I guess I'll start with how I started Cross Stitching. I've been stitching on and off for most of my life. My mom tried to get me into it when I was probably 7, but it never did quite stick.
I remember my first project was a cat. My mom got me a kid's kit for me with a large needle and I think it was a coloured plastic canvas. I remember getting most of it finished and being so proud of myself.
My mom tried to get me into cross stitch because the sewing machine and sewing in general had defeated me. To this day my sewing capabilities are extremely limited. So when I saw what I could do with a needle I was ecstatic! That was the first and only project I would finish for a really long time...
To try and keep me going with this new hobby, my mom got me a book patterns of pets and a new kit of Goose. I loved the pictures in the book, but I didn't see the point of stitching random animals without a purpose. I think this idea has followed me into adulthood. I love some of the samplers I've seen, but I can't see myself taking the time to complete one yet. I am a big fan of the larger images.
I started my Goose with enthusiasm, but as time went on, the length of time it took me to make any progress got to me. Looking back, I think it was the backstitching that did me in. I just felt like, "I've finished this bit, now its time to move on to the next, not retrace!" I finally put it in the back of my closet and forgot all about when I turned 10. I haven't thought of cross stitch since. My mom recently brought it by saying that she had kept it hoping I would finish it!! I don't have the pattern anymore so I'm not sure what to do with it....but maybe one day I'll draw something up.
I was reintroduced last year (18 years later) when my insane love if Pinterest accidentally fell on a cross stitch pattern of cute little owls with glasses. I had been looking for a hobby and there it was! I started up for the main purpose of making some cute owl bookmarks as Christmas gifts for my sisters. I didn't quite finish in time, but I did have weddings coming up this summer! I started looking for pattern ideas and came up with a couple that I liked. It took me a lot longer to draw up the patterns than I thought...but the results are well worth the customization!
Completed and framed:
WIP:
More to come! Next time I'll post some of the works I have completed and upcoming works.
Keep on Stitching!
Vicky
