The Tree Starts to take Shape

As this week draws to a close I wanted to share my latest progress photo with you. 

I have finished the background under the tree skirt and have started working on the tree. I thought I would do all of the green parts of the tree before adding in the garland but found I was losing track of where I was in the pattern.  Some people choose to highlight their pattern as they stitch so that they don't lose their place but I have never gotten into this habit. Therefore, to make things easier for me I stitched in the first string of the garland.  From there I found it very easy to keep track of where I was on the tree.  As I get closer to the next garland string, I will do the same thing.

As more of the tree takes shape I will fill in background so that I won't have to work exclusively on background once the tree is done. Having a lot of background to complete once 

the main elements are done can quickly become very boring and can be the source of many unfinished projects.  To reduce the possibility of my becoming bored, I try to do background as I am working on the main motifs.  Working background can be a wonderful source of relaxation if motifs are difficult because it gives me a break from meticulous counting. This rug is not a difficult one to stitch but it is still nice to have some stretches of time where I don't have to count.

Hoping you are also enjoying time stitching or crafting for your miniature scenes.  I would love to see what you are doing.  Until next time...