Confessions of a Cross Stitcher

[seedreemer]

4. This is me to a T http://instagram.com/p/liZ7GjEYg3/" target="_blank
Though my OCD does kick in when I do have to pack away

That's hilarious! I now know what to call that mess on my coffee table leftover from my previous night of stitching.

[Phynix]

Oh man I love all your confessions and it is nice to know I am not the only one with a few of these.

like many I Don't care how the BACK of the project looks, as long as it looks good when framed I am happy.

I lick my floss to thread needles, the way I see it, that isn't in the project is often gets cut off.

I refuse to frog if I don't have to. If the colours are way off then I will consider it, but I try to fix everything without having to rip any thing out.

I don't understand large stash! I have a small one, if it can't fit on the shelves I have determined will be for cross stitch I don't keep it.

But I love cross stitch magazines, they will stay together for about 4 years then I tear them apart to keep the patterns and the rest of it goes the way of the recycle bins.

I keep all my charts and happily pass them on to the next person. As long as they are discontinued. I have gotten the joy out of it so someone else should have the same rights.

My husband picks up my orders from Sheena's Gallery so I can't fib. =^_~=

[MichelletheMerry]

I "permanently borrowed" a cross-stitching book from my oldest sister Kirsten when I was 17, and I still haven't returned it yet. That was over 20 years ago-and I haven't done more than 2 projects from the whole book! Oh the shame!

There are times when I come home from work, and even though I have a lot of housework to do, laundry, etc. I don't do it. I choose to cross-stitch.

My sister Kirsten introduced me to cross-stitching when I was 16, because she got tired of me coming over to her apartment to "visit" but all I ever did was watch TV! lol.

I used to only do projects for other people, friends, family, etc. Now I've actually kept 5 projects for myself and plan to do more.

Sigh, felt good to get that off my mind.

[fccs]

There are times when I come home from work, and even though I have a lot of housework to do, laundry, etc. I don't do it. I choose to cross-stitch.

Me, too.

[Mrs_Stitcher]

There are times when I come home from work, and even though I have a lot of housework to do, laundry, etc. I don't do it. I choose to cross-stitch.

Me, too.

Snap!

[Nordly]

So many great confessions!!! Like many, I lick my threads and don't care too much about the back as long as it's not bumpy. Also:

• I use cheap masking tape (the green one) from the Dollar store for my edges. It's not as sticky as the regular hardware store tape and really easy to remove, even after 2 years.

• I have hoops and a Qsnap, but prefer to stitch in hand because I use the sewing method. I know it's not the best technique, and if I'm not careful, my bottom stitch will be too loose and you can totally tell

• Along the same line, I prefer to stich from the back when using the sewing method. It's easier to insert the needle along the || lines in the back than the // in the front (if that makes sense)

• I bring my knitting to class (helps me concentrate!) and I sometimes wish I could bring my stitching too, but I don't want to get too many weird looks...

• When I finally get to stitch after a long day, I secretly resent my cats for jumping on my lap

Happy stitching everyone!

[Hetty1989]

There are times when I come home from work, and even though I have a lot of housework to do, laundry, etc. I don't do it. I choose to cross-stitch.

Me, too.

Snap!

Ditto

[Allyn]

There are times when I come home from work, and even though I have a lot of housework to do, laundry, etc. I don't do it. I choose to cross-stitch.

Wait. . . .that's worthy of confession? I thought it was the norm.

[Anna114]

My confessions are many

While my backs look awful, I do care. My mother's back of the project was almost as good as the front. She use to tell me I was being ridiculous but she did such beautiful work.

I'm a licker and proud of it It makes it much more easy to get that smelly bugger in the hole.

My stash could get me through 3 lifetimes.... now if I could only live that long

I had to get stronger glasses for when I stitch. About a year ago I realized I wasn't enjoying stitching so much because I was having trouble seeing so I went to 200's on my stitching glasses.

I'm a confessed frogger but lordy I hate it. It took me two hours the other night to undue a flag on my Ireland piece. I was ready to kill by the time I was done.

I tape Don't judge me for it. If I get a hang nail I pick at it until I take it off. Tape stops me from pealing away the pieces so that I actually do have aida to stitch on.

