Confessions of a Cross Stitcher

[enlightenedrose]

Oh I just hate it when people get all uppity and try to dictate to others what they should do, "that is to hard for you" , "aida is only for beginners", "you can never use knots" That is an opinion not the law. If they only show how afraid they are of other peoples abilities. They want to show superiority and they only show ignorance. As far aas I am concerned the only hard and fast rule for this craft is to cross your X's in the same direction and even that is not a hanging offense if you mess up a bit.

I have been stitching 25+ years and I still work on aida fabric the majority of the time and I think my projects are wonderful.

So glad you told that lady off and if you got blocked it probably was not a group you really want to be in anyway.

Yeah! i was calling her basically ignorant and snobby.. lmao

The admin was basically telling me to be more nice, lmao

[Cora]

I have another confession, I don't care how much cat hair I stitch into a project.

[marykeefe]

--I am badly disorganized and often lose thread and always seem to end up ordering 2 kits to get 1 of them completed.
--Along the same lines, I don't even keep all my cross stitch finished works yet to be framed/WIP together, and not even with their threads or patterns. Always a lovely time finding things for me!
--And I see no use in keeping the extra floss, but some of it is so pretty if it's brand new/unused that I don't throw it away, either. It's just tucked in various cabinets/closets/bags. YES, ONE DAY I WILL GET ORGANIZED! (NOPE!)

-I do care very much about the backs if I'm working on linen but finding not so much on Aida.
-I'm starting to hate working on Aida and really prefer small stitches, too.
-I do no prep work, and never really have a problem with raveling. Except for one and that edge got duct tape because it was all I had around...and couldn't be arsed to do anything but tape.

-Cat hair in my project? It happens, so does my own hair. I try to get them out but I know I don't always succeed.

-I'm anal about fixing mistakes with the wrong colour, but sometimes I get so tried of a project that by the end I end up stitching over another stitch to fix, rather than taking the first stitch out like I should.

-I'm also anal about figuring out ways to stitch the colour I'm using by using the least thread (I like the math, too), but that goes back to #1 and always feeling afraid I'm going to run out of thread if it's a kit and I can't just run out and get more DMC floss of the same number.

--I think I probably stitch much slower than most people, and I hate that.

-I've never cleaned my works before framing.

--I plan to quit after a few more works I have planned. (I can quit anytime? Sounds like an addiction?)

-I really like it when people appreciate the amount of work that goes into a project and the way a pretty one turns out.

[Allyn]

I have a deep confession, and I may need chocolate after I air it. :::sighs::: I hate my stash.

Okay, not ALL of it; just most of it. Years (and years) ago when everything was new and exciting and I had lots of disposable income, I spent ALOT of money on impulse buys. If I saw a chart that caught my eye even in the least, I bought it. Now, decades later, my tastes have changed and I go through the patterns I bought back then and I don't like them;never gonna stitch them;don't even want to look at them. Nowadays, my head is in a whole different place and my life is on a whole different path, and those designs mean nothing to me anymore. In a way, I resent it because I feel like the old stash is 'baggage" that I brought with me to my current relationship. The majority of my stash is dead weight that I have to move when I want to get in the closet.

So there. That was a downer, huh? How's that for a confession?

[Oriettait]

I think I'm developing more bad habits by reading this thread. I never thought of just stitching the right color over the top of one that's wrong.

Ha ha ha same here!! Never done that before reading it here

[Ruthi]

Allyn, if you hate it, and are never going to stitch it, then get rid of it. There is no point at all in having something with such negative energy surrounding it in your home or your life.

Sell what you can, and bin or give away the rest. At least that way you don't have to insure it (and remember that even if you would never replace something it still has to be insured if its in the house).

Stash acquisition is a combination of forward planning and collecting. A stamp collector wouldn't hesitate to get rid of a stamp that they no longer value. Just accepting that has made it much easier for me to reduce my stash, and at my rate of progress I will never stitch all the things I love, let alone the ones I don't any more!

I have realised that there is as much pleasure in collecting as in the stitching, and that is OK. Finally finding some of the Fremme charts that I have sought for years is a pleasure in itself, even though I am not sure if they will all get stitched.

It has taught me not to kit things up before I am ready to stitch them, though.

[marykeefe]

I think I'm developing more bad habits by reading this thread. I never thought of just stitching the right color over the top of one that's wrong.

Ha ha ha same here!! Never done that before reading it here

So now I can add to my list that I'm a bad influence on others.

