Sending a huge thank you to Tanya and Elizabeth for giving me the confidence to go all the way – and wet the tree.
I’ve pussy-footed about steaming odd bits before, but never had the guts to get everything really wet, now, thanks to the encouragement from you all, I’ve done it.
And it worked!
I am absolutely delighted and will now be giving the same treatment to the rest of the pile of wonky pieces sitting on the self – I just need to invest in another couple of packets of drawing pins.
Now that it’s square, the finishing options are much more straightforward – so I’ll start nagging the Other Half for the promised frame (who knows, at this rate I’ll probably end up making it myself).
)O(
And in other news…
Anyone who’s been having the occasional peep at the snaps in the sidebar, might have seen the new piece I’ve started. Here it is…
Take no notice of the colours I’ve drawn in, I’m working in a more red/green palette – err, well it looks like this…
I needed to go couching again after months of tent stitch, – it’s a weird kind of release, and I like to watch and see where the yarns decide to go.
So that’s me on the stitching front. Hope your projects are all coming along the way you want them.
Happy stitching!
)O(
Over in the sidebar, are my Instagram pics of the Daily Tree Project, with the occasional stitchy update and other random snaps from daily life around here.
Do feel free to explore, or follow on Instagram or Twitter.
Dreaming In Stitches 
What a delight it is when the solution is so easy! The finished, squared off, piece looks wonderful … and so does the new piece. LOVE the colour choice and the way it’s shaping up. Great to get a sneaky peak at that gorgeous thread basket!
Thank you, yes I’m so pleased with the way it worked, I’ll definitely be braver next time. Glad you like the basket, we’re all thread-junkies at heart aren’t we!
Tree looks absolutely fantastic – it’s just beautiful. How wonderful that that did the trick!
Thank you, I am one grateful lady!
Yay! So glad to know it worked!
I was amazed – and delighted! Thank you.
Displaying my ignorance here – but what does steaming actually do?
Well I’m no Sheldon Cooper, but I suspect it softens the fibres so they become pliable – this piece was so out of square that a bit of gentle steaming wasn’t having any effect. I’ve always been frightened that getting the canvas and yarns wet would spoil them in some way, but in fact it was magical – if quite tough – everything started to move as I stretched it, I pinned it once I’d got the right angles (near as damn it) and now that it’s well and truly dry, it’s kept the new shape – result! 🙂
When I learned from my mother, I thought she said something like some canvases are made with a bit of stiffener that activates when it gets wet and then it dries again to help hold the new shape. I have no idea if this is true so I tried googling it. I couldn’t find any thing but I did find this good tutorial about blocking:
http://needlepointteacher.com/finishing-the-project/blocking-wet-method/
And I learned that one should check the colorfastness of your threads before wet blocking. Something I’ve never done but might do the next time. Would be terrible to end up with a wet smeary blur of a canvas.
Crikey, I’m rather pleased I didn’t read this first! Although once you start, it sort of makes sense doesn’t it. I’m just using linen scrim, so I wouldn’t expect it to have any treatments, but I have heard of people using wallpaper paste to ‘hold’ the shape – I wouldn’t go that far. It’s actually been great fun and now I’ll be completely relaxed about doing it again, so that’s a big step forward for me. 🙂
Glad it worked! Hope you get the frame for it before too long!
Ummmm! I can feel a trip to the library coming on to seek basic carpentry instructions… 🙂 or I might just up the nagging!
well done you!
I wouldn’t have tried without your encouragement – thank you!
That has worked out so well – thank goodness for blogland! It is such a beautiful piece – I would just have to sit and look at it all day if it were mine! Can’t wait to see the next piece – hope you are stitching away!
Thank you – yes, Blogland is fantastic! Will be stitching as soon as Midsomer Murders starts…
Hurrah, the tree looks wonderful – best put on full screen view, then looked at from further away – you can really see the energy flowing through it and the colours are delicious. I’m also rather amused by the other wonky bits “sitting on the self” …. a Freudian slip perhaps, indicating the great weight of those “put to one side” things awaiting your attention!! 🙂
Superb and very Freudian! Actually come to think of it, I do have some rather wonky bits, especially after going to yoga… 🙂
overwhelmed with the colours! fantastic x
I’m so pleased, thank you 🙂
Anny, the letter E is now finished and ready if you’re still wanting it! x
Thank you – yes definitely, I’ll rush over to your Etsy store now! 🙂