Ask Jo: Cross Stitch Questions

23 Comments / By / January 12, 2023

After I posted my finished cross stitch pieces for 2022 (read about that HERE if you missed it) and shared my finished Floral Motif Sampler (read about that HERE if you missed it) I had quite a few cross stitch-related questions come in.  I thought I would answer them all in one post…

Kathy asked:
“I just found your site online and have enjoyed it very much. I read your post on the valentine stocking you personalized with a charm. I would like to do that for my grandparents. Can you tell
me what the piece was stitched on?”

This is the project Kathy is referring to.  You can find the free chart from Plum Street Samplers HERE.  It was supposed to be a stocking but I didn’t calculate enough space for that.  Rather than throw my stitching away, I improvised.  I ended up leaving off the toe, turned it into an ornament, and added a charm at the bottom.  It was a super quick stitch.  I am sure I stitched it on 40 count linen.  I’m guessing Vintage Country Mocha was the brand.  I think I picked a darker red floss color than called for.  I like darker reds in my house.

I personalized it by putting my and my husband’s initials.  I also put our wedding year at the top.  I really like this piece and keep it up all year long.  Originally I thought I’d only put it out at Valentine’s but I ended up liking it too much to pack it away.

I’ve had several people ask about… …

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Ask Jo: Computer Programs to Quilts to Youtube

11 Comments / By / November 28, 2022

Every so often questions and comments come from readers that I think others would like to hear my response to.  That’s when I feature them on the blog.  This is one of those days.

First up a question from Donna. She asked:
“I’m glad you finally were able to get the book you wanted. Yes, it did seem expensive but since you’re going to be doing several of the patterns – so worth it!
I do have a question about your Come to the Garden – you said one of your daughters redid the bottom for you – did she have a special computer program or did she find a website for that purpose? I have a pattern I’d like to reword also.
Love and prayers”

There is a cross-stitch program that you can use to redo wording or even design your own charts.  It is called WinStitch or MacStitch depending on what type of computer you are using.  You can find them HERE.  They allow downloading a free test program.  I believe this will allow you to work in the program, and test it out, but will not allow you to save anything you design.  You can purchase the whole complete program for $47.  Kayla has MacStitch.

This company also has a program to use with Ipads.  These aren’t as extensive as the computer programs but I thought I would share that option as well.  If you only plan on changing the wording, this program might be enough.

They have a nice “How to” section as well.  I check Youtube and there is a nice channel called Little Stab Studio.  You can find it HERE.  She has several videos that show how to use the program.  I’m sure there are other videos as well.

If I was buying one, I think I would get the program above.

On the old computer I had before my grandson Eli dumped it over and it crashed, I had a program called PC Stitch.  I played with that program a little bit.  Like the other programs I previously mentioned, this had a download that allowed users to test the program but not save anything.  You can find that program HERE.

It’s nice that you can download them and see if the program is something you can navigate and use before you buy.

There was a lot of talk in the comment section after one of the more recent blog posts that featured quilts that… …

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Ask Jo: Where I’m Headed

71 Comments / By / November 22, 2022

Every so often questions and comments come from readers that I think others would like to hear my response to.  That’s when I feature them on the blog.  This is one of those days.

When I was doing my live video last week, I had a viewer ask if I was still submitting quilts for publication anymore.  It was a spur-of-the-moment answer that I said just off the cuff without really thinking about it.  A little more time has passed and the question has really stuck in my brain. I want to really thank the viewer who asked the question because I think it pointed me on a path and I now have more of a focus.  Let me explain…

I love domestic life.  I love cooking…I don’t hate household chores…I love raising kids.  Crafting and sewing are at the top of my list.  I enjoy gardening.  I like caring for animals.  Domestic life is the life for me.  I’ve never had big career ambitions.  I’ve been pretty content to be the mom and wife…and now a grandma.  Whatever work I’ve done has been a sideline job with my focus always on raising the kids.  If the job has taken me too far from my domestic life, I’ve always left that job.


Back in 2015 when… …

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Ask Jo: The Email Newsletter

15 Comments / By / November 8, 2022

I announced in last evening’s post that I was starting a new email newsletter program.  I showed you how to sign up and I thought I explained it all…but there was some confusion I think.  I’m writing today to hopefully clear up some of the questions.

To sign up you simply need to click where it says, “Click here to join the blog’s email list”.  It’s on the right-hand column of the blog.

Then this will pop up…you fill in your info.

(Don’t you love the cattle trailer picture Gannon drew me that’s below my computer-those are cows sitcking their heads out.  HA!!)

With that, if you click Daily Digest, you get an email each day that has links to the most recent two blog posts and the two most recent Youtube videos.  These emails are automatically generated from a company caller Mailer Lite.  I have an account with them and I am paying them for this service.  They are legitimate and are working for me to better serve you.

There is another option that says from Jo.  You can click that option as well.  This is where I will manually very occasionally send an email that was generated and written by me or Kayla.  We might send an email if the blog is down.  We might send a Christmas letter.  We might send an extra email just for fun.

I know so many of you worry if I miss a blog post.  This way if you get an email, you might know that I was called away or the blog is down.  It’s an alternate way to communicate with you if something should happen.

So…Let me get to some of the questions that have been asked… …

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