Mistydale Stitchscape Kit

The last week or so has been a bit of a blur of kit making and preparations for the Heathfield Show. For just a one day show it was a lot of effort but I think it was worth it, and there's more to come on that in a future post. Today it's all about MISTYDALE!! The newest member of the Woollydale family, joining current kits Woollydale II and Mini Woollydale. As you look at them as a collection it basically looks like the weather is just getting worse and worse as the colours darken until there's barely any colour at all. I hope that they are all different enough to create interest but similar enough to look related and potentially go together as a set? You'll have to let me know if you have one of the others already and if this one tempts you. 

It took the longest time to write the instruction booklet as I've really tried to add as many hints and tips as possible and include lots of diagrams. The diagrams are all hand drawn by me, either straight onto the computer, or slightly more old school onto paper with a Sharpie and then scanned in and edited. I like to be thorough and as my only available days are when I'm also in charge of a small one year old, I couldn't spend blocks of time on it. My apologies to those who were waiting for this kit for ages!

I love seeing how the thread cards work out and where all of the colours sit together. Aside from one length of Stylecraft Bambino DK yarn in Grey Mist (very suitable colour!!), the rest of the threads are all Anchor stranded embroidery threads. I list them in numerical order on the cards so their position isn't chosen by me for aesthetic effect. The Mother is my chief thread card maker and is in charge of my boxes of thread in my thread bank, I put in an order for cards and they just appear like magic a few days later ready for me to add the stickers onto. 

I do have a certain way of putting the fabrics together though as I like one of the main feature fabrics to be horizontally across the bottom, and the rest lined up nicely vertically. This does have to be played around with as you can't just bung them in any old order so it is worked out, then photographed so that each kit is set out in the same order. Similarly the positioning of the laces and where they are put in the lines. 

Beads are individually counted (roughly, I put in what looks like the right amount and then just quickly count them in twos to make sure there are enough - I haven't got a sensitive enough scale that will register 40 small glass beads at a time) and bagged, then the bags folded, stuck and stapled to make sure the beads don't escape. 

There are just so many steps to getting everything ready to actually compile a set of kits together, bead bags, laces cut (two of them), six fabrics all cut to size, backing fabric cut to size, thread cards cut, stickered and wrapped, separate leaflet pages printed, folded and popped inside the kit booklet. That's of course after the designing of the kit, counting/measuring everything used, writing instructions, drawing templates, checking template sizes, proof reading, checking again, ordering books, waiting for them to arrive.... 

I feel like I say this every time I bring a new kit out, but sometimes I can't help overhearing people walking past my stand at a show, or perhaps even commenting online, saying that my kits are expensive when they only include scraps of fabric, and not even whole skeins of thread! 

I don't mean to moan but when you purchase a kit from me, either directly, online or through a stockist, you aren't just buying the physical aspect of what is in your hand. You are buying the time and effort it took to get to that point, the electricity used for my laptop and printer, the ink, the paper, the cups of coffee I had to keep me going, you are also paying for an ongoing service, should you need it. If something is wrong with your kit (which there may be, human errors happen), it asks you to contact me - as in me, Beth, reading your message on my phone in my pyjamas feeling awful that something bad has happened to a kit and wanting to rectify it as best as I can. Usually I will go out of my way or out of my own pocket to get whatever the issue is sorted. 

Some reasons why other kits which may include more fabric or more threads are cheaper, could be because it won't include half of the processes I've just mentioned, and the 'person' you email is most likely a bigger company with staff and a regular income. They possibly also have the ability to bulk buy items and churn kits out by the dozen, or it might just be that they don't use the best quality materials, or include much detail in their instructions.

I hope that when you buy one of my kits, that you feel all of the effort and support that comes with it. If you purchase a kit directly from me and we have a chat, I always make sure to mention that contact page at the back of the book and say that if you are stuck, need any help or encouragement, would like to personalise it more but aren't sure how, don't understand a diagram...that you message me and I'll do my utmost to help. 

But, getting off my soap box, I am really excited for this kit. It uses lots of techniques so each layer is different and you won't get bored. Quickly running through each layer starting from the top you have blanket stitch to edge in the top layer (the rest is left), then french knots in different sizes on the next layer (which is sparkly!), back stitch and couching on the next, running stitch with vertical whip stitch on the next, back stitch with detached chain stitches in the floral sections and an edging of mixed thread bullion knots. The sheep are french knots with straight stitches, seed stitch for the grass and more couching to edge. There are two guipure laces to stitch down which creates a really lovely effect and lots of movement, then long straight stitches in various threads for the water, straight stitch stems topped with bullion knots for the reeds or rushes, and beads at the bottom for added sparkle! All done in a 15cm hoop. 

If you are intrigued by the kit (and I haven't scared you off with my rant), and would be interested in purchasing one either for yourself or a loved one, you can find them in my Etsy shop, in my Website shop, or at the-stitchery in Lewes, both in store and online. 

And if you are working on a Mistydale, don't forget to send a photo!! Thank you :)