Adventures in Cross Stitch

photo credit : SatsumaStreet

 

I wouldn't say that I'm a particularly impulsive person, and I'm not somebody who feels the need to have lots of different projects all going on at once. So for me to see something and be so smitten that I dive head first into a completely new creative adventure is unusual. But that's exactly what happened when I came across some cross stitch designs on Instagram (on Valentines Day no less), it really was love at first sight. I did question it for an extremely small number of minutes......will this stitching thing make me happy (very likely), can I justify spending money on new materials (absolutely, I'm worth it), have I really got the time to give over to a new hobby (probably not, but I'm way too excited to care).

 

As you can see from the above photo, the thing that caught my undivided attention last month was a cross stitch project created by Californian designer Jody Rice. Jody's company is called Satsuma Street and when I read that her tag line was "Cross Stitch for a Happy World", well I figured that I would probably be really happy taking a stroll down Satsuma Street.

 

You can follow Jody on Instagram (her name there is @craftnik), and you can read more about how she came to be a cross stitchin' lady on her website (https://satsumastreet.com/) 

 

 

Much like yours truly, Jody's signature is her joyful use of bright colour and as you can probably imagine, I instantly fell head over heels in love with her style. I think she has become most well known for her "Pretty Little Cities" designs, but it was her Zodiac designs that captured my heart.

Satsuma Street cross stitch designs are beautifully photographed for Jody's Etsy shop, which is an absolute delight to browse through. With each listing, Jody explains the type of fabric you will need, and the finished size of the piece. Etsy makes this kind of online purchase an absolute doddle - you click on the Buy-it-now button, pay your money, and as if by magic a PDF file appears for you to download to your computer.

The only information I found that was missing was the total number of different colours needed for each project - I kind of wanted to know this in advance so that I could calculate the cost of the project. So I simply messaged Jody via Etsy to ask her and she told me that the number of colours varied with each design but that on average she used 20 - 30 in each one. Now that's quite a lot of thread to purchase if you are starting from scratch, but well......who can resist the lure of a fistful of thready colour???

The downloading of the cross stitch chart is pretty much instantaeous, but there is an inevitable delay when ordering up supplies. Oh, it was AgOnY waiting for them to arrive!!!! I kept looking at my printed out chart and itching to stitch, and I am not known for my pateince when it comes to the Creative Urge.

I bought my basic supplies on Amazon, as follows :: 

Fabric - black 14 count aida

Scissors - duck egg blue polka dot

Needles - size 24 tapestry 

I was a little scared of the black aida when it arrived - the holes looked awfully close together and very hard to see, but actually it wasn't nearly as tricky as I feared.

The threads are DMC brand "stranded embroidery threads", and I went to an independent online retailer for these. I was recommended The Patchwork Rabbit on Instagram so thought I would check it out (always nifty to get good advance info on these things) and I found their threads to be extremely well priced, all in stock, and super-speedy with the delivery too. The website makes it easy to order - you simply type the colour number code into the "find it easily" search box, and the listing pops straight up with no messing. So I guess there are hundreds of places you could find DMC threads online, but I can certainly recommend the Patchwork Rabbit. 

Now I am not new to stitching or embroidery by any means, having been an avid stitcher for most of my life. But following a counted cross stitch chart was something I'd never done before. Jody's charts are in full colour, but also have these little symbols to make it a bit clearer. In a nutshell - one little symbol in a square = one cross stitch. It's all pretty self explanatory really, although when you download one of Jody's charts you also get an additional PDF file which contains some basic cross stitch know-how.  

The first thing I did was to grab some white sewing thread to mark out the central lines (vertical and horizontal) so that I would know where to begin stitching. Jody advises finding the centre point on your fabric (also marked on her charts) and begin stitching from there, working your way out towards the edges. 

The Zodiac design I'd chosen was made to fit inside a 6" hoop, so it all felt very achievable for this newbie x-stitcher. None of the areas were too big or too complex to count, and Jody's designs use frequent colour changes worked over small, detailed areas so I  never felt bored of the stitching, not once.

