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Cross Stitch Xmas Ornaments and Bucket Loads of Cross Stitch

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

What is it with Murphy’s Law that as soon as I properly relax on a holiday, that I then get sick? The upside to spending a week and a half on the couch and binge watching Netflix, is that I have been able to get a bucket load of cross stitch done!

Moonlit Waters Fairy Progress…

The deal/rule I have with myself at the moment, is that I’m not allowed to move onto another project until I’ve completed a page. This rule applies to the larger projects I’m working on and it drives me a bit batty when I start getting an itch to start a new project. So, as a result of this rule and getting sick, I was able to finish a page on the Moonlit Fairy project (see below) and start some work on some Christmas ornaments and Christmas related projects.

Progress of Moonlit Waters from earlier this year.
Progress as of 22 September 2019

Christmas Ornaments…

The Christmas ornament I completed last night (20 September 2019) was Snowflakes from Ultimate CrossStitch Christmas Volume 19 2018. I bought it during my Christmas holidays at the coast and I want to stitch all the things in this issue.

Ultimate Cross Stitch Christmas Volume 19 2018 magazine cover

One of the things I really enjoyed with this project, was stitching on plastic canvas. All of the projects I’ve worked on in the past have been on Aida or Evenweave, so it was a nice change to work on something different. The main challenge I had with working on the plastic canvas, was it being clear plastic and getting my bearings with where I needed to put my next stitch.

I decided to stitch two snowflakes in two different colours – purple and blue and I had contemplated using ModPodge glue to stick them together or double sided tape. My concern however, was that neither would hold very well and I didn’t want there to be much of a gap between the two snowflakes. I could have made the joining of the snowflakes extra decorative with the use of metallic threads for the seam and beads. But I wanted it to be seamless and the focus to be on the snowflake and the clear edge around it, which triggered my light bulb moment. My boyfriend is an avid fisherman and has a variety of fishing lines that I may be able to use to join the snowflakes together!

Packaging of the fishing line I used for joining the snowflakes
This is how fine and clear the fishing line is – best used for fishing in super clear water!

The line was a lot more flexible than I thought it would be, based upon what my boyfriend was initially saying about the line. Also, because of how fine it is and that it’s so clear, on the snowflakes, I can’t see where I’ve stitched with it!

Blue side of the snowflake – can you see where I’ve used the clear fishing line?
Side view of the snowflake
Purple Snowflake

Stitching with the fishing line gave me a new appreciation of stitching with metallic threads and similar threads that can be difficult. They’ve got nothing on fishing line! I appreciate that fishing line is just that – it’s not meant to be stitched with. I can also appreciate how easy it is to get tangled and knotted whilst being used as fishing line and getting snagged. For the majority of last night when I was joining the snowflakes together I was internally cursing and swearing like a sailor because it was knotting up and getting caught on the rough edges of the snowflakes. Then there was the additional challenge of re-threading the needle with the line. Oh. My. Gosh. The line is clear and curling up and not wanting to play nice. It took a large bundle of my patience and stubborn perseverance (this line was not going to beat me!) to get it done before I went to bed.

But it’s done and I love the result of my first attempt at stitching on plastic canvas and using clear fishing line. I don’t know if I would use fishing line again. I would probably use some pretty, decorative paper to line the back of the snowflake so that people wouldn’t see the back or ensure the ornament hung in a way that people couldn’t see the back when it’s on the tree.

Fishing on the River project work in progress…

For the last few days – since completing the snowflakes – I’ve been working on the ‘Fishing on the River’ project whilst trying to hold off on starting any new Christmas related projects. It’s been progressing a lot better since I photocopied the pattern so that I could have a working copy. I found that trying to just eye-ball the pattern and not mark where I’ve stitched doesn’t work very well. I found myself getting a little muddled with where I have or haven’t stitched – especially when it came to stitching the half stitches.

Fishing on the River project – Cross Stitch Gold – Issue 87 – year unknown

My aim at the moment it is to stitch it for my boyfriend for his birthday or Christmas. Whether I get it done by this birthday/Christmas or next year, is debatable at the moment because there are just so many projects I want to work on at the moment!

Projects I’m itching to start…

While I’ve been working on the fishing project, I’ve been really keen to start on ‘The Candy Express’, ’12 Days of Christmas’ and ‘Santa’s Coming!’ from the Ultimate CrossStitch Christmas Volume 19 2018.

At the moment I’m thinking that I’ll stitch ‘The Candy Express’ and ‘Santa’s Coming!’ on the marble green fabric (see below) – even though the pattern calls for ‘Santa’s Coming!’ to be stitched on 14-count white Aida and ‘The Candy Express’ to be stitched on 28-count Sky High evenweave.

Green marble fabric

At the moment I have my nephew in mind for these two projects. He’ll be turning 5 very soon and I’m uncertain at the moment about how much he may appreciate the projects. However, if I stitch some more Christmas ornaments, he may enjoy putting them on the tree – especially if he knows that they are his special ones!

Running Update…

I’ve been very, very quiet on this front because I haven’t really done much for what feels like a long time. Yesterday (21 September 2019) I did some interval running for 3km and it was good to get out and about again.

On 10th November 2019 I’ll be participating in the 5km leg of Canberra Times Fun Run with the aim of getting as close as I can to the 30 minute mark. I’m a bit worried about whether or not I’ll be able to reach that time because of how unfit I’m feeling with running. The good thing though, is that I’m participating in my local gym’s 8 week challenge, which will help me with getting my fitness up!

Until next time, happy stitching and wish me luck with making decisions and progress on my projects!