I don't clean my pieces before framing. I spot clean any problems but I always wash my hands before stitching. I iron the piece before taking it to the framers

Lastly, I HATE to outline. My mother said it was her favorite part of a project she said it gave the piece personality, for me yeah no.

[coolpenguin]

Since my mom keeps getting on me about my backs, I've been trying to be neater. Seriously, the harder I try to have a neat back the worse it is! There's no hope for me!

[Mrs_Stitcher]

Since my mom keeps getting on me about my backs, I've been trying to be neater. Seriously, the harder I try to have a neat back the worse it is! There's no hope for me!

I've given up on trying to have a neat back. I think as long as the front looks good what's it matter about the back

[speart]

What a FUN idea! Here are just a few...

1. I USED to be and edge taper. Now, I sometimes zigzag (poorly) or I just don't care at all. That's what that extra bit of fabric I'm always stuck buying if for, yes, to unravel?

2. I use old DMC--and don't care! I spent years collecting this stash, and I'm a gonna use it all.

3. I'm compulsive about many things: back neatness (but I don't give a hoot what others say, this is just being obsessive), labels and containers for EVERYTHING (my label maker has a box labelled label maker), structured highlighting of stitching progress.

4. I am a kit snob, sorry, but I am. I hate the cheap Aida cloth and impossible to figure out fiber shades! Seriously, 16 colors of blue?!

5. I have a potty mouth when I make a mistake. Really trying to reform this inappropriate habit, as I guess one of the grand girls overheard me and then used that phrase when she made a mistake in her pre-k workbook. BAD GRAMMA!

[LadyGisburne]

I think this must be my favourite topic here, I always check if there's anything new... So I thought it is about time to do some confessing myself lol...

1. I am kind of obsessed with the back of my work. I always try to finish the threads off in a neat way and I like it if the back of my work "almost" looks as tidy as the front.

2. When it comes to counting errors while stitching I almost always correct them. (Unless it is one tiny stitch and you really wouldn't be able to tell). Anything bigger - no way!! Even if nobody else can see it, I know and it really bugs me until I change it.

3. Related to two... I am obsessed with checking and rechecking my counting before I start placing a stitch. I sometimes count up to 4 times just to absolutely make sure...lol...

4. Since I started using gold plated needles I would never go back to use ordinary ones. I think they glide through the fabric much nicer and if you use quality ones they last for a long time. I mostly use Permin (I love the little tubes they come in) but I am currently working with a cross stitcher's guild one which is brilliant and the gold doesn't seem to wear off at all. It is one of my guilty pleasures to always make sure that I've got a constant supply of gold plated needles...

5. I have experimented with different cross stitch methods and use the parking method on one of my current works in project "Fall Fairy" by Dimensions but I found out that I much prefer my old method. Stitching one colour at a time. It is strange but I found that using the parking method, doing row by row, filling one 100 x 100 block at a time kind of takes the fun of cross stitching away. It kind of becomes a chore where you stitch away to get to the end result as quickly as possible while I enjoy the process of cross stitching as much as the finished end result. I enjoy looking at the chart and planning my next moves. One colour first, then the next and slowly the picture starts to emerge. Maybe I am weird...

6. Although the rest of the house can be really chaotic (who wants to do housework when cross stitching is so much nicer...lol...) In my little cross stitch empire (crafts room) everything has to be absolutely tidy (threads need to be bobbined and put away into their little boxes), cross stitch kits go in their boxes, the magazines are all sorted by editions in their own folders, the beads are stacked up in tidy little plastic tubes, etc.) The room constantly gets hoovered and dusted and I put a big plastic bag around my current wip to not get any kind of dust on it... This is kind of my little haven...

7. I am addicted to buying cross stitch kits... I have tried loads but I can't stop getting them and I always find a new excuse (this is a very rare kit, I might never get it again if I don't get it now... this kit is so cheap, it would be crazy not to get it... I am collecting Teresa Wentzler kits and I know i've got the chart already but isn't it wonderful to get the kit as well and so on... lol... The same with books, charts and magazines... etc... Well, I hope modern medicine improves fast since I have to live to at least 750 to get all of this done...

