Do you ever have project where you struggle to find your rhythm? It’s not that you don’t like it, or you’re disinterested in it, or anything else. You just struggle to ‘move’ with it. It goes no where fast, despite you really wanting to make in roads with it. Well, the Trevelyon Cap Course is that for me. But I think I may have cracked it, and finally found some of that rhythm, which has re-motivated me! I have been left so far behind the class I was taking, but am now at the point of the second group (if I finish the leaves by the end of the month!), so let’s see if I can keep up this time round! I somehow doubt it (still a lot of leaves to stitch, and we’re going away for a few days over Easter), but I’m more interested in doing a good job than I am with keeping up with the class.
I have now finished the first set of leaves (the trefoil leaves), now to do the other two types! I’m really hoping the next couple aren’t quite as tricky for the stitch direction lines, and I’m able to move a little quicker through it (so far so good for this theory!). When stitching this last trefoil leaf, I finally felt like I understood the ‘making’ of this leaf. I was finally happy with the first colour, but then I don’t feel I quite got the second colour in correct! This is why you shouldn’t stitch when you are too tired!
The next leaf to stitch is the long narrow leaf. I’m finding this a little easier, but I still unpicked the first attempt! I still feel in this first long narrow leaf the direction of the stitches could have been a little more vertical, however the end result isn’t too bad. I will see what I’m thinking by the time I get to the eighth one, but so far, they all seem to be suffering the same fate! I’m hopeful I will be able to get these remaining long narrow ones in reasonably quickly, and that just leaves the final set of leaves.
In hindsight, I really should have done things ‘out of order’. The first leaf in the instructions is the trefoil leaf, however I really did struggle with it, and I well, wasn’t enjoying it, after really enjoying the first motif stitched. Looking at the ‘big picture’, and the next lessons (an advantage when you get behind!), there was no reason why I had to stitch these leaves in just yet – I could have moved on with the others, and come back and stitched them either when I’d finished the other leaves, or as part of the process of stitching the next few motifs. But live and learn as they say!
So lets see what happens now. I’m feeling reinvigorated about this project again, and it’s nice to be able to see progress (albeit very slow), being made. I’m hopeful I have turned the corner!
I totally agree with you, it’s much better to make a good job of your stitching than keeping up with everyone else. I have often found certain projects difficult to get along with, not just sewing, I also knit and crochet, and I find leaving them for a short time helps and I enjoy getting along with them afterwards.
By the way, I think you are doing a wonderful job, your stitching looks lovely, very neat and even. I’m really looking forward to seeing your progress on this project.
Thanks Ann for such lovely and encouraging words. Sometimes I think the reason I have so many projects on the go is just as you said – the break between projects is just what each project needs! You are clever to be able to knit and crochet as well as sew!
Very nice job. I’ve always found this project intimidating. Stitching the same design over and over… Once I’ve made something, I find it very hard to make a second one. I guess I get bored easily 😛
Thanks Dima. I am wondering if that is part of the problem! Another benefit of being behind, I can ‘make’ the full one and then go back to the beginning!