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The Top 8 Things I Love About Cross-Stitch

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

I really love cross stitch! What helps at the moment is that I’m recovering from a cold that’s kept me mostly home bound for the best part of a week. Resulting in a bucket load of cross-stitch getting done and not much else!

So without further adieu, here are my top 8 of things I love about cross-stitch:

8. The Internet and Techie Devices

The Internet is a wonderful thing and I love having the option of accessing it through a variety of techie devices. I love that the Internet has enabled a lot of us to connect with each other via Flosstube, Facebook and other groups to form cross stitch communities and share with each other our starts, progresses and finishes. I also love being able to search for a variety of ideas on what to stitch next and any tools of the trade that may help me to finish a project or make it pop!

7. Mobility – Being able to stitch anywhere, anytime

I love being able to take my cross stitch nearly anywhere to stitch. I would love to be able to stitch on a plane if there weren’t any security issues (in Australia we’re not allow to take scissors in our hand luggage, otherwise the scissors will be confiscated. I’m also aware that there are alternate options scissors on a plane. I just don’t want to risk it as I could see my needles or other aspects of my project being confiscated and I’d then be stuffed!) or problems with elbow room.

I do however, love knowing that I can move around the house and sit wherever I want to stitch. This can be applied to any destination I’ve travelled to, once I’m off the plane or whichever mode of transport I’ve taken. I’m happy as long as I have a comfy seat, good light and full charge on my earphones and phone so that I can have some background noise.

6. Fabric

I love that there is so much variety when it comes to fabric and that the possibilities are endless. I love that we can get fabric ranging from Aida to Linen to Evenweave and that it comes in so many different colours. Below is just an example of the variety of options out there…

Fabric I purchased earlier this year from Victoria House Needlecraft

5. Threads. Skeins. Silks. Floss.

When I first started stitching, I thought that the only thread option was DMC cotton or what was supplied via the kits. Based on what I’ve seen via Flosstube, I can’t wait to try the silks and other brands that other stitchers have talked about.

Meanwhile, I love the colours available within the DMC range at least. As much as I might grumble at the time, metallic threads have their place in the world of cross-stitch! I love the texture and sparkle they bring to a project. I’m also really keen to use more of the variegated threads in a project and the life it can bring to the finished piece.

4. Seeing the project come to life

I don’t know about you, but I usually pick a pattern for a reason and when I see that project coming to life, it makes me smile because I’m creating the way that it’s been intended and it reassures me that I’m on the right track. If I’m stitching it for a family member or friend and I know they’re going to love it, that spurs me on even more, just thinking about how they’ll react when they see the finished piece.

Then there’s the special stitches, backstitch and embellishments that really make the piece. Sometimes I’ve contemplated not backstitching because of how much there is. Seeing the finished picture and how much the backstitch enhances the work I’ve put into the project makes it all worthwhile. Also, I believe that the designer wouldn’t have put the backstitch in there if they didn’t think that it wouldn’t make a difference!

3. Tools of the Trade

I love needle minders and I wish I had come across them sooner! Also, I can’t get enough of the hoops. They are a necessity for me to cross-stitch. I’ve tried stitching without a hoop and whilst the project turned out okay, it just didn’t seem right to stitch without it.

2. The variety of options. The endless possibilities

Like the patterns, I love that there are so many different options and possibilities to finish a project. Pillows, biscornus, cards, framing, banners and pin cushions to name a few! As nervous as I am to try something other than framing a project, I’m also keen to see how cool it could look!

1. Starting something new

I love the excitement of deciding on what to stitch next. I love looking through the various kits, patterns and magazines in my collection and searching the Net. I also love that there are endless possibilities to what we can stitch and what we use to create that finished piece. Currently I’m starting to think about Christmas and the possibility of cards and decorations I could make. However, we do have Halloween just around the corner and I do love my horror/thriller movies and tv shows…

What are your favourite things about cross-stitch?

Until next time, happy stitching!

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What’s Your Stitching Legacy?

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Earlier this year my boyfriend and I had dinner with his family, and a part of the conversation got me thinking about what would happen to our cross-stitching collections once we pass. I realise this is a morbid topic, but something that I hadn’t really thought about until now.

My boyfriend’s mum had said that when his grand mother had passed away, her embroidery collection had been given to charity or passed onto members of the extended family who may have been interested. I’ve also been told that my boyfriend’s grand mother was part of the Embroiderers’ Guild ACT and was very proud this and her embroidery.

Thankfully I’m not the only one who has thought about this topic and written about it. In 2014 Little Thread Crafts (LTC) wrote a blog post about this titled Save the Stash from the Trash! LTC talks about the importance of us stitchers ensuring that we have other stitchers around us who will be able to save our collections from the trash and other places that our collections really shouldn’t end up. LTC also talks about the major finds they have come across in charity stores that they have then added to their own stash. For example, patterns, threads and other stitching equipment that are out of production and for a portion of the price in regular retail stores.

Alternatives to charity donations

Don’t leave it until it’s too late and you’re unable to see the joy that others will get out of your stash. If you already have some items in your stash that you know you’ll never stitch, why not pass it onto someone you know will enjoy it? They could be friends and family or fellow stitchers’ you are yet to meet. The point here, is to get the word out through whichever channel you’re comfortable with.

If you’re really happy with the stash you have and you aren’t ready to part with it yet, it may be worth having some formal documents in place listing what is in your collection and what you want to have happen to the collection upon your passing. It’s morbid, I know! Just don’t live in denial, thinking that you’ve got plenty of time to worry about it later.