[marykeefe]

I have a deep confession, and I may need chocolate after I air it. :::sighs::: I hate my stash.

Okay, not ALL of it; just most of it. Years (and years) ago when everything was new and exciting and I had lots of disposable income, I spent ALOT of money on impulse buys. If I saw a chart that caught my eye even in the least, I bought it. Now, decades later, my tastes have changed and I go through the patterns I bought back then and I don't like them;never gonna stitch them;don't even want to look at them. Nowadays, my head is in a whole different place and my life is on a whole different path, and those designs mean nothing to me anymore. In a way, I resent it because I feel like the old stash is 'baggage" that I brought with me to my current relationship. The majority of my stash is dead weight that I have to move when I want to get in the closet.

So there. That was a downer, huh? How's that for a confession?

allyn, I agree with Ruthi. If it doesn't bring you happiness to have around, then don't have it around any longer! Keep what makes you happy and brings you joy, and donate/sell the rest. If you donate...what is painful for you have around now may actually bring happiness to someone else. Just my thoughts. (I've dumped baggage in my life too, been there, done that!)

[marykeefe]

ok I have two more, then I'll stop posting...


Talking about chocolate....well, I doubt I'll EVER stitch a piece w/out some smudge of chocolate somewhere (although always, thankfully, outside the stitched viewed area)


I very recently upgraded to first class on a domestic flight that was full in coach......just so I could stitch on the plane!
I've stitched on transatlantic flights, too.

[Ruthi]

ok I have two more, then I'll stop posting...


I very recently upgraded to first class on a domestic flight that was full in coach......just so I could stitch on the plane!
I've stitched on transatlantic flights, too.

How cool is that? You are my hero now!!

[Stitchitagain]

I bought my house because it has a basement with a perfect craft area. This area is now trashed still trying to get organized.
I bought out a designer. I have a five drawer chest full of fabric now and 12000 patterns because of it!
I have to live to at least 1000 now because of it!
I want to start hand dyeing fabric and selling it but my job gets in the way. Lol
Lisa also a floss licker!

[NeedleAndFork]

I bought my house because it has a basement with a perfect craft area.

If I am ever able to buy a house of my own, a craft area is a priority. Actually, multiple craft areas will be a priority. Several years ago when I was moving I found a 2 bedroom apartment with one teeny tiny bedroom and one huge one. My intention had been to make the small room, just barely big enough for a bed in it my bedroom and the larger into a studio space, but plans got derailed when some family 'temporarily' needed a place to stay for a few weeks. A year and a half later I moved into a one bedroom place just so they couldn't follow me and still mourn the loss of my potential studio space.

[MaggieM1750]

I bought my house because it has a basement with a perfect craft area.

I am house shopping now and looking specifically for crafting rooms. Good lighting or good windows, space for storage, space for tables. I know what I do, and how I spend my time. I want my craft space separate from living space so it doesn't have to be tidy. Hopefully I can find that in my next house.

[richardandtracy]

I have a few confessions:

1. I hate twee.
2. I hate Cute
3. I lick my threads.
4. As the house is infested with long hair cats (a black Norwegian Forest cat, 2 ginger & white Maine Coons and a black/white domestic shorthair), I can't not have cat fur sewn in. On light projects, only black fur gets sewn in and on dark projects only ginger/white fur gets sewn in.
5. I don't entirely appreciate it when a cat tries to help me by chasing a thread.
6. I sew while wearing white cotton gloves, with the tip of the right thumb, index and middle fingers snipped off so I can hold a needle. This is to keep the work clean.
7. I always spend hours before starting sewing old shirt sleeves over my roller frame rollers to keep the rolled up fabric clean.

Regards,

Richard

[Stitchitagain]

I feel you on the cat hair, but I can't blame them entirely. I often end up pulling my own long hair out of a project as I shed just as bad!
Lisa

[mattcrossstitches]

- I never hem the fabric, these days. If it frays it frays. Besides, it never frays more than 1 or 2 blocks, and it's got like a two- or three-inch margin around it.
- I'm very careful about keeping my hands clean when I work on big pieces, but I also love stitching on the metro. So I like to keep a fun piece on the go on one of those 6x6" Aida squares.
- I don't care about my backs. Like, at all.
- I try to keep the travelling to a minimum but I do more than I probably should, especially if I'm going to stitch something else over the travelled area later anyway.
- I always lick my threads to get them through the needle.
- I park my needles in Aida and leave pieces in Q-snap frames, though I usually loosen them.
- I got my boyfriend addicted to stitching
- I have a piece still going for a friend's wedding who was married last July. Well, Miss Manners says I have a year, so...
- Although gods only know how I'm going to get the birth sampler done for my nephew who's due in August.
- I hate framing things. I tried doing it the fancy way and knew only misery and defeat. So now I just use double-sided fabric tape, stick the thing to some acid-free backing and I'm good to go. No expensive frames, either. Ikea is the name of the game.

