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ladyofastolatI've been doing a cross-stitch on and off since the end of August. It's a big design, likely to take a couple of years to finish, but I've been proceeding nicely. Since it's a big design, the pattern is spread over four sheets (or, rather, two sheets printed on both sides, which makes it even harder to see the overall look of the thing), and when sewing, I'm focused only on the small part of the design visible within my embroidery ring. I've never really spread it out to see what it looks like overall.
Until today.
As soon as I looked at it, I could see that the design was badly off-centre. It's normal to start a cross-stitch in the centre, so most patterns I've used helpfully mark the centre with two bold lines. My latest pattern had two such lines, so I assumed that where they crossed was the centre, and started there.
What I realise now is that the lines merely marked the overlap - the part of the pattern that was repeated on another sheet. I was stupid, stupid, stupid to take it as marking the centre. But I did, and for five months I've been working from there, and the result is that my pattern won't fit on the fabric. (Well, actually, I think it probably will fit, but with such a tiny margin that I don't think it will be possible to frame it.) Nearly five months' of work wasted. Waaah!
Until today.
As soon as I looked at it, I could see that the design was badly off-centre. It's normal to start a cross-stitch in the centre, so most patterns I've used helpfully mark the centre with two bold lines. My latest pattern had two such lines, so I assumed that where they crossed was the centre, and started there.
What I realise now is that the lines merely marked the overlap - the part of the pattern that was repeated on another sheet. I was stupid, stupid, stupid to take it as marking the centre. But I did, and for five months I've been working from there, and the result is that my pattern won't fit on the fabric. (Well, actually, I think it probably will fit, but with such a tiny margin that I don't think it will be possible to frame it.) Nearly five months' of work wasted. Waaah!