8. I like looking at all my stash, magazines, kits, books and charts as much as doing actual cross stitching. Sometimes I just get all of the things out just to feel the texture of the fabric or to touch the threads and then I put them all back into their special places and I enjoy that as well. Sometimes when I go to bed I lie awake for some time and think about all of my stash and just have a big smile on my face.

Oops, I had to confess far more than I thought...

[Allyn]

....
8. I like looking at all my stash, magazines, kits, books and charts as much as doing actual cross stitching. Sometimes I just get all of the things out just to feel the texture of the fabric or to touch the threads and then I put them all back into their special places and I enjoy that as well. Sometimes when I go to bed I lie awake for some time and think about all of my stash and just have a big smile on my face....

My girlfriend and I used to call this "fondling" our stash. It feels good. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I know you all get it.

[LadyGisburne]

My girlfriend and I used to call this "fondling" our stash. It feels good. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I know you all get it.

I understand perfectly well... Hehe, so good to know that I am not alone with this...

[kelleyjogirl]

1. I'm a floss licker
2. I love my bobbins. Neat, tidy little bundles of color all lined up in wee boxes. It makes me happy.
3. I have yet to stitch on anything but Aida, and I'm kinda scared to try.
4. I'm not all that wild about most HAED for my own purposes, but I really enjoy seeing and hearing about other people's HAED projects. The idea of such a huge, intricate design fascinates me. (I like the Van Gogh paintings, but otherwise, I haven't really seen any designs I'd actually want to make.)
5. My stash is incredibly small (I'm just starting to stitch again after taking a very long break. Before this month, I hadn't stitched regularly in probably 15-20 years, and I had gotten rid of all but a handful of patterns and one box of bobbinated floss.)
6.

[Cora]

My turn I guess, I love this thread.

I do all the bad things lick thread, messy backs, leave the project on the hoop forever, ect.
I will stitch over other stitches if I find I made a counting error. I thought I invented this. lol
I uh, don't really have a stash. I just have two boxes of DMC floss and my currant project. No extra fabric, frames or floss. I do seem to be collecting a large amount of cross stitch books though.
I hate back stitching! I hate doing it, if I don't do it right after finishing the xstitching it will never get done. I can't tell you how many project I have lying around that just need back stitching.
I have stitched projects I don't like just to have something to stitch. I have a few finished projects that I hate, and will never be framed made into pillows or whatever because I don't like them. They were the only kits I could find at the time. This leads into the next thing; I hate kits, I can never find any that I like. They all look too country or cozy or are samplers. (I know there is nothing wrong with any of these things, some are quite pretty and lots of people love them, they just aren't my to my taste)
I only work on one project at a time, but I take it with me everywhere.

[DahliaDoll]

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.

[enlightenedrose]

I really like reading this thread, some of you made me laugh! & some of you seem to be very addicted/obsessed.

1)I don't normally use two strands off floss! I use one, and halve it so it makes 2

2)I think i might of subscribed to the World of cross stitching magazine partly to stop me buying kits! and because its a lovely magazine

3) I don't care about my backs to the point of "Perfection" , but i did used to start my threads with knots and that caused havoc for the back, and it was kind of difficult to work with.

4) I also leave the project in the hoop, and don't normally loosen it

5) I am a serial starter, but have gotten better recently 2 Wips at the moment, but i have about 3 projects in the UFO pile

6) I have almost cried over a project before!

7) I have only ever used Aida for main projects! I havn't been stitching for THAT long, but still, but i do have a kit with linen waiting to be used, but most of the kits have aida in them.

8 )Once i was on a cross-stitch group, and this lady kept calling me a beginner and basically said the project i was doing was too difficult for me! it might of been.. but what gives her the right to tell me whats easy and difficult for me? and she seemed to be getting funny with me. Well, put it this way, i spoke my mind then she blocked me, lol. but i do feel slightly bad about it now! She told me to do cards so i got used to cross-stitching, at the time i completed a 7" by 5" cross-stitch, i know its not big, but i don't believe someone JUST starting out could do it.

9)When i went to see my Boyfriend, 5h on the train, i took my cross-stitching with me and did some on the train

10) I havnt used Beads or metallic thread yet

[Rose]

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.