[abigail14]

I have a deep confession, and I may need chocolate after I air it. :::sighs::: I hate my stash.

Okay, not ALL of it; just most of it. Years (and years) ago when everything was new and exciting and I had lots of disposable income, I spent ALOT of money on impulse buys. If I saw a chart that caught my eye even in the least, I bought it. Now, decades later, my tastes have changed and I go through the patterns I bought back then and I don't like them;never gonna stitch them;don't even want to look at them. Nowadays, my head is in a whole different place and my life is on a whole different path, and those designs mean nothing to me anymore. In a way, I resent it because I feel like the old stash is 'baggage" that I brought with me to my current relationship. The majority of my stash is dead weight that I have to move when I want to get in the closet.

So there. That was a downer, huh? How's that for a confession?

It's time to part ways with it! It's OK for your tastes and interest to change!
After a move I didn't have the same closet space and ended up with boxes and containers all over my small bedroom. 90% of my stash I donated or threw away including all my WIP. I'm still stitching every night and I have nothing on my floor except clean clothes at the bottom of my bed to put away.

[kicking]

Oh how to remember all I have to confess

- I am nearly as careful about the back of my work as I am the front!!! It is exceptionally neat!!!!

- I can only work on one project at any time. I would love to be able to have various projects on rotation, but I feel like I'm cheating on which ever project is left sitting while I work on another. So it's just easier to start and finish one at a time.

- When working on my 'one' project I have all the colors wrapped on bobbles and numbered in numerical order in a box labeled for the project being stitched. All very organised.

- I keep my stitching in a q-snap and only remove it when I need to move it on the fabric, so every few weeks.

- I always wash my project in the washing machine before framing them myself. Although the current HAED I'm working on will be sent off to be framed, it is too big for me to manage!!!

- If I make a mistake on one random stitch I will stitch over it with the correct color

- I can only stitch in my leather recliner with my daylight bulb in my sitting-room. I just don't feel comfortable stitching anywhere else!!!

- I don't lick my threads or tie knots.

- I have stitched alot of my long blonde hair into my projects.

- I hate doing back stitching and half stitches, I LOVE haed projects for the lack of both!!!!

- I don't wear gloves while stitching, so my work is always filthy by the time I'm finished. I then put them in the washing machine like I previously mentioned.

-I don't count the stitches on my pattern, I base the number of stitches in the line I'm doing on the previous line I've done and just say 2 out or 1 in, IUKWIM!!!

- If I find someone who has any interest in cross stitch I will talk the hind legs off them, I don't come across many 'real' people with this interest though, especially in their 20's/30's

- It really bugs me when my SIL calls my HAED projects wait for it...... tapestries!!! She is extremely jealous, and a very spiteful person and she would love to be able to do something as amazing as cross stitch so likes to bring me down!!! And breath LOL!!!!

I'm sure I have plenty more so I will add them as I think of them

[Quietmind]

Ok - here goes...
I cannot thread needles and am so paranoid about losing my needle threader that I have several hidden away!
I wear a thread cutter pendant all the time as a necklace and am waiting to see some one else wearing one so I can acknowledge anothe stitcher in the flesh!
I don't like finishing projects if I love stitching them - it is like finishing a really good book - so I will put them away with a few ditches to go...
I have bought three HAED charts and am scared to start them!
I am not completely honest with my DH when I tell him what I 'need' to be able to stitch....

Phew - confession really IS good for the soul!

Xx

[sharestitches]

Hmmm....let's see....

- I've only *just* (as in last week) started using needle minders and as a result have lost several needles....in my couch. I've searched and searched and searched...vacuumed the cushions/backing...taken everything apart and put it back together again with no luck. So, that makes sitting on the couch an adventure every time. Needless to say...I really like my new needle minders!

- I've never displayed a finished project...you probably couldn't tell I'm a cross stitcher by my stitch-free walls. I plan on rectifying this...some day.

- If I've used the wrong color for a stitch or two and frogging would be a time-consuming nightmare...I've been known to take the lazy way out and stitch over the wrong stitch with the right color. Usually you can't tell I've done it. Usually.