Back Stitching "Rules"
Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply
There is a thread going on over at the AOL needlework board about
backstitching. The question about what the "rule" is came up so I thought I
would ask here as I know we have a number of people who are certified to do
judging. When a piece is entered in competition is it the rule that you back
stitch one stitch at a time? That's the way I learned and the way most
instructions I have seen are worded but I wanted to check with the judges just
to be sure.
Some of the folks over at the AOL boards don't so that -- they will do one
back stitch to cover 3 or 4 cross stitches in a straigh line as opposed to
doing each individual stitch. I am a one stitch at a time back stitcher. Now,
we all know a person can do whatever s/he wants with their work. As I have
stated in the past -- ad nauseum I am sure -- to be a good needleworker, you
should know what the "rules" are and be able to follow them before you hie off
into the realm of personal creative expression. Which boils down to -- I told
the folks over at AOL that I would ask here to find out what judges are judging
so that we know which "rule" it is that we aren't following :-)). CiaoMeow
>^;;^<
.
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!
Karen
> Hi Guys,
> There is a thread going on over at the AOL needlework board about
> backstitching. The question about what the "rule" is came up so I thought I
> would ask here as I know we have a number of people who are certified to do
> judging. When a piece is entered in competition is it the rule that you back
> stitch one stitch at a time? That's the way I learned and the way most
> instructions I have seen are worded but I wanted to check with the judges just
> to be sure.
> Some of the folks over at the AOL boards don't so that -- they will do one
> back stitch to cover 3 or 4 cross stitches in a straigh line as opposed to
> doing each individual stitch. I am a one stitch at a time back stitcher. Now,
> we all know a person can do whatever s/he wants with their work. As I have
> stated in the past -- ad nauseum I am sure -- to be a good needleworker, you
> should know what the "rules" are and be able to follow them before you hie off
> into the realm of personal creative expression. Which boils down to -- I told
> the folks over at AOL that I would ask here to find out what judges are judging
> so that we know which "rule" it is that we aren't following :-)). CiaoMeow
I always assume that the designer wants one stitch at a time unless it's
specifcally stated otherwise. Of course some angled stitches require
covering a longer span but for straight-line backstitching I always do
it by the individual stitch. That's also how my mom does it and she does
judge at county fairs. I'll check to see if she looks for that when judging.
Karen E.
--
_______________________________________
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example"
Mark Twain, 'Puddn'head Wilson'
***Please remove "nojunk" from email address to reply.***
Ericka Kammerer
> Some of the folks over at the AOL boards don't so that -- they will do one
> back stitch to cover 3 or 4 cross stitches in a straigh line as opposed to
> doing each individual stitch. I am a one stitch at a time back stitcher. Now,
> we all know a person can do whatever s/he wants with their work. As I have
> stated in the past -- ad nauseum I am sure -- to be a good needleworker, you
> should know what the "rules" are and be able to follow them before you hie off
> into the realm of personal creative expression. Which boils down to -- I told
> the folks over at AOL that I would ask here to find out what judges are judging
> so that we know which "rule" it is that we aren't following :-)). CiaoMeow
I don't know about what judges are looking for, but
I am a one-backstitch-at-a-time person too. I don't think
it looks as good with the long stitches (except in certain
situations where you're going for a particular effect).
In surface embroidery you wouldn't carry a thread all that
far either.
Best wishes,
Ericka
F.James Cripwell
I was all ready to say the same thing.
--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.
Skyhooks
running stitch (DRS). I like the 'cabled' effect of the DRS, when it's
done properly and consistently. Although, corners are tricky with the
DRS, so I sometimes do a couple of backstitches to create the corner,
then I continue with DRS.
Personally, I think judges look for consistency more so than proper
technique, but that's an impression I have.
Sweet Stitching!!!!!!!
Helen (Skyhooks)
hmardis *aht* uiuc "daught" edu
"reply to" address munged -- read line above for correct addy.
TFTD: Good things turn up when both ends of your mouth do the same!
Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply wrote:
>
Linda Wright
for "as long a backstitch as you can" to get "flowing effect". I'm
outlining feathers and I am considering in some parts possibly even
sort of couching the thread to get more of a curved effect.
Also, in surface embroidery, to me, at least, it depends on what you
are doing. (Dianne, I know you are going to disagree here - VBG!) I
sometimes DO use long stitches (and groups of them) for effect. If I
am backstitching, that may be another story. But in satin stitch/long
& short, I frequently use longer stitches. One of the best pieces of
advice I came across was to not be afraid to use big stitches - and I
have, very effectively, on larger pieces.