In fact, I very quickly became mesmerised by the whole process of slow stitching and absolutely loved being able to see the overall design gently emerge as if by magic. I particularly appreciated all the little design details - being able to stitch highly decorative flowers and leaves as well as the larger areas kept me completely addicted for hours and hours on end.

I couldn't decided at first whether to stitch with my fabric stretched in a hoop, or to keep the fabric floppy and free - there seems to be some debate about this when I looked it up online. In the end I kept my fabric stretched in the flexi-hoop which would eventually become the frame and I enjoyed stitching in and out of the taut fabric. Flexi-hoops have a little metal hanger screwed into the top of them, so before I began stitching I unscrewed it and put it somewhere safe. That meant that my hoop was completely smooth all the way around and there was nothing for the threads to get caught up in. I much preferred it to a traditional embroidery hoop which has the tightening screw at the top.

Flexi-hoops come in all different sizes and finishes - the one I'm using is Woodgrain (although it's plastic of course), and 6" which is the finished size of all Jody's zodiac cross stitch pieces.

{6" flexi-hoop on Amazon} - also easy to find in abundance on eBay.

I popped all my cross stitching paraphernalia inside my best-favourite project bag, a treasured gift hand made for me by my lovely friend Sandra-Cherryheart.

I must confess to you that I really did become obsessed with the business of making weeny crosses onto this black fabric. The above photo was taken just 3 days after I began my adventure - I know!!! Yikes!!! I started out on a Saturday morning, and by Tuesday I only had the birds left to stitch. 

I deliberately saved stitching the birds until last, oh I did SO enjoy creating them! It amazed me how much character and charm could be created using a load of simple little crosses - Jody's designs really are an absolute joy.

The other pleasing thing about the finished piece is the overall supreme neatness of it all. There is a precision in counted cross stitch which I thought might possibly get on my nerves, but actually it was the opposite. I found I loved the necessary concentration, the methodical counting and changing colours in exactly the right place. It gave me a sense of calm to follow each tiny little symbol on the chart, producing so many hundreds of regimented rows of crosses. It was just delightful to know that someone else had carried out a huge amount of design work so that I knew for certain that my picture would work out and become a wonderful finished object.

My cross stitch isn't without it's mistakes mind you. There are a few places where I completely miscounted but had gone too far ahead to be able to unpick my stitches. So I had to tell myself it was ok to leave the mistakes and nobody would really know except me.

I finished my first ever cross stitch within a week, and I am completely in love with it. In case you aren't familiar with the zodiac signs, I'm a Libra which is the sign of balance and harmony, represented by weighing scales. When I think about a set of weighing scales, absolutely nothing inspirational springs to mind at all, so full credit to Jody for designing something so pleasing and beautiful. She is a true artist, and if you delve into her Instagram feed you'll catch glimpses of her design process in action. It's genuine (paper and pencil!), and every finished design of hers is stitched and photographed so that you get a real good sense of the completed piece. Almost every other cross stitch design I have come across online is simply a computer generated representation - it's absolutely not the same as seeing a photo of the real thing.

I thought you might appreciate getting a look at the dirty back side of my cross stitch - ha!!! I didn't use any knots when I started a new colour - I either stitched over the end or carried it under existing stitches....I'm rather proud of it!

I can't remember where I read about finishing off a piece of stitching in a hoop, but I found some general instructions online somewhere. I made sure the design was exactly in the centre, pulled the fabric nice and taut, then trimmed it around with about a cm overhanging. I then used a strong black thread and made a running stitch all around the circle, pulling it tight as I went so that the fabric was gathered in neatly. I finished it off by painting over the raw fabric edge with a little white craft glue to stop it fraying. 

I absolutely love what I made, I love every single little thing about it. I even love the black background, and the way it makes the colours sing. I love knowing that the hours I spent quietly stitching during a cold, snowy week in February turned into something so lovely.

I always intended for my Libra hoop to hang on the wall in my bedroom - it somehow seemed the perfect place for it, and I look at it every single day when I first get up in the morning, and just before I snuggle into bed at night.

The wall looks a bit bare at the moment but I'm hoping to build up a little collection of pictures and pretty things to add over time. Little B made me the hama bead heart, and the pictures are just greetings cards stuck on the wall with washi tape.

So what's the next chapter going to be in my cross stitch adventure??

