Cross-stitch cafe 2010

elliep_2

Elle, of course you can post a challenge for yourself. We all have different challenges but we'll help encourage you towards your goal.

Does anyone have a girraffe alphabet? I know it's a random request but I have a friend who loves girraffes and wants her daughter to love them too and I thought maybe a giraffe picture with her name might be an appropriate Christmas present... except I can't find a giraffe alphabet. Even a giraffe picture that I can personalise myself would be fab if anyone can point me at one or nudge one to me.

Thanks if anyone can help on the giraffe quest.

pennib

Here is an update on the Magaret Sherry cooking cats. Yes I am still making mistakes on it :mad: some unpicked, some not:eek:
Will have to get one of those marker pens I can see that.

Lilliant

Hello everyone
I've been following the CSC since the summer, but only joined in October; I've been REALLY inspired to 'get on and finish stuff' after seeing your fantastic projects.:T That's just the nudge I needed. Hope you don't mind a long-ish post???

But I do have a question or two - as this is a MONEY SAVING WEBSITE FORUM, why are a lot of you spending SO much money on kits and magazines?????????

Also, why use all those pens and pencils to mark fabric?? I just stitch the middle horiz. and vert. with machine thread, then use large pins to find the starting point for a border, outline or framework of a pattern or start of the pattern. Then after sewing it, find another outline near it, count with pins (I put in one every 10 stitches then remove them when I've started the next outline), and so on until all the outlines, borders and framework is done, then all I have to do is 'colouring-in' which is a breeze - stress-free NO COUNTING to the end!! And no pen or pencil marks to wash off either. I love the map of Europe that Louise is stitching - that would have been ideal to do this way - do the border round the map, then find where the coastline meets the border - do that, then the country borders, working from the coastline. then (apart from the lettering and the flags) just colouring-in the countries.

I set myself a challenge - am I allowed to do that??? before I was given my number (41), of finishing a project I'd started in 1998 and have been doing off and on (more off since then) and told myself I was going to get it finished before this Christmas.

I had been given a postcard with a picture of an embroidery and as I was unemployed I thought I'd chart it and sew it to keep me sane. Started with graph paper and coloured pencils, then charted it onto computer. I'd like to attach a photo of what it looked like in August this year, but I'm not tekkie and can't work out how to - HELP - PLEASE !!!! - then I started following your posts and got inspired to work harder. I'll photo it again soon when I've learnt how to attach it to a post, to show you how you've shamed me into getting on with it:T:T:T

Keep up the good work.

Lilliant

Hi Elliep

Just a thought about your giraffes if you can't find a pattern - find a photo (book, online whatever) and trace it onto graph paper or get it photo-scanned into cross stitch software - most softwares will do it.

The one I use has a fantastic 'underlay' system - you import the photo which then appears UNDER the grid; choose your colours and just put the colours you want OVER the photo until it is covered, then remove the underlay and your pattern is done! - a lot easier than drawing freehand!
Let me know if you want any help.

kezbabybabe

elliep wrote: »

Elle, of course you can post a challenge for yourself. We all have different challenges but we'll help encourage you towards your goal.

Does anyone have a girraffe alphabet? I know it's a random request but I have a friend who loves girraffes and wants her daughter to love them too and I thought maybe a giraffe picture with her name might be an appropriate Christmas present... except I can't find a giraffe alphabet. Even a giraffe picture that I can personalise myself would be fab if anyone can point me at one or nudge one to me.

Thanks if anyone can help on the giraffe quest.

Not sure how big you are looking for, but I recently completed this one from Mouseloft:
http://www.mouseloft.co.uk/zoom1.htm?image=Products/zoom/zoom_A_008atz.jpg?desc=Giraffe?part=00A-008atz?price=1.99?incart=0

Lilliant: Where are you uploading your photos from? I can help if it's Flickr.

*Louise*

Lilliant wrote: »

But I do have a question or two - as this is a MONEY SAVING WEBSITE FORUM, why are a lot of you spending SO much money on kits and magazines?????????.

Well, tbh I don't smoke, don't drink and I don't have either a shoe or handbag fetish so spending money on Xstitch is my treat for myself now and then. I would never spend money if I couldn't afford it :APersonally I tend to avoid kits and go for charts because it works out so much cheaper when I already have all the threads here.

Lilliant wrote: »

Also, why use all those pens and pencils to mark fabric?? I just stitch the middle horiz. and vert. with machine thread, then use large pins to find the starting point for a border, outline or framework of a pattern or start of the pattern. Then after sewing it, find another outline near it, count with pins (I put in one every 10 stitches then remove them when I've started the next outline), and so on until all the outlines, borders and framework is done, then all I have to do is 'colouring-in' which is a breeze - stress-free NO COUNTING to the end!! And no pen or pencil marks to wash off either. I love the map of Europe that Louise is stitching - that would have been ideal to do this way - do the border round the map, then find where the coastline meets the border - do that, then the country borders, working from the coastline. then (apart from the lettering and the flags) just colouring-in the countries..

Tbh a year ago I might have asked the same question...until I tried it myself and found I can go twice as fast as before. I just mark off the blocks (you are doing similar with your pins) and then I just colour in the squares.

Colouring in the countries makes it sound so easy lol, but with the chequerboard effect in them it made it slightly more difficult which is why I found the grid lines made things easier for me.

Lilliant wrote: »

I set myself a challenge - am I allowed to do that??? before I was given my number (41), of finishing a project I'd started in 1998 and have been doing off and on (more off since then) and told myself I was going to get it finished before this Christmas.