Linda in Columbia, MO
Dianne Lewandowski
Good point. I don't disagree at all. <g> Some of this (don't make too
long a stitch) has to do with ultimate use: Will it catch when worn or
used in some fashion? Will the thread lie flat, or is it so long that
it won't stay put? There's "long" and then there's "loooong". <g>
I usually try to put a number on the length, not because that's
necessarily the absolute, but because I basically reach out to
beginners. I usually try to couch my language with something akin to:
"generally". But sometimes I forget to do that. Or, people don't see
the word(s). :-)
Experience is the best teacher. Most beginners make too long a stitch,
so most advisers say, "don't make your stitches too long." It also
depends upon the medium. I might make longer stitches with wool than I
would with a single strand of floss. And, it depends upon tension.
Dianne
Dawne Peterson
"one stitch at a time" method, and the "long stitch" sort of thing. It all
depends on the effect they want. So shouldn't the designer's intention
govern??
Just to keep the topic going--The amount of backstitch I have left off
pieces in my time is pretty substantial; I also change the colour for less
contrast sometimes to avoid a "colouring book" effect and go for something
more painterly.
Dawne
Karen C - California
<dia...@heritageshoppe.com> writes:
>Some of this (don't make too
>long a stitch) has to do with ultimate use: Will it catch when worn or
>used in some fashion? Will the thread lie flat, or is it so long that
>it won't stay put? There's "long" and then there's "loooong".
What, when I was three years old and just learning to sew, Mom called "elephant
stitches" (because they were big enough for an elephant to walk through).
If the chart shows an up-6-right-1 coming out of the center of a flower
(stamen?), and it's going on the wall, I'll make a 6/1 stitch. If it's going
on a sofa pillow, I'll make two up-3-right-a-half stitches, or even three
up-2-right-(one of the four threads in an Aida bundle) so no one will catch a
zipper or a button on it.
--
Finished 12/14/03 -- Mermaid (Dimensions)
WIP: Fireman's Prayer, Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday
Snowglobe
Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher
http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html
Karen
I asked my mom, who's judged a bit in her time and she says that,
ulitmately, it's a question of what looks right to the stitcher.
I do note, however, that every diagram I've ever seen of backstitching
has it done one cross stitch at a time when it's a straight line.
Anything else is, technically, longstitch.
Ericka Kammerer
> Good point. I don't disagree at all. <g> Some of this (don't make too
> long a stitch) has to do with ultimate use: Will it catch when worn or
> used in some fashion? Will the thread lie flat, or is it so long that
> it won't stay put? There's "long" and then there's "loooong". <g>
Yeah, you're right there. When I think "too long" I
think something more than an inch and a half, not couched down
in any way. You might get away with that in some contexts
in a framed piece, but anywhere else it's likely to catch
or flop around.
Best wishes,
Ericka
Texasxsgal1
Nope. It should be what the stitcher wants that governs. If you want it to
look "just like" the desigern made it, fine and dandy. but the stitcher
should feel free to adapt in any way he or she is comfortablewith. Of course
you realize this is from the stitcher who was behind the barn door when the
following directions gene was passed out. LOL
I am doing My Celtic Christmas on a different size, count and brand of linene,
doing it all in greenswith silver instead of gold
will probably leave off the Noel and am considering changing the border.
kathy
san antonio
Evelyn M
news:104cf9t...@corp.supernews.com...
I'm not qualified to judge either but I'll jump in for the fun of it.
I don't usually change things much but I have also changed the backstitch
color at times to more closely match the thing I'm outlining to make a less
contrasting look.
I tend to make my backstitches one block long unless the directions state
otherwise. But sometimes they get just a little longer if the line is
diagonal and I have to decide where to divide the stitches. That can get
kind of tricky on some charts where it isn't clear how the line matchs up
with the grid on the chart.
I had to check what a double running stitch is and now I realize that I use
that interchangeably with the one stitch at a time back stitch depending on
the lay out and my mood. Perhaps this would be noticeable to a judge? It
is interesting because I didn't think twice about this before since either
way it makes a line where each stitch on the front is one block long.
