In this episode I share what we are stitching this week in the Christmas Stitch Along, I talk about making mistakes in your cross stitch and how to fix them and I share, not a pattern of the week but a book of the week!
Key links
Blog posts all about the stitch along.
My Facebook group where the stitch along is happening.
"I Got 99 Problems But A Stitch Aint One" kindle edition and hardback edition.
The Stitch Along
This week we are up to week 3 of the stitch along and we are stitching two of the reindeer and a tree and I have changed the pattern again. Only a tiny bit this time, I've just added a star to the top of the Christmas tree (I'm not sure why I didn't put one there in the first place actually).
Stitching this pattern along with you all (instead of me stitching it first then sharing it) gives you a little insight into how my process works and how patterns can look so different when they are stitched than they do on paper/a screen. This is why I prefer to stitch the pattern myself before I share it with the world, because nine times out of ten I will change part of it. I'm thinking of talking more about my process in series two; I'd love to know if you think this is a good idea. Just pop me an email with your thoughts (hannahhandmakes@gmail.com).
And it's not too late to join in the stitch along; a couple of people have only joined this week. If you want to join in, just sign up to my newsletter or head over to these blog posts for more information.
Making mistakes
Mistakes are just part of life and they are definitely a part of cross stitch. Although cross stitch is pretty easy, it only takes one missed stitch or a little miscounting and it messes up your whole design. If you realise quite quickly that you have made a mistake then it can be quite quick to fix too. It's just a case of unpicking a few stitches using your needle and then you can simply carry on. However, if you make a mistake and don't realise until nearing the end of your work or even after you have finished (it's happened to me before) then it's not so quick to fix.
You have two options here really; if it's just a small, almost unrecognisable mistake you can try and ignore it and hope no one points it out. Or, if you are a bit of a perfectionist like me, then you are going to have to unstitch and start again. You might not have to unstitch everything (phew!) just the section where it's gone a bit wrong. To do this I recommend using a seam ripper; you simply put the seam ripper under your stitches and glide it along. You can also use scissors to do this, just be careful you're not snipping any of the aida underneath.
A fun little fact; when you are ripping your stitches, it's called "frogging" because you have to "rip-it, rip-it". I know, cheesy, but true.
Once you have fixed your mistake, you may notice that some of the holes on your aida are now a lot bigger. Just move some of the weaving around the hole and try and put it back to its original shape if this is bothering you.
Book of the week
This week I share a cross stitch pattern book called "I got 99 Problems But A Stitch Aint One" by Genevieve Brading, owner and creator of Floss and Mischief, originally known for her stylish taxidermy cross stitch kits.
If you are looking for modern and slightly naughty cross stitch patterns then this is the book for you. It has 20 patterns in it, some of my favourites being "What would Beyoncé do?" "Tequila o'clock" and my top one, "I'm sorry for what I did when I was hangry".
These patterns all look like quick and easy ones and I will be stitching some up as Christmas presents this year. You can download the Kindle edition for £1.99 or you can get the hardback book at Waterstones for £10.
Next week I am sharing some hints and tips to help you with cross stitch and I would love to hear if you have any of your own hints or tips that you wouldn't mind sharing so I can read them out on the show. Just pop me an email (hannahhandmakes@gmail.com) or comment below.
Happy Stitching! x
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Music by:
Carefree Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
