Bought this from Amazon as a simple starter kit: https://amzn.eu/d/0j6piu48

I appreciate it’s a bit rough around the edges (literally) but I’m really happy with my first ever project!

Hello! I found this beautiful piece in a charity shop(UK) and I was wondering if anyone might have any ideas about it? Reverse image search tells me it is one of Derwentwater Designs kits, released in 1999. I noticed that this piece has RS1999 cross stitched and Derwentwater Designs was founded by Rose Swalwell, could this piece belong to her or could it have been added to the piece in honor of the founder by somebody else? Or somebody else with same initials?
Thank you!

Hey all.

I have just finished this pattern which I figured out far too late was AI (don't hate me). I was already 3 months in when it struck me!

How should I do backstitching to fix the muddiness? I know it won't be perfect, but I have suffered through enough confetti to not have it display worthy.

This feels like a silly question, but I’m definitely overthinking it.

I’m making each member of my family a cross stitched family portrait for Christmas. My parents get one with all of us that says “The Smith Family”. My single brother has his cat, so his says “Tom and Chunky”. My sister is currently going through a divorce. She has a daughter, so her portrait will be the two of them.

Here’s where I’m stuck. I don’t know what names to put on it. I don’t really want to put “The Ex’s-Last-Name Family”. I don’t know if my sister is keeping his name to match her kid or if she’s switching to her maiden name. And if it’s her maiden name, I don’t want to use that because it’s not my niece’s name. But putting “Sarah and Sadie” doesn’t feel right either. I need suggestions before I lose my mind!

I changed up the colors a bit to make the pinks and greens brighter. I'm happy with how it came out. Now to frame (my least favorite part) and gift it to him.

Now let’s see when the little mouse decides to appear.

Do you all wait until all the other colors are densely packed then go back and finish the sprinkled color? Or is it better to finish it section by section so you’re not going back and re-hooping sections multiple times? I tend to go back and forth. Since joining this group I’ve learned there’s a million different ways to crossstitch so I’m interested to hear how everyone else tackles this because it drives me nuts!

Pic 1 is me attempting the first method. This is one of my first full coverage pieces that has colors that jump around like this. Also included is a closeup, pic of my chaotic back, and stitching assistant for tax.

Pattern is kaleidoscope black widow by blackaida on Etsy.

I never used to keep these but a friend suggested it end of last year because of how much I stitch and I am actually loving seeing the layers of color as I work on different projects throughout the year. Who else has an ort jar?

I finished this Sunflower Mandala in the last days of Summer so I'm pleased thinking that these xxx will keep a bit of warmth and light while cold and dark of coming Winter) Going to sew a cushion for I could not only look on it, but hug :)

[CHAT] would love to share with you Stitch Organizer!

Hey everyone! My friend and I built Stitch Organizer, a free app for keeping track of your threads, projects, shopping lists, and more. Some of you here are already using it, which has been really cool to see :)

We’ve added quite a few new features since I last shared it here, so I wanted to share it again for anyone who might find it useful!

Al disclosure: The app does not use Al in any way. It does not generate patterns, images, text, or recommendations.

I did not use Al to design, code, or build the app.

Hello everyone!

I am cross stitching a quilt and, before I get too far along, wanted to make sure it looked right.

All of the cross stitching I've done before has had the Xs connect so that it all looks blended together. But this quilt has the Xs spaced out.

I used 3 strands of thread as well because that’s what the quilt instructions recommended, but maybe I should use more?

I made these.

I bought a vintage (1994. Ow, my back) Better Homes and Gardens book of cross stitch alphabets and borders in order to have more alphabets and borders to use in my sassy cross stitch endeavors.

I found a floral alphabet. One flower for each letter. I have been trying to come up with a pun, a reference, a saying for every flower provided. I have three in progress, in addition to this set of five.

I just really love them, and I hope at least a few of them charm some people right out of 20 or so bucks at the market I will be selling at in a few weeks.

Hi! One of my next projects is cross stitching on duck cloth to make a personalized tote bag. I was planning to use waste canvas for this, but when I was talking to my dad about it, he asked whether that would make the tension too loose.

Has anybody else experienced looser tension after using waste canvas, and was it loose enough to cause a problem?

He suggested instead of waste canvas, I could use normal aida and just leave it, maybe putting a lining fabric on the back. Has anyone tried this? Did you run into any trouble?

Any advice is appreciated.

Hello everyone! I am a relatively new stitcher and for some reason I have decided to cross stitch gifts for my immediate family members for Christmas. For some more absurd reason, for my mom’s gift I am doing a custom design of the house she grew up in. After a lot of trial and error I mostly had the design done. Until my uncle found a picture of the house. Now I’m torn between the simple design I have and the updated, more thorough design. However, after asking some people in my family I realized there are too many cooks in the kitchen, if you will. I was wondering if any of you had time, could we have a one on one convo about the designs? Pros, cons, opinions and maybe some encouragement? 🥲 I am hoping talking to someone who is used to the craft can help me better than family. I am also under no illusion that I will actually be able to finish the project in time for Christmas. Maybe her birthday in January or maybe Mother’s Day or next Christmas, lol

TLDR I’m having decision paralysis and would love some help.

Im a bit disheartened with my tree. When I started I used the ‘varied’ temperature chart and I realise now I should have used ‘cold’. At the time I thought where I am in Scotland doesn’t get much in the way of below -3 so it would be good, but now I realise the warmer temperatures are much more varied with the cold chart. I’m a bit annoyed and want to rip it all out and start again but it would take me weeks to get back to where I am :/. Mind you I am on holiday next week, so could do some while away. The dilemma is real :/

I love to renew pieces in my cross stitch bowl and after stitching all 7 days from Weekly Calendar series I can doo it every day) I should only watching my cats who are trying to put them in their own order :)

I’ve been stitching for about 10 yrs or so now. For the month of August, I’ve been stitching a lot of Halloween smalls exclusively and am quickly running out of several floss colors. It occurred to me, that I had only recently restocked these same colors. Which got me thinking. Have you as a longtime stitcher noticed a pattern of certain colors flosses that you use more frequently than others? Other than 310 and White of course. I wondered if I’m drawn to patterns with those colors? Just something to think about whilst stitching.

I’m starting my first “big” (scary) project after cross stitching on and off for about a year. Any tips? Especially interested in tips on how to keep everything organized with so many different colors.