Out of thread! Rats!
Firstly, thank you all who answered my questions about stitching groups. I was overwhelmed with the heart felt responses!Now on to something completely different...It was so close to being finished. Only three more long lines of chain stitch were left. But the thread is gone. I knew it would be close but I really thought there would be just enough. Rats. Fortunately, I'll be able to get all the Appleton wool I need at the RSN course in only 10 days.
Since finishing the white chain stitch grid pattern wasn't possible until I get more thread, it was time to move on and stitch the little accent motifs in the squares and rectangles. My first thought was to put the name underneath each different stitch. The words would need to be very small and the stitching very fine. However, the linen twill is too coarse to do such fine stitching even with fine silk or cotton thread, at least for my current level of skill!So I decided to do two very simple little designs or motifs in the rectangles and the squares. I'll just make a little diagram to remind me of the names of the stitches. I don't really think I'll forget after doing them all...but you never know! Sometimes I forget the simplest things.Each of the square shapes will be filled with four detached chain stitches with a French knot in the center. The rectangles will each have two detached chain stitches, again with a French knot in the middle. Because the pattern of each motif is similar and uses the same two stitches they don't detract from the different samples of crewel stitching.
Each of the squares is worked in the darkest blue, the vertical rectangles in a light blue and the horizontal rectangles in a medium blue. I was tempted to do something fancier and more complicated but the sample stitches need to be the highlight of the piece so I went with simple.
Here's a photo of everything in one area finished: the sample stitches, the white chain stitch and all three of the little blue motifs in the grid pattern. It looks like a sampler - a little rustic and maybe not perfect work but a learning piece. But really...rats! I wish there had been enough thread to finish it before I go to the RSN course. There's a lesson for me to be learned - always order a little more thread than you think you'll need if you're not sure.I wonder if I'll learn how to estimate the amount of thread one needs for a particular sized project on the RSN course? Now that would be a useful bit of calculating knowledge! Do you suppose there's a formula for it? The area of the design divided by the number of colors times the density of the stitch plus 15 % for snipping out mistakes. :)How do you figure out how much thread you'll need? Do you buy more than you think you will or try to get by on just enough? (Like I did!) Do you have a formula? (One that really works. unlike mine.)