Our legacy is more than just our stash

When I’m stitching, I feel calm and peaceful. All other thoughts (most of the time) leave my mind and I’m able to properly focus on the task at hand. Partly because my projects will punish me later if I’ve been too tired or distracted! The other part is, when I’m not stitching, I’ve usually got a few other things going on/happening at once. For example, as I’m writing this post, I’m listening to some really nice instrumental music whilst checking the time to see if it’s too early for my boyfriend to be home yet (it’s his first day back at work after a nice, relaxing week away!), and wondering whether or not I should get up and turn on the heating and questioning whether cold or not. All the while trying not to be too distracted by the sore muscles in my neck from sitting on the couch doing cross stitch and watching tv at a slight angle. Which leads me to wonder if I can get away with re-arranging the lounge room so that I don’t get a sore neck. All the while ensuring that it benefits my boyfriend as well, when we’re able to chill out together again once I’ve recovered from my cold! Which leads me to question whether I really should be trying to rearrange the lounge room when I’m sick.

I appreciate that from a reader’s perspective, the previous paragraph is very much a ramble. It’s also a perfect example of why I need to stitch and do other things to get such thoughts under better management!

Telling our story. Sharing our legacy.

Aside from some a wide range of projects completed, partly completed and barely started ones, how many people will know how much time was put into those projects? Unless there are people around me to see me working on the projects or I’m remembering to document the amount of hours that go into them, no one is going to know. This is the true point of it being more than just the stash!

We need to document in whichever way is comfortable and easy for us, the amount of time we put into our projects. Why we started working on them then stopped at a certain point. Why purchased the patterns/kits in the first place. Which projects we found easy and which ones were challenging and why. Why we framed one project and turned another one into pillow or wall hanging or card.

Thankfully the Internet and social media has made all of this a lot easier to do. Just by posting a picture and a few sentences (or a video) about our works in progress, finishes, questions and challenges, we’re documenting what’s happening. We’re sharing our stitching legacy!

Related articles and sites

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How much money is your cross stitch worth?

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Have you ever tried to place a monetary value on your time?

When you’re purchasing a cross stitch kit or individual supplies for your project, you know what you’re paying for. You’re paying for the pattern, fabric, threads, needle, needle minder, scissors and any other tool to help you complete the project. You may also know how long it will take you to complete the project. But since you’re doing the project for the love of stitching, the thought of putting a monetary value on the time it will take you may seem daunting or preposterous. I mean, who’s going to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a beautiful cross stitch picture, right?

Pricing Schedules and Formulas

Many of the pricing schedules and formulas promoted on the Net for arts and crafts are assuming that you’re going to be making jewellery, painting, sculpting, card making etc. The level of complexity and time taken to produce the end product will vary – many of which can rival the time taken to completely finish a cross stitch project (framing/finishing options included). This is what you need to determine when you are deciding on which pricing schedule or formula to use. Other questions you could consider include – How complex and intricate is your project? How many different colours are you going to use? How large is the project?

I really like the article by Dave Nevue who talks about pricing art and the different formulas that can be used. One of the most common and popular ones is shown below:

Cost of Materials + Hourly Rate x time taken to complete project = cost of project + GST = Sale Price Using one of my projects as an example, this formula would look like:

Materials:

  • 148 DMC colours x $1.50 per colour = $222
  • $15 worth of 14 count Aida fabric
  • Total cost of materials = $237

The formula:

$237 (cost of materials) + $41.49 (my hourly rate) x 225 (the hours taken to complete the project) = $9,687 +10% = $10,655.70

You will see that with this formula, I’ve not included any costings for framing or any other type of finish. I’ve intentionally left out the cost of framing or other types of finishes because I don’t know who’s going to buy it and where they live. Also, at this point in time, I don’t know if I will sell it online or in-person.

Determining your hourly rate

What are your expenses? How much money do you need to ensure you can comfortably live and not be stressed by money? If you are already have a steady income and you are happy with that income, crunch the numbers to find out if that is a feasible amount to be charging when you’re pricing your craft. If you’re not sure or you think that your prices are too high or too low, talk to an accountant.

An alternate pricing option

Rather than assigning an hourly rate, some cross-stitch forums have suggested assigning 1 to 5 cents per stitch, and calculating the cost based upon how many stitches there are in the project. For example, the Heaven and Earth project I’m working on at the moment (pictured below), is 400 stitches wide by 509 stitches wide.

Cover page for the current cross-stitch project I'm working on. Pattern name is Moon Lit Waters. Designed by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Julie Fain. The image has the sillouette of a female fairy in front of the moon, hovering above the water. The water below her has a rippled reflection of her. The picture has a lot of dark colours around the edges, with lighter shades throughout the middle.
Current project I’m working on.

Using the pricing schedule suggested in some cross-stitch forums and basing it upon the Moon Lit Waters project, the formula would look like this:

(400 x 509) x $0.05 = $10,180

This is also assuming that I have already been supplied with the materials I need for the project. If we factored in the price of the pattern and materials, the price would be getting closer to $15,000.

Insuring your cross-stitch

This can be a great way to determine what your cross stitch is valued as and may be an alternate way to determining how much money your cross stitch is worth. Imperial Needlework Appraisal for example, can appraise your cross stitch and provide you with a valuation certificate.

Do your research – Test the market

If all of this still seems daunting and you think the price you’re asking for your art is too high or too low, test the market. Do some searches on the Internet. Talk to people in the industry.

Etsy, Ebay and Gumtree are just three of the places you can go to, to see what prices people are selling their projects for. This can also give you an idea of where your projects sit within the market. For example, the more complex the project, the higher the amount of money you could ask for.

It may also be worth checking to see how long the items have been sitting on the market for and getting in contact with the sellers to find out what their most popular products have been. This may help you with determining the future trends and themes.

