The bottom edge of My Heart’s Compass was meant to evoke the sand, the sea, and the sky …
with raw-edged patches of blue and green, some indigo, some gifted, some stitched with words from Kindred Spirits, all cobbled together into …
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite come together as I had envisioned, so over time I tried various running, blanket, and back stitches …
It still wasn’t coming together as I had hoped, so I tried satin stitching over the raw edges …
But no, that didn’t quite work either (and has since been completely unstitched).
So I’m exceedingly happy that this latest iteration with close/d herringbone stitch is (finally) working out so well …
The cloth and stitches feel more integrated, with a wonderful texture. And it’s fun to do, even though I have to reload my needle with Deb’s thread every couple of inches.
So I’ve got most of one foot done, with about five feet to go …
It’s such a great feeling when you know you’re on the right track.
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 
This texture and story are so rich! The colors, words, stitch choices, mixed in with time make a great recipe for beauty Liz.
I go back in time and see I wasn’t here then. This Always makes me curious…where was I? I comment so often that when I don’t, it sends my mind to wondering. 🙂
I think in June of 2020, I was just coming out of that mystery illness 🙂 Mystery solved!
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2020 was a very strange time for us all … I’m grateful for the blogs that made it through, and saddened by how many went silent
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Once you knew it’s right .. it’s impossible to stop. It is looking amazing 🤩
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thank you … but now I have a long way to go across the sea … will have to figure out how to make that interesting here
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Yes, this looks best with both color and stitch.
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this part of the cloth is part of what held me back from working on it … the close/d herringbone has made all the difference …. such serendipity
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I think that this stitch and the words and the colours are working really well. Congratulations!! xo
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thank you Judy … I do wish I could push through to solutions more quickly, but your large cloth stitching inspired me to keep trying
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Oh yeah! The closed herringbone is perfect!
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thank you Dana … it’s such a relief to finally hit on a viable solution
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LA – and when you hit to you just know it is right. Intriguing that herringbone stitch went well with the sea; but also in stitching the sea and the sky. B
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B – it is fast becoming my favorite stitch
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The perfect (yet slow) resolution. You are so right – it is just the bee’s knees. Your amazing patience has caught my attention as well – unstitching all that white satin and blanket stitch was a super effort. But oh so worth it. Nevertheless, she persisted. I oftentimes say to B that I wish I could make my mistakes more quickly, but here we are, it’s what we do and how we do it. Great outcome!
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well, I have to confess that I’m stitching right over the blanket and running stitches … and the seam ripper was a good friend as I tore away the satin stitch with far less effort than I used to put it all in … like you, I do wish I could catch my mistakes sooner, but better that than to persist with something that simply doesn’t work … and thank you
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OMG Liz, you unstitched all that work?? I actually liked that pop of white going round it all, but yes, the herringbone stitch looks amazing and thread colors much more flattering and subtle.
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Never fear, the white foam at the edge of the sea will most likely return … this time stitched in herringbone (how appropriate, right?)
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Sounds perfect!
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Fabulous choice. Even sort of looks like those ripples left in the sand after the tide goes out.
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I love this comment … thank you
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