Well...................................................................................................

photo credit : SatsumaStreet

 ............I'm already started on a second zodiac design, this time it's Pisces which is J's sign. Aren't the fishes amazing?

I found that I only needed to buy 6 additional colours to add to the ones I already had for the Libra design and I was good to go full steam ahead with the fish. I'm still loving the whole cross-stitch process, although I sometimes find the lack of good direct light a bit of a problem. I've found that if I keep the white paper chart on my lap whilst I'm stitching, I can more easily see the holes in the black aida fabric, but good lighting is essential for this kind of close work.

I would love to hear if any of you are on your own cross stitch adventure, and if you have any good recommendations for modern designers. I haven't dared look too far into the world-wide-web just yet, but boy, I'm tempted. There are probably some amazing stitchy bloggers out there, just waiting for the likes of me to tumble fully down their stitchy rabbit holes. But first - the fishes are calling..................................

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Comments

[Robina]

Have a look at Gera, a Japanese designer of really adorable cross stitch. Also Alicia Paulsen (Posygetscosy) does some very pretty patterns.

[Leona]

You did a wonderful job. I also have done cross stitching and regular embroidery. I am crocheting afghans for my kids for Christmas. Working on black is hard and you should be very proud of your work. I use a hoop and for larger projects I have a square frame.

[wakemeupbeforeyoucocoa]

LOVE it! Love the colours, and the unusual background. I'm not sure I would have the patience for cross stitch, but am taking inspiration from this. Perhaps a smaller, simpler project to start with.

[Marjorie Sanderson]

Hi Lucy your cross stitch is lovely so glad you enjoyed it. I have done cross stitch for a long time loved doing very fine cross stitch on 36 count linen using one thread of floss sadly those days have past for me like some of the other comments my eyes can’t see that now so 14 count and 2 threads of floss for me these days. All credit to you and your blog Lucy I am so enjoying crochet now on my 6th blanket have the Sunny Log cabin kit but doing my own thing making a large granny square blanket for my husband and enjoying ever moment like you just love colour happily play for hours plus make knitted socks for the family. Thank you Lucy so glad you are feeling better so enjoy your blog. Wishing you and your family a very happy Easter

[Mary - Le Coeur Celtique]

This is a bright and cheerful design. I love it! I have also found that Patchwork Rabbit give a very good service.

[Mitzi]

Oh Lucy you are going to be hooked now you've picked up cross stitch. I've been cross stitching for some 30 years now and like you started on a small project to test the waters and that was it I was smitten. I usually have two or three cross stitch projects on the go as well as crocheting & knitting. Work just gets in the way of all the time I could spend creating beautiful things. I have some lovely zodiac cross stitches in reserve on the one day pile. Now I have seen yours I may just have to move them up the pile a bit.

[Caroline]

I have a few kits but am terrified to make a start in case I completely hash it. I'm way more confident with knitting and crochet. Eek, you've inspired me, maybe I need to just do it!

[Helen Welsh]

Congratulations on your beautiful finish Lucy! I always think black fabric is worth the effort because of the way it makes the colors pop 😊 I think you might enjoy the designs of Cheryl at Tinymodernist.com and also Emma Congdon (look for Stitchrovia on Etsy or IG). Patchwork Rabbit is great but Sewandso.co.uk has probably the biggest range in the UK (they also have yarn 😉) if you want a new rabbit hole to fall down 😉. Magazine wise you might enjoy Cross Stitcher magazine as it has the most modern leaning of our UK mags? Happy stitching on J’s fishes, have a lovely week,
Helen xx

[Lesley]

A great start to your cross stitch adventure.I stitched one of Jodi's designs for our newest grandson recently.Her colour palettes are happy ones and although I used thread from my stash I did keep roughly to the colour scheme.
I have picked up crochet again after decades where I cross stitched exclusively and I also knit a lot nowadays.It is refreshing to try something different.I hope you continue to enjoy another wonderful craft.