Understand your customer

Who are you stitching for? Who is your ideal customer? Why are you stitching for them? What do they want?

Answering these questions can help you with determining the monetary value of your cross stitch and what you end up stitching. For example, you may really enjoy stitching cards for various seasons and events. They can be as simple or complex as you want the designs to be and people appreciate a thoughtful, handmade card.

Alternatively, you may have the passion, drive, patience and ability to stitch beautifully large pieces that are complex in design and are worth the time and effort that has been put into them. There’s a market for that too. The challenge is finding the right buyer.

Marketing – Promote yourself. Tell a good story.

This is applicable to all of your projects – especially your higher priced ones! Your customers will need and want to connect with the project you are selling. More importantly, if they can find a connection with you and understand why you are doing what you do, it will enable your customers to appreciate the work you have done and the price you have placed on the product.

Consider the following questions in association with a project you’re working on – why did you choose to stitch this project? What do you love about it? Did you experience any challenges whilst stitching it? Was there something happening in your life that had an impact on the project? Is there a special meaning behind the project?

Sharing your story with your customers can help them with wanting to purchase your projects. The Artlandish website for example, provides an explanation on the stories behind Aboriginal art and why certain symbols, designs and colours are used to convey their messages.

You are worth it!

If I’m struggling for motivation to get something done, I remind myself of the following quotes (I don’t know who said them. But I have seen these words quite a lot on the Internet):

Related posts and articles

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A Crafty Special Library – Do we need one?

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone,

When you first hear the word ‘library’ , do you think of architectural master pieces, places that are cosy and warm, a community hub or places of torture (because you really didn’t like school or study)?

In this digital age, what if we had a library dedicated to all things crafty? I’ve been mulling around with this idea and question for a little while now. If it is possible, how would it work? If not, why? Alternatively, do we really need one? Before I go any further though and ask a lot more questions, I need to specify what a special library is, so that we’re all on the same page!

A special library focuses on a specific subject such as law, town planning and design, architecture, medical science, astronomy etc. and that library provides services that are specific to that subject. Also, the library can be part of an organisation such as a hospital or law firm or government department. Or it can be a stand alone library, relying upon community and government support. For example, employees at a hospital that has a library, can access it to aid their diagnosis of a patient or increase their knowledge and awareness of improvements and changes in their fields through the consuming of sources provided by their library. Additionally, some special libraries are open to the general public.

For the most part, special libraries work much like any other library with regards to the services and variety of formats the information you need and want. For example, you can borrow various items from the library for a set time period and you will be required to return the item by the due date. Or if it’s a digital item, your access to that item expires on a set date. You can also request information from other libraries if your library doesn’t have the item you want/need. Additionally, the staff can assist you with your information gathering requirements by assisting with your searches or conducting the searches upon your behalf.

Special library questions

So, with these things in mind, I have a lot of questions about how a special library would work for all things crafty:

  • Would there be physical locations in community spaces to enable people to catch up and do stitch ‘n’ bitch, learn new crafty techniques, monthly stitch-a-longs etc?
  • How would the collections be developed? E.g. donations, purchases.
  • Who would run it? E.g. volunteers or paid employees or both or another variation?
  • How would copyright issues be taken care of?
  • Would people be able to make acquisition recommendations?
  • How would culling/weeding the collection be handled?
  • Would patrons be able to purchase the culled items or would they be donated to places like the National Library of Australia?
  • Could there be a need for branches around the world that are regional specific or country specific?
  • If yes, how would inter-library-loans work – especially if copyright comes into play?
  • How could social media help?
  • Do we use the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress way of organising the collections?
  • How would it be funded?
  • Is it necessary for it to be funded?
  • Could community grants help in any way?
  • Does it even have to be called a library? If not, what would it be called instead?
  • How would it be marketed/promoted?

Have I missed anything? What questions do you have?

Why would a crafty library not work?

  • Copyright over various jurisdictions?
  • Other legal issues I’m not aware of.
  • Issues with over-due fees and currency differences between countries?
  • Time zones?
  • Miscommunication due to language barriers and slang? E.g. Needle minders aka needle nannies, floss aka skeins aka threads etc.
  • Funding could be an issue.
  • Long-term there could be issues with employee turn-over.
  • Lack of interest or support from communities?
  • Cost of insurance covering public liability?
  • Work, Health and Safety issues relating to glues, hot objects, sharp objects, choking hazards (to name a few) – which could be covered by placing age restrictions on who can do what?
  • Upfront and ongoing costs associated with security, temperature control, location, accessibility, fit-outs, maintenance and equipment purchases to name a few?

Do any crafty special libraries exist already?

I’ve conducted some searches online to see if there’s anything out there and I’ve had very limited success. The search terms I used were:

  • Embroidery Library – which brought up a website with the same name. Which turns out to be an online shop, rather than a library in the traditional sense.
  • Craft Special Library – which brought up sites for various libraries who have or are conducting a variety of craft programs for children as part of their school holiday programs.
  • Cross Stitch Library – This search term brought up The Antique Pattern Library and my heart skipped a beat when I clicked on this site! The way this website is setup is what I’ve had in mind for how a special crafty library would look.

Does it have to be a crafty library in the traditional sense?

