Any other cross stitchers???

[Angel91805]

If so, what do you stitch??

I learned how to x-stitch about <cough> 25 yrs ago but only avidly picked it back up about 4 yrs ago. Cross stitching is my obsession! I normally stitch larger pieces....20x12ish. I recently had one piece win 2nd place in a showcase of cross stitching, so I was very proud. Here's my winning mermaids....

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2623875440053333153Sqjuaw

Here's a link to my photo albums....just ignore the last two albums.

http://community.webshots.com/user/angel91805

Hugs,

Donna

[sudsnwicks]

I do cross stitch, but nowhere as complicated as yours. My DH found me a program that will convert any picture into a cross stitch pattern. One of these days i would like to sew my favorite painting, La Grand Jatte, but not the whole thing, just the lady walking her monkey.

[mslegacy]

I do! Looks like your tastes are about the same as mine! Love Mira, TW, Chatelaines, etc...I also own my own hand dyed fabric store. Link is in my sig. How long have you been stitching?

Oops! Maybe I should read better....lol...I have been stitching for about 30 years on and off.

[LovelyLathers]

They are gorgous! I did cross stitch many years ago, my eyes can't handle it anymore. You deserved the award for the mermaid.

[jakalex]

I have done alot of crosstitch in the past and have many patterns but since the world of home embroidery machines I have not crosstitched any. I use to love to crosstitch!

Your work is lovely! I bought a few of the large angel designs but never did them! LOL!

[Luci]

I started stitching a little over 30 yrs ago when Ginny Thompson first introduced it to our area with a tiny shop at Pawleys. Most of the graphs were on single sheets of graph paper.

Over the years I varied in the types of items I stitched and the fabrics. I first did only 24-ct hardanger. I would go through stages of florals, shells, fish, recipes, Charleston scenes, you name it. I went from ornaments to pieces 30 x 30. Afghans, baby items, dish towels, jar lids, whatever I could think of. Vision problems have pretty much put a halt to my stitching.

Donna, your work is beautiful and truly award-winning quality. I am a mermaid freak, but my current work in progress has been flamingoes. Maybe one of these days I'll actually finish this piece.

[TwinMom]

I learned to cross stitch when I was in grade 7. My mom taught all 3 of us girls. I to love doing bigger projects. I just recently finished 2 precious moments birth announcements.....LOVE your work!!

[Late Night]

Your work is beautiful! I do a little bit. Nothing fancy though. I have about 6 samplers in my dinning room that I did about 10 years ago. I also have a sampler in my hall that says, "This is the day the Lord has made" It's a picture of 2 Amish houses and on one side of the houses is a quilt. Sounds strange but it is really nice. The picture is nice...no my stitching!

[happy_paws_haven]

Yes, I love to stitch when I find the time. Don't have much of that at the moment though. We do sell patterns to raise funds for the animals in our care at Happy PAWS Haven. All of our patterns are set up to be stitched over 28 count and one thread. You can find the link to our eBay store about half way down our homepage.

[Grumpy Girl]

I do silly ones, nothing complicated by any stretch of the imagination. Yours are beautiful. My favorite and my current project is trying to collect and complete the entire Dolly Mama's collection. I may be done by retirement.

http://dollymamas.com/products.aspx?opt=19

[Snapdragon2]

Your work is beautiful Donna! I did lots of cross stitching before I had

kids! Not so much anymore. I have done Christmas stockings for all

of us. The pictures that I have done are mostly of local culture stuff, like

Tobasco products, crab boil, Gumbo, New Orleans courtyard scenes, etc.

And of course baby room pictures!

[Crafty1_AJ]

I did Christmas stockings for all of us from the Cross Stitch & Country Crafts series that were in the mags years ago. They were various rooms in a Victorian style / old-fashioned house. Really detailed and time consuming, but I love 'em.

I've done wall pics too. Toss pillows. Bookmarks. You name it! I like counted cross stitch. Sadly, my eyesight for close-up work is starting to fade. I can do it, but have to vary the distance now. May need glasses soon.

[Angel91805]

AJ....I hear you on the glasses....once I switched to stitching on linen and evenweaves, I marched right into the pharmacy and bought reading glasses. Figured I'd save the strain now. LOL.

Grumpy...those are adorable..I've seen them at the shop here. I just love the sarcasms. Hehe

Tammy! Those are beautiful fabrics! Where've you been hiding all this time? I'm going to PM you in a few...

Thanks everyone, for your kind words!!

