Anyone Into Cross Stitching?

bookadict

Hi all,

I've been an avid cross stitcher for 10 years now and I don't have many finished projects to show for my years of stitching! I hate to admit this but I've got more semi completed than completed kits!

I adore the All Our Yesterdays range and have completed Shell Seekers and Flowers for Home and they've both got pride of place in my hall way. I'm currently completing Holiday Train for my dad for Christmas and it's coming along nicely - I want to finish it within the next three months. To personalise it a bit I'm going to attempt to backstitch dad on the train and mine and my brothers names on two of the suitcases! Silly I know.

I know that my dad will love the train when it's finished and my mum has already decided which room/wall it will hang on.

It also helps that my future mother in law is into cross stitching and she gives me lots of kits - some half finished! But it means that I don't have to spend lots of money on kits etc.

I love this thread!

cx

Ruth_honey

Ruth_honey wrote: »

I really wish you could subscribe using Tesco clubcard vouchers. Both DH bike magazines you can. Maybe we should email Tesco and suggest this??? I'll try and find out where you can contact them about suggesting new clubcard deals.

Right, I've emailed Tesco about adding some stitching magazines to the clubcard deals. If you'd also like to contact them suggesting it, we might have more chance of them taking notice! The email address to send an email to is [EMAIL="partnerships@TescoFreetime.com"]partnerships@TescoFreetime.com[/EMAIL]
This could save me a fortune...:T
BTW-a copy of Cross Stitch Crazy snuck into my shopping basket in Morrisons today...;)

Ruth_honey

bookadict wrote: »

Hi all,

I've been an avid cross stitcher for 10 years now and I don't have many finished projects to show for my years of stitching! I hate to admit this but I've got more semi completed than completed kits!

I adore the All Our Yesterdays range and have completed Shell Seekers and Flowers for Home and they've both got pride of place in my hall way. I'm currently completing Holiday Train for my dad for Christmas and it's coming along nicely - I want to finish it within the next three months. To personalise it a bit I'm going to attempt to backstitch dad on the train and mine and my brothers names on two of the suitcases! Silly I know.

I know that my dad will love the train when it's finished and my mum has already decided which room/wall it will hang on.

It also helps that my future mother in law is into cross stitching and she gives me lots of kits - some half finished! But it means that I don't have to spend lots of money on kits etc.

I love this thread!

cx

More semi completed kits than finished ones-join the club! I have dozens of UFO's.
Love the idea of backstitching names on the train and suitcases. Think it's a really nice idea. And makes it a much more personal gift. Feel free to post a pic of what you've stitched so far. Sometimes seeing a picture of it helps you see the progress you're making.

bookadict

Hi Ruth_honey,

I'm glad it's not just me that's got lots of UFO's sitting in a draw and my parents have got even more in my sewing box at home. :eek:

Thank you, I think it will. It will be time consuming stitching on the names and I hate backstitch just as much as french knots - like most of the people on this forum!

I'll post some pictures tomorrow of finished AOY kits and the half completed Holiday Train. I've got a feeling this site will give me the motivation I need to finish them all!

Cx

Anglea

Hi everyone,

Ruth-honey - was your forum featured in one of the cross stitch mags as I feel the name is very familiar?

I loved the idea of everyone stitching designs that were put into an album as a present too.

Hello bookaddict - I love AOY although only managed to finish a tiny one that is framed although I have lots of patterns with those specially illustrated mounts that I've yet to start. That's a really good idea with the names.

Flat_Eric

Do you prefer to stitch on evenweave or aida?

I havent really done much cross stitch recently but provided the design contained only whole stitches then I would use the aida supplied.

There was an elephant design in Cross Stitcher many moon ago. The border is blue flowers with lots of fractional stitches and I will be stitching this design on evenweave in order that my sanity is maintained.

I love the winnine the pooh designs and have lots to do but I am put off by the fractional stitches.

I have been stitching a small tigger bookmark. The fractional stitches seem to be going ok - i guess I will know for sure when I add the black but it doesnt help trying to stitch it on a moving bus so I think my "commute to work kit" will be something that contains whole stitches only.

On the subject of whole stitches, I read an interesting comment on another forum where someone said that they would stitch the whole cross stitch before moving on to the next even if there was a large block of that particular colour. How do you stitch yours? :rotfl:I always work the line of half crosses in one direction (as far the colour goes) and then go back over the half crosses to finish the cross.

Daft but it has never occured to me to stitch the WHOLE stitch before moving on to the next square of aida.

Would be interested to hear your views and also any tips on those damn fractional stitches.

rainmac

Flat Eric, I mostly stitch on aida but prefer evenweave for larger projects. I'd much rather stitch on evenweave if there are fractional stiches

lyndasharp

Hi everyone, hadn't noticed this thread before! I'm currently trying to finish off a firescreen, which I am going to give to my Nan for her Birthday in June... I was aiming for Christmas but house moves etc has delayed things a bit. I bought the kit in a charity shop, it's Orchid by Lanarte and would never have got it at full price, it seems to go for huge amounts of money in the normal shops. I often stitch really complex things so it's quite nice to have a change and only do whole stitches. I've got a Theresa Wentzler dragon on the go as well, plus a box that has way too many french knots (anyone else hate doing french knots?). They've been put on hold though until the firescreen is done.

I prefer evenweave for the look, and especially for doing fractionals, and I also stitch half crosses to the end of a line and then recross. I think it uses up a fraction less thread that way!

Does anyone know if there are any stitching clubs in the Swindon area?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi all

Im still plodding on with mums "in her garden" pressie for xmas..although veggie gardening is getting in the way at the moment :eek:..but Im just going to set the strawberries in the strawberry table today and then park on the sofa with it -I promise

Im also a fan of evenweave, linen..and do a whole chunk of half crosses and then work back over them ..can't be doing one whole stitch at a time
Lyndasharp...what sort of design is the firescreen ? only I often use seed beads instead of the dreaded french knot.. they look really good on floral designs...

right off to set the strawbs then I WILL x stitch for the rest of the day :T

lyndasharp

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi all

Im still plodding on with mums "in her garden" pressie for xmas..although veggie gardening is getting in the way at the moment :eek:..but Im just going to set the strawberries in the strawberry table today and then park on the sofa with it -I promise

Im also a fan of evenweave, linen..and do a whole chunk of half crosses and then work back over them ..can't be doing one whole stitch at a time
Lyndasharp...what sort of design is the firescreen ? only I often use seed beads instead of the dreaded french knot.. they look really good on floral designs...

right off to set the strawbs then I WILL x stitch for the rest of the day :T

The one with the dreaded french knots is this box http://www.thenutmegcompany.co.uk/store.cfm?Do=Detail&ProductCode=MEG066&Buy=True All the hedges on the top are knots - I think I worked out there were around 300 :eek: It'll be worth it when it's done.

This is the firescreen http://www.wye.co.uk/view/Cross_Stitch/Lanarte_Cross_Stitch/Flowers_by_Lanarte/Lanarte_Orchid/

I have done the top half, and now working downwards - I am on the lowest petal!