As I’ve been drafting and preparing this post, one of the key things that has been sitting in the back of my mind, is that all of us have our own versions of a crafty library – we just happen to call it our collections or our stashes! Additionally, we have a variety of different ways of organising our collections and many stitcher’s have shared with us, their ways of organising their collections. Below is just a sample of how:

YouTube clip by Ardith Deisgn published on 6 September 2018
YouTube clip by Harvey’s Corner published on 20 March 2015
YouTube clip by Stitching Mae published on 3 July 2014
YouTube clip by The Evergreen Needle published on 3 February 2016

I am however, stumped on how would we share our collections in terms of the patterns and kits that we no longer want or need? Would it be in the form of gifting them them to those who want them? What about the patterns and kits we have already stitched, that others really want to stitch, but the patterns are out of print and are no longer commercially available? Could a monthly catch-up work and we do a stash trade or swap? E.g. I’ll give you that pattern if you give me that fabric or I’m missing a particular floss colour and I’ll give you a lesson on something for that floss colour.

Final thoughts – Lots of questions. Not many answers.

Thank you for bearing with me for this post. I know I’ve asked a lot of questions with very few answers. I’ve also just scratched the surface for how all of this could work if it were considered to be possible and practical. A one-stop-shop could be a cool way of bringing people together like general libraries do. I appreciate that we are already connecting via social media and sharing our stories and passions and to some extent we are organised in the way that we go about it. I’m just curious about whether there is a revamp needed or a different way of pooling our resources. So I am very interested in what you think about all of this and I will greatly appreciate any comments you can provide.

Until next time, happy stitching!

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To Frame or Not To Frame: What are your finishing options?

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

Framing my finished cross stitch projects has been my go-to finish for many years. The flat-ish finish enables me to easily and conveniently display my awesomeness on walls, shelves and other flat spaces. Also, framing can be as low cost or expensive as you want it to be or can afford it to be. Nine times out of ten I will frame my projects myself because I want to improve my framing skills and I’m impatient. However, the one project I have had professionally framed was done very well. The people who framed it had a big challenge on their hands, as I had done a major stitching faux-pas. I had the right measurements for my fabric, however, when I started stitching, I got my horizontal vs vertical around the wrong way and it wasn’t until I had stitched a significant amount of the project, that I had realised that I didn’t have enough fabric horizontally and had too much fabric vertically!

Professionally framed fishing cats project

That said, I like being quirky and unconventional at times. My logic is ‘who says I have to?’ or ‘just because they did it, doesn’t mean I have to!’ So the question is, how many variations, alternatives and options are there to framing?

Alternatives to framing…

Biscornus (aka fancy pin cushions)

I’m starting to develop a love obsession with biscornus. When I first came across them, I was starting out in cross stitch and didn’t really understand how awesome and beautiful they are, let alone how many designs are available!

Biscornu
Strawberry biscornu

Wall hangings

Not quite the same thing as framing your works of art, but we’re getting close. The Youtube clip below by BexBox Stitcher will hopefully give you some ideas!

Clip by BexBox Stitcher – published on 23 April 2018

Quilts

I’ve been working on my own cross stitch country themed quilt for many years and there are two awesome things about this – 1) it’s nearly finished!; and 2) there are so many different options with quilt patterns, that as long as it turns out the way that I want it, that’s all that matters!

Seasonal/special event decorations

This includes Christmas tree decorations, celebrating the four seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn), Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Easter, welcome home, farewell, happy anniversary and many other celebrations!

Cross Stitch decoration options from websites notonthehighstreet.com, amazon.com and sewinspring.co.uk.
Three possible decorations options…

Cards

Cards can say as much or as little as you want them to. They can be a way of you saying thank you, sorry, congratulations, happy anniversary, happy birthday, farewell, bon voyage, welcome home, declarations of love, happy new year, happy hanaka etc. The other awesome thing is if you’re feeling a bit stuck, books and magainzes like the Ultimate Cross Stitch Magazine and the Internet more broadly speaking, can provide you with bucket loads of ideas and inspiration!

Bed coverings

Have you ever considered embellishing your pillow cases and doonah covers like the images below?

All of these images have been obtained from Pinterest. Many of these products can be obtained from eBay and Etsy.

For those of us in the know, this has been an option for a while. Thankfully, places like the Fox Collection, provide us with the ability to make our bed coverings unique and colourful.

Name tags and signs with subversive flair

As an introvert, revealing my name to people in anyway, shape or form to people I don’t know and not know how my name will be used, is scary and daunting. If however, you’re attending an event that requires a name tag, creating your own can be a creative way of telling people who you are and that you’re awesome at cross stitch!

Also, if the event allows, why not add your favourite quote, symbol, flower or decorative border to make your name tag even more interesting? The world’s your oyster!

Table settings

What can’t we do with our cross stitch and table settings? The options for us are endless! We can make our tables shine with, table cloths, table runners, napkins, wine bottle bibs and baby bibs to name a few. More ideas can be found at sites like Fox Collection, Needleworkersdelight and OzStitch to name a few!

Bags

Reusable bags are one of the most popular accessories a woman can have and it’s all good and well that we can purchase these bags from where-ever they’re available. But what if you could rock one that you made? Or you were able to support someone who could make one for you? Etsy for example is an awesome place to start!

Book covers and book marks

I’m an avid reader and I love writing – I should probably be writing more! Surprisingly though, I’ve not stitched many bookmarks and I’ve never done a book covering. I have however, fallen in love with the image below. Partly because purple is my favourite colour and I love the choices the designer/s of the image below have made and how they have covered the book.

Book cover by Larisa

Honourable mentions

The above list is just a sample of the options available to you. There are soooo many more options for finishing off your projects and the awesome thing is that there are many more websites, tutorials and videos you can watch to help you decide.

