I'm really excited to start my very first series. I've never taught anyone how to do cross stitch before, so this is going to be a new experience for me.
I've broken this series into 6 topics:
1) Selecting a Kit
6) Finishing and Framing
Sometimes I think the hardest part of making any cross stitch project is picking out a kit! There are so many styles out there, and most of them don't appeal to me. I really do not want to make a snowy owl, a geisha, a Navajo scene, or a menacing tiger, so sorting through all of these kits to find ones I like can sometimes be challenging.
Two of my favorite themes are babies and Christmas. I rarely see a baby pattern that I don't find adorable, and the birth records make wonderful keepsakes. The Christmas ones are also very cute, and you can make banners like the one I did below, stockings and ornaments.
There are also lots of other cute kits, but I usually find those by digging through all of junk to find the good stuff. I also prefer to shop for kits online instead of Micheal's or Joann's, etc. b.c the stores often have a very limited selection and they tend to stock all the kits I don't want.
Dimensions is a great brand and you can shop from their website - just remember, we are looking at counted cross stitch kits.
I'm really excited about the website I found this morning doing research for this post, The Stitchery, I have never found such an abundance of kits I love all in one place, take a look at what I found:
I have never seen the jar wrappers or sachets before. The sachets even come with lavender to fill them when you are done!
The kits come with everything you need to work on your projects except for the hoop. I have 5", 7", 9" and 12" hoops so that I can choose the appropriate size for my canvas. The fabric for the kit I am working on now is 22" x 11" so I am working with a 9" hoop. You should choose a hoop that is 2-3 inches less than the shorter length of your fabric. I didn't see hoops on either of the sites above, but I bought all of mine at Micheal's and Walmart (in the fabric, not craft, section).
Next week, we'll go over how to prep your kit.
Great kits and I love the ones you did, Heather. When I taught my daughter to do cross-stitch we started with a kit that was something small. This way it was easier to finish and actually see the finished project.
ReplyDeleteYou've really made me think about all the cross-stitch I've done over the years. I've done so many, not just for myself but as gifts, too.