cross stitch

Wisdom or cliché?

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

The use it up campaign continues with one of many surplus photo frames used to mount a little cross stitch.

Once the chosen phrase is charted out to get the letters centred I can work out the size of fabric required and then choose a frame big enough so I can add cross stitch decoration.

Essential tools:

Friction heat erasable pens help me centre the lettering and position the stitching.

Graph paper to write out the wording and get the spacing right.

Embroidery frame to keep the fabric straight.

Paper embroidery

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

My cross stitch ‘to do’ list is huge but I had to try this basket of flowers before any of the bigger ones because I am trying cure myself of a YouTube addiction!

My vow to stop mindless watching is to try out a crafty project if I watch a crafty video (and to cook a recipe if I watch yet another foodie video etc.).

So when the lovely Sarah Homfrey demonstrated basket weaving stitch in her May embroidery upload I had to try it.

I have a paper die that creates cross stitch panels so used that rather than load a hoop for stitching a more detailed basket on fabric.

I freestyled the pansies and fixed the finished panel on some craft foam before mounting it on a card base. I found some matching brads to embellish and tied some embroidery thread around the spine.

Rustic but at least the project is done and I can tackle some other UFOs (un finished projects).

Canvas embroidery sampler

~ guernseyjane ~ Leave a comment

I have resurrected an old project and tried out a few new stitches which have reignited my enthusiasm for cross stitch.

The green and white is alternating oblong and cross stitch ( just stitch over an oblong rather than a square to make the oblongs), the grey and pink is layering upright and traditional cross stitch over a double sized square and the maroon is gobelin.

if you are interested,  graphics below,

I am working on a giant roll of canvas so have set myself a target of 100  stitch or colour variations, about 90 to go!