My go-to favourites is Pinterest and Flosstube, which has result in the following list:

  • Hands On Design is a website that is all things embroidery – especially cross stitch and I love the possibilities of what we can do with finishing our projects, let alone the projects we can do from Hands On Design! The additional awesomeness is that Cathy Habermann (from Hands On Design) has her own flosstube channel!
  • The Twisted Stitcher – aka Vonna Phiffer has her own flosstube channel as well and does some amazing finishes and she shows us how!
  • The flosstube clip below for example, shows you how to mount your project on artists canvas…
Alternative to Framing Tutorial by Stitcherista – published on Youtube on 22 September 2017

Have I missed anything?

There’s a pretty good chance that I’ve missed some awesome finishes out there. So I would love it if you could let me know what your favourite finishes are and why you love that particular finish – especially if I haven’t mentioned them in this post!

Until next time, happy stitching!

Posted in Uncategorized

A Stitching Update and a Trip to Melbourne

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything for this blog. Looking back on what I have posted, it will have been about a month between drinks! I’ve been drafting a few more posts for this blog, I’ve been stitching like mad, taking short trips to Melbourne and to the South Coast, NSW and working towards changing my career direction. Not much running, but I have been doing a lot of fitness alternatives until my body is ready for it!

Stitching like mad…

I’ve been stitching like mad on a photo I’ve converted to a cross stitch picture. The image below shows the progress I’ve made on the first page of the pattern and the following image is the photograph I’m basing this project on.

Work in progress cross stitch project in a hoop. A lot of browns and greens. The picture is yet to take proper shape.
Work in progress cross stitch project
Mini Mushrooms photograph - Copyright Kristen Gawronski
Mini Mushrooms – copyright Kristen Gawronski

As I continue to stitch this project and referring back to the original image, I can’t help but make myself nervous about how it’s going to turn out. Whenever I start to get nervous, I remind myself that I am testing this out and I’ll be able to make alterations for future projects – whether it be this project or similar ones!

Trip to Melbourne…

My boyfriend is a keen supporter of the Sydney Swans (an AFL (Australian Football League) team). Since we’ve been together, I’ve really gotten into watching it with him and going to a number of their games up in Sydney. By getting a feel for what it’s like to watch the match live, I’ve been really keen to watch at least one match in Melbourne at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground, aka the G). The importance of this is the MCG is the mecca for the AFL and the grand final is always played at the MCG! So going to see a match at the MCG was on my bucket list. The challenge will be seeing the Swans play at the MCG in a grand final!

Swans vs Essendon at the MCG – We had seats in enemy territory

It was fantastic seeing the game at the MCG. Unfortunately we lost by 10 points and we were sitting in enemy territory – something we didn’t know until we got there and sat down at our seats. So the loss of the game was felt a lot more than if we were sitting anywhere else in the stadium.

However, the weather for the entire weekend was beautiful and we did a lot of walking around – especially along the Yarra River (aka The Yarra). Below are images of what we came across as part of our walks:

Left image – A view up the Yarra, looking towards the MCG; Centre image – a cool sculpture; and Right image – the Yarra, looking under a bridge at the MCG

The unfortunate thing with all of the walking we did, was the muscles around my left knee decided to let me know that they were very unhappy about the amount of movement it was doing. It swelled up and became stiff and very uncomfortable to walk. It thankfully has settled down since then and I can walk around with minimal problems.

I have tried running on the treadmill with limited success. About a week ago I went for a jog on the treadmill and within the first 50 to 100 metres it became too uncomfortable to run. Since then the elliptical machine/cross-trainer has become my favourite machine and I’ve really enjoyed listening to my music and the Zombies, Run! app. One of the things I have had to be careful of when listening to Zombies, Run! is how I react to it. There have been many times when I’ve been close to jumping out of my skin, or cringing significantly because of the sound effects or even wanting to talk to the characters (like I would if I were watching the t.v.)! I realise it shouldn’t matter too much since I’m at the gym early in the morning, my back is to the back of the gym and most of the gym-goers are too busy with what they’re doing to worry about what I’m doing!

So all in all, I’m still here, alive and kicking! Hopefully in a few months time I’ll be able to share with all of you an update on how my mini mushrooms picture is progressing. I’m also hoping that I’ll be running soon – quite probably in enough time to start being worried about swooping season!

Until next time,

Happy stitching!

Posted in Uncategorized

Mixed Media Cross Stitch – Not the usual kind…

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone,

When I think of mixed media cross stitch, I immediately think of the addition of buttons, ribbons, beads and different thread textures (e.g. metallic threads, silks, cotton) to a project. And we’ve been incorporating these things into our projects for a very long time to highlight different areas of the pattern and create a new level of interest! So as a curiosity, I Googled mixed media cross stitch to see what’s going on out there and if anything has changed regarding mixed media cross stitch and what others are doing. The results immediately remind me of the use of mixed media in scrapbooking, quilting, painting and other craft mediums. For example, the Artists Network website has a Technique Tuesdays page and they have a post on Mixed Media Stitching!

With all of this in mind, some of you may remember a post I did a few weeks ago about the ‘Top 10 Crafty Things I’m Crushing On Right Now‘ and at one point, I talked about the Kaisercraft sale, and how I was looking forward to playing around with DIY Cuts and the tools that come with it. Well, it arrived a few days after that post and over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd June 2019 I started playing around with the DIY Cuts using the paw print cutters and paper and Aida fabric.

Below are images of how I went…

First attempt with paper
Overhead view of first attempt with paper
First with Aida fabric
First attempt embossing on Aida fabric
Close-up of embossing on Aida fabric – fraying

I was really excited to see the results and how easy it was! I have found that with the Aida fabric – regardless of whether it’s embossing or the cut out piece, I need to be careful of fraying. The good thing however, is that I have a huuuuge tub of Mod Podge (it’s about 1kg!), which works wonders with sealing the fabric and I figure that I’ll use it to decorate the old, cheap desk I’ve had for over 10 years, with pages from old books and other crafty things. However, if I don’t use the Mod Podge, I should be able to use a variety of stitches to keep the fraying at bay.

