The "no frills, no gremlins (hopefully)" cross-stitch cafe

flowerofscotland

*BigBird* wrote: »

Hi ladies. I've been lurking for a little while so thought it was time to introduce myself I did a bit of cross stitching years ago but not done any for years until recently. I wanted to make something for my Mum for Mothers Day and bought a kit to make a bookmark - and now I've been well and truly bitten by the cross stitch bug! I dug out a kit I bought years ago (to give an idea of how old it is, if anyone is familiar with Liverpool, it was from George Henry Lee :eek:) I've already picked up a couple more kits to move onto when that's finally finished and am looking forward to lots of time spent on my newly rediscovered hobby.

Has anyone tried any Scarlet Quince cross stitch charts? In my trawls of the internet looking at beautiful cross stitchy things, I've come across one of their charts and it's a picture I think my Mum would love. However it's a chart on several pages so I don't know if that's a big no no for an enthusiastic beginner such as myself. nmm, I see your Beautiful Dreamer (which looks amazing!) is over several pages, how do you find it? Are you a very experienced stitcher?

If I do give it a go, I have the idea that I'll do it for my Mum's 80th, which gives me 4 years to get it done.

I'm loving all of your pictures. You're all very talented.

Welcome to the Cafe

I haven't stitched any Scarlet Quince patterns. They seem to be mainly conversions of fine art As Ailsb says not necessarily difficult but definitely a long term project Only you can decide if that's right for you Many people take an occasional break from long term projects to stitch something quick like nmm has done with her card. Whatever you decide you'll get lots of encouragement here

flowerofscotland

Ailsb wrote: »

Hi everyone, although I've been reading daily I just haven't had the chance to post - really sorry.

I could list what everyone has done and comment but it would be a duplicate or very similar post to Maisie's

nmm - your Mothers Day card is lovely I'm sure your Mum will be very happy to receive it.

Love and hugs to everyone that will need them this weekend, especially Sweetcarer. The first Mothers Day after losing your mum is always very hard. I feel it every year and normally try distraction techniques. I'm off to London later today for a night so I will be kept busy.

Bigbird - welcome to the cafe. We are a friendly bunch but normally very nosey. What design by Scarlet Quince are you looking at doing? A design over several pages is no harder to stitch than one just on one page. Sometimes it's on several pages because it's been printed larger. The only thing you need to be careful of it to check what the designer has done about overlap for the pages. Some designs have no overlap of stitches others may reproduce 5 rows of stitches from one page to another. If they do this then they will say and you will need to take care at the start and end of each page. Please don't let this put you off.

My news - well I haven't picked up a needle since I finished Henry. Think I put so much into this piece that I saturated myself. I need to sort myself out. I haven't been lazy, I've learnt to crochet (fanfare please) and crocheted a scarf.

I went to the Hobbycraft / Stitching show at the NEC last week and spent a total of £20 and that included the £3 show guide. I did 3 workshops which I really enjoyed - freehand machine embroidery, a workshop building up layers with vilene and foil and I made a needle-case. Had a lovely day despite little purchases. My main purchases were a kit to make a Hedgehog Hat and a kit to make a pair of fingerless gloves, both knitted. I also signed up to 3 issues of Cross Stitch Crazy for £5 which included a goody bad and a free gift.

Well done on mastering crochet :T:T:T

Great day out. One of the main reasons I still go to craft shows is for the workshops as it's a brilliant way to try new techniques

sweetcarer

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well, rather wet Saturday -not much money - so perfect day for locking the house up and stitching.

Sorry to quote myself but I have managed to take some photos and got more info - its a Marshall Cavendish publication from 1997 :eek:

sweetcarer wrote: »

Hi Girls

Some of you may remember I am looking for a magazine (at the time I couldn't remember the title) well after last night I found it was - Creative Stitches - issue 1 - it came out in the UK. It was from the 90s early 2000s.

I have been looking for it for years and last night I got a bag of cross stitch stuff someone was putting out and in it was its cover. I lost my copy in a house fire and why I am looking to replace it.

Back


Front


As you can see the wee sun I am searching for is on it and that the free gift was a cross stitch. Looks like it was a part work too and this was issue 1 on special offer 99p. Don't mean to intrude on the forum with my search. The sun is done in needlepoint and I am sure inside it had a pattern with signs of the zodiac round it.

Maisie_M wrote: »

sweetcarer love the book you are designing with all the stitches in. I tend to just do the basics but would love to learn others and to see how many there are is amazing.

Is this the one you are looking for http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Stitches-Magazine-Number-Stitch/dp/B00FPKEZK6

Alas no, but thank you for looking. The wee stitches I have learned so far have been very straight forward and I have tried to show that in my wee book - the designer is very good at explaining them. You should try them Maisie -they are fun, better than french knots any day :rotfl:

Ailsb wrote: »

Love and hugs to everyone that will need them this weekend, especially Sweetcarer. The first Mothers Day after losing your mum is always very hard. I feel it every year and normally try distraction techniques. I'm off to London later today for a night so I will be kept busy.

Thank you Ailsb - so kind of you to think of us. My sister has been unbearable - I have put a block to our chats on facebook as she is upsetting me too much. She phoned me a week after funeral saying I was in Mums jewellery box - I said yes to get her pig charm for her coffin (I gave mum a wee pig years ago - she used to be a pig breeder when she was younger), she says her gold bracelet is missing (tradition in our family when a girl turns 21 she gets a gold bracelet). I say I didn't see it, she says its missing. Don't know what she is accusing me off but I didn't take it - last thing I do. She brings it up again other night there - I tell her I haven't seen it. She wants to give things to the aunties, Dad is not ready and I have told her we have to wait till he is ready. Why is she going into my parents room (we were never allowed in - I think I have been in less times in the fingers in my hand), why is she trying to hurry things and how is she noticing things are missing. I am feeling very upset and to top it all she wants us all up at the graveyard for 9am tomorrow, so she can go to church and see her parasite boyfriend - another story for name later and how. Wish I could go away but we only have £25 left till pay day on Monday so stuck at home - glad I live away from her - couldn't stand to see her all the time - we have never got on even since kids.

