I just got back to cross stitch 5 days ago... as my PC broke down! lol!
At the moment I'm stitching a Santa, which I'm hoping to be able to make into a pillow eventually, and use as a Christmas present! Since my 5 days of stitching, I've also managed to make a Christmas girl (I'm hoping to make a gallery here, and you can all see... she's really sweet!), and started on an angel, but ran out of the correct colours.
Here's the Santa I'm in the middle of stitching... stupid me... I hate stitching with metalic thread... and what do I do? Decide to make the belt buckle and buttons gold! lol!
So come on people - share what you're stitching at the moment!
Last edited by StitchingAgain on Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I have just discovered this thing called thread heaven. Its brill and i reccomend it to everyone.
I have recently been stitching with light effect threads, which was a pain like metalics. But thread heaven is fab and it somehow makes stitching with theis type of thread a breeze.
I bought it online and it was around £3.00, you hold your thread gently in it and then pull it through so it gets a coating on it. Its not stitckey, it has no residue at all, and conditions the all threads!
Also I read a tip for stitching with light effects/metalics. When you stitch with two strands, instead of using two separate lentghs, just have the one. fold it in half, and thread the two ends through the needle. then loop the folded end over the need and pull it up. I hope Ive explained this so you can understand. What you have done is secure your needle so you dont keep having it come out the needle and dont have to repeatedly rethread it. I find with that type of thread that it kinda freys and makes rethreading near impossible. This way avoids all that.
Ive used this method and its worked a treat! Also it helps preserve the thread better and you dont get that kink in it where the needle goes.
Purple-FP, I think I know what you mean. When I'm using metalics, I lock the thread. Take the thread and the metallic and, instead of threading the needle with the end of the threads, try draping them over the needle and then slip them off the end. This should give you a little loop to thread through the needle's eye. Then - and this is the useful bit - slip your needle through the loop without pulling the end of the thread through the eye. A little adjustment, and pull down the long side. Voila! One locked thread.
Personally, I don't use one long thread doubled on my needle. It is easier, but because the thread has been spun in a particular direction, and the light won't reflect off each strand the same way. They also rub eachother up the wrong way.
Will it ruin a beautiful piece of work -- that is to say, the sort we all do effortlessly whenever we sit to stitch? Of course not! Counsel of perfection again.
Have just started the last in a series of three dragonfly pictures.
When using metallic threads, I generally use one strand which I thread through the eye of the needle and match up the end, so I can stitch with two threads. Weaving the open ends under work and then start sewing. Have found that doing it this way the thread doesn't fray at all.
Santa is finished (in the gallery, for those who want to have a peek), and I've now started on another angel. She's very cute! I down loaded the chart yesterday, but as I've so far only stitched white onto cream fabric, it's really not much to show so far! lol!
Well... here's my little angel that I'm stitching now... I'm hoping to have her done by tomorrow!
Again... I have managedto add metalic thread (well... it's something about Christmas and gold isn't there? lol!)...
Please, please don't tell me you finished all that in TWO DAYS Now, show us the back so we can be utterly and thoroughly depressed whilst being amazed at and applaud your skill.
Well... I consider myself a pretty speedy stitcher! lol! And on this one I shall NOT show the back... as I managed to get a knot on one of my threads (on the back), never noticed, and continued stitching away whilst watching TV... so I got pink thread all over the back! lol!
I'm will tonight hopefully start on Joan Elliotts Snow Princess (or is it Winter Princess? Something like that anyway)... that's after sorting out the threads for her, watching Charlie and the Choclate Factory and House on telly! I don't have the beads for her though, so it might be a while until the whole project is finished.
Not a problem at all - I'm gathering up stitched pieced for Christmas pressies! My goal is to hopefully make them all into pillows (as me + sewingmachines = disaster, they might turn into piccies instead! lol!), and give to everyone except my nieces and my young nephew for Christmas. As I already have pressies for my nieces for Christmas, that will leave me with only 1 present to get (as I know what to get to my partner)!
That's my inspiration! No stress before Christmas (*nasty vision of me entangled in the sewingmachine*), and dirt cheap! Love it!
I like to do xmas cards in plenty of time and then I don't have to worry about not finishing nearer the time. I've just finished sorting the threads for the Belved Santa kit which arrived the other day from Sew and So
Its a 5" x 7" design which I'll make into a special card for my folk's.
Joan
I am curently sewing some name tags for a group called Mixednuts, We have a gathering happening, Called he nutcluster ,, ppl from all over the world will be there. so i decided to stitch each online name with thier r/l name under it so people can know whom is whom. I mostly stitch the small patterns ,, but almost all of my work has been given away to friends and family .
Now, show us the back so we can be utterly and thoroughly depressed whilst being amazed at and applaud your skill.
Faith in human nature restored. 
