Cross Stitch|
Sep
27
Filed Under (Complete List) by Kert
Hamidah Gul asked:
It’s been a couple of months since you’ve started the exciting journey of starting your first, second or maybe even tenth cross stitch project. It has been a wonderful therapeutic journey from start to finish, from seeing the stitch start from a simple x to a glorious masterpiece of art.
Then the question strikes you. Now what do I do with it? Most cross stitchers would just send their work of art to the frame dealer and with a little mental prayer that they don’t ***** it up, the cross stitch would be framed and ready to be hang. I have to admit I’ve been hanging all my completed works. I even have a wall dedicated only for my cross stitches.
Still there are other things you might want to consider doing. Here are 7 of my fun and unique ideas about what you can do after you have completed your project. Do take note that all ideas are dependent on the size of your patterns.
1. Make a quilt.
Make small little patterns and sew them all together on a large piece of blanket, making a beautiful patchwork of cross stitch patterns.
2. Make a table cloth.
Floral or border cross stitch designs are great for table runners. Forget about buying a commercial table cloth. Show off to your guests by making one of your own!
3. Coasters
Another favorite for guests are coasters. Cross stitch at least 6 patterns of the same theme and add lace around them to transform them into little girly coasters or simply use no-fray Aida to have ready made coasters after you are done stitching them.
4. Cushion covers
Although there are plenty of ready made stitch-able cushion covers, you don’t have to use that to make great cross stitch cushions. If you have plain cushion covers in hand, you can simply sew your cross stitch designs on them.
5. Wallpaper border
This is an interesting one. You can cross stitch floral designs or alphabets on long strips of Aida and then glue it around a plain wall to liven up your baby’s room. It’s an alternative to putting up wallpaper and definitely would be something your baby would love to touch when he starts experimenting on textures.
6. Pencil case or purse
This is not a hard project to do. All you need is stitch on a bigger piece of Aida and only half of it so that when you later fold it, the design is nicely centered on one half. Of course this is entirely up to you. You can even arrange it that there are two designs at both sides. Then simple sew up the corners and add a zipper to the top. And you’ve got yourself a nice hand made purse or pencil case!
7. Head band
If you have a small rectangle cross stitch pattern done, consider making it into a head band. You only need to attach a short piece of elastic band to connect your cross stitch ends. And then it’s perfect to hold your hair back!
Get more great ideas with our stitch-able crafts at The Art of Stitch.
ALEXANDER
It’s been a couple of months since you’ve started the exciting journey of starting your first, second or maybe even tenth cross stitch project. It has been a wonderful therapeutic journey from start to finish, from seeing the stitch start from a simple x to a glorious masterpiece of art.
Then the question strikes you. Now what do I do with it? Most cross stitchers would just send their work of art to the frame dealer and with a little mental prayer that they don’t ***** it up, the cross stitch would be framed and ready to be hang. I have to admit I’ve been hanging all my completed works. I even have a wall dedicated only for my cross stitches.
Still there are other things you might want to consider doing. Here are 7 of my fun and unique ideas about what you can do after you have completed your project. Do take note that all ideas are dependent on the size of your patterns.
1. Make a quilt.
Make small little patterns and sew them all together on a large piece of blanket, making a beautiful patchwork of cross stitch patterns.
2. Make a table cloth.
___________________________________________________________________
Floral or border cross stitch designs are great for table runners. Forget about buying a commercial table cloth. Show off to your guests by making one of your own!
3. Coasters
Another favorite for guests are coasters. Cross stitch at least 6 patterns of the same theme and add lace around them to transform them into little girly coasters or simply use no-fray Aida to have ready made coasters after you are done stitching them.
4. Cushion covers
Although there are plenty of ready made stitch-able cushion covers, you don’t have to use that to make great cross stitch cushions. If you have plain cushion covers in hand, you can simply sew your cross stitch designs on them.
5. Wallpaper border
This is an interesting one. You can cross stitch floral designs or alphabets on long strips of Aida and then glue it around a plain wall to liven up your baby’s room. It’s an alternative to putting up wallpaper and definitely would be something your baby would love to touch when he starts experimenting on textures.
6. Pencil case or purse
This is not a hard project to do. All you need is stitch on a bigger piece of Aida and only half of it so that when you later fold it, the design is nicely centered on one half. Of course this is entirely up to you. You can even arrange it that there are two designs at both sides. Then simple sew up the corners and add a zipper to the top. And you’ve got yourself a nice hand made purse or pencil case!
7. Head band
If you have a small rectangle cross stitch pattern done, consider making it into a head band. You only need to attach a short piece of elastic band to connect your cross stitch ends. And then it’s perfect to hold your hair back!
Get more great ideas with our stitch-able crafts at The Art of Stitch.
ALEXANDER
Comments Off
Sep
12
Filed Under (Art And Entertainment) by Kert
John Wigham asked:
Cross-stitch is not just an activity for women. Plenty of men love to pull out those needles and flosses to cross-stitch projects that they enjoy. For most men who cross-stitch it is about creating “art” or having a special interest in the design… and of course Cross Stitch is wonderfully therapeutic when it comes to de-stressing.
For some it is just not “manly” to call it a “craft”. While men do not make up a large percentage of cross-stitchers, they most certainly do exist. Yet, many people wonder about men who like to cross-stitch, and it brings up a number of interesting questions:
Are Men Better than Women… at Cross-Stitch?
The simple answer to this question is that of course men are not better than women, just as women are no better than men either. Cross-stitching is a learned skill, and any person who cross-stitches is only as good as they allow themselves to be. Practice, practice, and more practice make a person a better cross-stitcher, not their gender.
