Then I took on the task of making a sampler.
I loved this pattern, and worked on it diligently.But then something happened. Somewhere along the line, I made a mistake.
And the border was not going to come together. I was so disappointed and after several attempts to try to correct it, I left the sampler alone. And so it has been sitting in my cedar chest.So I pose a question to you, if you are a cross stitcher. Would you -
1. Try to fix the problem?
2. Cut the sampler and frame it or make a pillow.
or 3. Just toss it??
I'd love to hear some thoughts.
31 comments:
If it were mine-- I definitely wouldn't toss it....you've put a lot of heart and soul into it... What about leaving off the top border.... like it was never suppose to be there. You could even stitch about 6 of the flowers right in the center not connecting to anything thing. The amish believe there should be a mistake in every piece. I'll bet you'd be the only one to know the secret.....
I would definitely not toss it. My suggestion was going to be to try to make a different border at the top. I like Screen Door's suggestion.
I love to cross stitch and have had to fix my share of problems over the years. I would definetly try to fix it. Good Luck!!
It's a beautiful sampler. I was a x-stitcher for 20 years until I was bitten by the quilting bug. :-)
Please don't toss it - I do like Melanie's (Screen Door) idea. Do try to fix it.
Heres my two bits. I like the idea of continuing the border up around the top corners and then instead of connecting as intended, stitch in some flowers to top it off. This might be more interesting than the original design anyway. No such thing as a mistake, sometimes things are meant to happen to change our direction. Happens to me all the time, lol.
Oh goodness...don't throw it away! I think I would unstitch the top part of the border and even it out on the sides, the add something different across the top...maybe your name and the date and center a swag of the same border above it?
I'm anal . . . I would try to fix it. But not until I had let it lay around for say, 10 years or so . . .
I like Beth's idea of working the border towards the centre and then adding your initials or a motif in the central point - you'd be the only one to know that wasn't how it was "meant to be". Anyway, it'll be good to individualise the design. It's a lovely piece of work, definitely worth finishing. Lis x (also an ex-cross stitcher!)
I've always heard that about the Amish mistakes left in their stitchery ... go for it, Jocelyn.
It is too beautiful to 'toss', for sure.
TY for your note ... my foot is a wee bit better, but I know it is there. It'll heal quickly ... remember, I am only 16 ... NOT!!!, chuckle!
I hope your Mother's Day was beautiful & joyous, sweet friend.
Have a beautiful week.
TTFN~ Hugs, Marydon
Oh fix it, it's so pretty!!! I love Screen Door's suggestion. That's far too much work to just toss!
What about a medalion or something to break up the border at the very center? Then you could bring your border up on the other side, and no one would ever really notice that you tweeked it! I think it is lovely. Definatly dont throw it away. I think I might just dig out my unfinished sampler with the same sort of mistake :)
Happy Stitching!
Do not toss it!!! That is all the help I can offer. ;)
Cut it and make it into a pillow! I never toss out things when I mess them up. Too much work!
Beautiful!
xoRebecca
I have to agree with everyone else...don't toss it, just fix it enough to make it work. Lots of good ideas in the comments already! :0)
Your heart is telling you to fix and finish....follow your heart.
I agree with Beth that you should continue the border at top until it almost meets, and then do something creative that would look like the rest of the sampler. It's beautiful, and you did a great job with it. When this happens to me, I tell myself that Amish quilters intentionally put in an error to their work, and I'm following their example.
How disappointing! I used to do a lot of cross stitch until I discovered quilting. Perhaps you could make a little crocheted flower or yo yo and cover the area where the border doesn't meet.
I'm a fixer but like Shelley it may wait 10 years LOL. Maybe you can bring the border around and put your initials at the top with the year....
Crispy
I'm all for the Amish mistake--or, in my case--Amish mistakes, plural! ;) I say fix it if you can, if not, fudge it. Nobody is going to get out the chart and compare your stitching stitch by charted stitch. Too much work went into it to toss it. Good luck!
I would be inclined to work around the mistake. Perhaps stitching leaving a space in the top middle to add an embellishment. I definitely would not toss it. You've done a beautiful job on it.
What's wrong with it?!?! I love it!
DO NOT TOSS! I repeat, do NOT!
Well, if you don't want to finish it, I'd just cut around and use what you can to make a pillow, pincushion, whatever. I have MANY needlepoints that are 3/4 finished.. I think I just grew weary of working on them. Now, to get back to them. That's my problem is getting back to them. However, I can see many uses for this... Unlike needlepoints that are so limited because of their thickness. Anyway, it's beautful! If you are sick of it, you can have a giveaway and one of us will take it! I'm just sayin... lol :)XOXOXXX
Jocelyn,
Your post struck a chord with me. I have one that is in the same predicament. My border didn't come together.... I am taking the stitches out simply because I have thought about it long and hard, sometimes late into the night while I am laying in bed, and my conscious wouldn't let me rest until I decided to take the stitches out.
I know that some people would fudge it... can you possibly do that?
Whatever you do, don't throw it out!!!
I am curious to see what you decide to do...
It is so pretty, don't toss it out. Maybe make a toss pillow out of it....Christine
Don't toss it! Try to re do the top border or make a short one. Good Luck!!
I love your cross stitch.. My suggestion is - Please don't toss it. This same thing happened to me, although my mistake was in a row so it was much easier to correct. I was thinking that you should add some flowers or something else pleasing to you in the left corner and maybe bring the border over to the flowers. That way no one will know there's a mistake. Happy stitching and I hope you'll share it after you've finished.
Don't toss it, of course. I know that was just a hysterical thought caused by the shock of the "mistake." I agree with those above who say just keep going, then embroider a boquet of flowers or something to make it work. I agree with someone above that it could make it more interesting. It really is a beautiful piece.
Do NOT toss it...fudge it some way....go up and around the corner, put you initials in it in the center of the top or a little different or larger center flower.
ALL of my cross stitching (and quilting) has mistakes in it!! And if you don't point it out to anyone, they will never know it :)
I think ScreenDoor had a great idea.... even up the sides of the border so they are the same length. Then create a new, different design that will go across the top.
It could be a nice floral design, or you could design a "title" for your piece in that area, since it is "signed" on the bottom.
Then it could be framed, or made into a pillow or what have you.
There are books that are just full of border designs, you could probably even find some at the library...
good luck and let us know what you decide.
Your work is beautiful
SheilaC
DO NOT TOSS IT! This is a beautiful piece of work and I know the hours that you've put into it. You can finish the side up and across, but stop and leave a space rather than connect. The put your own design into the space of the border in that spot. It could be your initials or a flower or a motif from the design. It is a fabulous piece. Finish it. You don't have much left to do! ~ Sarah
follow yr heart. However.. I've been there and it took me a long time to do the unpick bit by bit...eventually I completed the border..perseverance paid....just that I don't force myself..just doing it slowly and in the end I'm happy that I managed to overcome the hurdle.
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