16.5.13

Cross stitch memories

Hi there,

I haven't done that much progress on either of my projects.

I did crochet the fourth flower for my Almond Blossom Bag, however I cannot seem to get my tension right. The third flower I crocheted was too small, the fourth too big compared to the two first ones I did. That annoyed me enough for me to leave the project for a little while. You can see the size difference in the biggest and the smallest one:


I have done a little bit of embroidery on my Flying the Flag pillow case project. This is what I am enjoying to work on the most right now. Since last time I've filled out the blue in the left triangle and I have added the white and red you see to the left as well. I do like the way it is starting to look!



Because I did not have that much progress to show you, I would instead like to tell you how I got into cross stitching in the first place, and show you my collection of the CrossStitcher Magazine, which I have been collecting for years now.

It started a long, long time ago. I got a kit with a pillow cover with a teddy bear on it. I finished it with help from my family, and I was - and still is - super proud of it. That was the beginning of my love of cross stitch.



In my kiddy after school care we had a hobby room, where there was access to aida fabric and easy cross stitch patterns. I in particular remember a Christmas cross stitch bear, and during that project I learned one of the most important things of cross stitch: When doing stripes of cross stitch, do count the amount of lines before your bear gets an unnatural long body! I still remember that bear, but the actual project has probably been thrown out a long time ago.



When I moved from the kiddy after school care to the bigger kids after school care, I got out of cross stitch. Instead it was sewing that caught my attention. One day in the local mall I went into the local yarn and fabric store, and there was this cute little kit with a heartsease. I just had to buy it and make it. I did, and I gave it to my mum, who has it somewhere, not quite sure where it's hiding these days!

After that some time passed before I got myself into another project. I was with my grandma (on my mother's side) at the time in a local needle shop, and I fell for the cutest embroidery with sheep on it. It took me years to finish, and the finished project is not in a frame or anything yet, but it was with this project my grandma taught me a lesson, I still stick to today:

Do not start a new project before you finish the one you are on. That way your projects don't get lost.




When I moved to London, one day me and Shaun went into the local W. H. Smith and I spotted the section with cross stitch magazines. There were so many to choose from! I finally chose one I liked, which happened to be the CrossStitcher and after buying a few of them, I decided to subscribe, and I am still a loyal subscriber today. My collection so far goes from issue 218 and fills up almost four folders.



I absolutely love most of the patterns there are in the magazines, and I adore the little presents that comes with each subscription. One thing I have learned though is to use my own DMC threads instead of the ones in the little kits, as they are so short they are super annoying.

From the day I spotted that cross stitch magazine on the stand, I have always had a cross stitch embroidery going! And I love it to bits!



Anyone else wants to share their stories? Please do in the comments section! 

x Michelle x

1 comment:

  1. I sent you a picture of that pillow with the teddy on. As you know, it has been living in my livingroom ever since -and I still love it very much. /moster

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