I also switch between doing one cross stitch at a time and going over and
back in whatever direction I want depending on the pattern. (always keeping
the top stitches going the same way of course.) But I noticed that that
does affect how it looks and sometimes I can see where I switched methods.
So I try not to do that too much where it would be noticeable, or I try to
transition from one method to another gradually or on different parts so
that big blocks of stitches with different methods aren't right up against
each other.
I suppose a judge would notice that kind of thing as well and there must be
a rule about that. They would probably look for consistency.
-Evelyn
Dawne Peterson
"Texasxsgal1" <texas...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040303211007...@mb-m19.aol.com...
> >So shouldn't the designer's intention
>
> Nope. It should be what the stitcher wants that governs.
Expressed myself badly. I agree with you totally in terms of everyday
stitching, but thought that for judging, if the designer used "longstitch"
then judges should not expect the stitcher to use "stitch at a time".
Dawne
Dianne Lewandowski
> . . . but thought that for judging, if the designer used "longstitch"
> then judges should not expect the stitcher to use "stitch at a time".
Just an opinion/thought: How would a judge know unless they had the
embroidery or chart diagrams?
Judging is based on the final outcome. Consistency, as someone
mentioned, is the main criteria, as is overall stitching "quality": no
frayed, loose, thinned out threads; no bumps, bulges; properly stretched
on grain; back doesn't show through; suitable color choices; even border
around the design; proper stitches for the technique chosen; proper
tension for the stitches . . . etc. etc.
Regarding consistency: If 80% of the time you used back stitch, and in
a row (line) of stitching you suddenly decided to use longer stitches,
then that might stand out and glare at you. But if you used longer
stitches in places that were required to represent curves, or other
judicious use that fits in the overall scheme of things, then the longer
stitches would probably be acceptable.
And different judges can be more or less judgmental. It's really an
exercise in "judgment call" (pardon the pun).
Dianne
Caryn
>
>Nope. It should be what the stitcher wants that governs
Definately!
How does anybody know what the designer's intentions were unless they are very
clearly delinated in the notes.
Lord knows sometimes I wonder what *I* was thinking as I work on my own design
models, I'd hate to have someone else trying to figure out what was going on in
my head! ROFL
Caryn
Blue Wizard Designs
http://hometown.aol.com/crzy4xst/index.html
Updated: 7/7/03 -- now available Dragon of the Stars
View WIPs at: http://community.webshots.com/user/carynlws (Caryn's UFO's)
Gracie
I'm probably stitching with the DRS as well, I'll have to look that
one up to make sure.
I also noticed that it really makes a difference if you use one at a
time or 'there and back' stitching if you are stiching a line on a
diagonal... ie
x
x
x
x
The tension gets really messed up with there and back stitching.
Realized that on try *three* on the skirt of Angel of Freedom. Left
it at that and really need to get back at it!
There's a series of designs from England that are making great use
(IMHO) of long stitch to create interesting backgrounds. A warning
though, they are adorable! (and I want to buy them all!)
Newton's Law
http://www.sewandso.co.uk/cgi-bin/find/db.cgi?db=zoom&uid=&Prod_Code=17198&ww=on&do=search_results
or www.sewandso.co.uk and search on "Newton" in the Cross Stitch
section.
He's just the sweetest thing.
On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 04:04:02 GMT, "Evelyn M" <nob...@ihatespam.com>
wrote:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gracie
WIPs: Angel of Light, Angel of Freedom, and too many 'little' projects to mention!
Poetta
Cripwell) wrote:
>Ericka Kammerer (e...@comcast.net) writes:
>> Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Some of the folks over at the AOL boards don't so that -- they will do one
>>> back stitch to cover 3 or 4 cross stitches in a straigh line as opposed to
>>> doing each individual stitch. I am a one stitch at a time back stitcher. Now,
>>> we all know a person can do whatever s/he wants with their work. As I have
>>> stated in the past -- ad nauseum I am sure -- to be a good needleworker, you
>>> should know what the "rules" are and be able to follow them before you hie off
>>> into the realm of personal creative expression. Which boils down to -- I told
>>> the folks over at AOL that I would ask here to find out what judges are judging
>>> so that we know which "rule" it is that we aren't following :-)). CiaoMeow
>>
>>
>> I don't know about what judges are looking for, but
>> I am a one-backstitch-at-a-time person too. I don't think
>> it looks as good with the long stitches (except in certain
>> situations where you're going for a particular effect).
