Background Worries

Finished off all the cross stitch on Misaki and now I'm on the backstitched background. Except that I'm worried and need advice/help.

Misaki
32 ct Ruby Wine LuganaWhat you can't tell at all from this photo because it isn't ironed or on a flat surface is that the tension isn't even. The rightmost yellow edge bends a little where it goes from the parasol to the middle yellow part. And the bottom isn't a straight line either. The top is actually straight; the picture is not taken straight on. Actually this is an awful picture but the rest are even worse. (Maybe I should take a class on taking decent photographs!)

Anyway, back to the main worry. I'm worried that the rest of the half-stitched background is going to skew the whole thing even more. I had that happen to a needlepoint canvas years ago which drove me away from needlepoint. I'm worried that if I try to pull/stretch it I'll just warp the threads and make everything worse.

I know knitters/crocheters damp and stretch things out with pins. Does that work for cross stitch too? Is there something I can do now to make sure the edges come out as a proper rectangle or should I wait until I'm finished and then try to make everything straight.

I'm starting to think that maybe I should picked a different colour fabric and skipped the background but it was the whole effect that I like and and and

help

Unfurl the Parasol

When I posted last week I was hoping that I would be able to finish the sleeves for today. Instead I've managed to finish all of Misaki and am on the parasol.

I started listening to the audiobook version of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy and was so riveted that I ended up parked in the chair for hours. Since I stitch while listening this meant that I got a lot of stitching done. But I've finished the series and who knows if my next choice will be as gripping ;D

Misaki
32 ct Ruby Wine Lugana

Unexpected Colours

Continuing Misaki, I've managed to finish most of the sleeves and the obi. I was surprised by the yellow and green in the obi since I didn't have the model picture handy and was expecting more red. Sometimes it feels like the only colours in Misaki are red and black ;D

Misaki
32 ct Ruby Wine Lugana

Fill It Black

I have a few more WIPs close to finishing but I decided to tackle Misaki on impulse. I had to slough through that mindlessly boring black but I've moved onto the more fun bodice and sleeves.

From this:

to this:

Misaki
32 ct Ruby Wine Lugana

Lovely in Red

Thank you for the warm welcome back!

I've been struggling to take a decent picture of my New Year's Start. I don't have a good track record with NYS; my last two are still WIPs. But I couldn't resist.

I started Maia's Misaki, which will look like this when finished:

This is where I am right now:

Misaki
32 ct Ruby Wine Lugana
And she's already proven to be very demanding. Maia does kits, which I don't mind. BUT! The original fabric was 16ct red aida, which would have been all right except that there are a ton of quarter stitches, so I switched it out for a lovely 32ct Ruby Wine lugana. And the floss is Anchor which frays so much. I have to use lengths 1/3 of usual DMC length and I find the ends still fray a tiny bit. I don't want to go shorter because it already feels like I spend more time threading than stitching. And of course, three shades of similar reds on red fabric. Well, at least she'll look stunning when finished!

ETA: The whole piece is stitched including the background. She's in full crosses and the background is half crosses in 2-3 strands.