Going Backwards

I seem to be going backwards more than forwards on this Phase. I decided cord #3 needed a little reverse stitching. This time it was not the stitches that I was dissatisfied with but the twisting of the thread. It looked uneven. The 2-ply thread is made by first undertwisting each ply and then overtwisting them together. Using the same amount of silk in each ply and giving each the same amount of undertwist results in an even, regular twisted thread. If the plies have a different amount of undertwist, the resulting cord will be uneven. This fact can be exploited to create decorative threads and even exaggerated by using plies of differing thicknesses.

For this cord I am using a 4 into 1 twist. That means that each tread is made from 4 strands of flat silk, 2 in each ply. I twisted enough thread to nearly complete the cord (hopefully). The end of the cord is intended to look like it is fading out and gradually finer threads are used to help achieve this effect. I also twisted the threads I will need to stitch this part of the cord.

After I had reverse stitched and twisted the new threads I had little time left to actually stitch. When I stopped to go to work I had less stitching done than when I started. That is very disheartening.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

That was two days ago. I was able to do another 30 minutes stitching this morning and am now a little further ahead but it was very difficult to tear myself away from the frame with so little of the cord remaining.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

If I get some stitching time tomorrow I may just finish this cord.

Happy Stitching