Do Male Cross-Stitch Designers Exist?
Yes! Of course there are male designers. Why ever not? Cross-stitch design is an art form and certainly not restricted to the female gender. There are many men involved in creating their own cross-stitch patterns. For some it is a direct offshoot of their art - like Thomas Kinkade. For others, they are part of a design business, like the husband and wife team at Heartland House. Men are involved in designing and bringing you some of the great cross-stitch patterns. Some cross-stitch designers are also fashion designers and use their thread and floss to create patterns on the attire that they create.
Men tend to choose more art-like patterns than women. They may not be as open to you choosing a teddy bear pattern for a pillow.
Often men are drawn to the things they like. If a man likes sports, he may choose a kit that represents his sports team. If a man is into architecture, then he may choose to cross-stitch a pattern based on Frank Lloyd Wright. There are even some gamers that have cross-stitched their favorite video game characters.
Other men use cross-stitch to create designs on their clothing, too. If you are choosing a pattern to give to a man, then you should take a look at what they like. Go with their interests.
How Do Men Get Into Cross-Stitch?
This question really depends on the man. Some men get involved simply because someone they love does it. A little boy may have wanted to do what his mother was doing. A man may help his wife finish a project only to find he liked it. Other men need something to do, and it is a craft just lying around. Often men do not find that they seek out cross-stitching, but it finds them one way or another. Some men believe it makes them look attractive to women, so they use it as a way to “pick someone up”.
How Do I Handle a Man Who Wants to Cross-Stitch?
Embrace it. It takes a lot of courage for a man to put aside an image of masculinity to admit they want to try a “girly” craft. If the man is a significant other, then take pride in the fact that your man wants to share something with you. If it is a young man, then encourage the creativity that will come from the craft.
It is not often that men can put away the machismo to do something enjoyable like cross-stitch, so open up and be willing to teach and inspire. Who knows… the cross-stitching man in your life may find a way to inspire you too!
KENDALL
Cross-stitch is not just an activity for women. Plenty of men love to pull out those needles and flosses to cross-stitch projects that they enjoy. For most men who cross-stitch it is about creating “art” or having a special interest in the design… and of course Cross Stitch is wonderfully therapeutic when it comes to de-stressing.
For some it is just not “manly” to call it a “craft”. While men do not make up a large percentage of cross-stitchers, they most certainly do exist. Yet, many people wonder about men who like to cross-stitch, and it brings up a number of interesting questions:
Are Men Better than Women… at Cross-Stitch?
The simple answer to this question is that of course men are not better than women, just as women are no better than men either. Cross-stitching is a learned skill, and any person who cross-stitches is only as good as they allow themselves to be. Practice, practice, and more practice make a person a better cross-stitcher, not their gender.
Do Male Cross-Stitch Designers Exist?
Yes! Of course there are male designers. Why ever not? Cross-stitch design is an art form and certainly not restricted to the female gender. There are many men involved in creating their own cross-stitch patterns. For some it is a direct offshoot of their art - like Thomas Kinkade. For others, they are part of a design business, like the husband and wife team at Heartland House. Men are involved in designing and bringing you some of the great cross-stitch patterns. Some cross-stitch designers are also fashion designers and use their thread and floss to create patterns on the attire that they create.
___________________________________________________________________
Men tend to choose more art-like patterns than women. They may not be as open to you choosing a teddy bear pattern for a pillow.
Often men are drawn to the things they like. If a man likes sports, he may choose a kit that represents his sports team. If a man is into architecture, then he may choose to cross-stitch a pattern based on Frank Lloyd Wright. There are even some gamers that have cross-stitched their favorite video game characters.
Other men use cross-stitch to create designs on their clothing, too. If you are choosing a pattern to give to a man, then you should take a look at what they like. Go with their interests.
How Do Men Get Into Cross-Stitch?
This question really depends on the man. Some men get involved simply because someone they love does it. A little boy may have wanted to do what his mother was doing. A man may help his wife finish a project only to find he liked it. Other men need something to do, and it is a craft just lying around. Often men do not find that they seek out cross-stitching, but it finds them one way or another. Some men believe it makes them look attractive to women, so they use it as a way to “pick someone up”.
How Do I Handle a Man Who Wants to Cross-Stitch?
Embrace it. It takes a lot of courage for a man to put aside an image of masculinity to admit they want to try a “girly” craft. If the man is a significant other, then take pride in the fact that your man wants to share something with you. If it is a young man, then encourage the creativity that will come from the craft.
It is not often that men can put away the machismo to do something enjoyable like cross-stitch, so open up and be willing to teach and inspire. Who knows… the cross-stitching man in your life may find a way to inspire you too!
KENDALL
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Sep
02
Filed Under (Howto) by Kert
expertvillage asked:
When sewing a cross stitch always point the needle to the left. Learn to hand sew cross stitches from a fashion designer in this free sewing video. Expert: Lauren Bradley Bio: Lauren Bradley is a professional fashion designer with many years of experience in various parts of the fashion industry. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
MICAH
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Aug
25
Filed Under (Entertainment) by Kert
expertvillage asked:
Learn how to do basic patterns for cross stitching in this free embroidery video lesson. Expert: Vickie Pavone Bio: Vickie Pavone is a wife and mother of 8. She also teaches Cross Stitching at her church. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
IRVING
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Aug
21
Filed Under (Entertainment) by Kert
expertvillage asked:
Learn how to make a back stitch for cross stitching in this free embroidery video lesson. Expert: Vickie Pavone Bio: Vickie Pavone is a wife and mother of 8. She also teaches Cross Stitching at her church. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
CLEMENT
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