I’ve been meaning to start a thread where we can talk about our craft projects.
Earlier this year I took up cross stitch. It was supposed to be an idle thing I could do instead of doomscrolling, something that doesn’t take up too much time or space, but, well, I really like it.
I’m on my third project. The first two were kits I didn’t really care for. For the third, my first project buying all the supplies, I found a cool rocket ship pattern on Etsy. I’m going to put it in my son’s room.
I’m really excited about my next project. The one I’m doing now is only 19 colors and there are some stunning patterns but they are like 100 colors. I don’t think I’m there yet. So I’m trying to find an in-betweener.
The one I think I’m going for is a colorized version of John Tenniel’s original illustration of Alice and the Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass. There are four other patterns of those illustrations so I might end up doing the whole set!
Wow! I am impressed. I have a small cross stitch of a fox that I bought in York 3 years ago. I mean small,like 2 x 2. Five colors. I’m still working on it…. I have 2 beautiful needlepoint painted canvases. I started one last year. Maybe have 2 rows done. My main craft is rubber stamping and making cards.
I’m disappointed.
No octopuses(octopi?) Cephlapods or undersea creatures?
Kudos on the rocketship. It’s beautiful.
I did some freewheel embroidery awhile ago. I taught myself because my granny had a crazy quilt top without the embroidery and I wanted to finish it.
I’ve done most every craft, one time or another. The kids like me to get into the craft stuff. We’ve done a bunch.
I was into ceramics for awhile. Enjoyed that. Til I didn’t. How many breakable decorative items do you really need.
I sewed. Baby stuff mostly. Did a few curtains.
My problem is I get bored quickly and tend to over indulge my need for more supplies. Ended up with loads of supplies and grandkids. To their delight.
They love papier mache’.
The last thing I was really really into was mosiacs.(those broken ceramics helped here) When I dreamed of a whole mosiac-ed bathroom, I tore myself away.
My ex-wife was the poster child for this. She proudly announced that “Collecting tools and supplies for a hobby is a separate hobby from doing the hobby.”
She had no kidding 300 bottles of spices, no two the same. “Cooking? Who’s got time for that? I’m too busy searching for [WhateverRareSpice].”
Bless her heart.
Without going into detail, I have a mild case of the same “collect the whole set” gene. I get / got it. I really did / do.
I’ve had a serious case of WIPitis recently. I have several crochet projects going, three in a stage of near-completion, and i just started another one.
I’ll be having hand surgery soon for a ganglion cyst, and so wanted to discipline myself to focus on the nearly-dones and finish them before the enforced recovery period. Then Blam! My hard drive died with all the patterns on it.
Argh! So i just started eyeballing a circle cardigan. It’s mindless, but it keeps me calm and my hands busy. :sigh:
In general I have looked at several sea-themed ones but I don’t think I’m ready. I’m more of an intermediate level right now. For this project I’ve been trying out several different techniques to see which ones I like, so I haven’t even settled on that yet. I’ve been experimenting with different parking methods, that’s where, instead of doing one color at a time, you park your threads in the next section where you resume stitching later. That’s why you see threads all over the place in my pics.
I tried vertical, I tried horizonal towers, but I think I’m going to end up going roughly diagonal.
Now that I have a stand I’m also trying to learn two handed stitching. The challenge there is my useless uncoordinated right hand. It’s going to take a lot of practice.
AND I’ve been using 14 count Aida cloth and before I tackle anything elaborate I want to successfully use 16 count, which is smaller stitching.
All of which to say things are very experimental right now.
I have learned so much from FlossTube it’s crazy.
And yeah I have the buying a million supplies problem too. I go through ADHD phases where I’m hyperfixated on something new. I thought this would be the case with stitching. I was wrong. I’m not bored yet and it’s been six months.
I was a cross stitcher for years,and got into very detailed projects. Then I had a high risk pregnancy and was on bed rest for 19 weeks, and burned myself out on cross stitching. I have a Rubbermaid tub of completed projects that are gorgeous, but now I don’t have the wall space to hang them or the money to get them professionally framed. I’ve been a quilter for a long time, and I have made some nice quilts. Plus, if you like collecting supplies, there’s an unlimited number of beautiful fabrics you can buy and store in tubs, just waiting for the perfect pattern. I’ve also managed to collect a bunch of vintage sewing machines and on Friday I’m attending a class to learn how to service and repair old sewing machines. That should keep me occupied for a while😁
