Hello World!
This is the first post of my new blog, focused on my cross stitch and other textile crafting activities.
Who am I?
I'm a 50 year old (well, close enough) man, who has been cross stitching for something like 30 years (but that means less that it sounds like, as I have been pretty irregular at applying myself to cross stitch in that 30 years). I also crochet, and sew.
But right now my crafting time is focused mostly on cross stitching.
I come from a family of cross stitchers. Both my parents, and my brother, are all stitchers, though my father has not stitched anything in a few years. He has switched to latch hook rugs and is very actively engaged in that craft. My mother is fairly accomplished, with many finished cross stitch projects. She is working a HAED right now, two over two tent stitch on evenweave. She's been working that project for a couple of years, with other WIPs and such in that time as well. My brother has been stitching for nearly as long as I have.
So what kinds of projects do I like? I've done a few Christmas ornaments including Janlynn kits on 14-count plastic canvas (my latest finish is one of these), and Mill Hill kits on perforated paper with beading, which I really enjoy (one of my WIPs is one of these). I've done some scenery pieces, like ducks flying over a lake in winter, and I've done thinks like an eagle and flag, with "God Bless America". I like winter scenes, and Christmas, and Fantasy scenes with dragons and fairies (Teresa Wentzler is one of my favorite artists in cross stitch, and I like a lot of the HAED art).
What am I working on? For WIPs, I have the Mill Hill beaded ornament kit (a new start, from last Sunday, so not much done there yet), and a Dimensions winter scene with a cardinal among ice-clad branches (started last year). I have another Dimensions kit with a farm scene that I've worked off and on for 15 years or so, it doesn't get much attention but I actually really do like it. I have a still-life scene of a roses arrangement on a moon-lit dresser.
What's on my list? I have two HAED patterns in hand, one of which (Treasure Hunt Bookshelf) I have kitted up but not completely gridded. that one is in my near-term start pile. I have a plastic tub full of kits and pattern books, that are sorta conceptually on the "to do list", but what I think about a lot is an afghan project with cross-stitched fall leaves on a monk's cloth afghan.
Why this blog? Basically I'm hoping this will help me stay motivated, and also help me track the amount of time I actually commit to cross stitch projects. I might set up a rotation and track that here. I'd like to post photos of my works in progress maybe once a week or so, so I have a nice record of progress.