>> In surface embroidery you wouldn't carry a thread all that
>> far either.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> Ericka
>
> I was all ready to say the same thing.
DITTO ME TOO!
Jennifer / Poetta
Dawne Peterson
"Dianne Lewandowski"
> Just an opinion/thought: How would a judge know unless they had the
> embroidery or chart diagrams?
A good point! No one can keep track of all the charts out there. But what
you mentioned about consistency also seems very relevant--some designs have
a loose, sketchy look, others more detailed and controlled, and the
backstitching/longstitching likely is in the style of the work.
Dawne
Joan Erickson
> When a piece is entered in competition is it the rule that you back
> stitch one stitch at a time? That's the way I learned and the way most
> instructions I have seen are worded but I wanted to check with the judges just
> to be sure.
I'm definitely not a judge (haven't heard too many chiming in here,
either--don't any of them know about us?) but I'm also looking like the
lone wolf here. I usually make my backstitches (whichever sort I
do--I'm not sure if it's drs, bs, or what) 2 or 3 stitches long on the
straightaway.
My thoughts (fwiw! :) ) are that the bs is to define an area. The
times I've tried the one-by-one method the areas don't seem to stand out
as much, IOW, *less* defined because the 1x1 stitching somehow gets
"lost" between the other threads. Maybe it would stand out more if the
bs used the same number of strands as the cs. This may also happen more
when a darker shade is used for the bs as opposed to, say, black or dark
brown.
Like I said, FWIW!
--
Joan
See my first-ever design here:
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/joan.jpg
"Stitch when you are young and poor, frame when you are old and rich."
- Elizabeth's (rctn'r) sister's MIL (Barbara Marr)
Dianne Lewandowski
> I usually make my backstitches (whichever sort I do--I'm not sure if
> it's drs, bs, or what) 2 or 3 stitches long on the straightaway. My
> thoughts (fwiw! :) ) are that the bs is to define an area. The times
> I've tried the one-by-one method the areas don't seem to stand out as
> much, IOW, *less* defined because the 1x1 stitching somehow gets
> "lost" between the other threads. Maybe it would stand out more if
> the bs used the same number of strands as the cs. This may also
> happen more when a darker shade is used for the bs as opposed to,
> say, black or dark brown.
I've been following this thread, and just noticed "wording differences"
after Joan's post.
Typically, backstitching is done in the same length space as the cross
stitch. So, if using aida, it will go over one square (provided your
cross stitching is over one square rather than two <g>).
If using linen, and your cross stitches are over 2 ground threads, then
your bkstitch will be over two.
However, I suspect that on some grounds, 2 threads might not be enough
to show the bkstitch "off" effectively. That might be remedied by a
looser tension or more strands.
Maybe the difficulty with backstitching being effective happens if/when
you change from the original directions, e.g., go from 22 count to a
finer 32 ct. Just thinking out loud. When I've played with my own
designs, I noticed a difference in outcome on several fronts when
changing fabric counts.
Dianne
Joan Erickson
> Typically, backstitching is done in the same length space as the cross
> stitch. So, if using aida, it will go over one square (provided your
> cross stitching is over one square rather than two <g>).
>
> If using linen, and your cross stitches are over 2 ground threads, then
> your bkstitch will be over two.
Guess I'm atypical then ('course I've always known that! :) ). If I'm
working on aida, I "backstitch" over two (sometimes 3) squares (cs is
over one square). If I'm working on linen, I go over 4 (or 6) threads
(cs over 2 threads). I just feel it stands out more that way and
sometimes looks smoother than the "choppier" single stitches.
I know I don't do a *true* backstitch as in surface embroidery. I
think I'm probably doing the double running stitch (aka Holbien, right,
Dianne?), i.e. up at a, down at b, up at c, down at b, up at c, down at
d, up at e down at d, etc.
__ __ __ __ __ __
a b c d e f
or, up at a, down at b, up at c, down at d, up at e, down at f and then
working backwards to fill in the missed spots, depending on where I want
to end up.
--
Joan (still waiting for all the judges to show up to answer TM's
original question!)
Ellice
> I don't like to backstitch and I rarely use it. Instead, I use a double
> running stitch (DRS). I like the 'cabled' effect of the DRS, when it's
> done properly and consistently. Although, corners are tricky with the
> DRS, so I sometimes do a couple of backstitches to create the corner,
> then I continue with DRS.
