WIP: King's Highway Sampler (original)

The second of my three self-designed WIPs is featured today. It is a sampler of canvas stitches in the form of the traditional quilt pattern King's Highway.

Technique/Materials:  A variety of threads (including Very Velvet, metallic braid, Flair, pearl cotton, Pebbly Pearl, and overdyed wool) on 18ct mono canvas. The sampler is symmetric in terms of which stitch is used in each quadrant, except for the four large red areas. In these areas, I stitched different variations of a trellis stitch, using various metallic and matte threads (and beads in one of the areas).

Background:  Sometime in 2007 (I think), my ANG chapter started an ongoing stitch-of-the-month mini-program. Each month, a different member would present a stitch (his or her own choice), demonstrating it, handing out instructions, and discussing tips and tricks to working the stitch. We were all encouraged to start our own stitch notebook or sampler. This design is my sampler. I wanted to let the texture of the individual stitches stand out, so I chose a very limited color palette of dark red, green, royal blue, and oatmeal. I didn't know which blocks I would be stitching in a given month. When the stitch was presented, I then decided what threads I had that would work with that stitch, and that helped determine where the stitch would be used in the design.

Why it's not done:  I had started out well, keeping up with the monthly stitches so I'd be able to start the next block during the ANG meeting at which it was presented. After a few months, though, somehow I slipped up on this cadence, and it snowballed from there. At this point, when I pick it up again I'll likely just grab a convenient stitch book, close my eyes, and flip through the pages. When the pages stop flipping, I'll put my finger on a page, and use that stitch as my next stitch, then figure out where it goes and with which thread.

What's left to do: All of the unstitched blocks! This piece is only about 8" square, though, so it really shouldn't take a terribly long time.