Cross Stitch Update

Last week I told you about some of the floss tubers I watch and asked if anyone had other suggestions.  Here are some that were sent.

Lori Holt-I watch her too.  I think I just accidentally omitted her.

Annabella’s- Someone recommended her and said she was doing some beginner cross stitch videos.

XstitchMD-The person who recommended her said she’s from Nova Scotia.

Thanks so much for sharing these.

After watching Brenda and the Serial Starter, Brenda mentioned watching Mountain Craft Studio.  Here is a link to her Youtube.  Oh my word, I have watched a couple of episodes and love her already.  She is a quilter, cross-stitcher, and weaver.  She also does wool applique and other things.  She loves old stuff (like me).  She has a great collection of old things that are sewing-related and she shares one in each episode.  I’ll tell you more about this in another blog post.  So far I’m three episodes in and LOVE watching her.

I started on A Saviour’s Praise on Friday as part of my Easter/Good Friday observance.  I came to this conclusion.  I hate starting new projects.  I think that is the hardest part of a project.

I’ve said before that the first stitches you make in a project are the hardest and I was reminded of that again.  With cross stitching on linen, as I put in each stitch, I have a reference point of where the next stitch can go.  When starting fresh, there are no reference points and I don’t love that.

As I start I am so apprehensive about the linen I’ve chosen and the floss colors always wondering if the colors are showing up okay.  Here is my stitching from the weekend night.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really excited about it at all.

I love the border but stitching it is a little precarious.  It’s a lot of looking at the chart, counting, stitching counting, recounting sort of thing.  So, I decided that I would try adding some color to get myself excited.  That didn’t help.  See that ghost leaf.  Blah.  This was somehow not looking like I initially remembered it.

So, I went to floss tube.  I found Lori Holt’s video from March 6, 2021, about 8 minutes into the video.  There she talks about her color changes.  She used this red, DMC 3777

She used this green, DMC 320.  This green is the color of that ghost leaf that I stitched.  Well, now I decided I am switching mine with these colors as well.  So, I have to rip out that ghost leaf.

It’s all okay but it just wasn’t the happy smooth start I was hoping for.  I’ve started pieces enough times to know that I just need to jump in and stick with it until I love it…and I will love it.

But it makes me tempted to go back and stitch on my All Creatures as that is comfort stitching to me.  Most of the decisions with that are already made.

But I was determined not to do that.  I wanted to stitch one this over the Easter weekend.  I want to get a good start on it so the next time Sunday rolls around, I can feel more excited about picking it up.  If I can do a little extra work to make that happen, I was going to.

So I sat down and got my working copy made.  I made copies and taped the pages together.

I folded my chart and put it in one of these bags I bought off Amazon.  Find them HERE.  They are 9×12 bags.  I have these on hand as some of the cross stitch charts come in icky bags that are hard to get the charts in and out of.  I also use them to house my working copies.

I have it all in and folded with the part I’m stitching right side up.  I even keep my working copy in the bag as I stitch.  My light has a clamp that holds my chart so I clip the bag with the chart showing to the clamp.

After I did that I went through and found the flosses that I didn’t have already.  Now I felt better about it all and was ready for Saturday night stitching.

So…I stitched on this Saturday evening and here is where I ended for the week…

I am stitching this on Beach Brew from R&R.  I have mostly the called for Anchor floss.

From there I pulled…

the small Blackbird Designs piece that was in the Needlework Cookbook.  This was on Monday night.  I was just pooped out.  I didn’t stitch a think on Sunday night.  I had Carver and Gannon here overnight.  Craig had to load cattle for market early, as in 4:45am, and Kalissa was working overnight.  It was easiest for the boys to just have a sleepover.

Monday I had my two school-aged childcare kiddos as it was a no school day.  I have Gannon and Carver and Kelli’s three kids.

I made “big family supper” on Monday with lasagna, homemade French bread, and devil eggs.  Everyone was gone by 9 pm on Monday night and I was pooped.  I started out thinking I would stitch on a Saviour’s Praise being I wasn’t able to stitch on Sunday night but then decided I was just going to stitch on this piece because I needed something that was a “no brainer” stitch.  I filled in the windows, finished the roof, and stitched the flower.  Then I was off to bed.

I am stitching this to put in the picture frame you see below.

It’s all housed in my cute perfectly spring Deborah Harry bag.  I still am totally in love with her bags.

All Creatures Great and Small was the other piece I stitched on.  Here is where I was last week…

I know I am not even halfway done but this project is to the point that it’s screaming for me to work on it.  Oh my…I just love it.  There is something so satisfying about completing the little motifs.  I often sit down and wonder what I’m going to stitch that evening.  I’ll decide on a pot of flowers and I can accomplish that in an evening…then I’m just tickled I met the goal.  I know it’s silly, but I love doing that.

I did very little stitching this week.  I did lawn and outdoor clean up on two different nights and I’ve spent a ton of time in the sewing room this week.  Those UFOs are calling to me too.

Here’s where I am at…
Everything is finished on the second row to the left of the center now…and I started the center.

I stitched the lady, tree, teapot, and tea cup… and started the center.  I’ll wait until the end to put in my initials and date.

Here’s what I’ll be stitching next week…the stuff to the right of the center.

I’ve been thinking about his piece as I’ve been stitching.  One person who I know that stitched this didn’t like this bottom row with the undertaker and tombstones.  She ended up stitching something else.  Me, I am perfectly fine with the undertaker and tombstones.  In fact, I was thinking about really embracing them and putting Kramer’s initials in using over one stitching and adding the years of his birth and death.

I know for some that’s a little morbid but it would be a way I could personalize this piece and quietly memorialize Kramer.

I think this sampler is just the cutest.  I’m so happy I picked this one to stitch.

Before you go…
Liz at the Stitchery Nook has a daughter and she has made scissor fobs that would go great with our upcoming stitch along.

The scissor fobs are so cute with a little bird at the bottom.

HERE is the link to order the kit as well as the fob.  If you follow the link you can scroll through the photos at the bottom to see different options for the kit as well as the scissor fob.  There is also a drop-down box on the right.  You can pick the items you’d like to purchase there.

I see many of you are stitching along on your “Blessed” stitch along.  I am following progress on our Facebook page.  It was a great reminder that I need to quickly stitch my April assignment.  I’m off to pull that out.  Maybe I’ll work on that tonight.

I’ll update you again next week on my cross stitching.