The background works up so quickly it's almost laughable. However I'm not overly fond of stitching on 18 count fabric. It's not that I have any difficulties seeing the squares, which is the usual complaint, but that even the small size needles aren't small enough. I suppose 18 count fabric is fine - IF and here's the big point - if the designer has stuck to using 2 ply of floss. Unfortunately, I've found that Dimensions isn't one to stick to what is normal or expected. So this designer sometimes uses up to 4 ply of floss and trying to get that through the holes in an 18 count fabric is a nightmare. In some spots by the time you have the 4 corners covered, you have 16 threads through one hole. The thread frays, you break needles every 2 days, etc. I'm a bit of a perfectionist (did I say bit?) so it drives me absolutely crazy. Hence, this piece, albeit a very easy piece in the grand scheme of things has sat on the back burner for almost two years now. Well I finally said, "Enough is enough, I have bigger fish to fry, harder pieces to sit in my UFO bin collecting dust. Let's get this done, shall we?" So I have been working on it with a vengeance for the last week and am starting to show some major progress.
The entire rear end of the Pegasus, the bigger of the two wings and two-thirds of the background are completely finished along with my other arch nemesis - back stitching. Even that has been tackled as I don't particularly feel like getting to the end and still having to stare at it for another 3 days just to finish that. Every afternoon and evening, I plop myself down in my stitching room and try to finish as much as I can for that day. I've even gotten to the point where my arthritis in my hands (yes, I got it early from too many video games and stitching... I started to show signs of it when I was only 19 years old.) has been acting up and I've needed to use the compression gloves to keep my hands functioning.
But that all being said, I got stopped dead in my tracks last weekend by G. I love the kid to death but there are days... On Sunday my mom came over and we were doing some sewing projects that have been on the back burner for a while now. She ran out to the store for a couple minutes and I was doing some ironing. I walked back into my stitching room to find my adorable son, standing there with an open pink highlighter, saying "I colouring, mommy!" I took it away from him and started looking around for what it was he coloured on. Next thing I know, I'm screaming NO - NO - NO!! at the top of my lungs to the point both L and G were terrified. I rip my picture out of the frame and run it to the bathroom sink at top speed. I don't think I moved that fast when I got a 2nd degree burn on my stomach when I was pregnant - that's how upset I was. He had coloured all over the background (un-stitched area - thank god!) of the Pegasus picture with florescent pink highlighter. And in case you don't know - highlighter is permanent ink. It's water soluble, sure, as long as it doesn't dry - but it dries very, very quickly.
Well, once it was under the water, G was sent for a time out and both he and L were in tears. They both knew he had done something wrong but not quite sure what. I calmed her down, and he ended up falling asleep while in time out. I tried everything - and I do mean everything. I tried detergent, soap and water, dish soap, resolve... anything I had in the house as a cleaning product. I posted on Facebook to ask if any of my stitching friends knew what I could use, I even called my local store to ask them if they had any ideas. I googled it, apparently I'm not the first to deal with highlighter but no one else had any answers either. Nothing was working. My hands were numb from being under the cold water for an hour straight and while it had lessened, there were still light pink lines all over my light blue background fabric.
I have to finish this post with my new favourite words. Tide To Go. It ended up bleaching the fabric slightly, I have to admit, but... I'd rather slightly white over pink. Especially since the majority of the background are half-stitches and it's bound to show through at least a little. I am so thrilled that it came out, you have no idea. But I have got to say, the next time G touches my stitching, I may cut off his hands.
Just kidding...
Sorta...
And no, there are no photos of the piece while in it's coloured on state. I was too busy trying to get it clean to think about trying to preserve the evidence of that. And my camera apparently doesn't like taking pictures of Aida cloth. I will remember that for future, although I seldom stitch on aida anymore...
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