Cross Stitch Update: Questions too!

Fridays are my days to update you on how I am doing on my cross-stitch.  I am a slow gal stitching so that means the posts might not be very exciting.  I thought I would sprinkle in a few questions to liven the blog post up.

Now for some questions about my cross-stitch.

Peggy asked:
“Can you share where you order your frames from?”

I sent two of my pieces to Total Framing and they did the framing for me.

I totally adore both of the pieces.  It was expensive but I decided not to care.

I sent another piece in and was told it might be five months before I get it back.  As much as I love their work, I didn’t know if I wanted to wait five months.  So I tried Custom Frame Solutions.

I had stitched this…

It’s not really big so I thought I could lace this myself and do the finishing.

The cost is about 1/3 of what it was at Total Framing.  Will I do this for everything?  The jury is still out.  On the really big pieces, I don’t feel as confident with the lacing.  Smaller pieces I’m not really worried about doing myself.

The frame and glass came nicely shipped.

But it’s me that has to do the work to put it all together.  UGH.  I think I did okay on the frame selection.  It looks vintage for sure!

…but like I said, the really big pieces make me nervous to lace.  We’ll see.  I only laid the frame over the piece…I have to finish it all the way yet.

Watch for this to be a finish in the near future.

Lisa W asked:…
“Jo, you do such beautiful cross-stitch work and seem to get quite a bit done!! Can you share the type of cross stitch hoop that you use? Thanks so much!!!”

I use these Morgan Hoops.  They are non-slip.  I’ve used these for years.  I prefer the 7″ size.  HERE is a link for them.

They have a ridge so they don’t slip and wow…what an upgrade from the cheap ones.  I have 5 and keep one with each of the projects I am currently working on.

Now for my progress on my cross stitch over the week…

I got some stitching done of A Changed World.  That is the stitch along I’ve been doing with Judy at Patchwork Times and Denise at Just Quiltin.

Well…I got this far and am frustrated.  I don’t like some of the threads.  UGH.  I got a color conversion from Country Sampler in overdyed floss.

I like the colors in samplers to be blendy.  The colors just didn’t seem to blend to me.  That is likely because I haven’t stitched the whole sampler but still…I didn’t want to stitch the whole sampler and not like it.  So…I pulled the DMC and checked the overdyed flosses with them.

See the peachy color in the picture below?  I don’t like that color.  It is supposed to be the color of some of the flowers and I don’t like that color.

So, I dug out my floss and I looked and sorted and I think I finally have something I like better.  I am refraining from announcing the color yet as I want to stitch the flower and make sure I like it.

The frustration with the colors delayed me.  I didn’t get the amount of stitching done on this that I wanted to stitch.

While I had all of the floss out, I decided that I would put any floss away that needed to be put away.  Hmm.  I ordered this floss and don’t remember what I ordered it for.  UGH.  I hate when I do that.  I’m wondering if I might be for my next Anniversaries of the Heart block.

Speaking of which, this is my progress on that.  I had trouble with the color choices on this too.

These charts are wonderful but the dye lots of the floss have changed so much that stitchers have to be ready to make color substitutions if they are stitching this.  This was published over 10 years ago and the colors just aren’t the same.

On top of that, I got the border all stitched.  I went to get the next color out and realized that I put away the wrong threads.  Remember I had said I sorted and put thread away.  Well, I put the August threads not the July threads away. UGH.  So I have to go pull the August threads again.

I did download Teresa Kogut’s new freebie chart Kindness is Free.

You can find the free chart HERE.  If you are thinking about trying cross-stitch again…or for the first time, a free chart is a great way for you to ease yourself in.  The chart uses mostly DMC floss so that makes it cheaper as well.  I really think I want to stitch this.  I’m tempted to start now but nope.  I have too many things started.  I need to finish something!!

One would think that I might get a lot of stitching done over my break from childcare but I haven’t.  Likely I’ve stitched less than normal.  I’ve been in the sewing room instead.  I was working on Eli’s and Emmett’s baby quilts…and longarming some other quilts too.  Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to have lots of quilt finishes for you!  That means not as much stitching progress but that’s okay.  We’re marching closer to the fall and winter months.  I always stitch more during that time.