads of Gold (available here) with the dark stain over the crown and other areas as I saw in the original.

 

If you plan to stitch this sampler, there is one error that I found when studying the original's photo.  The center crown on the chart is missing the bottom.  She is an easy project with no speciality stitches or over one.  Staining was done with my home made black walnut juice that has been kept in my fridge for two years.

  Dabbed in some spots and splattered with a toothbrush in others.  Dip the brush and tap once or twice to remove excess, then test on a paper.  It goes everywhere but I control it by covering areas with wax paper.  The quicker you flick, the finer the spray.
 

 

 

Until I have these rooms finished, I'm just using tacks to hang the samplers.  I doubt if they will ever be framed, but you never know.  When I see old unframed needlework it is usually sagging in the center and quite distorted.  Weird me likes that look.  But to protect these until I am sure they will not be framed, I use this method at the top to keep them from stretching.  You've seen it before, but here it is again on Pomeroy.

 

Line up the margins and press top and side hems.  This is usually where I would want the piece wrapped around the mat board if framed.

 

 

Now my fabric has even support across without fusibles, easily undone, leaving plenty of fabric for mounting if I do so later.  If there is too much side fabric, I trim but still leave a decent amount.  I run a machine basting stitch along the top and sides which is also easily removed. The bottom needs to be fringed or just hanging without a hem.  If it's hemmed, the weight of the folded part doesn't allow it to hang flat.  For a really heavy piece, stack two tapes before stitching.  Some of my samplers that will never be framed have the fusible interfacing at the top which helps but you still get a little droop which is fine with me.  The corners are extended a few inches down from the top and an extra square is fused over them.  I use a stiff one that is cut to the width I need, not the fusible hem tape.  Yes, I know, this bothers some stitchers but I don't care about 50 years from now and I believe linen will outperform and outlive anything other than fire.  Fusibles can also be removed by heating them again under a pressing cloth which softens the glue and peels away.

What's next?  A stitching break for a few days or until my stiff hand is more comfortable.  Until then, I'll be readying boxes for a sale and working at Carole's so I probably won't be back until next week some time.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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