One of the other things I’m keen to test out with the DIY Cutter, is using it for stamping on Aida fabric as a different way of stitching patterns. I’ve just purchased from Kaisercraft’s 50% off sale this weekend (29 to 30 June 2019), some ink that I hope will work with the stamping. I’ll keep you posted!

The other fun part will be incorporating my current tests as you have seen in the earlier images, into cards, bookmarks and some other projects. I’m not sure what it will be or how it will look, but I’m looking forward to seeing the results!

In the meantime, if you have used the DIY Cuts as a way of embellishing your cross stitch or other crafty projects, I would love to see how it’s worked out for you and if you would continue doing it.

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Posted in Uncategorized

Cross Stitch Cross Roads and Challenges

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

I’m writing this piece somewhat off the cuff compared with many of my other pieces, which I try to plan and mull it over a bit before I hit the publish button. To date, this blogging about cross stitch has been an interesting experience and somewhat of a roller coaster ride! I’ve had fun learning about the blogging process and trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t subject-wise and when to post my pieces via WordPress, Pinterest and Facebook.

One of my challenges with writing my posts for this blog is trying not to be so much like everyone else, that for anyone coming across my posts, they aren’t thinking ‘oh, another post on how to… or how not to…’ I definitely want to share my experiences with cross stitch with all of you, but do it in a way that has you thinking a little differently about cross stitch – in a good way! So the challenge for me is to make the journey for all of you fun and interesting without losing any of you along the way or scratching your heads, wondering what on earth I was thinking whilst writing my pieces!

Another challenge I’ve been having an interesting time with, is converting my photos to cross stitch patterns and making them easy and fun to stitch, whilst ensuring they are as realistic as possible. I’m using the software program PCStitch and I’m annoying myself with trying to get it the way I want it to be. Yesterday for example, I was playing around with the image below, trying to convert it into a pattern.

Photo by Kristen Gawronski – Name of flower unknown – photo taken at CIT Reid Campus, Canberra, Australia.

At the moment, it’s a 40 page pattern (roughly) because I’ve wanted it to be stitched on 14 count fabric and the measurements are about 40 to 45 inches wide and 20 to 30 inches high. I’ve also trimmed the image down to incorporate more of the flower and less of the background. The additional challenge I’ve found with this is trying to get the colours right and the detail as I love the contrast of colours in this picture. I’m very detail orientated when my brain is in the right gear and it’s something that frustrates me at times, as it can take me forever to get something done – if at all! The hilarity is that cross stitch is one of those things that requires time and patience!

The cross roads I’m at, at the moment are trying to figure out what I want to do. I’m at a really good stage of my life and I want to make the most of it. Career wise I feel like I’ve achieved most of what I want to do in my profession and I’m ready for a change. The challenge is figuring out how much of a change that is going to be! For a long time now I’ve had a keen interest/passion for conservation and preservation of cultural heritage information. Which means working with places such as the National Archives of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and the National Museum of Australia. If I go down this path, I will be able to maintain my comfortable lifestyle with minimal disruption and I’ll be pretty happy. I’d still be working as a public servant – something I’ve been doing for the majority of my working career, I’m familiar with the office politics and the benefits are very nice.

The other direction would be developing my photography and graphic design skills (which are quite basic at the moment) and building a business around cross stitch and photography. This concept is super scary and exciting. I’ve never started up or owned my own business before and from what I’ve seen and heard I know that it’s a lot of hard work and responsibility.

However, I’d be doing something I’m super passionate about – writing and cross stitch and being creative. Which translates to continuing with this blog, producing and selling patterns, cards, images and finished products which are are just a few of the possibilities. Then there are finishing services, lessons and videos to name a few.

Additionally, the arts and crafts industry can be extremely fickle. For many people, it is a nice to have rather than a necessity. So when times get financially tough, they are less inclined to spend money on a nice picture to hang on their wall or pattern to stitch. Additionally, if the true monetary amount was placed on a stitched picture that represented the amount of time spent on it and the resources used, the average amount would be in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Which leaves me wondering who would buy it? Who is my audience? Who are my customers?

Off and on for a few years now, I’ve been working on business plan to try and figure out some of these issues and questions I’ve just raised and there’s still quite a lot I need to figure out and develop. I do feel like I’m on the right path though with getting this sorted out and this blog is a big part of that!

Meanwhile, I’m reminded of what a dear friend of mine said recently via live Facebook post. She talked about valuing what we do and the experiences we bring to our roles – regardless of what they are – and being rewarded for our time, experiences and the services we provide. These rewards can be in the form of money, gifts, the people we are working with, the pride within ourselves and seeing the differences we are making to those who are receiving our services and products. Additionally, she talked about quality over quantity and the value that something gains over the quality of it rather than the quantity of it. To me this means not being afraid of putting a high price on my products and services because my products will be originals. It also means putting the time, love and effort into my products and services to produce such beautiful and quality work, that the monetary factor shouldn’t be an issue.

In summary, I appreciate that it sounds like I’ve made my decision about my career direction. My gut instinct tells me that I have. My head and heart however are regularly fighting with my gut and I’m needing/wanting to get a lot more things sorted out in the background (e.g. finances and sussing out this archival side of things to see if it’s the right fit for me) before I take the terrifyingly big leap. If nothing else, this can be my side-hussle until I’m earning enough to be able to support my current lifestyle.