I am pretty proud of my stitchings. I don't mean that to sound boastful, it's just that I stitch one stitch at a time, normally while watching TV...and when I'm done I stand back and go "WOW, that is beautiful!" Not so much because *I* did it...but the designer that designed it. Eh...that probably came out worse that I intended it to...if you all could just step inside my head for a minute, you'll see what I'm trying to type!

Hugs,

Donna

[pilyblue]

Those are realllllllllly great! I used to crochet a little, now a days my eyes can handle it any more, your work it's grest!

Zonia

[NewOrleansLady]

Your work is beautiful Donna! I did lots of cross stitching before I had

kids! Not so much anymore. I have done Christmas stockings for all

of us. The pictures that I have done are mostly of local culture stuff, like

Tobasco products, crab boil, Gumbo, New Orleans courtyard scenes, etc.

And of course baby room pictures!

Snapdragon:

What part of town are you in? I'm on the WestBank.

My whole house is decorated in New Orleans/LA theme so I've done tons of the ones you mentioned. Annette Dickens is my favorite...I wish she would come out of retirement. I don't stitch as much as I used to. Between time; poor eyesite; crampy fingers etc it's getting harder and harder.

[Snapdragon2]

NewOrleansLady,

I'm actually in New Iberia, about 2 hours from New Orleans. I love the New Orleans court yard scenes and cajun hot sauce stuff. I've stitched a bunch of those type pictures. Do you ever visit Cajun Candles? I'm 45 minutes from them. I'm about 5 minutes away from McIlhenny at Avery Island where

they make Tobasco.

[NewOrleansLady]

My mother was born and raised in New Iberia. Spoke Cajun French with her 4 sisters till she passed away. She was a Badeaux and her mom was a Durwah (I know that is very incorrect spelling but close as I can get to the pronounciation) My DH's step mom's sister works at the gift shop at McIlheny's.

I know your beautiful town well. I actually got to see an alligator jump out the water and eat an egret while visiting Avery Island. We were just talking about going back down again to tour the salt dome. We love to do plantation tours and love San Francisco House and Shadows on the Teche.

Never been to Cajun Candles but talk to Mike & Pam often. Whenever I'm able to get that way they are closed. They've told me to call if I get up and they'll meet me there but I know what it's like to have a day off.

Maybe you can answer me a question. Are you in the area that gets the geese in the rice fields in the winter? We've tried to find them 2 years and are never in that area at the right time. I've heard it's a gorgeous site...most people get mad because of the geese everywhere dropping little bombshells on their cars!!!

If you ever need a X-stitch pattern you can't find let me know. If I have it I'll be happy to copy it and ship it out. I have 4 3-ring binders filled of patterns and 2 are nothing but Louisiana themed. I have tons that are probably out of print by now.

[Snapdragon2]

My niece's MIL works in the McIlhenny gift store. What's your relative's name? Wouldn't that be funny if they were the same person?!!

I'm glad that you got to visit the area. It really has some beautiful sights. We go boating a lot during the summer at Avery Island. There are alligators everywhere, but I've never seen one gobble a bird before!

I think the area you are looking for with the geese must be around Gueydan

or Kaplan....not far from Cajun Candles. There are lots of rice fields in that area and around Crowley. I've never seen that field of geese, but I know a lot of hunters go to Gueydan to hunt geese.

Thanks for the pattern offer. I really wish I had more time to cross stitch. I loved doing it before I had children, now I have no idea where my time goes.

I started the cross stitch Christmas stockings when my first child was born.

My plan was to do one for each of us, which I finally accomplished, but my

youngest was about 5 before his was done!

I don't know any Badeaux's, but I have friend who was a Derouen.

Pam and Mike are awesome. I get lots of supplies from them.

[smart tart]

Your mermaids are beautiful!!.....

Sorry for hijacking the thread.....those damn geese surround my house and if vehicles are left out of carport......yuck can't hardly see through the windows!! I am in Ville Platte and surrounded by rice fields (crawfish ponds)! My dogs love to chase those geese ( I didn't even know what they were before!) They cover the yard - actually look pretty when there is a large flock of them in the front yard....(till I go to get in the car). don't see any this afternoon ....maybe they have moved on? I'd be happy to send them down to you.....lol

Debbie

[NewOrleansLady]

I'll have to check with her to see her sister's last name. Wouldn't that be a hoot if they are the same person!!!!

I know what you mean about starting a project....I almost finished my son's kidnegarten graduation piece,,,oh did I mention I'm a grandma now...my son is almost 23!!!!! lol

[NewOrleansLady]

Your mermaids are beautiful!!.....

