I have removed the original content of this blog post. I thought it was as obvious as the flab on my thighs that I was simply using my sense of humor to illustrate my deep frustration at not being able to stitch what I clearly stated within the first 3 sentences of that post to be this person's lovely, beautiful, creative, splendid, magnificent, & awesome cross stitch designs with the perfection shown in her model photos. Apparently not.
I have written an email to this person to apologize for any misunderstanding caused by my original post. I will leave it at that.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
An Open Letter to Homespun Elegance
Posted by Shirlee at 2:24 PM
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43 comments:
I couldn't work out what had happened to Along for the Ride - did you set it alight in the bath?! This post really made me smile.
I also love Homespun Elegance and have collected many Christmas ornament charts through the years. However, I still haven't stitched any (to my shame), since I'm usually doing a sampler or something. I think I'll try to do one this year and see how it goes. If you'd like, you can go to the designer's blog and see some of the works she's done recently. Adele
Here's her website:
http://plainfancymerchant.blogspot.com/
Oh Shirlee. I'm so sorry that your having problems with HE designs. Sorry, I did have to chuckle when I read your post. Have you contacted them?
Linda
Oh Shirlee! I suggest you recruit John's help at ANY and EVERY time that color is questionable. He has a wonderful sense of color and what works! I think he could really help you here friend. And then. And then you can stitch these HE designs. ;)
Be blessed!! =)
Oh dear!! :)
sometimes it is the dye lots of the threads too. That seems to happen a lot. I know that I have a skein of CC Used Brick that looks exactly like the photo of the ornament. But I have often come across two skeins of the same color in my stash that are totally different. It is very frustrating!
I love HE designs (not the French knots tho...I always sub beads), and you know...you could always just choose your own colors from the get go...hope you try again some time...but your post made me smile...i could feel your angst!
Have a great evening!
Oh dear :)
Welll I am smiling here...
Sending you kisses x
I FEEL YOUR STITCHING PAIN!!! I am also rofl-ing!
I feel your color pain, Shirlee, but I am giggling a bit. I frequently change out a red in her designs with birds because I like red birds! If you have any Lancaster Red (Weeks) or DMC 221, they will work for your bird project. Good luck!
Robin in Virginia
Haha, I'm with you! I would NEVER do a craft called French Knotting, lol! I try to avoid them like the plague.
Shirlee, what a hoot! You know you need to got HEAA meetings - stitching their designs is a habit you need to kick! Gave me a good laugh, which I really needed!
I agree with Gloria. I'm practically rolling on the floor laughing at this post. Love it. Give em heck girlfriend!
Maybe part of it's her photography? Sometimes the models change in color due to lighting.
LMBO!
That pic takes me back to when it happened.
I guess you are better off picking your own colors first before you atart, but I agree, sometimes the color is totally different.
She uses a lot of blending also.
Marilyn
Oh no, I had high hopes for your new HE project...looks like not so much now! I do agree with all the coloring and photography. These specialty flosses are just not consistent enough. If you run out of floss--good luck matching it. This is not good for post op heart surgery.
Judy heartland stitcher
I just got home from a busy work day and now I have to go to myHOA meeting but decided to check the blogs. So glad I did pick yours to read...love it! Thank you for your sense of humor.
I've not stitched any HE designs, but after reading about your issues with them, I'm thinking I might never stitch any.
I usually pick my own colors and use the colors listed on a chart as a guideline.
I think we have all been there at some point in time but maybe not with HE designs specifically. I have a huge problem with the dyelots on overdyed flosses lately and it's not any one particular company, although CC seems to pop up more often that the others. This could be the reason for the floss changes too.
I do understand your concerns about HE designs though.....I love the look of them too but the floss colors look nothing like the models pictured. I think it has to do with the way the pictures are taken and then photoshopped. It's not just this designer I have a problem with too :) I will leave the one that is bothering me lately nameless! LOL.
I cheat on French Knots and use tiny beads instead..so far it seems to work..just a thought...I never worry about the color choices either..guess I'm just a nonconformist. Love your post!
