Cross stitch

Here is the completed SAL. From the top: The Black Cat (Poe); The Nightmare Before Christmas ft. Jack Skellington; The Mothman Prophecies; Bubak (sack man/scarecrow from Polish legend); Beetlejuice; The Addams Family (Cousin Itt); The Raven (Poe); Dracula; The Haunting of Hill House; The Mask; The Woman in Black; IT; Frankenstein; The Cask of Amontillado; The Flying Dutchman; Hocus Pocus; The Goblin Market; Hansel and Gretel; The Call of Cthulhu; The Tell-Tale Heart (Poe); Slenderman; The Picture of Dorian Grey; The Exorcist; Ghostbusters; Little Red Riding Hood; Snow White; The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; De Bokkenrijders (Dutch/Belgian legend); Bluebeard; Krampus; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

agnurse look forward to seeing your finished work. Have you any you could show now? Do you work on Aida or even weave or both?

I go to a mixed craft group for 2 hours on Thursday afternoon. It's at our local library . It's free and was started by 2 friends. My local council likes to encourage different groups so the rooms are free. I am the only cross stitcher but I love seeing what others are doing. We are a wide age range 30's -80's. I had promised myself when I moved to the north west 2 years ago I wanted to join a craft group and exercise group. Which I have. Covid closed things down for over a year but it's lovely things are back.

The room at the library we are spaced out but all double vaccinated and some of us are due for our boosters plus had flu jab.

It always amazes me how those little crosses get addictive. Don't know about you but think it keeps my fingers flexible and my mind. I am 63 so anything I can do to keep mind and body active I think is important. Trying to stave off arthritis and dementia ?.

It's funny because of my neurological condition my hands tremor but they are still when I cross stitch.

Don't know about you but I love planning what I am doing next . Love winding thread on to my cardboard bobbins. And doing that first stitch and seeing my work take life. Only wish I had started 20+ years ago instead of think it's 5 years now.

Look forward to hearing more from you.

Just found this thread! I also cross stitch and have been doing so for a few years now. Whiff I second your recommendation for Cross Stitcher and The World of Cross Stitching - those are the two magazines I buy. (I live in Canada but we can get them here. I am hoping to get a subscription soon. Currently I buy them at the local book shop. We just get them a couple of months behind.)

Right now I am finishing the Stitchonomy Halloween SAL (stitch-along; for anyone not familiar, a SAL is where you're given a portion of a mystery pattern at a time) for my daughter, who loves Halloween. It resembles a book with 31 individual patterns comprising the cover. I have finished most of it; just need to finish the rest of the frame around the individual patterns. I told her it would be done by Halloween. All of the individual patterns are characters from literature, traditional lore, and popular media. My kid is very pleased, especially as four of the patterns are from Edgar Allan Poe works, which she enjoys.

Once I finish working on that, I have to start getting ready for Christmas! I've already purchased Mill Hill Buttons & Beads kits to make for my parents for Christmas, plus I recently signed up for a Stitching Swap so I need to make something for that.

What beautiful work all of you. I cross stitched for years until I ran out of things to cross stitch and decided taking up Aran knitting again.

Just finished these Christmas tree decorations for my grandsons.

I take charts for different designs and put them together to make cushions etc. The Christmas stocking is made up of charts from different magazines. I use up a lot of my stash that way. Only buy the proper colour for charts if they are a special present. Have 3 large hemline boxes full with threads on cardboard bobbins all in numerical order. When I order threads I always include ones I haven't got. Would love to have everyone of DMC threads not the metallic ones though. I can dream.

Once you’ve mastered the technique, why don’t you design your own? I make samplers for new babies with their names, date of birth and the thing for the day of the week they were born - Tuesday’s child is full of grace, etc. This is surrounded by an appropriate border and various little pictures…

Socksandsocks01 if you look on page 5 I show an example of before and after back stitch. I made it into a coaster for my brother. So you can see what I mean about things not coming to life until you back stitch.

Cross stitch is a slow craft but that's why I love it it's so relaxing. They only time I didn't find it relaxing when I used metallic thread. It kept on fraying. Never used it again.

