Just finished my Anaphi Diamanti stitched freehand. For the life of me I can't seem to master the drawn thread hem used on the Avlea models. I'll keep trying, but this time I went with a simple hem and fringe. Earlier I did the Mediterranean Sample and really like the individual dessigns so spread them out for a larger (12" x 18") table piece.
These are wonderful! I can explain my obsession with the back. My mother was in a very exacting needlework group, and whenever I tried to stitch something, she immediately flipped it over and critiqued it. I HATED that and didn’t stitch anything for many years. Funny thing, when I went back to it, I was very careful about being neat and not having any lumps.
I thought I would share a picture of the backside. Strange as it seems, whenever I show someone a piece that I have done invariably they almost immediately turn it over to see the back. Never really understood this, but has made me always mindful of what the back looks like and I strive to make it look its best. Another plug for hoop-free stitching; it is very easy to start and end a thread when the fabric is not taut and there is no frame in the way......just saying!
I started 8-10 threads ffrom the edge of the stitching and removed three threads then stitched the hem stitch all around the pattern. Here is the hem stitch. Once the hem is complete, trim the remaining fabric about 1/2 inch from the hem and then pull the rest of the threads to make the fringe.
Love the fringe technique! Do you just stitch a row of stitches around the perimeter and then remove threads? I've used a similar technique on bookmarks and it would be great for folks who don't want to tacklet the drawn thread hem. Thanks for sharing your beautiful stitching!