Oh dear! Sorry about your pains with HE, but I admit I loved your post! :)
I like HE designs too, and have stitched a few. I never had all the recommended threads/fabric in my stash so always used what I had at hand at the moment, and used the photo as a guide. Always thought it was a shame but now I guess it saved me lots of pains!
Oh Shirlee. As you know I absolutely adore HE designs very much and never seem to have a problem with them at all. If I dont have the required floss I look at the finished picture on the chart and have a tendancy to pick the right colours from my stash so I am not sure what to say to you. My JCS Christmas Issue is on its way to me - imagine my delight now you have shown me the Noel Bird - I cannot wait for it to drop through the letterbox now xx
Shirlee, this open letter gave me a well-needed laugh! I feel your angst, I too wonder how the colors of floss could be SO different too! Enjoy your weekend!
I hear what you are conveying! But I think the problem is: the skeins of flosses are different even though they are named the same. I think its due to several different batches of the same color threads. I have noticed that in my stash, especially if I ordered from 2 different vendors the same colored thread, they are different. This has happened only twice to me. Even right now I have been in conflict kitting up a design that the colors of the threads pulled - don't look like the photo on the chart. I also shop on line for my over hand dyed threads. maybe if I were in person I could pull one that may seem brighter. And to top it - no dmc conversion given. So i will pull colors on my own. Hope this makes sense. love Annette
Ooops! I wonder if the magazine enhance the colour of the actual ornaments to make it look more readish?
LOOL... This really made me laugh! I think you need to round up all your Homespun Elegance designs and donate them or something. They're obviously no good for you!
Dang, dang, dang! Could be the picture, and how they photographed it. Because if your fabric is the called for one, they ain't a match at all, according to the pictures! I pretty much pull the colors that will show the most as the originals, and put what I like for the rest. Not going to aggravate myself... Hugs!
I have never done a HE design. But then I am fairly new at this and lovin' it too. These designs are wonderful so now I have to check them out. Hang in there all will be well.
Peace to all,
Barb
OMG, Shirlee, I know you're frustrated and upset by your traumatic HE ornament experience, but you had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt when I saw that photo of your ornament in FLAMES in the sink! I almost had to reach for MY Xanax bottle! LOL!
Honestly, I fully understand your frustration as I HATE French knots with a passion. And I'd be angry about the mixed up floss listings as well. All good info to have filed away in my mind in case I ever think about stitching a HE ornament! Hope today is better. Have a good weekend!
I would have more sympathy for your pain if it didn't make your posts so damned funny!
I now have Shirlee as being synonymous with Homespun Elegence designs, as soon as I see one I think of you and your burnt offerings. The bird ornie is lovely and I hope you do manage to find some suitable colours for it.
Oh Shirlee I am laughing so hard here! I feel for you as I have had the same problem with a few designers over colours not looking as they should. I know a lot of the time it is dyelot problems but it is so disappointing and I kinda wish that they'd just use good ole DMC so we don't have that problem. As for French Knots from HELL I hate them with avengence!!!!! I love the red bird from the ornament issue so I hope we can find a suitable colour for it. Not got my copy yet though as it's apparently stuck in customs. Where I ordered it from got one parcel and sent a few out but are still waiting for 3 more parcels. Grrrrr to customs!
You make me laugh! I have never stitched one of there designs, and I'm not sure I ever will now! I don't want to have to resort to a fire in the bath episode you are now so famous for!
The designs are lovely though, perhaps if I am ever brave enough I will try to sub out the colours in favor of good old DMC.
