Anyone Into Cross Stitching?

shelly

I love cross stitching. I find it quite relaxing.
Only last night did I tip the house upside down looking for my stitching things. Can't find them anywhere (we moved here a year ago and think they ended up in the loft) I bugged hubby all evening to go up there for me!

I tend to buy the kits as they come with everything you need. Does it work out much cheaper to buy or download a chart then buy the threads and material seperately?
Is everything you need listed on the charts like it is when you buy a kit?


Thanks for any help and advice you can give me

rainmac

shelly wrote: »

I love cross stitching. I find it quite relaxing.
Only last night did I tip the house upside down looking for my stitching things. Can't find them anywhere (we moved here a year ago and think they ended up in the loft) I bugged hubby all evening to go up there for me!

I tend to buy the kits as they come with everything you need. Does it work out much cheaper to buy or download a chart then buy the threads and material seperately?
Is everything you need listed on the charts like it is when you buy a kit?


Thanks for any help and advice you can give me

Hi Shelly, so did your OH get up in the loft last night or not? Would love to know!!! :rotfl:

I buy a mixture of charts and kits - probably mostly charts (buy most of these via ebay). American designers tend to produce charts rather than kits so you have to buy seperate threads and fabric. Charts do list what threads you need - usually DMC and Anchor (and sometimes Madiera) and usually recommends a fabric to use. I tend to buy larger pieces of fabric (currently got some 32 count evenweave, 14 and 16 count aida) and cut off the size I need for what I am going to stitch. Not sure if this is cost saving . What it does mean is that if I buy a chart I have so many threads and bits of fabric that I can usually start stitching straight away if I want to. Does that help? What kind of designs do you like Shelly?

shelly

rainmac wrote: »

Hi Shelly, so did your OH get up in the loft last night or not? Would love to know!!! :rotfl:

I buy a mixture of charts and kits - probably mostly charts (buy most of these via ebay). American designers tend to produce charts rather than kits so you have to buy seperate threads and fabric. Charts do list what threads you need - usually DMC and Anchor (and sometimes Madiera) and usually recommends a fabric to use. I tend to buy larger pieces of fabric (currently got some 32 count evenweave, 14 and 16 count aida) and cut off the size I need for what I am going to stitch. Not sure if this is cost saving . What it does mean is that if I buy a chart I have so many threads and bits of fabric that I can usually start stitching straight away if I want to. Does that help? What kind of designs do you like Shelly?

No he didn't go up into the loft! I will wear him down over the weekend tho, I'll tell him that I will either pay someone to go into the loft for me or I will have to buy all my things from scratch. Kits, frame, the lot :rotfl:

You say a chart will recommend what fabric to buy, so do I just get what it recommends but bigger? (I have frame to attach it to once I find my stuff)

What kind of designs do I like? Well if I had the patience I'd love to do something like mrsmcawber's ladies in old fashioned flowing dresses, but I tend to favour samplers that have lots of little seperate things to stitch so that I can actually see the progress I am making.
I have a couple of kits from Argos, a Winnie the Pooh I think and my mum bought a Country Companions animal one but she nearly fainted when she saw how much work goes into even quite small kits so gave it to me

I can't really choose exactly what kind of designs I like as its so varied. I just go for something that catches my eye and that I know I have the patience to do. Tend to go for smaller projects.

rainmac

shelly wrote: »

No he didn't go up into the loft! I will wear him down over the weekend tho, I'll tell him that I will either pay someone to go into the loft for me or I will have to buy all my things from scratch. Kits, frame, the lot :rotfl:

You say a chart will recommend what fabric to buy, so do I just get what it recommends but bigger? (I have frame to attach it to once I find my stuff)

What kind of designs do I like? Well if I had the patience I'd love to do something like mrsmcawber's ladies in old fashioned flowing dresses, but I tend to favour samplers that have lots of little seperate things to stitch so that I can actually see the progress I am making.
I have a couple of kits from Argos, a Winnie the Pooh I think and my mum bought a Country Companions animal one but she nearly fainted when she saw how much work goes into even quite small kits so gave it to me

I can't really choose exactly what kind of designs I like as its so varied. I just go for something that catches my eye and that I know I have the patience to do. Tend to go for smaller projects.

I don't think my OH would have gone into the loft for me either but would shoot up there as soon as I started to talk about buying new things! :rotfl:

I have bought fabric at half metre/metre lengths (www.sewandso.co.uk are quite good as they stock so many fabrics but you can get cheaper if you look about) and cut it but if you are going to buy a piece for a specific project you would need to add any room around the design you need for border, framing etc. I tend to use more fabric than I need and any bits cut off can be used for small designs for cards etc. I try not to waste any!

shelly

Well, got hubby to go into loft after threatening going on a spending spree to replace the lost stuff

I can get cracking now :T

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Shelly

I always buy my fabric at least 6" bigger on both measurements...It sounds like a lot of waste but I mount and frame my own and that gives you enough to pull around the back of the frame.
The celtic ladies i have done grow really quickly and are lovely to do...

shelly

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi there Shelly

I always buy my fabric at least 6" bigger on both measurements...It sounds like a lot of waste but I mount and frame my own and that gives you enough to pull around the back of the frame.
The celtic ladies i have done grow really quickly and are lovely to do...

Hi and thanks for the advice.

If I come across a cheap enough lady I'll buy her and see how I get on.

rainmac

shelly wrote: »

Hi and thanks for the advice.

If I come across a cheap enough lady I'll buy her and see how I get on.

Good luck, let us know how you get on and post a pic when you finish!!!

rainmac

Wanted to show this coaster as I think it is so cute, not sure if I can part with it (supposed to be a present!). Maybe I've got time to make another...?



The chart was in World of Cross Stitching magazine a few months ago. I used 16 count aida so my finished design is smaller than the one in the magazine but I like it and love the colours

bunbun2

rainmac wrote: »

Wanted to show this coaster as I think it is so cute, not sure if I can part with it (supposed to be a present!). Maybe I've got time to make another...?



The chart was in World of Cross Stitching magazine a few months ago. I used 16 count aida so my finished design is smaller than the one in the magazine but I like it and love the colours

rainmac I absolutely love that:D