[Linda Kay Spooner]

Ok. I have been cross stitching for 40 something years.
The pattern is an old Amish barn painting. There are some great books that are great. Best way to do thread to keep order. Buy at Michaels a flat, box that is divided inside. You get bobbins there also. Take thread, either glue number to end of bobbin or write # at the end of bobbin. Place in box in numerical order. I have 5 boxes. Next find a gizmo that is hard plastic with adhesive on 2 sides. Under plastic is a cloth roll. Adhesive is to write # of thread and stick needle with that # under number. Do all colors you are going to use for that project. Easier than it sounds. I keeps a needle ready for a quick change of color. I made an Indian Chief's head with full war bonnet and the face had 9 colors of brown in the face. I love X-
stitch. When you look at finished project at a distance it looks like an oil painting. It is a great and rewarding hobby. To take a plain piece of cloth and turn it into a gorgeous piece of art is wonderful.
Good luck with learning this really fun stitchery. Linda

[HillyN]

How funny- I've just been venturing into the world of cross stitch too! There was a craft day at our church with various Easter crafts on offer. I thought I'd start by having a go at cross stitching a bookmark and got so engrossed in it that I did nothing else all afternoon. I had to beg some thread to finish it off at home. I wish I could post a photo- I'm so proud of it!

[Sarah]

So exciting to discover a new craft and yours is a real beauty. I'm working on one from awesome pattern studio which is wonderfully colourful site on etsy. On Wednesday 28th is a programme called make! BBC4. they are looking at x stitch this week.

[Tanya wood]

I have been crosstitching since I was young I have books from stores and library's you can get free designs online it's so relaxing and it's great to see finished product I make some into pillows for friends and loved ones I think it's great for gifts there hand made which I think is special it's alot of work to complete some of them I hope more people learn to enjoy this craft

[JoJo]

Check out Jolly Red tapestry. The owner Kelly is a kindred spirit that loves colour. You won’t be disappointed and they have a making up service for the Christmas stockings and cushions etc.

[Kaz Jones]

I started one of a hand x-ray about 3 years ago, then got distracted by knitting! I should really pick it back up one day as I was about three-quarters of the way through! The pattern is this one - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/98728697/hand-x-ray-cool-cross-stitch-pattern

[Shirley Davis]

So excited for you. I am totally obsessed with x stitching. Go to 123 stitch. Great online store. Floss is $.52 and they ship fast. Also, go to YouTube and search flosstube. There are 100's of podcasts but hang on to your purse! You will see such beautiful things. Have fun!
Shirley Davis
Lewes, De, USA

[Kimmy]

Yes, those are wonderful designs ... and I'm a Pisces too. A belated "Happy Birthday" to "J"! You're doing a fantastic job on those, Lucy. I have tried embroidery numerous times and it's just not my thing. I'm not sure why. Ditto for needlepoint and hooked rug making which are also not my thing. But I do LOVE my sewing machine, knitting needles and crochet hooks! Love reading about your embroidery and other adventures!!! Your pictures are wonderful.

[Barbara W.]

I'm impressed! Most folks wouldn't start out with a black background for their first piece, but I agree, it really makes Satsuma Street designs look brilliant, in every sense of the word. You did a great job, front and back, and I'm glad to see you're rightfully proud of it. I have her Autumn Forest and a couple of bird designs in the back of my mind but am going now to look at the Zodiac designs.

[Angela-Southern USA]

It's beautiful Lucy! I learned as a child first embroidery then cross stitch, it's been awhile since I've done any but the new designers today are so inspiring. One to checkout.
https://www.thefrostedpumpkinstitchery.com/

[Judith Thompson]

Hi Lucy, so lovely to have you back. I do a lot of cross stitch ( as well as knitting, crocheting and making bunting ), I have a massive stash . Please can I highly recommend Jayne Schofield designs from the Stitching Shed? Her designs are so colourful and joyful, she even has books!!!!!!! Don't delay, look her up 😊🌈

[Sara]

Too expensive to buy all of that for one small picture - why is everything so expensive? - these things used to be so relatively cheap to make. Embroidery threads are cheaper in the US than here. I do quite like a few of them but overall I found the style dated so am not so tempted. Can't follow a chart now because of bad eyes (short and now long sighted) meaning different glasses for different things and none of them finely tuned enough. The black fabric absolutely would not work for me either.