Sorry for my moan - just feeling so weird.

Ailsb wrote: »

I went to the Hobbycraft / Stitching show at the NEC last week and spent a total of £20 and that included the £3 show guide. I did 3 workshops which I really enjoyed - freehand machine embroidery, a workshop building up layers with vilene and foil and I made a needle-case. Had a lovely day despite little purchases. My main purchases were a kit to make a Hedgehog Hat and a kit to make a pair of fingerless gloves, both knitted. I also signed up to 3 issues of Cross Stitch Crazy for £5 which included a goody bad and a free gift.

I stopped going to the shows years ago - one, there wasn't much cross stitching and two, I always went on my own, felt so lonely (more lonely than normal).

Well onto do a bit more on my learning sampler nearly finished this part (seven). I will also do 3 more stitches for my wee book that I learned in this part - square rhodes, round rhodes and diamond rhodes.

Off to have another coffee - my Saturday treat - make a cafeterrie of coffee and bliss - coffee and stitching.

Keep well everyone, kind wishes to all and thank you.

sweetcarer

*BigBird*

Thanks for the welcome

The Scarlet Quince pattern I'm thinking of doing is this one http://www.scarletquince.com/pat.php?pat=WEI001

I'm happy for it to be a long term project as I'd have 4 years to do it. Plus I found a UK stockist to get the chart from and they also do it in kit form, costing over £100 :eek: I'd prefer to spread the cost and buy threads as I go along. So time isn't a problem, it's more whether something like this would be too difficult. What do you think?

It seems Scarlet Quince use a lot of blended threads. I've looked it up and it doesn't sound too tricky. But of course, I won't really know til I try!

Well done on mastering crochet, Ailsb. An old work colleague tried to teach me but I just couldn't get the hang of it, so well done you for learning and being able to make a scarf.

JCS1

flowerofscotland wrote: »

Lovely. Your framer has done a good job. Such an appropriate subject for this time of year. Hope it is appreciated

Have you seen this design?
http://http://www.artsanddesigns.com/cgi-bin/viewDetails.pl?catnumber=658203591

Warning. It is huge and expensive

Mum got me that one a few years ago. I have taken it out of the packet a few times, unfolded the fabric and then hurriedly put it back again :eek:. Decided I need to turn a room into a sewing room before doing that one :rotfl:

blue_eyed_girl

*BigBird* wrote: »

Thanks for the welcome

The Scarlet Quince pattern I'm thinking of doing is this one http://www.scarletquince.com/pat.php?pat=WEI001

Oh wow - I really like that. Don't let the number of pages put you off - it doesn't mean that it will be harder. The pages could have been enlarged to make it easier to follow.

Really looking forward to seeing your pics on this one

b_e_g

sweetcarer

Hello Girls,

Back again with some updates for you - finished part 7 of the learning sampler



Also done some more pages for my wee stitch book

Diamond Eyelet with a row of stitches



Square Rhodes



Square Rhodes with a row of stitches



Round Rhodes



and last but not least for today -Diamond Rhodes



Now to get on with part 8 or do I do my two of the wedding stitches I need to do. Wages day soon so can order the threads and material for Mums stitch.

Kind wishes to all

sweetcarer

Maisie_M

Mrs Ceejay the peacock is looking stunning and coming along great.

JCS - love the sheep picture. I am sure your mum will appreciate it even if it is the wrong breed.

Nmm - lovely card, a really nice one to pop in a coaster afterwards.

Big bird hello and welcome to the cafe. The pattern you have chosen looks really nice and if you decide you are going to do it then I will look forwards to seeing lots of pictures of your progress as we love pictures in here

Ailsb - congratulations on the crochet scarf. I still haven't been to a craft fair yet but look forward to doing so soon.

sweetcarer - sorry your sister is being so mean. Hope you manage to have a lovely day tomorrow despite her demands and that you and your dad are able to remember your mum how you want to.:grouphug:Your sampler is looking amazing.

I has planned on getting some stitching done this weekend to finish the flowers that I am doing to use up some terracotta pot embelishments I have and then I was going to force myself to finish Let's wine, but I have a stinking cold and my eyes are watery which is not great for stitching. Oh well off for Easter as from Friday so two weeks to do housework, stitching and reading - yeh.

nmm

Thanks for the lovely comments RE mums card, i'll find out tomorrow if she got it ok

Sweetcarer, lovely update and i'll have a google for that mag/chart.

BigBird, welcome to the caf!, as others have said working over multiple pages is the same as a single page project, just follow the pattern and gradually build it up. Im not sure if your old kits had it but now most are marked in 10x10 blocks so very easy to follow, plus you can get magic guide aida which is pre-marked for you. My overlap stitches are greyed out so I know where to carry on from and I mark the stitches I've done with a highlighter, otherwise you'd get lost where you're up to. I've taken a photo so you can see what I mean.

*BigBird*

Thanks nmm that's really useful. I had no idea there was such a thing as magic guide Aida, but that looks like it could be very handy.

I've decided I'll order the chart and see how it looks and whether I think I can manage it. I'll keep you posted!

I hope your Mum likes her card. I'll find out today if mine llikes her bookmark.

I love your learning sampler, sweetcarer, it looks beautiful.