Cross Stitching - Have you ever felt like branching out?

[Guest]

I've done a lot of cross stitching, though I must admit to getting bored of stitching cross after cross after cross (with the odd bit of back stitch for variation).

 

Have any cross stitchers ever thought about branching out a little? Maybe investigating other forms of embroidery?

 

For anyone interested, This is one of my favourite embroidery sites, and Stitch is one of the magazines I buy regularly.

[kittenta]

I've always fancied doing one of those embroidery tablecloths. The ones where the pattern is already on it and you sew over it. I'm sure my mother used to do them and it would make a nice keepsake. I have seen them in the market in town.

 

Have you seen anything in particular you fancy doing Hecate?

[Guest]

I've always fancied doing one of those embroidery tablecloths. The ones where the pattern is already on it and you sew over it. I'm sure my mother used to do them and it would make a nice keepsake. I have seen them in the market in town.

 

Have you seen anything in particular you fancy doing Hecate?

I know the sort of thing you mean. Many free-hand embroidery kits come with the design pre-printed on the fabric, and those which don't generally have a transfer of some description. Crewel work, for example, is rather popular at the moment; I've got this book on my Amazon wish list.

 

I'm completing a City and Guilds in Stumpwork at the moment, for which I'm working on embroidered dragonflies using hand-painted silk organza, beads and silk threads. I've only just finished the wings, so at the moment they look like dragonflies after the cats have had hold of them .

[kittenta]

You certainly try a lot of crafts Hecate! I need somewhere to keep all my craft things really badly. On top of the piano and down the side of the settee in carrier bags is not very convenient I might have to look around for a smallish mahogony cabinet to keep everything in

[Guest]

You certainly try a lot of crafts Hecate! I need somewhere to keep all my craft things really badly. On top of the piano and down the side of the settee in carrier bags is not very convenient I might have to look around for a smallish mahogony cabinet to keep everything in

I use four of those large plastic stacking drawer units from Asda (two lots of two stacked to make two tall units with eight drawers), plus a cupboard in the study. The former aren't very pretty, but they're cheapish and functional (the drawers are very deep and can be easily removed from the unit). I still manage to have a desk piled high with craft-related clutter though. It's definitely time for a Spring clean.

[kittenta]

Noooooo you can't spring clean craft things, unless of course spring clean means moving them all somewhere else instead of throwing away I don't really have any space left in my living room just yet as all my animals are inside for the winter so my organisation will have to wait till spring

[Beancounter]

I've done loads of cross stitch, and I've also done tapestry in various forms. There's quite a nice range of cushion covers that use tapestry wool, but still cross stitch, to give a nice chunky texture.

I've also got some amazing kits from the USA, where the design is part printed, part cross stitch, using lots of different stitches and using different numbers of threads, to give great variety.

I think the only stitching technique that I've not really done much in is long stitch - I don't really like the look of it much.

[Hayley1]

what about Hardanger?

[Beancounter]

I've done a little Hardanger work, but not a lot - I've never been that impressed with the results.. I've also done quite a bit of blackwork.

[Guest]

what about Hardanger?

I haven't done any Hardanger as such, though I've done some Casalguidi embroidery recently whose background stitches have some similarity to Hardanger.