I'm with you. I generally us double-running a.k.a. Holbein stitch - in areas
of lots of back-stitch - such as blackwork. It is much more secure, and when
there's nothing around to weave a tail under, this holds much better than a
standard backstitch.
>
> Personally, I think judges look for consistency more so than proper
> technique, but that's an impression I have.
I'm not a judge, and when I took a 2 day class on judging, consistency, no
lumps and bumps, were discussed. And of course - correctness of stitches.
But, I don't remember ever a definitive on the proper back-stitch. Doesn't
mean there isn't one, but just I don't know. We even looked at even-ness on
the surface - turning the piece on it's side and looking across on the
stitch level (hence the no-glass requirement for that particular
organization's exhibits is useful).
I've done some pieces that I actually didn't like the every 2 threads look
in some black-work areas, and so used longer runs - but was consistent,
balanced in the symmetry. In XS, when outlining a stitched area, it just
depends to me. I don't necessarily think the every stitch an equal
back-stitch works for all designs. To my eye, sometimes a longer run can
smooth out, give more flow. Not a stitch that's flopping around, however.
Bottom line - I'm stitching generally for what I like, not for a grade,
so...
Ellice
Ellice
> Not in any way qualified to judge, but I have seen designers use both the
> "one stitch at a time" method, and the "long stitch" sort of thing. It all
> depends on the effect they want. So shouldn't the designer's intention
> govern??
Good point. And if you don't like the designer's intention - you could,
ummm, shift it a bit ;^)
> Just to keep the topic going--The amount of backstitch I have left off
> pieces in my time is pretty substantial; I also change the colour for less
> contrast sometimes to avoid a "colouring book" effect and go for something
> more painterly.
Ah, painterly - what a good word! Good points, Dawne. I love that word
painterly - when I was doing a studio study class with a professional
watercolor artist, she was always trying to remind us to be painterly. I was
so excited when she looked at some winterscape I'd been working on and
pronounced it "painterly" . And now, I actually do some of my painted
canvases - the more abstract landscape kind of ones - to have that
"painterly" look.
Ellice
Dianne Lewandowski
>We even looked at even-ness on
> the surface - turning the piece on it's side and looking across on the
> stitch level (hence the no-glass requirement for that particular
> organization's exhibits is useful).
Wow! The Nadia Comaniche syndrome. That's pretty nit-picky. Or, am I
being testy?
I understand the "no glass" so that you can see whether tension is
consistent. But consistent shouldn't mean "perfect". Unless, of
course, there's a run-off between two equally No. 1 pieces and you have
to come up with something concrete to eliminate all but one.
Just thinking out loud.
Dianne
Ellice
> Ellice wrote:
>> We even looked at even-ness on
>> the surface - turning the piece on it's side and looking across on the
>> stitch level (hence the no-glass requirement for that particular
>> organization's exhibits is useful).
>
> Wow! The Nadia Comaniche syndrome. That's pretty nit-picky. Or, am I
> being testy?
Well, I think you're being testy <bg> . It was a class in judging - 2 days
of beginning the process to becoming certified, or the required annual
refresher for those who are.
I could refine what I said a bit more. First, many judged exhibits
request/require that framed pieces be entered without glass. Very common
requirement. There are exceptions - if your piece must be under glass - then
a statement is provided along with the entry. IIRC that year there was a
gorgeous piece - which was a shadowbox type thing - wide, not very tall - a
panoramic type proportion - and about 4 layers deep - staggered. All the
pieces in it were stitched, and then stood into a slotted bottom, the entire
thing encased. A gorgeous winter scene - which for good reason had to stay
in the glass (might've had something on the "ground" as well) - and it won a
ribbon. There was another piece under a domed glass - to be like a fish thru
a porthole, which was glassed.
Glass can get a bit in the way of the judges ability to really see some
details - maybe things that most of us don't think about. How do your beads
sit - are they up, or flopping and looking like donuts (bad)? Sometimes once
glassed if the beads slip, oops. Details in some complex stitch - looking
for the fine detail that takes a piece from it's nice, to a ribbon, from any
ribbon to a first. Just depends on how well the piece is framed, how the
glass sits, etc. OTOH, the instructor - a very well known needleworker,
judge, who does a lot of county fairs, as well as national type shows -
asked us all how we felt about pet hairs - stitched in. Seems that we all
expect the occasional cat, dog hair to get stitched in, after all, many
stitchers seem to have companions of the furry or feathered type. That said,
you don't want to see a piece full of hair, fur, fuzz.