[LoriAngela]

I did a lot of cross stitch when my babies were wee. Wish I had known about the centre marking! Picked up an unfinished project, but sent it off to my sister instead. I’m happier Knitting her a blanket. Still love needlepoint. 💕

[Lynda]

Hi Lucy,

Congratulations on your first cross stitch project! Beautifully done. I started my first cross stitch when I was six, and learned counted cross stitch when I was twelve. I am now 56, so have been doing it for 50 years now. Yikes! It is not my only hobby, and I am not fast, so my output is not prolific, but it has been a constant in my life. I will probably keep cross stitching as long as I can hold a needle and I'm not actually blind. I now have to wear special glasses, use really bright light and can no longer work on dark fabric - it is just too hard on my eyes. As far as designers go, I second the suggestion to look at The Frosted Pumpkin. They have downloadable charts in a kawaii style of design. They also have yearly mystery stitch-alongs. Another designer to look at is Ink Circles by Tracy Horner. I love her work, and although most of the designs look complicated, they are usually simpler than they appear, as most designs are symmetrical, which allows a lot of ability to stitch without constant reference to the chart. Most of her designs can be stitched in any color you desire - you have the freedom to make the design your own vision. Mirabilia by Nora Corbett has some beautiful designs, but most of these are not recommended for beginners because they are large and complicated. However, know thyself - I could not have attempted one of those when I first started in cross stitch, but my daughter at the age of 18, dove right into the deep end of the pool, and completed a Mirabilia mermaid for her second project. She completed more than a dozen Mirabilia designs in just a few years. Nora has another line that is smaller and less complicated, often themed around letters of the alphabet. A great place for easy browsing of cross stitch designs is 123stitch.com. Click on "cross stitch" at the top menu and then "cross stitch designers". You can look at their stock of charts by designer and get an idea of which ones you like. You can also look at the designs by subject or do a search for something specific. There is a whole world of threads, fabrics, designs and beads to discover and explore. I can offer you a couple of tips to make your stitching even better than it is now. Always make your crosses in the same direction every time. In my stitching, the bottom leg of my cross always, no exception, goes from top left corner to the bottom right corner, and the top leg always goes from top right corner to bottom left corner. I think this is opposite of most instructions, but I have been doing it this way since I was 12, so I am not changing now. I have never been dinged for it in any judging. The key is picking a way and doing it every single time. When stitching a horizontal row, make all the bottom legs of one color, skipping up to three or four stitches to continue a row, and then return, doing all of the top legs of that color. When stitching a vertical row, stitch each cross individually (bottom leg, then top leg), keeping the stitches running the same way each time. Stitching this way will neaten up the reverse of your work considerably. The exception to this is when using variegated thread - then all stitches have to be made individually. Be sure to separate each strand of thread individually from the strand of floss, let them untwist and then put them back together to form your stitching thread. This will help reduce knots and will help the floss lay more consistently. You can also use some Thread Heaven to help reduce tangling. For even more consistency, you can "railroad" your stitching on the top leg, or both legs. This means that you run your needle in between the two threads, splitting the floss as you insert the needle into the fabric. You can also use a laying tool, essentially a large needle to help make the threads lay flat and even. I vary what I do depending on my purpose and mood, but I now find myself railroading the top leg more often than not. Consistency in stitching and even tension are probably the most important aspects of beautiful stitching. An easy way to start a new thread when you are using two strands of floss is to cut the floss twice as long as needed. Pull one strand and double. Thread both cut ends into the eye of the needle, leaving the looped side at the end of the floss. Make the first stitch and run the needle through the loop on the underside, catching the thread on itself. Quick, easy and secure. Don't be afraid to change colors or modify designs to suit your vision of the piece. For good instructions on various ways of finishing cross stitch pieces, along with lots of other cross stitch info, visit https://thetwistedstitcher.blogspot.com/ Best wishes for happy cross stitching!

[Jacquie Tinch]

Kate recommended Michael Powell and I love his style. BUT they are a real faff to work. Lots of single, very similar coloured stitches and until you put the black outlines in the motifs blend into each other, so every black outline stitch has to be counted.

[Jane]

Try googling knit less loop start. I only found it recently but it's great when you only have a few stitches to do.