Crafty Cross Stitch

Lacey Heart

2010-01-22T23:59:00.003-05:00

Be my Valentine Lacey Heart
I think this is really pretty. I found it here and there is a free chart!

More Free Kits

2009-11-15T23:53:00.004-05:00

I was browsing the web and came across this site with some nice cross stitch patterns to download for free. You can find the list of free charts here: http://shopping.originpublishing.com/charts_category.asp?category=5

This is just one of the cute ones you could do up as a nice Christmas card.
And here is the link: http://shopping.originpublishing.com/chart.asp?id=974&category=5

Free Easter Kits

2009-03-09T17:30:00.004-04:00

I came across some quick little Easter free pattern kits at Hobby Loco. Here is a preview of the pretty egg plus there are two bunnies and a chick there.

Go Here to see these and download.

Hearts Pattern

2009-01-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

This pair of hearts that would be a quick addition for Valentines Day!
Find the free download pattern HERE at free-cross-stitch-pattern.com

Romantic 50"s

2009-01-14T09:40:00.007-05:00

This cute 50's type silhouette image really caught my eye. It uses 14 count aida cloth and three colors of DMC thread. If I were stitching it I would probably not do the white stitches that are outside the design. Since it is done on white cloth, I would be lazy and skip this step. :-)
Either way, 2 or 3 colors, it would be so easy to stitch up for Valentines Day !

You can find this design and pdf download HERE at Free Cross Stitch Pattern. Com.
It will be in the romance category and it is called romantic dinner.

Cedar Wax Wing

2008-12-27T09:56:00.008-05:00

I just checked Tereena Clarke's Artecy Cross Stitch and she has a beautiful free download up for grabs. I am partial to birds so naturally I really like this one, but I think you will too! It makes me want to get back to stitching! See it HERE.
She also has a cute Santa so you have a whole year to do that one. Have fun.

Lay's Potato Chip

2008-11-21T07:43:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it is difficult to take a good snapshot of something in a photo frame. I snapped this view of a project that I completed way back when I was learning to cross stitch. It is not the first, because as I said earlier on the blog that the barns were my first stitched projects. This may be my second one, I don't remember for sure but it is somewhere in there as one of my first.

Free Charts

2008-11-15T09:21:00.004-05:00

I found this chart while browsing through the magazine Classic Stitches web site. There are several pretty free charts there to download. They will be within the stitching zone drop down button across the top of the page. I found this one listed in the flowers-fruit category and thought it was pretty enough to share.
The design is worked throughout in cross stitch and back stitch.

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cross Stitch

2008-10-27T22:31:00.007-04:00

These are so pretty and you can download them free at Artesy Cross Stitch.

Breast Cancer Awarness Cross Stitch Ribbon

2008-10-10T20:33:00.007-04:00

With the help of Tereena Clarke, owner of the Artesy Cross Stitch, I found a pink ribbon that is just right for breast cancer awarness month. You can find it here at her website.
It is one of her free downloads. Check out her many other cross stitch kits while you are there. Have fun stitching!!

Free Cross Stitch Charts

2008-10-04T20:34:00.009-04:00

The Sampler Girl

Click Here to go to The Sampler Girl for some very nice sampler charts, some for sale and some free ones including charts for the 2008 Presidential election! Stitch a sampler for McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden.

Winter Quartet

2008-09-25T09:25:00.002-04:00

This project came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cross Stitch Christmas magazine in the 1999 edition.
It is one of my favorites.

Mill Pond

2008-09-14T05:51:00.004-04:00

This piece of stitch work took some time to do. It is called Mill Pond and was published in the February 2004 edition of The Cross Stitcher magazine. The design is by Julia Lucas. This is the first project that I did using the Kreinik thread. Kreinik is a fine metallic filament thread that you use for blending with your regular thread to give your work a little sparkle. This is what I used with the snow stitches to give it a little shimmer. I'm not sure I used it correctly but it turned out pretty anyway. Click photo for an enlargement.

Learn to Cross Stitch

2008-09-05T23:35:00.008-04:00

Do you want to learn counted cross stitch but do not know where to begin. I found an easy tutorial to download. It tells you all you need to know to make a stitched chart!! You will find it here at The Yarn Tree. It has an easy pdf pattern If you want to learn, I challenge you to try!

Edit: I found another web page that is full of cross stitch information. Check the x stitch tutorial page out here.

Everlasting Light

2008-08-31T11:01:00.002-04:00

This beautiful Christmas piece was made from a kit by Bucilla. The finished size is 5x7 inches.

Snowman

2008-08-24T07:09:00.006-04:00

The little snowman is from one of those little inexpensive kits that I picked up for about one or two dollars. It is the perfect size for making an ornament, decorating a gift jar lid and more. It is very quick and easy to stitch.

