Cross Stitchers Anonymous

Jen's W.I.P. - Milady Blackberry HAED

2010-03-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Yay! I have an update, too!

It is a small update, as I did not pick up this piece for about nine months! However, I started again and have even gotten more done since taking this picture!

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Statistics:
June 01, 2009 to present
28ct. white Evenweave, 1 over 1
~900 of 70,875 stitches (0.12%)

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Always,
-Jen

Jen's W.I.P. - Milady Blackberry HAED

2009-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently started the first "big" project I have ever done. Milady Blackberry is actually considered a quick stitch. You can buy the pattern your self here.

I chose this pattern because it is very purple-oriented. :D I love purple. This pattern captured my eye immediately when I saw it. I don't know, I just absolutely love it!

I am doing this on on 28ct. White Evenweave. 1 over 1. :D

As of today, June 06, 2009, I have completed 565 stitches. I have worked on it for about 13 hours.
Here is the most recent update picture:

I apologize for the bad picture. The camera is not working correctly. XD

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Statistics:
June 01, 2009 to present
28ct. white Evenweave, 1 over 1
565 of 70,875 stitches (0.008%)
13 hours
1 update photo

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I would like to thank the following people tremendously (Unless you are these people, or you are coming from Crossstitchforum, you don't know these people)!
[b]Minij -[/b] Thank you for the help in figuring out what this pattern would look best in (as far as the kind of stitches and amount of thread to use).
[b]Sammy_v -[/b] Thank you for your support. :) Thank you also for giving me someone to chat with for hours straight so that I do not go insane from constant stitching. :D
[b]Lisa -[/b] Thank you for your support also. I appreciate it very much. :) I PUT A PICTURE OF CURRENT PROGRESS UP! :P

I couldn't stick to this without you guys! And this is just the beginning!

Still On Hold

2009-05-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hello to the zero people that read this!

I was informed by my doctor last Thursday that if I show no signs of getting well soon, I will be put on permanent bed rest for at least two weeks.

I wish I had that "I'd Rather Be Stitching" smilie from crossstitchingforum. XD

Stitching Has Been Put On Hold

2009-05-17T17:07:00.001-07:00

I have been stitching a few stitches on and off, but for the time being, stitching has been put on hold.

I have recently gone through a bad series of trips to the doctors office. They kept telling me I had one thing but finally ran tests and discovered I have Mono. I have been home for two of the last three weeks and will probably be home all of next week.

I have not been sleeping well and it finally caught up to me. I took a nice long nap today! This was then rudely interrupted by my cat telling me that the fan had blown the door shut and he wanted out of the bedroom. Still, a five hour nap is pretty nice.

I will have an update sometime of the Tetris bookmark. I have gotten a couple of lines done. I will wait until I have at least one whole row of blocks done.

Jen's W.I.P. - Tetris Bookmark

2009-05-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

I have started yet another small project. I am making this for my sister who is a reader more than anyone I know. She also loves Tetris (only after I introduced her to it). I have combined the two things to make a Tetris bookmark.

I designed it myself! Woo! I started by making my own Tetris blocks in MS Paint.

After this step, I created a 3 by 10 block grid. I messed with that for about an hour until I got a pattern I was happy with. The only block I ended up not using was the blue "I". I also used the "W" like one twice. I had two left over squares in the grid, so I am using those to "sign and date" the project.

Once I had this done, I cut a piece of 14 ct. 100% white cotton Aida from a new roll. I taped off the edges to prevent fraying.

I started working on that piece, but messed up the first row horribly. I re-cut fabric and taped it (not pictured). This time, I used a piece of white DFN cotton thread to grid off the top row and the left column (also not pictured). I currently have 3 of 80 rows completed.

I am using DFN cotton thread for the whole project. As for finishing it, I am currently contemplating this. I think I might try using some double sided tape to tape a slightly smaller piece of fabric to the back of the finished bookmark. Then I would like to try cutting a piece of white sewing fabric to size and sewing it to the back. I am not sure. I have not found a finishing style that I really want to try yet.

It's Been Stitched

2009-05-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you (anyone who might actually read this blog) to my brand new blog! I started it last night and finished setting it up today. I have made it a collaborative blog and we already have five authors and another on the way!

It's Been Stitched <--- Click

It's Been Stitched is a blog where you can see all kinds of finished cross stitch pieces. It could be a large framed project or a small ornament! If it is cross stitched, it is there! Check it out!

If you are a fellow cross stitcher and wish to become an author, send an e-mail to:
itsbeenstitched@yahoo.com
Please include the e-mail address you would like to set up authorship with.

I hope you like it!