Thank you all for bearing with me while I find my voice and until next time…

Happy Stitching!

Posted in Uncategorized

Do your cross stitch patterns and projects have a shelf life?

Posted on by Kristen Gawronski

Hi Everyone

Have you ever considered if your crafty collection has a shelf life? For example, the patterns or kits we purchase to stitch and create, state that we can make one copy of the pattern to use as our working copy. When I’ve done this, I’ve held onto the original copy I purchased and put the working copy into the shredder or recycle bin. That way I’ve got a reminder that I’ve done this project – especially if I forget to take a picture of the finished project and have given it away to friends or family. Alternatively, is it your changing tastes or preferences in what you want to stitch that end up dictating the shelf life of your patterns and projects?

Professionally…

Professionally, a part of my role is to appraise information (with the use of resources that has been created by internal and external stakeholders) that has been created by the organisation I work for, to determine how long that information needs to be kept for. The aim of the appraisal is to ensure we are keeping the information that is necessary for the organisation to aid current and future decision making. The retention of the information can also aid the telling of the social history of the organisation and its impacts on the world around it. The outcome of the appraisal can mean the information is ready for destruction now, in months to come or years to come or it needs to be kept forever

Personally…

I’ve never done a formal stock take or inventory of my personal collection of patterns and kits. The closest I’ve gotten to conducting a stock take or appraisal of my collection, has been when I’m looking for something new to work on or when I’m purchasing something. What I have found however, is that my tastes or interests in what I’m stitching has changed from when I first started stitching to now. For example, the first kits and books I’ve purchased were teddy bears and faeries. Partly because I like both of these themes and I had special people in mind when I bought the kits and books, thinking that I would be able to stitch cards and similar gifts for them. I’ve certainly done that and as the years have gone on, I have found my own interests kicking in and I’ve purchased patterns and kits that I want to stitch for myself. These themes include horses, Christmas, myth and magic, and more recently, quotes I’ve seen on the internet and converting photos I’ve taken to cross stitch patterns.

Are there any consequences?

Professionally, if organisations don’t conduct regular appraisals of the information they hold, then there can be significant issues which include, storage (digital and physical) costs, increased scrutiny from internal and external sources, deterioration of information and loss of control of knowing what is in the collection to name a few.

Personally, the consequences aren’t as significant – i.e. internal or external scrutiny. However, the money you have invested in your collection and to some extent, your health can be affected. You do need to be aware of how your storing your collection and where its stored to ensure you can continue to access it without any issues. And that your collections lasts for as long as possible. For example, have any of your patterns or kits been affected by sunlight, heat, dampness, mites or rodents? If you’re not sure, have you noticed your patterns or books being brittle, discoloured or the texture of them being warped? Alternatively, have any parts of your collection (including works in progress) started growing mold, or do they have little bite marks in any areas?

How do you go about appraising your collection?

There are many different ways you can go about appraising your collection and the aim here is to suggest a few different ways that I’ve found on the Internet and what works for me.

Consider it as a spring clean…

Like you might do it for your wardrobe or on a grander scale, your home, pulling out your entire collection and laying it all out in front of you. You may get a lot of grumbles from your family and friends. If you have pets, they may want to try and ‘help’! Group your collection by patterns, books, threads, fabric, hoops, lights, scissors etc. and putting it into sub-groups such as fabric colours and counts, themes/subjects of your patterns and books and any multiples of your threads. This can give you a visual of what you have in your collection. You will be able to see if you have any gaps in your collection and you will be able to refresh your memory regarding any parts of your collection you haven’t seen or used for many years. From there you will be able to gauge how much of it you really need or want and start moving those parts of your collection to the side.

Another consideration is whether any parts of your collection have started deteriorating because of the way they have been stored, and disposing of those parts of the collection as a result of their deterioration.

KonMarie your collection

Earlier this year there was a lot of hype about the Marie Kondo way of organising areas of your home. This may be a way of helping you to determine if there are any areas of your collection you need to dispose of (if none of it has been affected by the way it’s been stored).

10 Amazing Tips from Tidying Up with Marie Kondo – posted on YouTube on 16 January 2019 by Ms Mojo

Disposing of your collection

Are there any crafty people in your life who could benefit from your collection? What about charity stores, schools, or community groups? You could also begin considering if there are any other crafty people you know who could benefit from your collection that you no longer need or want.

Keeping tabs of what you’ve got

If you’re unable to part with any area of your collection and you’ve found things you’ve completely forgotten about, it may be worth improving the way you store your collection and how you keep tabs on it. Thankfully there is no shortage on how you can organise your collection and the tools you can use to keep yourself organised.

Organizing your crafting supplies and creating a stamp inventory using Evernote by ScrappyDiva – posted on YouTube on 27 August 2018

I use a combination of open bookshelves, boxes, bags, my laptop and a four drawer filing cabinet to store my collection. If I’m running low on any area of my collection – especially threads and fabric, I write them down on my hand or a post-it note so that I can pop down to the shops or order what I need on line. Occasionally I’ll have the pattern I want to work on with me to ensure I don’t miss anything and a pen or pencil to tick off what I’ve gathered.

Storage considerations

As I’ve hinted at earlier in this post, if any areas of your collection have been affected by the places you have stored your collection, before you put away your collection, consider if there are any other areas of your home you could store your collection. For example, are there other cupboards, rooms, boxes or shelving you could use to ensure the longevity of your collection? For your patterns, is it possible for you to scan them and save them to your preferred IT device?

Final note…

I hope that there are elements of this post that helps you with your collection or at least, provides you with some things to think about if you want to update the management of your collection!

Happy Stitching!

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