Cross Stitch Corner

 Hey there! I've spent quite a few posts talking about what I've finished in the last year or so, but I haven't made any posts about my WIPS (works-in-progress)!  Horror or horrors!  I've actually been burying myself in cross stitch for the past few weeks and thought I'd switch things up and move away from knitting-centric posts.  I bought this kit off of amazon back in February, a whole lot of embroidery thread from craft store and had at it.

This was my first time using linen, which is a trip, but you kind of get used to it after awhile.  I'm used to Aida fabric, which has distinctive squares with only holes on each corner, here you stitch over twice the space, so there's a lot of extra holes.  

 

 

It makes it difficult to venture far away from established stitches because you could be half a stitch off and it's a nightmare.

 

Ripping cross stitching out is some of the most difficult and heart breaking things to do.

 

I've persevered, stitching obsessively for a few weeks off and on through the past 6 months, and now the end is in sight.

This last picture here is how it stands today.  I'll probably be finishing in the next week or two, but after that comes some incredibly detailed back stitching and beads!  I actually have done a cross stitch project with beads before, but not quite this many!

I would like to take a moment to talk about tools!  Everyone likes to see inside a fellow stitchers tool box:

 

For kits that come with floss,  I used to (shamefully) leave the floss hanging from the cardboard they came from.  This results in what yarnies affectionately call "yarn barf." But, I've learned.

My box here is sorted by DMC floss number, which is convenient for two reasons.  One, it makes it easier to find the floss I need, and Two, the pattern itself has them sorted by number, so it saves a bit of time.  I suppose some people might sort them by color, but I do not do that.

 Let's not forget the thing that seems to be featured in almost every picture here, the q-snap.  This was a game changing tool for me! It's made of PVC pieces and is genius.   I think the only downside is working close to edges.  I usually end up slipping a spare piece of fabric there, to keep the tension up.

I also have a handy needle minder, which are fabulous magnetic tools you can find on etsy, or make yourself using fabric button makers and teeny magnets.

 

I'll be back soon to talk about all sorts of crafty things!  I hope you enjoyed!