Of course you are
Good luck with your project, hope you get it finshed :j

23rdspiral

kezbabybabe wrote: »

Finished a Cross-stitch today:

:T :j :T :j oh that's so cute!!!

:wave: Hello DansMum! how are you getting on with reading the whole thread?! :eek: i have enough trouble catching up if i'm away for a week. you might need another :coffee: by now!

louise - if you are able to sit for 2 hours unpicking:T, then i certainly can muster up the oomph to unpick one stupid reindeer leg! it's just soo irritating :mad: . so that's my mini challenge for today... get on with it then get on with the fun bit of finishing the silly little thing!

Hi Lilliant, i'll answer a few of your questions from my perspective if you like?
~ i dont spend a lot on mags, i've bought maybe 5 new ones since re-finding xstitch and i'm careful to get ones that i know i will stitch things from. yes subs might be cheaper but as i know i wouldn't use all 12 mags then that'd be clutter. i've also picked up a few mags and chart books second hand and that's fine as it supports the charity shop as well as my habbit!

~ i've never* bought a kit other than the 99p Stores ones but they are just for the threads and aidea to use for other projects. i did start out with a mag & kit combo http://www.flickr.com/photos/23rdspiral/4507783843/in/set-72157594450167277/ and that gave me the cofidence to go and design my own : http://www.flickr.com/photos/23rdspiral/4560638049/in/set-72157594450167277/

~ i use pins to mark my aidea pretty much like you said, though i always start at the centre so i know i wont run out of space. maybe really big pictures that a lot here do are hard this way. Also please remember that unless the pins are brass you risk rust deposits if they are in for any length of time. Maybe pins and thread aren't appropriate for the close weave of evenweave?

~ and i think you need to post a few more times before you can upload pictures. the system want to check you're part of the community and not just a spammer.

interesting questions, i'd like to hear other's responses aswell...

shelly

Lilliant wrote: »

But I do have a question or two - as this is a MONEY SAVING WEBSITE FORUM, why are a lot of you spending SO much money on kits and magazines?????????

I only ever buy kits from ebay. They cost a fraction of highstreet/internet prices so I am still money saving.
The only time I will buy a kit from an online shop is if no-one is selling it on ebay, and then I do my research and buy from the cheapest trusted site I can find.

Lilliant wrote: »

Also, why use all those pens and pencils to mark fabric??

When following my chart I have never seen it as grids. I just see each stitch so sometimes a pen/pencil is very handy to track the path of stitches across the fabric, especially if they are confetti stitches...yuck! :rotfl:


You are right that this is a money saving site. I find it doesn't exactly stop me spending money but it has helped me to make sure I get the best possible deal I can at that time.

I don't smoke, rarely drink, I'm not at all fashion conscious and we sadly don't have kids so having an ebay splurge now and then doesn't break the bank......I just get the best deals I can

Oh and my other treat is yankee candles but that's a whole other thread :rotfl:

chickywiggle

My turnnn (tho I had to seriously bite my tongue as found the post quite acusing and finger pointing for a newbie who wants to be accepted)

Lilliant wrote: »

But I do have a question or two - as this is a MONEY SAVING WEBSITE FORUM, why are a lot of you spending SO much money on kits and magazines?????????

we don't ALL spend lots of money. We are frequently checking our stashes for kits/ charts we've not done or aquiring charts by em ;) non-costly means.

We all help each other find the best price aida/ threads etc.

Like most others I have only actually bought a few kits (certainly a fair lot less then before the cafe started up) abd these have been mega cheap e-bay bargains or a very good sale price. but find this my treat as I don't smoke or drink (not sure my midwife would approve of either). I have NEVER smoked (so therefore I owe myself the £xxxx that DH spends on cigs) occasionally (pre-baby) I would have one drink a week - again I therefore owe myself the £30 a week DH spends going to the pub every week.

Nor do i have a clothing or bag fetish - i even object to spending £6 on new trousers now i can't do em up over baby bump.

I also love yankee candles but haven't bought any for YEARS which was torture whe i walked past the yankee candle shop in Norwich the other day.

Also, why use all those pens and pencils to mark fabric?? I just stitch the middle horiz. and vert. with machine thread, then use large pins to find the starting point for a border, outline or framework of a pattern or start of the pattern. Then after sewing it, find another outline near it, count with pins (I put in one every 10 stitches then remove them when I've started the next outline), and so on until all the outlines, borders and framework is done, then all I have to do is 'colouring-in' which is a breeze - stress-free

becuase i would make FARRR to many mistakes that way. A pen costs less then a fiver and lasts for years. I don't own machine thread or pins.

I set myself a challenge - am I allowed to do that???

yes you may.


good luck with your project.

pennib

I have tried using ordinary cotton to grid out blocks of 10 but found that I couldnt unpick it all properly so that was frustrating dont like the idea of using pins can see me pricking meself and doesnt it make the cloth a bit unwieldy? So I like the idea of a pen that saves a lot of unpicking (for me) although as yet I havnt bought one, but I am definately going too ;0)
Yes its an MSE site but it helps us to get the best deal for our money for whatever we want to buy. (but I wouldnt go into debt for my hobby and only spend what I have) I have got some great deals in the past and slowly built up over some years both Anchor and DMC threads. You can get Aida on the roll (on ebay) for a fraction of the price in the shops. The lovely peeps on here are quite happy to share patterns as well when they've finished with them, so cant get cheaper than that!
I think its a lovely hobby and stops the brain vegatating to much as with all that counting and measuring keeps the cogs whirling!!

Looking forward to seeing your photos when you are able to post :0)