> I understand the "no glass" so that you can see whether tension is
> consistent. But consistent shouldn't mean "perfect". Unless, of
> course, there's a run-off between two equally No. 1 pieces and you have
> to come up with something concrete to eliminate all but one.
Of course, the situation is often picking honors in a sort of "1st among
equals" - if you get my drift.
WRT turning the piece on it's side, it's very relevant if you're judging a
NP piece that is done in tent stitch. Especially a piece entered in a
category of "all tent". Can't tell if it's basketweave, or not - but you can
see bad laying of tails (starts, stops). And if you look from the horizontal
plain, you can see the evenness of the stitches - which is one of the
distinguishing points in looking at a tent-stitched piece.
Well, personally I'd have a hard time thinking of much that is "perfect".
Many shades of good, incredible, fine, wonderful, lovely, well-done - even
if you/I think it's hideously ugle - and so forth. When you're looking at a
piece to judge it in comparison to others - it's nice to be able to see it
from all angles. It does make a difference. My experience - 90-95% of the
pieces at these exhibits are really, really, fine work. Some, if they've
been finished very well - framing, mounting, even made into a pillow, vest,
chair - in a way that enhances the piece - it can make a difference. The
entire presentation affects what you notice. OTOH, a bad frame - either
mechanically poorly mounted (I remember one piece which had slipped - in the
original category - but the person who sent it in didn't have a picture in
their statement - so you couldn't tell if it was supposed to be in these
weird skewed position, or just the framer did a crappy job, and the piece
and mat came undone), or overdone can detract. I remember seeing these
lovely little round pieces which had been done into pillows. Well, the
stitching was about 5" diameter, but the cushion was about 12"- done with
lots of pleating - like a big button cushion, with the stitched piece in the
center, cording around them, velvety fabric, ribbon on the exterior. Great
if you had a Victorian kind of sofa to throw it on, but took away so much
from the stitched piece. No ribbon.
Point is, when you're looking at a lot of really well done, lovely pieces,
you do have to be able to discriminate one from the other. If they're in a
judged category. Simplistically, I don't think saying "I don't like flowers
so the birds win" will make the entrants happy.
There are different categories in shows, some of which may have different
weighting factors in judging them. Some categories will have a high weight
on stitching technique, use of materials, while others may have a higher
weight on overall design, color usage, balance, how well does the piece
reflect the artist's statement (in original design categories) what
materials, what stitches are used, and less on the stitching technique.
Some people just exhibit their pieces to show them, but in a non-judged
category. It's nice to see all the different things - regardless of ribbons.
And, lots of shows have a "people's choice" award - so that the viewing
public can vote and pick what they like - for whatever reason.
Anyhow, I'm not a judge. I'm still working on getting acceptance into the
master teacher program - and will then be doing that for years! I've thought
about entering the judging certification program, and may in a year or so -
who knows. No guarantee of getting accepted. It was interesting doing the
class - and if anyone exhibits a lot, and cares about that in a personal
competitive way - taking a class in judging is interesting.
Ellice
Dianne Lewandowski
certain, the ins and outs of what constitutes stitch consistency. I
still think . . . and I'm a hard one to please when it comes to
embroidery of any kind - your description (turning piece on its side et
al) is a bit picky unless that's the ONLY way you can eliminate.
Ellice wrote:
>>>We even looked at even-ness on
>>>the surface - turning the piece on it's side and looking across on the
>>>stitch level (hence the no-glass requirement for that particular
>>>organization's exhibits is useful).
> OTOH, the instructor - a very well known needleworker,
> judge, who does a lot of county fairs, as well as national type shows -
> asked us all how we felt about pet hairs - stitched in. Seems that we all
> expect the occasional cat, dog hair to get stitched in, after all, many
> stitchers seem to have companions of the furry or feathered type. That said,
> you don't want to see a piece full of hair, fur, fuzz.
I would think that pet hairs in a piece up for judging would be placed
way down the list of first prize. That being said, I have long hair and
frequently will deliberately stitch a piece or two into knitting,
crocheting, or embroidery if it's for a loved one.
> Of course, the situation is often picking honors in a sort of "1st among
> equals" - if you get my drift.
