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Before you take your first stitch! Measure, measure, measure! And plan your threads carefully - you want to keep frogging to an absolute minimum! Cotton knit is not as forgiving as evenweave fabric. Glad I chose a black shirt! The pattern I selected is 45 x 50 stitches. The waste canvas is 14-count; the design is approximately 3” x 3.5”. For purely aesthetic reasons, I decided to align the center of the design with the base of the armholes. Before attaching the canvas, I folded it in quarters and marked the center with a cross stitch in a different color. Most directions tell you to baste the waste canvas to your ground. I just used straight pins. I also violated one of the tenets of needlework and knotted my threads. I expect this garment to get some hard use, once my little friend grows into it. The pattern called for electric blue eyes. This Potterhead ixnayed that for green. The design included a few extra components that made no sense, so I scuttled them. The pattern called for a bit of black backstitching. I opted for espresso. How to remove waste canvas Some instructions tell you to dampen the canvas first. I find that makes a mess. The sizing in the canvas makes it slightly sticky as it is worked, so it’s already a bit difficult to contend with. When I explained what I was doing to a customer, and why I put the design on the back rather than the front (the shirt has a pocket), she commented that I’d painted a “bulls-eye” on the back of a very active little boy, thereby making him easier to spot! I have no children - that never occurred to me! Word of advice: if you’ve never worked with waste canvas, choose a pattern that’s much more open. The denser your design, the harder the waste canvas threads will be to remove. When I dealt with the lion’s body, I had to get in between the x’s with a small needle and slide out the canvas thread by thread. As careful as I was, I still damaged some stitches. Come to the Point! stocks 14-count waste canvas at $1.00/inch. Minimum purchase 9 inches. Keep a needle and thread in your hands, and you'll keep out of trouble! All images and information depicted on this site are protected under copyright laws. Do not duplicate, use, reproduce, display or transmit any design or information without the express written consent of Michelle Hufford. © 2010 Michelle Hufford, Come to the Point!, 10 California Avenue, San Rafael, California 94901. Telephone: 415.485.4942. |
After multiple repinnings, the project was ready to go.
Here we are after one hour of stitching. 
The first 20 rows. I see plants, but what’s that column? 
Thirty rows – do I see the beginnings of a mane? 
Forty rows – Ah, so we do have a lion in the middle of this jungle!
Fifty rows – Leo is almost ready for his close-up! 
Cut around the design as close as you can, but leave yourself some working room.
Pulling away! 
Be careful as you pull. Although the weave is loose, the threads don’t always co-operate. 
You’ll need a needle, and a lot of patience! I always start with the horizontal threads, then remove the vertical ones. Once you have the cross threads out, the threads that are left should slide out from underneath the stitching. 
Leo is now ready for his close up!