Planting Grass . . . and Letters?

 I am still slaving away on the projects I decided to focus on.

I needed to set up the foundation for the motifs that will be stitched atop the hills. And I looked at the fact that there are letters (I don't like to stitch letters) and a lot of tent stitch (which I find boring) and thought maybe I should get this done and out of the way. So that's what I need to do.

And then there is my goldwork class. 

This is in no way a reflection on the teacher or the class. This is more a problem with my skill level, or lack of skill level, but I have to admit, I am frustrated.

We had to do a trellis stitch pattern. I've done trellis stitch patterns umpty-leven times on crewel pieces with no problems. However, I found that metal threads are much less forgiving than wool crewel threads. 

Even with eyeballing and measuring and eyeballing and measuring, I could not get my base lines for the trellis itself to lie straight and evenly separated. Thus, I ended up with something that looked more like fishnet than a trellis--no two spaces were the same size, sort of the way part of a fishnet can get wadded up. That meant that I couldn't do the filling pattern we were supposed to do. So I just threw in sequins fastened down with loops of smooth purl and called it done.

Then the motif next to it is supposed to be worked in long and short stitch. Once again, not like long and short in crewel. I fought with that for a good chunk of the afternoon and finally said I believed I should just do tent stitch for awhile.

And that's when I got completely and totally bored to tears.

I think I'll read a book.

GRRRRR!