Sorry for hijacking the thread.....those damn geese surround my house and if vehicles are left out of carport......yuck can't hardly see through the windows!! I am in Ville Platte and surrounded by rice fields (crawfish ponds)! My dogs love to chase those geese ( I didn't even know what they were before!) They cover the yard - actually look pretty when there is a large flock of them in the front yard....(till I go to get in the car). don't see any this afternoon ....maybe they have moved on? I'd be happy to send them down to you.....lol

Debbie

I figured it must be an aggravation for people living there but I'm an avid bird watcher and thought it would be a neat thing to see in the fields. Yaul are so lucky to live so close to Cajun......I would love to just once in my life to walk into a suppliers storefront! I'd surely die a happy woman!!! LOL Broke but happy!!!

[OFCILynn]

God how I miss cross-stitching!! I used to love to cross-stitch and the more complicated the better! I never could stand the straight X cross stitch projects and counted cross stitch was my favorite!! I even taught my husband to CS and he was more of a DMC whore than I was! LOL He just HAD to have every single color!!! It was too funny!! I dont seem to have the uninterrupted time to do the counted CS anymore but someday, Ill pick it back up!!

God Bless,

Lynn

[Luvcandletarts2]

OK, I admit I am going to HIJACK this thread .... seeing as we do have some counted cross stitchers. I was given a counted cross stitch in a group of craft items I acquired. I will pass this onto anyone that wants it. All I ask is that you pay 2.00 to cover postage in a manilla envelope. No more, no less.

I will describe as best as I can, going by what is on the package ... First off, I see a price tag of $12.00 OMG, this craft is expensive, lol, and no reading glasses with it. This one is called Feline Family Portrait, finished size is 14"x12". The thread that is with it does not look like it is the correct thread, in my opinion. The package has been opened. The main middle picture is of a cat head and neck shot. The four surround pics are different poses of the cat. It says on the package it is JanLynn, design by Canterbury Designs, Inc.

If you want this, paying for the postage ... send me a PM, don't reply here, because I won't be watching this thread for responses. I am going to post this in the classified as well.

I will be fair and send to the first to reply. I do have another one and will post that as well in the classifieds.

Pam

[Angel91805]

... First off, I see a price tag of $12.00 OMG, this craft is expensive, lol, and no reading glasses with it.

Pam...while I'm not interested in the kit you have, thank you for offereing it by the way (I just don't do kits)....I had to comment on this sentence you wrote.

Did you click on the link to the mermaids that I stitched?? Let me break down the cost of it....

$26.00 Hand dyed fabric

$12.00 Pattern

$16.91 10 packs for seed beads and margarita beads

$12.95 4 spools of metallic braid

$ 7.20 20 skeins of DMC cotton thread

$75.06 total before taxes and shipping (for the fabric)

This is about the normal pricing for a design of this size. I have one mermaid pattern that I haven't started yet, where just the beads alone are over $80. Not including fabric, pattern, threads, metallics. Add to that 350 hours to actually stitch it.....

Just to frame one of these pieces is between $200-$400. Why? You normally need either triple mats so the beads do not sit on the glass or spacers...and you need to use conservation acid free mounting boards/mats, etc....the fabric needs to be pinned to the boards w/ stainless steel pins, or laced...and to find a framer that laces is like finding a needle in a haystack!... and then all sealed up happy happy so no dust or moisture can get in. It's pricey. LOL

I am working on a pattern now (it alone was $28) and the "specialty kit" for it was just shy of $202. (And I have 7 more of those "kits" waiting for me to do!) Why's it so pricey? The threads are 100% pure silk.

So, yeah, cross stitching can be an expensive hobby! My DH used to balk at the prices (now I just don't tell him!)...but these peices are heirloom quality...and if taken care of will be around for generations.

Hugs,

Donna

[Luci]

Many years ago, when I lived in Jackson, MS, there was a diy frame shop that saved me $$. It still wasn't cheap, but I figured that since I spent so much time and $$ on the pieces that I wasn't going to put them in a crappy frame. When you want double and triple matting, etc., you get into much more $$. There isn't a diy place here, but the lady at my frame shop does cut my "board" in advance. I can then do my mounting and lacing myself and return it to her for framing. I've also used the Michael's coupon and had some things done there for a reasonable price. My sister and I found a box of the most gorgeous embroidered pieces that my mother had done. They are simply incredible, and little by little we are getting them framed.