Thank you whiff I shall certainly look out for the magazines.

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Socksandsocks01 I only started 5 years ago . But cross stitch is easier than you think. I advise you to buy a copy of Cross Stitcher magazine or The world of cross stitching both are very good and come with a free project. So that would give you a start. But if you are like me I am hooked.

Here are pictures of a chart and the finished cross stitch. Done on 14 count Aida using DMC threads. At lot of the time the cross stitch doesn't come alive until you back stitch. But saying that not all cross stitch designs have back stitching.

Must admit I don't do french knots or fractional stitches I only work in half or whole stitches. Always on Aida can't do it on even weave.

Have a go you could make some Christmas decorations for your tree. I back mine with iron on med/ heavy weight facing using a damp cloth to melt the glue.

Hope you do have a go.

They're beautiful. Oldbutstilluseful it's amazing that you have only been cross stitching 5 years gives me hope.

I've planned to get into cross stitch and tapestry for years but have been more into knitting and crochet as I'm more experienced in those. But it does look difficult when looking at those pictures made from stitches. How easy is it?

Ive seen a leapard cub cross stitch kit I quite fancy doing. It's strange how beautiful colours of threads can draw you to a design too. So many eye-catching shades and jewel - like colours.

Thank you Sweetpeasue the gargoyles took me 2 months. When I did the motor bike it took me 3 months. When I have a large project on the go I do little ones that take a couple of hours in between. I take these smaller ones to my craft group.

I find cross stitching addictive but also very relaxing . Think its because you can't do it quickly it slows me down. Funny enough I don't get the tremors in my hands when I am doing it.

Happy stitching everyone.

Larger

The Gargoyle picture looks so intricate Whiff and must have taken many hours. Well, I finished my little owl, it was just a small 4 by 4 design and husband is going to use it as front for Christmas card. My new glasses worked well and I've sent for another larher project. It's so addictive, though I have to keep moving because of my back which is annoying. I don't think I'd have started again unless I'd seen this thread. It stops me thinking of more stressful issues. Thankyou.

Thank you Whiff I can see my stitching on my hoop, can’t see distance, so use iPad. Very few patterns can be bought to
download though.

Will definitely buy a pre printed fabric.

Anniebach would pre printed charts on the fabric that has a low count Aida help you. I have done pre printed cushions which could be used as pictures on 5ct Aida canvas. Also Bianca fabric has larger holes than Aida.

Could associations that help people with failing eye sight have anything that can help you.

I can only read patterns I can download on my iPad, eye sight
failing, magnifier no help now, so frustrating.

Sar beautiful work as usual. Do you always have the next project in mind? I do but I wondered how other people worked.

I started my dragon last week at craft group but the greens are so similar decided craft group will be for things that only take couple of hours. So today I will start a little Highland cow which I will make into a coaster for my grandson's birthday. This year everyone has had a coaster with their birthday present. I have done things that I know they like .

Sweetpeasue my eye test is due in January and know I will need stronger reading glasses. This year had to wear glasses full time for my distant vision. I'm 63. Had to have reading glasses since I was 19.

I had 2 lovely cross stitch kits for my birthday in April. Once the dragon is complete I can start one.

I framed my Gargoyles myself.

Beautiful pictures Sar53. I especially like the tea layout.
I got some stronger reading glasses yesterday and started my tiny 3X3inch owl design yesterday. Does everyone else need more magnification or is it my age(65--ouch!)?

Thank you travelsafar. I am keeping them for myself and DH will be hanging them once I have decided where they should go.

Sar53 How beautiful, are you keeping or giving as a gift to someone. I would be sooo happy to get something like this and would appreciate the time and effort taken to produce something so pretty.

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These are my two cross stitch pieces back from the framers.
Now to find somewhere to hang them.

Just learnt how to do it Whiff! Thankyou. I've never used that before so consequently my other work is rife with weaved threads at the back. Loop start so much better. But I've been getting so frustrated as there's no way I'm going to manage with my present reading glasses, I'm going to need some much stronger. Grrr!