Angels

2008-08-17T09:45:00.014-04:00

The two finished cross stitch pieces below are from a set of three. I really do not know why I didn't finish the set. These two are the Harp Angel and Violin Angel. The 'missing" one is the Joy Angel.
The charts and instructions for these can be found in the 1999 Better Homes and Gardens Cross Stitch Christmas magazine. The date on the magazine says "display until November 23rd." This Christmas edition has more than 50 easy projects to cross stitch.

Click on photos to enlarge

I've been tagged

2008-08-12T07:34:00.007-04:00

I've finally been hit by that thing called "I've been tagged!" It's not that bad if I can only think of 7 things people don't know about me that I don't care if the whole world knows.
Hawgwyld at http://naturalhawg.blogspot.com/ has tagged me. I have to tell 7 things about me that others do not know. So here goes. I'm making this chore as quick and easy as possible.

1. I love potatoes. They are my favorite food. Fried, scalloped, mashed, chopped, anyway they can be served. I've never met a potato I didn't like.

2. I drive a mini-van...a 2005 Freestar. Did Ford stop producing these basically repair free vehicles because there in no money coming in from repairs?

3. I went back to school when I was 40. I took a 1 yr. medical transcription class, finished it in 8 months with an A grade average.

4. I am 2 inches shorter now than I was a few years ago. Getting old does that to you. I dropped from 5'9" to 5'7".

5. If I had a choice of a 2 week free vacation anywhere in the world. I would pick right here in the USA. Somewhere in the mountains, away from people, which brings me to # 6.

6. I like peace and quietness. I do not like big crowds, traffic jams, noisy places, and a lot of strange faces. I feel secure in my own little world.

7. I can't draw a round circle, but If I could, I would be an artist. I admire those who have this God given talent. I believe an artist is blessed with this talent when they are born, and I was not blessed with that.

8. To add an extra one here, I am a 9 year survivor of cancer. As far as I know, I am cancer free.

That's it! Now to pick seven other bloggers to tag. I've thought about it and I really can't pick 7 so I'm picking "you". If you're reading this and would like to be tagged, then I tag you! Drop me a comment or email and I will add a link here to your blog. Go ahead and do this on your blog and choose others if you want to. Was that the easy way out, or what?

Update: Sharon from Creative Origins has been a good blogger and good sport and tagged herself! Click on the link and go visit her blog. She really has a very good crafty blog and makes some very nice things. I just discovered her blog today and now I'll go back and look at more of her things. I've already seen some new things I want to try.

Purse Size Tissue Holder

2008-08-08T11:31:00.006-04:00

These are fun little purse size tissue holders that I made partly from cotton cloth and partly from aida cloth with my cross stitch design on it.
Front design

Another Front Design

Back Design of the above

There is a great tutorial on how to make a cloth tissue holder here at another crafty blogger's site.
http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/03/tissue-holder-tutorial.html

I Gopher For A Good Book

2008-08-05T13:02:00.009-04:00

I cross stitched this book mark and sewed it to a cloth backing. I wanted the cute little eye glasses to stand out, so I added a gold thread in with my floss thread. This gave the eye glass frame a gold wire effect, which I like. Below is a close up of that, although the camera does not pick up the gold very well. You can click on any of the photos to get an enlarged view.

Give Thanks

2008-08-01T10:42:00.003-04:00

This is a big design. I haven't decided how I will display it. Maybe a small quilted wall hanging?

Friendship Kit

2008-07-31T09:42:00.003-04:00

This is one of those little kits you find at the dollar stores. It is easy, and quick to stitch up! I recommend this type of project for the beginner.

Fishing

2008-07-27T10:30:00.011-04:00

Trout Fishing
This stitch kit is called Casting a Fly by Dimensions
The finished size is 5x7 inches

Gone Fishin'

Rainbow Trout

Baby Announcement

2008-07-24T11:14:00.005-04:00

I completed this kit for a little family member.

Luv My Cat

2008-07-20T21:35:00.004-04:00

This chart was from Cross Stitcher magazine February 2004

I Wish You

2008-07-18T11:10:00.005-04:00

This is another project that I stitched and gave as a gift.

(to view the poem, click on the image to enlarge it)

GrandMother Saying

2008-07-17T12:25:00.002-04:00

I stitched this little saying for my Daughter when she became a GrandMother.

Hummingbird

2008-07-13T22:48:00.009-04:00

This was a project that I downloaded free from the internet. This pattern and design is called Anna's Hummingbird and is © by Crossed Wing Collection.

John Deere

2008-07-12T09:35:00.017-04:00

This is a project I stitched of an old tractor, but when I look at the image, it puts my memory in rewind...

