Another hobby? Oh, of course. I can hardly find the time for all the others I have, but you can always use just one more. And it involves a needle, so it's more like half of a new hobby.
I had so much fun with my art show samplers that it was simply a matter of time before I imagined other things to do with little xs (x's? exes? x-es?) This bird is my first step beyond text, though I'm still very fond of cross stitched words. Actually, I just finished a sampler for Ragdoll, but I don't think I'll be sharing it here...I'm even more shy about what this one says. Let's just say it follows the same theme I started in the spring. But back to cleaner subjects, like this bird. Instead of using up pages of graph paper I downloaded a demo version of MacStitch and I can see how this might change my world. Sadie loved it too - we drew birds, tigers and some freehand words and you can immediately preview how it will look on fabric. Perhaps it's cheating a bit, but wow, is it fun. And it saves time, so overall it's win-win. The only thing the software can't account for is the wonky weave I use (instead of Aida cloth or even-weave linen, I use raw silk because, well, raw silk is wonderfully soft and beautiful). But I think I'll still buy the software. The text feature is very cool and I'll soon grow tired of drawing out the pattern on graph paper before shutting down the laptop (the "save" and "print" functions are disabled in the demo version).
So cross stitch projects are now officially added to my very long to-do list. Perfect.
4 comments :
Hi, I love this little bird. I'm not sure I understand what you meant about using silk. Can you explain? I'm just dipping my toe into cross. I came via your flickr pic :)
hi alexander - raw silk is quite different from the silk we would commonly think of (ie. dupioni). i had to look up why it is different though (try http://www.jbsilks.com/rawsilk.html for an explanation). the weave is easy to work with and it feels so lovely when you wash it. it is quite stiff when i buy it but i just serge the edges (a straight sewing machine stitch would work too) and throw it in the washer and dryer. the silk sheen is subtle, but it definitely adds to the finished piece. it is great for regular embroidery too. if you can find it, it's worth a try!
oh what a cute stitched bird!!
I am trying to organize the yarn ball swap on my blog and I have no email or way to get in touch with you.
If you could please email me your valid email address at my email listed on my blog...and thank you for joining!
How cute is that little birdie. Hehe. I love cross stitch. It is a great hobby.
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