Tree Skirt Complete

This week I was able to complete the tree skirt and start the bottom of the Christmas tree.

I worked the background in Basketweave stitch until I reached the side of the tree skirt where you see the long diagonal section.  After stitching down to the first diagonal stitch of the skirt, I switched to the red and stitched the outline of the Tree Skirt. After getting the outline done, it was easy to stitch the rest of the skirt. One thing I did find though was that carried threads of green or brown showed through the red so it is another lesson to myself about carrying threads across before stitching the main color.  It is now fixed and I can continue.

This week I will work on more of the background around the tree skirt and possibly get more of the tree completed. 

Near the top of the photo you will see a dark red thread coming out of the middle.  This is called "parking a thread". I do this with my threads when I have stitched an element and will be using that color again near where I finished the element but don't want to carry it under my surrounding stitching, or count up to the next area it should be used.  In this case I will be using the dark red in the garland that adorns the tree. Instead of finishing the thread and having to start again, I have saved it out of the way of my current stitching (the cream background) so I won't accidentally stitch over it and will pick it up again later when I begin the garland.  I will have to move the thread later when I stitch more of the tree but, for now, it is out of the way.

​This comes in very useful when you are stitching an area with many color changes.  If you stop and start your threads each time you would have a very bulky back on your rug.  Since it will be carried behind an already stitched area, it doesn't show from the front through the color you have stitched if that color is a darker color.  It is still a good idea not to carry threads over a light area of stitching. If you do wish to stitch over it, simply park your thread in the direction you will need it again and stitch over it before picking it back up again to stitch with. Later, when I am done the rug, I will post a photo of the back of the rug for you to see.