Edit: You may find a free download of this pattern here: http://www.thecrossstitchermagazine.com/Projects/Free/johndeere.pdf

This takes me back to the days when I was very young, with gardens, fields of corn, and pastures. I can smell the fresh air. There were no nearby highways, so you could actually hear the birds singing.
I remember the corn "shocks" as we called them. After all the corn was gathered, cooked and canned, there would be some ears of corn left on the stalk but they were left behind because the kernels were starting to dry out and not good for eating, for humans, that is.
They were left as winter food for the cows and horses or mules when we had them. Sometimes we only had one cow which was our milk source. I remember a mule which was sometimes used for plowing the garden.
After the corn was cut, we stood it up in shocks. It was gathered up in bunches, and stacked straight up, spread out at the bottom and tied at the top with bailing twine. It was in the shape of a tee-pee. This was a drying process and sometimes left in the field like this until the animals needed it.
We "kids" would make sure one or two of them were tied high enough that we could go into the bottom of the shock and open it up like a tee-pee and play inside. I guess we didn't think about snakes and spiders.
I wonder how many others did this as a child. I'm thinking there were probably many children who did this if they grew up in the country as I did.

Stitched Chocolate

2008-07-10T23:25:00.006-04:00

Cross Stitch Sayings

2008-07-06T10:51:00.008-04:00

A stitch in time, saves nine
Stitch your stress away
Born to cross stitch
Happiness is cross stitching
Hooked on Stitching
Cross stitchers count
Stitchers bear their crosses
You can "count" on cross stitching
Hands for work, hearts for God
Home is where I hang my cross stitch
Crossing Stitches
I'm stitching, do not disturb
I'd rather be stitching than be in the kitchen
I will cross that stitch when I come to it
Cross stitching is good X-ercise
Itching to stitch
Stitched with love
Cross stitch fever

Patriotic Cross Stitch Squares

2008-07-05T17:21:00.013-04:00

I stitched these twenty four squares for a future project. I have not yet decided but it will probably be a small quilt or maybe some cute pillows.

My Little Corner of the World

2008-07-03T09:53:00.008-04:00

I found this kit at a yard sale and bought it at a really low price. It was fun to finish and is a good size. I still have it but have not decided to frame it or make it into another type of display.

Psalm 119/50

2008-07-02T10:38:00.008-04:00

This is another pretty project I did. I framed it and gifted it to my Sister.

Stitching Friendship

2008-07-02T08:03:00.007-04:00

I stitched this project for my granddaughter. It was one of the more difficult ones, but I loved doing this one.

When Life Gives You Scraps

2008-07-01T16:51:00.006-04:00

Here is a fun little sampler I stitched.

Nautical Light

2008-06-30T20:14:00.007-04:00

This is about a 5 x 7 inch lighthouse I did and gave to my grandson. It was a kit by Creative Accents and was a fun project. A little challenging but it turned out very nice I thought.

Help With The Dishes

2008-06-29T08:48:00.004-04:00

Forget Me Not

2008-06-28T17:31:00.005-04:00

A Lovely Saying

2008-06-28T09:38:00.005-04:00

I'm Stitching

2008-06-27T22:51:00.003-04:00

Cross Stitched Shelf

2008-06-27T22:42:00.004-04:00

Completing the Barns

2008-06-25T16:11:00.004-04:00

With the completion of that first barn, I knew I wanted to take on the task of stitching the set of 3 barns with the proper colors. I made my list of the yarn colors, purchased them along with extra needles and the 14 count aida cloth. I then began my mission to stitch the complete set. These 3 stitched barns are now hanging on my wall in frames.

©jp2008_______(Click on photo for a larger image)

Stitching Barns

2008-06-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

This is where it all began with my cross stitching hobby. It began with barns, yes barns!

I was fascinated that my daughter could do such beautiful cross stitch projects and decided I wanted to try my hand at it. She had presented me with several nice finished and framed pieces of her work and I still have and love every one of them.

One day in 1999, I was flipping through one of her cross stitch magazines looking for something interesting to try to stitch, something small and easy, when I saw this barn. It looked like a familiar country scene that I had seen somewhere or maybe even been there.

This barn was neither small or easy, but I decided to take the challenge. I didn't have the exact colors but I decided to go ahead anyway since this was just a trial run to see if I could do it.

I studied the chart and with a few phone calls to ask 'what does this mean' or 'how do I do that', I finished my first project. This is the end result... a piece of cake!

This was only the beginning with many more projects to come. This addiction finally gave way to other craft hobbies, mainly computer crafts. During this time, I managed to finish many projects. As I present more of my finished projects you will see how this barn began my love of cross stitching.