phew!!

The relief is because I managed to damp stretch and take half decent pictures, more on that later. For the moment I give you this, what is it? I don't know, a sample, the start of something bigger, pass....It's purpose initially was to provide a means for me to remain productive whilst my brain ticked on all the decisions I needed to make. It didn't work. Well it worked in so far as I have produced something but I am no nearer making any decisions. Anyhow, here it is, different yet the same. Same techniques, same stitches but different because I have used linen ticking behind my cutwork. The deep red gives it something and it was hard to find contrasting colours for the embroidery but I think these are o.k. What do you think? Not too bad? As for everything else........well I need a kick start, a boot up the behind. These phases aren't unusual as I'm sure you know but they are mightily frustrating I can tell you.


now for the big damp stretch reveal......... are we all sitting comfortably? Right I shall begin. I do have a huge damp stretching board that takes up my whole floor but for smaller things I have a simple cork bath mat and that's what I am using here. I tend to use the pins you can buy for a notice board, like the ones here. You can use normal drawing pins but I panic that they may give off a bit of rust or something so I try and steer clear of them allthough when I have used them in the past they have been fine, just don't want to tempt fate. I made this little sample ages ago and it has already been stretched once so I have crumpled it a little purely for demonstration purposes. (here's one I prepared earlier) Probably only British readers will get that little quip!

Now bear in mind that I don't claim to be an expert and this is MY WAY of damp stretching. There may be people out there who think ''oh that's not the right way according to such and such'' but this way works for me so I am happy. I always start at the horizontal edge, in the middle, pin the bottom then stretch the cloth slightly pulling it upwards before pinning the top. Then I work from the centre outwards, one pin to the left and one to the right and on and on until I have pinned both horizontal edges.

here you can see both those edges pinned and the taughtness this has caused.

then it is exactly the same process for the vertical edges. Always start at the centre and work outwards to the edge.

when it is pinned out and I am happy that there are no wrinkles or creases in it I spray it with a fine mist of water, I don't soak it just damp it. For that I use a plant mister, very cheap and available from lots of places, even supermarkets. One important thing to say though, this piece has minimal pins placed quite far apart. On some pieces it will be necessary to use twice this many pins, very close together. It really depends on how ruched the cloth is and this usually depends on how densely embroidered it is, your own stitching tension etc. I have damp stretched pieces that have had so many pins to pull out the wrinkles that the edge of the cloth is not visible at all.
and here it is, damp stretched and wrinkle free.

what a relief that I have finally done that. I will never have to show you again! It will be here for all time if you need to look again.

I am hoping that this week brings a lifting of the fog surrounding my brain and that I make good progress, find some focus and much needed purpose. Keep your fingers crossed for me.......

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