Cross Stitch

frugalswan

harley1, I have just decided to buy the Tenderness kit from Sewandso - I've bought from them before. I showed it to DH2B and he really likes it too (thinks it'd look great in the bedroom or bathroom, which is encouraging!) but tells me "one project at a time". As much as I just want to click "buy it now", he's right, and I should finish the angels first. *sigh* I shall add it to my birthday list, but that's at the other end of the year.

I don't have one of the magnifier thingies, although I've seen them. I'm popping into town today so might see how much one is. If it saves another eyestrain headache then I'm all for it.

Rosefairy, I've seen a few editions of Cross Stitch Magic, but I don't keep them. I'd agree that eBay is good for finding cheap kits though.

an1179, I've never had occasion to do a birth sampler either - the one Harley describes is lovely. Putting birth sampler into a site like Sewandso brings up some nice Disney charts and kits, too.

My sister is in the middle of drawing up four bookmark-sized pictures based on the seasons. I have a cross-stitch pattern creating programme, and I want to turn them into cross-stitched bookmarks. This is going to be an ongoing project (I don't think I can convert my sister to stitching) and I'll keep you updated with pictures.

x Frugalswan x

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Just taking a break from x-stitching ....this is the one Im doing for my mum for xmas... It was going to be for last year but we weren't going home so it went on the back burner:o


Then I can get onto the many others I have waiting

Can I just give you a tip if you are thinking of using a magnifying glass? -My mum got one to try -but found that it was difficult to use as you end up seeing a huge needle and big fingers
Don't know if it will be of use to anyone else -but If Im struggling with fine fabric (I tend to go for evenweave) ... then if its a pale fabric put a dark cloth on your knee, and if you are using a dark fabric -put a bright cloth on your knee -it shows the holes up better

Ohhh and the "some bunny to love" range do some lovely birth pictures -I started one for My SIL who then did a basic one for herself so I didn't finish it -heck knows what I will do with it when its finished !!
right back to my x stitch

harley1

Frugalswan, I'm so pleased you like it enough to want to stitch it yourself. DH2B has a point though, I have a huge stash that will keep me going for years, and its quite likely I'll change my mind about some of them before I get to them.

I had a huge clearout around this time last year and found loads that I just couldn't understand why I had bought them. Tastes change and I had some kits that would never have seen the light of day. They all went on ebay, and although they didn't sell for anywhere near what I'd paid for them, at least they went to a good home and were no longer cluttering up mine:rolleyes: unfortunately I'm a bit of a hoarder but I'm getting better:rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER, that lady is lovely, your mum will be so pleased at Christmas, and you still have loads of time. Though it does sneak up quickly doesn't it?
I agree about the dark fabric under light aida, thankfully my zebra is being done on white and since I pretty much live in jeans the holes are about as clear as they are likely to get.

The man is going home this morning so I am hoping that I will be able to spend most of the day on my stitching. I have a lot of tv to catch up on that I can't really watch whilst he is here so I'm really looking forward to having some 'me time'. I've been on my own a very long time and I am having real trouble adjusting to having someone here so much.

Hope you all have a lovely day

Harley x

frugalswan

Well, I finished the third page (of nine) and am feeling both proud of myself and incredibly daunted at how much I've got to go. But I'm getting there

Hope your stitching is going well

x Frugalswan x

harley1

Well done frugalswan. A third of the way there, thats pretty good by anyones standards. Keep going I'm dying to see it.

Not had chance to do any tonight, been out to see a friend and out again tomorrow, but going to try to keep tomorrows visit short so that I can finish the black of the eye and get on to some of the colours. Hopefully that will make it appear to grow more quickly.

Harley x

frugalswan

I'll try and take some pictures of it today. I managed to get a fair bit done, although it looks unfinished (by dint of only being a third of the way through). I'm pleased with it. The number of people that see me sat at my desk at work and tell me how patient I am! I get the feeling they think I should be doing something else at my age (I'm 30) but I don't care.

Hopefully the eyes is coming along nicely. I shall try and find the time to sit down and do some today, but I get the feeling it's going to be a busy one with wedding prep, ironing (((groans))) and friends coming over tonight. We'll see - I might snatch some time to myself a bit later

x Frugalswan x

harley1

Morning all.

My stitching has truely slipped this weekend, but my house is sparkling:j

I'm hoping to get back to it later this afternoon while I try to catch up on the huge backlog of tv I haven't had time to watch.

Off to parents for lunch and to check up on the footstool my dad is helping me make. He trained as a carpenter when he was young and is still brilliant at making things.

It's a bit of a family project really, he is making the box whilst teaching my brother about what he's doing and mum and I will upholster it when its ready. I managed to find some spare cushions from my sofa over Christmas, which I forgot I even had, so it will all match. I'd been looking for a footstool for about a year but couldn't match the fabric and nothing I saw was really what I wanted (plus they are so expensive) when I suddenly had a lightbulb moment and remembered the spare cushions. It took me a couple of days to design it, thankfully he is familiar with engineering drawings and understood the design, and he has been working on it since just after new year. Today will be the first time I have seen what he has done and I'm really excited :j

Hope you have had more time for your stitching Frugalswan, would love to see those pictures if you get time. I get the same comments about patience, anyone who knows me knows it's not one of my virtues :rotfl: and are always shocked that I can sit down and concentrate on it for so long. Hope your wedding prep is coming along nicely - when is the big day?

I recently stitched a bib for my best friends new baby boy and the entire family couldn't believe that I had designed it and made it from scratch. Never again though, stitching at the bottom of the pocket of the bib was so awkward and really hurt my hands, but it was worth it to see new mum so chuffed that I had gone to all that trouble for her.

Hope you have a lovely sunday

Harley x

Happyroly

This is the West Wind my marathon xstitch project. Almost finished, some more back stitch and lurex on his coat...... and I'm there!
(hope this isn't too big, posted earlier and almost broke the page :eek: )

OrkneyStar

I started x stitch as a teenager, following on from tapestry in my pre-teen. Go through phases and am currently back in to it again. Now keeping all spare threads so that I can buy some of the material (whats it called again...aida ?) and do my own design. Making a coaster just now, made a keyfob a while back but lost it (:(), and then on to some celtic cards. Am 33 by the by, with one DS and a DH.

Queenie wrote: »

For all the stitchers then ... do you make unique gifts from your crafts? Or, do you simply make things for yourselves?

I have made for niece/nephew (when babies- I did a bib with x stitch on!), mum, hubby, am making now for various places, not decided what for who yet!
x
PS Happyroly, that is beautiful! I am well impressed!

Happyroly

a close-up on the wolves