I have just finished reading the post you wrote about Homespun Elegance. It is very upsetting to me because I love homespun elegance designs and I stitch for Sandra. She is a wonderful talented designer! I know what goes into her work to design and chart and pick fabric and colors before I even get he design to stitch. Sometimes she will get the stitching back and make changes to make it right!!! I don't know if you realize but when something is photographed it isn't always the same as the original is. Lighting changes the colors. When the companies that make the overdyed threads come out with the threads, they aren't always the same colors. The same with fabric dye lots. I do some knitting as well and yarn has different dye lots as well. My advise to you would be to pick the fabric and lay the threads on top of it. You can tell if the threads will show up by doing this. As for the French knots I would suggest you use beads or just do cross stitches. You could even chose patterns that don't use French knots. Sandra's patterns in my opinion are very quick and easy stitches. Her designs are beautiful! I find it very upsetting to see this post you wrote about such a wonderful talented person. I love stitching for her and I value her friendship. It just hurts me to see someone to be so heartless. I am sure if you would have emailed Sandra she would have helped in any way she could.
This is my biggest pet peeve! It has happened to me many times, with other designers (Blackbird Designs being the latest). I have purchased the recommended fabric and floss many times and when I get ready to stitch, I find that the fabric and floss together look nothing like the photos in the book/chart or online. I just received an order from 123stitch that included the recommended fabric for a Blackbird Design chart and some of the recommended floss doesn't even show up on the fabric :/
If I had a LNS that carried tons of fabric, I could shop there and so a floss toss with fabric, and avoid this problem, but my LNS doesn't really have a large stock of fabric. So, I basically have to purchase my supplies online.
This has even happened to me when I purchased a kit! I purchased a Shepherd's Bush (Birdsong Sampler) and I was shocked to find that the included fabric was a much darker green than the photos of the sampler online. Some of the green silk floss that was included in the kit is the exact same color of the fabric! The SB kits are expensive, but I feel with the fabric and silk floss being included, the price is worth it - but NOT when the fabric looks completely different in the photos. If I have to substitute different fabric, then the $50 kit price is not much of a deal.
I have not burned a WIP as you did, but I have certainly thrown a WIP away in frustration!
Maybe you should change your blog to pleasure and pain, lol. You are so funny Shirlee, I remember when you posted the photos of the ornie on fire.
This is supposed to be relaxing Shirlee, let it go, breathe....she responded to your open letter today, though it seems to be on the defense, but she hasn't come to know and love you like we do ! Hugs to you!!
Oh dear, she obviously doesn't understand your humour. You are a great sport to redo your post.
I followed your adventures with HE designs butI've never stitched one yet. I'll think about you when the time comes ;)
hugs and happy xxx,
chiara
I totally understand what you are saying. What is really awful is when I have stitched an older design using the DMC threads suggested and they are so completely different than the photo of the completed piece. When the designer states they used DMC, you shake your head and wonder how they didn't see that the fence was totally invisible against the grass!! It is the same with the overdyed threads and I absolutely feel your pain. For the record, I knew you were being sarcastic and joking, too bad some people have such thin skins these days.
Frankly, I do not think you should have deleted your blog post! It is YOUR blog and YOUR opinion! Just because one person who replied was upset, does not mean you should have to delete your post.
Freedom of speech I Say!
I love your original post and was lucky enough to find it again. I totally agree you should not have removed the post. You were right I also love H. E. patterns but use DMC and do not like their color combinations. You are very on track with how you feel I am on your side.... Will follow your blog more closely now. Enjoy the pattern you stitch Bonnie
I am a LSN owner and a good friend of Sandra's. I didn't read the original post, but even in jest, it is hurtful to receive criticism. Those of us that are artists or in a creative field consider our creations as our "children" in a lot of respects. Imagine how you would feel, if even in jest, someone was mean to your "child". I hope all is well now. It was nice of you to remove the post.
Wish you hadn't deleted your post. Free speech and the ability to take things with a grain of salt.
I think anyone who reads your blog and has gotten a flavour of who you are would have take this for what it was, a fun, tongue in cheek look at a very REAL problem in this industry :)
Shirlee,
I couldn't help noticing how many comments you received here that said your original post brought a smile to people (myself included!) It's a shame that some people misinterpreted your post and reacted the way they did.
I'm glad I was lucky enough to see the original post as it truly gave me a good laugh. Hope you have a wonderful day today. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your ornaments, by the way! I need to get started here on mine.
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