Wednesday, March 16, 2011

What would you do?

I need some advice...

Here's the backstory...
I pulled out Shores of Hawk Run Hollow the other night thinking I would complete another block. I have been happily stitching on block 3 when I notice that I am off by one stitch. I made the border of the block one stitch too long. So I will be frogging out the white lattice work and the right side of the the border and re-stitching. Frustrating yes, but at least I noticed it before I got much farther. It would have been nice if I had started stitching the lattice by counting from the chimney instead of stitching from the right side border. I would have noticed this much sooner, but I digress....

Anywho, for some reason, I pull out the picture of the whole design to look at block 3, and felt all of the air rapidly leave my lungs....
I have been stitching the blocks together with no spaces between instead of leaving the one space between each block. Does that make sense? There should be one tiny space of fabric between each big block of stitching. Each block should be stitched separately in its entirety and not connected to the previous block.

I am on the third block. Part of me says leave it alone, it's fine. The part that is winning by a slight edge is saying, visually it would look much better the way the designer designed it with the space between the blocks... Anything worth doing is worth doing right. And this is a big project to stitch and not be happy with the end result. And then that other little voice pipes back up and says that picking out all of those stitches in block two is bound to leave traces of fiber and enlarged holes and may not look good frogged and re-stitched....

What to do, what to do....

Okay, I am going to try to resist chucking this whole thing in the trash can, curling up the fetal position, and crying miserably...

What would you do? Be honest, I can handle it.... To frog or not to frog?


20 comments:

  1. I actually think it looks fine the way it is. I've never really understood why Kathy designed it so each block was separate. Don't bother frogging IMO. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the result. Hope not anyway! Bummer about the frogging of the lattice.

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  2. It looks wonderful, Kellie! I absolutely would not frog, start over or worry about it one single bit. The truth is, you can barely see the space when it's all done (at least on the ones I've seen in person). Fix the block on the right and keep on going. It will be wonderful when done, trust me!!!

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  3. I say leave it as is. It will probably not make too too much of a difference in the long run.

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  4. My honest opinion? I stitched Shores and looking at your picture of the whole thing together, I didn't know there was anything 'wrong' with it until you said that you hadn't left the space in. Honestly, I would have had to get up to look at my Shores to check. My thoughts, if I was in the same predicament, is that only another stitcher who has the chart in hand is going to know that there 'should' have been a space there. Otherwise--who cares? I think it looks great as is and definitely wouldn't rip out all that stitching. Yes, the first error, because the additional stitch will cause the rest of the piece to be off, but the way the blocks are arranged? No biggie. That's JMHO, though! If it makes you feel any better, Days of Advent does not have a space between the blocks--and each block is different. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.

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  5. I don't think it would be that noticeable due to the size of the fabric you are using. I say leave it....looks great what you have doneso far.

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  6. Kellie,

    I think the votes are in for "don't frog". I think it would ruin the linen and I agree with everyone that it looks fine without that one little space in between. I hope that gets you back in the mood for stitching it!

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  7. Oh goodness! Leave it as is - it looks lovely, and that little variation just makes it more uniquely yours.

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  8. It looks lovely just the way you've stitched. No need to reverse stitch or throw out, in my opinion.

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  9. I saw another stitcher in blog land recently who did the same thing. I really liked it a lot!

    I don't about you but if I did that much ripping I don't think I'd ever pick it up again. It's far too beautiful to end up in the trash.

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  10. Does it bother you enough to sit for uncountable (to me) hours unstitching it? If the answer is no, then leave it as is. Consider it a design modification! Yeah, that's the ticket. It looks delightful.

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  11. I like it as is. Pulls it together. NO ONE would ever notice, even with the chart in hand. Just enjoy stitching.

    Peggy H.
    www.neverenoughstash.blogspot.com

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  12. I too vote for leaving as is. It looks beautiful & it's what's inside the sections that will be admired; no one will look at the borders.

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  13. it looks fine the way it is but if it bothers you the Humility stitch will repair what ails you. I have done this many times and I am always happy with what I choose. Sincerely, or should I say ripit, Carol M

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  14. It looks perfect as is, Kellie--no need to change it! I honestly think it look just as good as leaving a space in between--really!!

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  15. My philosophy is unless something completely whacks out the design or causes me to have to work around and recalculate constantly, I never ever frog. There are too many other wonderful satisfying things to stitch, so I say, carry on. It helps me to remember that there are some historical samplers that have mistakes deliberately stitched as part of the design because only God could create perfection.

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  16. I would leave it - I made the same mistake, and its no biggie. I think you have made too much progress to change it, and leaving a space between the block is really more of a personal preference.

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  17. I vote to leave the border as is. Your work is beautiful and you probably would end up not wanting to pick this up again. Good Luck

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  18. It's beautiful as is! You are not going to hang the pattern next to the piece and once it's framed your eyes will never be that close to it again.

    I'm not sure I agree with this whole frogging thing anyway.

    Continue on and remember you have a lot of support:)

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  19. I would leave it. I think you run too much of a risk damaging your fabric by ripping that much out. Plus, it looks beautiful as is. Just fix the mistake on the right and move on. No one will ever know it "should be" different.

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  20. As long as you plan ahead and anticipate the adjustment that will be necessary in the large block below blocks two and three, then I say leave it. You'll have to omit/fudge the equivalent of two columns, I think, somewhere in that block if you leave the borders connected. Just wouldn't want you to be caught off guard when that time comes and have all that work end up as a UFO out of frustration.

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