Previous posts on the project are here and here.
I’m almost half-finished:
The last band pictured is the seventh of thirteen planned and then there’s the rest of the border sooooo almost halfway there.
PCStitch has been a big help. I downloaded the trial Pro version and after tinkering around with it I can do some basic stuff. It’s much easier than this:
It’s $79.95 at the official site but it’s $52.97 on Amazon. And guess who just got paid?!
This is what I’ve been able to do:
Then it’s so easy to copy/paste into a field that’s the exact width of the sampler and then move it around. Voila! No math!
I’m stitching over one on an 18 ct evenweave fabric. If I could start over, which I can’t, I’d choose a different fabric. The weave is really loose compared to aida and I have to be really careful with the tension of the floss. I’m really comfortable with double-running stitch, I like to use it exclusively and the journeys and side-journeys come as almost second nature to me now, but I have to make sure to pierce the middle of the floss on the return journeys otherwise it’s really obvious and the floss disappears into the weave of the fabric.
If anyone has any experience, any tips, hints, resources, I’d really appreciate it. I’d also love to hear from anyone using PCStitch or any other design software.
Backstitch 
Thank you for visiting my blog and your kind words about my work.
Your blackwork is very impressive. I love your experiments with shading and perspective, especially the ball and shadow, it has real dimension and substance. Great work.
CA
Hi,
Thanks for your comment on my blog. When I’ve got something blackwork to show, I shall let you know – I’m making you an informal blackwork mentor. 🙂
PC Stitch is the backbone to everything I do. It’s so much easier to be able to take pictures and turn them into patterns. And using it for blackwork is something I’d not considered… until now!
If you want to pick my brains about using it, feel free!