Cross stitch and embroidery group...

[meldmac]

Thought I'd start a group for any ladies that like to cross stitch. Please feel free to chat about what you are stitching now or what you have stitched in the past.

I've been cross stitching since I was 14 since my step-mother showed me how and I love ever second of it. It keeps me sane!! Please share how you got started and how long you have been doing it if you like!

Here's some of my finished pieces.

 

[meldmac]

Here's a couple more finishes ...

 

[Jkelmum]

lovely work i wouldnt kno where to start x

 

[PeanutBean]

Can it be freestyle embroidery and other types of sewing too? I was just thinking about starting a group. I do some cross stitch but I much prefer free embroidery. I'm working on a piece at the moment but haven't got photos of it yet. I never get any photos of the finished work for some reason!

Did you frame your work yourself? I cut the fabric too small for my sampler so it's a bit wrinkley. Annoying as I really tried to leave enough round the edges to pull tight!

Oh, here's my most recent cross stitch and I'll resize a pic of some embroidery I did a year or more ago when it was part finished.

 

[meldmac]

Sorry I haven't replied in a while, minds been on to many other things right now.

Did you frame your work yourself?

Some of the smaller ones I do, but the dog and cat one were professionally done as I really am not very good at framing them.

 

[meldmac]

Your embroidery is gorgeous!!! I've tried doing that but just couldn't get into it. I really like the look of it!

Here's another finished bookmark I cross stitched. It's done with silk threads.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I haven't done any since I was a kid, but I am thinking of starting up again.

 

[PeanutBean]

How much do you pay for the framing process? I'm wondering as I've a few pieces so don't want to pay a fortune for them!

 

[meldmac]

The cat was around $50 canadian, and the dog the same. However, I gave my father and step-mom and my mother cross stitches for xmas last year which cost almost $140-$150 each. It's expensive that's why I mostly try and frame the ones I'm keeping and only getting the ones that I do for gifts done professionally. I suck at framing so I'd never give one away that I did myself.

 

[Abz1982]

Hey guys. I have been given what appears to be a large number of Lickle ted cross stitch charts in electronic form. If anyone would like a copy let me know. I actually bought 2 of the packs a few weeks ago and they are sooo cute!!

 

[amylw1]

i havnt done any 4 ages. i just cant get into it. been doing it on/off since i was about 12 (so 15yrs). my favourite piece was my parrot on black fabric. it was a challenge but worth it. and my other fave piece was a wizard that had some embroidery on it as well.

i have done pigs, clowns, hot air balloons, dragons to name a few. i have 2 on the go at mo - 1 is a photo x-stitch of my eldest as a baby (he nearlyy 7) and the other is loads of clowns with balloons and rainbows, this 1 cost me £40 i fell in love with it but cant get back into it.

i'm sure i will1 day.

 

[nightkd]

Girls I need some help... I've made a sock monkey for my cousin, but I need to embroider the eyes on and it's already all sewn up... I've tried once before with a sock monkey I made for my brother, but it went horribly wrong and I ended up having to cover up holes I made while trying to make the eyes!

Any tips? How do I hide the knots etc without being able to get 'inside' the monkey? Any videos you could recommend showing how to do this?

xx

 

[meldmac]

I'm not sure I've never tried to do that. I wonder if there's a way to sew on buttons as eyes so it would hide the knots?

 

[PeanutBean]

Girls I need some help... I've made a sock monkey for my cousin, but I need to embroider the eyes on and it's already all sewn up... I've tried once before with a sock monkey I made for my brother, but it went horribly wrong and I ended up having to cover up holes I made while trying to make the eyes!

Any tips? How do I hide the knots etc without being able to get 'inside' the monkey? Any videos you could recommend showing how to do this?

xx

If you embroider with satin stitch then in theory you can probably stitch over a knot. Technically with embroidery you don't need to knot at all but I'm not sure you will manage well not being able to get to the back of the fabric. Satin stitch is very simple and just covers the whole area lining each stitch up against the next (I'm sure there will be a diagram online somewhere) so if you hold the thread end down and stitch over it shouldn't peep through it you're careful. You can also do satin stitch in one needle movement as opposed to two (one to the front and back again to make one stitch) so that's good for not being able to get to the back. You could stitch either to make a circle going from one side to the other or maybe do it more like a doughnut but the former will probably be easier. You'll need to take care not to pull the stitches too tight and crumple the fabric as without tension on a frame this is quite likely. Let me know if this makes no sense and you want more detail!

 

[nightkd]

I can't use buttons as it's for a 2 year old

Thanks PeanutBean... I think I'll re-read when I'm a bit more awake, it might make more sense that way!! The mistake I think I made last time was trying to pull it too tight (I have pretty tight stitches with knitting too, just can't help it ) so hopefully I can make it work by just taking it a bit easier!!!

xx

 

[limpetsmum]

Hii ladies, I'm glad I found this thread-i'mactually venturing up the loft later to retrieve a blanket I bought many years ago. I remember knotting all the tassles around the edges so it's all ready to cross stitch onto. It'll make a beautiful pram/cot blanket for when bubba arrives. I just have to look through my patterns & see what designs I want to stitch. I had planned to do some winnie-the-pooh alphabet but the aids count is wrong so it won't fit
I haven't done any for a few tears as I git into card making & scrapbooking but it's a beautiful art you never forget.
I have previously done winnie-the-pooh patterns, bookmarks, pigs (for my mom) and mirabilia faries which were gorgeous!
Hope to keep you updated with my progress, hope your all well ladies xxx

 

[Junebug_CJ]

Yay, great idea for a thread! Here is what I made for our baby's nursery. I originally intended it to be a gift for a friend, but when I realized how much work would go into it, I decided to keep it for myself Took me 10 years on and off...

Here is one that I made that is part of a collection, the 4 Season Angels with Lavender and Lace. This one is the Spring Angel (took me 7 years on and off), have been working on the Fall one for about 2 years already. Haven't touched it since Christmas 2008.

 

[meldmac]

They are both gorgeous!!!

 

[limpetsmum]

Yay, great idea for a thread! Here is what I made for our baby's nursery. I originally intended it to be a gift for a friend, but when I realized how much work would go into it, I decided to keep it for myself Took me 10 years on and off...

Here is one that I made that is part of a collection, the 4 Season Angels with Lavender and Lace. This one is the Spring Angel (took me 7 years on and off), have been working on the Fall one for about 2 years already. Haven't touched it since Christmas 2008.

Oooh your spring angel is gorgeous! I've been working on a Mirabilia one for years now - they are so complex. It's Aida the garden fairy, i might even finish it when i do start my maternity leave.......who knows?

 

[meldmac]

Ladies if you really want to try something quite detailed and beautiful try looking up Heaven and Earth Designs. Their patterns are beyond anything I had ever seen before a year or so ago!!

This is an example of one I'm doing her name is Rainbow Mermaid. She is done on 28 count 1 x 1 tent stitched. You can do them on smaller count fabrics but it makes the pattern very big. This one is considered a quick stitch! Yeah right I've been working on her over a year off and on. However I haven't touched her in about 3 or 4 months. I should get back to her soon though I really want to finish her. They turn out beautifully but they are a lot of work. At least there are no specialty stitches in any of them and only full stitches. I do tent stitch because I find it goes a lot faster, some like doing it this way whereas some prefer a full stitch. She has over 90 colors in the pattern.