Cross stitching

I've got one that I started about 12 years ago, put it away when we had the builders in and it's never come back out again. I would like to be inspired to get it out and finish it but fear it's been too long now. I used to do cross stitching a lot and have several pieces that I've made. Wonder if my eyesight and patience is still up to it.

It can cause problems if eye sight not great - and mine is not - but i solved this with a magnifier

I love cross stitching Annie but I am rubbish at it, I'm not a good needlewoman and my eyesight is rubbish due to some medication I now have to take.
Might have a look at magnifiers now though. I cobbled two samplers together for my GC. If my premium bonds ever produce any large sum I would love to treat myself to an antique sampler. Those young girls with their patience and skill and candle light. I make a bee line to study kneelers in a church. I have seen some of Mary Queen of Scott's needlework at, I think, Oxburgh Hall, NT. Amazing!
Wish I had had the sense at 16 to have kept my Gran's embroidery, my parents gave it all to her neighbours. Sorry for the long post, I love talking
all things stitchy.
What do you like to cross stitch and do you display your work around your home?

I've just started it up again after a very long break. You're right, Anniebach, it's not ideal for those of us with poor eyesight, as I've found out! I'll look into the magnifier.

Oops, that very bad pun was unintentional!

I have poor sight and the following has made it possible for me to keep stitching

I buy 14 count Aida - easy count, it has the grid lines on it and after finishing the project the lines vanish when the work is rinsed,

Patterns are enlarged at the printers shop and I have a magnifier on a stand which I plonk on the table to view the pattern which is on a board.

There are magnifiers which one can clip on the hoop too, I haven't used one, when it comes to back stitching I use a magnifier attatched to a cord which hangs over the stitching I am holding so I can find exactly where the neddle goes between the already stitched stitches, I try to avoid back stitching though.

Makes great gifts, no racking the mind with what to buy, last Christmas I gave my younger daughter a sampler of the Welsh alphabet , she has moved to Lincolnshire so was thrilled with the sampler. Young parents love birth samplers .

Long post but love stitching

Forgot to mention, I have three sisters and am sure they were born clutching a feather duster, they don't even have dogs, I stitched a sampler which is in my hall - A Tidy House Is A Sign Of A Wasted Life !

Thanks for those tips Annie my OH could print out patterns at his workplace. And there's a couple of shops here I could buy 14 count. Might really have to try again. There are some lovely kits around. I switched to knitting but I tend to stick to shawls, mittens, hats in the round as I think my finishing skills are not nearly as neat as I'd like.
My GC and daughter loved the cross stitch samplers I made but they can't see behind all those knots and trails at the back.

I used to do a lot of cross-stitch, around 20 years ago, but I just got bored with it! I designed a sampler, which showed our house and had all the usual alphabet and numbers 1-10, with lots of other stuff randomly packed in. I planned this so I could take it in hospital with me when I went in for a hysterectomy. I knew I'd be in for about a week and wanted something to occupy me once I'd got over the surgery.
Wouldn't be worth it these days as they chuck you out virtually as soon as you're out of the theatre

JamJar, there are loads of free patterns on the internet which you can print off , threads can be bought in eBay. I buy all my Aida , threads and whatever from Sewandso , but there are lots of online shops , good luck - the back of my work resembles a birds nest but who sees it

Thanks Annie I have just found up my Crossstitcher's Bible by Jane Greenoff, a lovely present from my daughter and I will have a look at Sewandso. I am my harshest critic and scrutinise all my sewing, knitting, have been known to pull swathes of a shawl out because I can see a small fault. Can see a couple of faults on both the GC's samplers but no one else has noticed and I always imagine everyone's work is neater, tidier than my poor efforts.

Annie lovely to hear from another cross stitcher. I have been doing it for 25 years and now have no room to hang anymore samplers. I like doing traditional designs and nothing sentimental. No angels nor pussie cats. I started with the magazine New Sttches and still do projects from those first 20 magazines. Nowadays they bring nothing new because after a while there is nothing new to stitch. I have done Blackwork as well and some Art nouveau cushion covers.
I did birth samplers for my grandchildren but they have all been taken down now as they don't fit in a teenager's bedroom.

I do very little now as my eyesight is not so good anymore but I always have something to stitch.

I did birth samplers for my grandchildren
I do hope they have kept them in their treasure boxes MargaretX!

DD had some little samples that came with a weekly magazine years ago, so I tried one or two to make greetings cards, then foolishly bought a couple of kits as I felt quite enthusiastic.
However, my cross stitching ended up like my crocheting - wider and wider and off-beam.

The kits have added to my stash of UFOs.

It must be my eyesight.

I have done a few cross stitch projects in the past but not since I had a stroke as it is difficult to concentrate long enough to pick up where it was left and my energy doesn't last long.
I too have a stash of kits some of which are still sealed up, love the term UFOs!. I would like to think I might get back to doing it again one day.

I have been trying to complete a cross stitch of Liverpool waterfront for so long that it is out of date now. There is a large new museum there now! I think the new building looks out of place so prefer my version. You have inspired me to get it back out from under the stairs and try to finish it off.

I started a band sampler years ago and lost interest but on turning seventy this year I've decided that I must finish everything I started or throw out. In the last three weeks it has moved fast. I've included the DGCs initials and dates and only used threads that are leftovers from other projects which has made it rather random but colourful. Then all the threads are going as are all the books on samplers.

So pleased to meet other stitchers

Anniebach, which magnifier do you use? I've been looking at what's available online, but there seem to be a lot of bad reviews re them being flimsy, LED lights flickering, etc. Have you any recommendations?

I love X stitching but time isn't on my side at the moment. I've been trying to finish sampler for latest dgs (who is now 8 months ) for ages! Maybe when panto, Xmas Fayre and village lights are all over I'll find more time.

I've done lots of work over the years and used to make all my birthday cards, gift tags. My favourite has to be the wedding picture I made for dd2 and sil of a bride and kilted groom. Took me 6 months-dress had tiny seed pearls in it and the kilt had about 9 close shades of red. Dd1 got a set of Rennie McIntosh designs. Does anyone do black work?

Maggie, my set up sounds complicated , I have a floor lamp which sheds light on my hoop, to my left - I curl up on sofa - I have the pattern and stand on the coffe table and the magnifier is for the pattern not for my stitching . When I do back stitch - which I really dislike doing- I have a magnifier on a cord from my neck and this magnifies my stitching on the hoop making it much easier to get the needle between the stitches. I bought the magnifier on the table stand from sewandsew , no light on it , don't think I would want a light and magnifier in one

Kate, I have only dabbled with black work, find it difficult with poor eyesight

I am making myself finish my pile of - started and will finish sometime work , they have built up

This is one of my blackwork pieces-took forever! I could only work during the day and I have good sight.

Beautiful Katek, wish I could see clearly enough to do it

Thank you Annie, I do enjoy my stitching when I have time. You have a good setup from what I've read, I should maybe look into a daylight bulb and extend my working hours so to speak.