Cross Stitchers Club

2009-05-11T17:51:00.001-07:00

I recently found a wonderful site called Cross Stitchers Club. They have hundreds of amazing patterns that I have fallen in love with, plus many, many more! The have a freebie section as well. Once signed up, and at any point after that, you can download that last five freebies with "paying" for it with your points. A new freebie is released each day.

Upon sign up through the following link, you will receive 30 points, I think it is. I tried the cell phone thing to get 20 more points when I signed up, but it didn't work for me.

Each pattern that I have come across, besides the freebies, "costs" 10 points. If you eventually become a full-on member (paid-subscription), you don't have to worry about points.

To sign up with this amazing site, click the link below:
http://cross-stitchers-club.com/?code_avantage=rldvut

You must sign up from that link to receive the extra points. Plus, I receive 30 points for you signing up and confirming your e-mail address!

Jen's W.I.P. - Lucky Duck

2009-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

After recently moving, I unpacked my sewing machine and a storage container with my scrap material in it. When looking through the material, I found a cross stitch project left unfinished that somehow got stashed there.

It is a NMI Stitch 'N Hang kit that I got last year and started and for some reason never finished the Duck part. It is on my to-do list though!

See ya!
~Jennifer

Jen's W.I.P. - Tales of Wonder

2009-04-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Currently, I am working on a small project called Tales of Wonder.

Completed example of Tales of Wonder.

I am not doing it exactly like this, however. My version has the castle, the poem, and the dragon, but not the lines in between each couple of lines of poem. I am doing it in 14-count Aida. The pattern is meant to be done in CARON Waterlilies and Wildflowers floss, but I do not have any nor do I have a place I could quickly run to and get some. I have chosen, from my own collection of DFN and a few DMC threads, replacement threads.

Replacement Threads (Brand - DFN unless otherwise noted):

For Castle - 710, 755
For Trees - 503 (DMC)
Poem - 222
Dragon - 445 (DMC), 503 (DMC), 3731 (DMC)
Backstitching - 580

When choosing replacements, I did not realize this at the time, I chose colors that now make my castle look like Cinderella's Castle. It was a accident, I swear!

Cinderella's Castle

I, so far, have the castle (minus the windows and backstitching) and one tree completed. I plan on doing some more work on it today.

As you can see, I made a rookie mistake with the door to the castle. It was too late by the time I noticed and I was not going to start over. The whole door should be just one stitch to the left. Oh well. I just extended the left lower wall of the castle out one stitch and all is well enough.

See ya!
~Jennifer

"The Project"

2009-04-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Eight years and 133,171 stitches in, Gary Schneider from Yorba Linda, California is 78.8% completed at last check-in with his amazing task of doing a Golden Kite project completely in silk thread on linen.

Yes, you read correctly. This man dares face the challenge of a Golden Kite cross stitching project on linen, in silk thread while in the spotlight for everyone to see. Is this man crazy?

Golden Kite is well-known for their advanced, difficult patterns that are as lifelike as the most advanced painter's painting. Mr. Schneider is doing Picture Gallery with Views of Modern Rome. This project rates a four on Golden Kite's difficulty rating of "starter" to six.

Re-sized picture of Picture Gallery with Views of Modern Rome.

Mr. Schneider's project has been dubbed "The Project". He keeps a kind of blog on Golden Kite's website. It is updated about once a year, the last update being on February 9, 2009. Visit his blog and learn much more about "The Project" here.

What is the biggest, most time consuming, project you have ever attempted or finished?

Methods for Organzing Thread And Floss - What Works For You?

2009-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a way to truly organize my thread and floss in a manner that suits me. Currently, I use a pretty bad system. Any experienced cross stitch-er would probably knock me over the head with a Q-Snap if they saw it.

For the last few years that I have been genuinely addicted to cross stitching, I have been opposed to the whole baggie system. I have not been able to find a way to organize the baggies that I liked and that was visually pleasing. I also am not a fan of bobbins or StitchBows, once again for the visual effect.

Finally, I though about looking outside the realm of normal ways to organize thread and floss. I think I may have found a way that will be easiest for me to organize thread and be okay with displaying it in my living room or anywhere I decide to hang it!

Deflect-o® Tilt Bin™ Multipurpose Storage and Organization
6-Bin System from Staples.com

This 6-Bin System can be hung on a wall or stacked on a crafting table, desk, or floor. It can be quite expensive considering I have just over 100 different colors that need organized and other crafters have many more. They are currently $16. I figure I could get by with 3 or 4 of these. That is 24 bins. I would not mind sorting each thread color into a baggie and then placing it in here. It would look fine. I am thinking I could organize by thread number (100's and 200's in one drawer, 3100's and 3200's in another, etc.).

The drawers do slide out if necessary, but they also tilt out; my favorite feature!

I think I will be trying this system out as soon as I can get the money for it.

How do you keep your thread and floss organized? Have you found a non-conventional way that works for you?