If stitching a sampler for a family event is just too much work for you, consider stitching something smaller. Perhaps something ornament-sized. You may not be able to stitch as many details on it, however, they can be just as effective. They also take much less time. Substituting Ornaments for Samplers When you don’t feel […]
Stitching the Family: Modifications!
[The title of this post comes from the extremely funny Pixar short “Tokyo Mater” where Mater gets “modifications.” What can I say, I have two small children and all I get to watch is Disney and Sprout.] So, you want to stitch something nice for an upcoming birth or wedding but you can’t find anything […]
Stitching the Family: Samplers
Many stitchers use stitching to commemorate events in the family. One of the most popular ways to do this is with samplers. Samplers have been around since humanity has been doing the needle arts. Many stitchers think of alphabet, motif, and border samplers when they hear the word “sampler,” but according to Wikipedia, a sampler […]
Tips for Stitching on Black Fabric
Stitching on black fabrics can be eye-straining, frustrating, and down right difficult. All that said, why do we even do it? Because the results are always stunning and awe-worthy. Here are my tips and ideas for making the process less painful. Good Lighting, Quality Lighting, More Lighting! The number one most important thing you can […]
A Little Gridding Goes A Long Way
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (like back in 2013), I guest blogged a few times over here about my adventures in stitching. Then, in Summer of 2013, I started a Masters of Arts degree in teaching and most of my spare time for blogging and stitching in general went down […]
Need Some Graph Paper to Rechart or Chart a Cross Stitch Pattern?
Sometimes you just need to rechart the date on something, or maybe you want to use a different color or add small detail like your name to a piece, or maybe you want to chart a small motif for a custom piece – you need a sheet of graph paper or some type of grid […]
Cross Stitch Tails … and we’re not talking stories here …
Recently a customer called me and needed more thread for a kit she had purchased. She had run out of one color and was only half way done with the area. WHAT? How could that be? I looked at my notes and I had another customer with the same problem, same color, same kit. What […]
Stitching in Epic Proportions
A few months ago, when I first started guest blogging here, I talked about how I prefer to stitch smaller projects. It’s mostly because they don’t take forever to finish and also are less expensive to finish. But occasionally, one has to stitch something truly epic. And I mean EPIC! Lord of the Rings […]
Different Techniques for your Thread
As part of what I like to call my ongoing “thread studies”, I came across this fabulous book a while back. It is a thread and time consuming practice called “needle painting”. The finished work is so beautiful, and I have tried my hand at a few of my own. Although mine are a bit […]
Organizing the Craft Closet On a Budget
Although it doesn’t feel like it in some parts, Spring has begun. I’ve been preparing for this time of year for a couple weeks by going room to room to decipher what to toss, what to keep and what to donate. In doing so, one thing became abundantly clear; almost every room in the house […]
