June 30, 2008

Can you believe 2008 is already half-way over? Is it me, or has this year flown by for you, too? While I've had four surgeries and logged almost thirty days in the hospital, I feel like 2008 is going too fast. I guess I'm going to have to make more of an effort to get over to the Eastern Shore and visit my family (and hang out at Uncle Jay's pool!) before the summer is over.

Stitching-wise, I have a suprise finish. I learned a valuable lesson about charts today, too. As you know from my last few posts, I've been stitching Terra Australis by Dinky Dyes Designs. The chart says the finished design is 6.3" x 6.3" on 28ct over two fabric threads. Well, I'm here to tell you that it isn't.

I knew something was off when it dawned on me that the stitch count (117x117) was the same as Southern Stars and the fabric should have been cut into a 15" square, but because I went by the measurement stated on the chart, I cut mine to 12" square. I got the center medallion and the ring of motifs around it completed and realized I was going to go within an inch of the edge on all four sides!

Southern Stars says that it is 8.3" square when finished, but Debi and I both measured ours upon completion and found that they were both 9" square. The part of Terra Australis that I've finished is 5 1/2" square, so I have enough border for framing or finishing any way I choose. I will stitch the entire Terra Australis later (on a 15" square of fabric!) once I complete a couple more of the quilt squares.

I got a very good start on Butterfly Garden, which is one of my newest charts. I decided to start this one because the stitch count is 85x85 and I had a 14" square of Monaco. This is by far the smallest of the quilt square designs. All of the others (now that I've looked) are 115-119 stitches square. So just be warned: If you're going to stitch any of the Dinky Dyes Designs' quilt squares (besides Butterfly Garden), do yourself a favor and cut your fabric into 15" squares!

As you can see from the model, I've made drastic changes to the color scheme. I just lucked out that one of my colors is green (Saltbush), so I will do the vine and the leaves in green and everything else in the varigated (Yallingup). I will probalby do the flowers in one shade each, so there will be blue, pink, purple, and teal.