>
> WRT turning the piece on it's side, it's very relevant if you're judging a
> NP piece that is done in tent stitch. Especially a piece entered in a
> category of "all tent". Can't tell if it's basketweave, or not - but you can
> see bad laying of tails (starts, stops). And if you look from the horizontal
> plain, you can see the evenness of the stitches - which is one of the
> distinguishing points in looking at a tent-stitched piece.
I guess you'll have to call me "testy". Since you're not looking for
"perfection".
Dianne
Seanette Blaylock
Re: Back Stitching "Rules":
>> I don't like to backstitch and I rarely use it. Instead, I use a double
>> running stitch (DRS). I like the 'cabled' effect of the DRS, when it's
>> done properly and consistently. Although, corners are tricky with the
>> DRS, so I sometimes do a couple of backstitches to create the corner,
>> then I continue with DRS.
>I'm with you. I generally us double-running a.k.a. Holbein stitch - in areas
>of lots of back-stitch - such as blackwork. It is much more secure, and when
>there's nothing around to weave a tail under, this holds much better than a
>standard backstitch.
When I'm trying to do a line that extends into the XS area and ends
there, DRS is much easier for me than constantly starting and ending
threads for a "proper" backstitch line, and looks just fine, IMO.
--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL
Ellice
> Well, I'm not a die-hard needlepointer, so wouldn't really know, for
> certain, the ins and outs of what constitutes stitch consistency. I
> still think . . . and I'm a hard one to please when it comes to
> embroidery of any kind - your description (turning piece on its side et
> al) is a bit picky unless that's the ONLY way you can eliminate.
Of course you're entitled to your opinion. It's just an interesting way to
look at a piece, and see what you see. Level of competition, etc - all
having bearing on if anyone would do this, etc. At one show that I helped
judge - we weren't allowed to touch the pieces. They had all been hung for
the exhibition, many were under glass, and we just were able to look up
close. It was an interesting debate - a couple of the judges, well, let's
just say they had some clear bias, and didn't seem to be appropriate people
to have been allowed to judge the show. Didn't seem knowledgable, and that
caused some conflicts - as the show included many forms of needlework.
> Ellice wrote:
>
>>>> We even looked at even-ness on
>>>> the surface - turning the piece on it's side and looking across on the
>>>> stitch level (hence the no-glass requirement for that particular
>>>> organization's exhibits is useful).
>
>> OTOH, the instructor - a very well known needleworker,
>> judge, who does a lot of county fairs, as well as national type shows -
>> asked us all how we felt about pet hairs - stitched in. Seems that we all
>> expect the occasional cat, dog hair to get stitched in, after all, many
>> stitchers seem to have companions of the furry or feathered type. That said,
>> you don't want to see a piece full of hair, fur, fuzz.
>
> I would think that pet hairs in a piece up for judging would be placed
> way down the list of first prize. That being said, I have long hair and
> frequently will deliberately stitch a piece or two into knitting,
> crocheting, or embroidery if it's for a loved one.
I think her point was that so many of us have pets, and if a piece is well
stitched, delightful in all ways, and has a stray pet hair stuck in it -
that doesn't detract - then why penalize the piece. Heck, different people
work from the adding points up (you start at 0 in a category and work up to
what that max is) while others subtract (start at the max and subtract).
Personally, if I see a hair or 2, and they're not really showing, well, I'd
likely let it go. But, if there's a lot, and they're sticking up all over
the place - well, that's careless, and so I'd note that.
>> Of course, the situation is often picking honors in a sort of "1st among
>> equals" - if you get my drift.
>>
>> WRT turning the piece on it's side, it's very relevant if you're judging a
>> NP piece that is done in tent stitch. Especially a piece entered in a
>> category of "all tent". Can't tell if it's basketweave, or not - but you can
>> see bad laying of tails (starts, stops). And if you look from the horizontal
>> plain, you can see the evenness of the stitches - which is one of the
>> distinguishing points in looking at a tent-stitched piece.
>
>
> I guess you'll have to call me "testy". Since you're not looking for
> "perfection".
How about if looking for that which approaches perfection (I'll save
perfection for the ethereal). But, when looking at pieces that seemingly are
equivalent - it can come down to the littlest, most picky discriminator.
Since you don't NP much, perhaps the next time you see a piece, you could
look at it from the horizontal. People who do a lot of NP look that way a
lot - as it really helps in seeing if lines of stitching on geometrics, or
many complicated stitches are where they should be. Looking down diagonals,
or down the channels. It's just another POV.
ellice