Questions And Answers

I saw this on threadbear's blog (http://onceuponacrossstitch.blogspot.com) and thought it would be interesting to do.

1. What was your first finished project?
It was a Disney Pocohontas design.  It was far from perfect but I was so proud of it.  Due to family conflict etc I lost my FO and unf I didn't know about making a copy of the design so I could never work off the original again as it was pretty damaged in the end.

2.  What is your current stitching project?
For today it is a Lesley Teare design called Art Nouveau and I am loving it.

3.  Do you have any other WIPs?

Yes I do but I already have the list on my side bar so I won't give the list again.

4.  How did you learn how to stitch?

It was my fifteenth or sixteenth birthday and I think my one aunt didn't know what to get me, so she got me a cross stitch kit that were suppossed to be two butterfly cards.  I didn't have any instructions other than what came with the kit and lets just say that I never completed either one of them and they ended up in the dustbin after I messed them up terribly.  My other aunt saw how much I enjoyed working on them though and for Christmas that year she bought me the Pocohontas design that was my first FO.

5.  How long did it take from the time you learned how to stitch, to finish your first project?
Oh my as it was about fourteen years ago I really can't recall... but I am sure it was a few months as I had school and a weekend job that kept me busy.

6.  What is your favourite piece that you've stitched?
This is difficult as I like every piece that I finish.  But there is not one that I absolutely love as of yet so maybe in the future I will have one that is a favourite.


7.  Your least favourite?
I think the table numbers I did for the school dance.  I loved how they looked and I got huge compliments at the dance about them but nothing and I mean NOTHING should ever have to be stiched 36 times.

8.  What is/was your most challenging project?
There is a definate winner to this answer.  Its a TW design of a castle and dragon.  I have tried to stitch it 3 times and every time it has kicked my butt.  But one day (and soon) I will kick it right back and have it hanging up in a place of honour in my house.  I read a comment in a magazine once and I remember reading it to my husband and laughing because I thought it was crazy but after trying this design I can see why the lady did it.  The comment was a husband writing in about a piece his wife stitched and he didn't mention the name of the design but he said it was a castle and dragon with alot of blended colours, and this just screams this design, but anyway his wife took a long time to finish stitching the design and she didn't enjoy the process but she persevered and finally finished it and then burnt it.  I will never do it but honestly I can see why she did it:-)  And after knowing all of this I also know that there are at least three TW designs I want to stitch so I must be mad.

9.  What fabric and thread do you love working with?

I have not had chance to experiment with this as there is a bit of difficulty with supplies in SA but hopefully soon I will be able to try silk threads.  I work on Aida as anything linen or evenweave is on the higher counts and my eyes are too bad that I can't work on such small detail.

10.  Do you have a favourite pattern or designer?

I love both Joan Elliott and Lesley Teare

11.  Do you have a "Stitching Hero" or someone that is just way too awesome for their own good?  Do Share?

Honestly I love all stitching that people do.  Every one I have on my blog list is there because I love their work but I must say I do have one or two who I get excited about when I see that they have updated their blogs.
http://diaryofamanbroider.blogspot.com/
Just go look at the workmanship that that man does.  I want to be him when I grow up.
http://joysze.blogspot.com/
Once again the workmanship is just breathtaking plus she gives us hunky men to drool over every once in awhile.

12.  Where do you keep your stash?  Post Pictures!

Stash?  I honestly don't have any.  It costs me R200.00 to buy a metre of fabric, it costs me R100.00 for a cross stitch magazine if I buy it at CNA but usually I troll bidorbuy and pick up some really nice mags for alot less.  I spent 2011 buying DMC threads and it was expensive and slow going but now I have all the colours (except the variations and metallics).  Whereby 1 kit costs about R400.00.  So basically I have plain white fabric, four boxes of DMC threads, alot of magazines and some Dimensions patterns that a friend gave me as she no longer stitches.

 13.  Have you ever taught anyone to stitch?
 Nobody has ever asked me to teach them except my sister.  Unfortunately when we lived in Cape Town and were near to her she wasn't interested and now that she is, we are on the other side of the country and it will have to wait for when one of us can afford to visit the other one.

14.  What's the worst threads or fabric that you've worked with and why?
My answer would have to be metallics.  Luckily for the metallics that they make a design go from pretty to stunning otherwise I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot barge pole.

15.  What was your least favourite pattern and why?
I don't stitch for other people other than my daughter and so all the patterns I stitch are ones I chose because I liked the look of them.  Some patterns are not so fun to stitch at one point or the other but I like them all.  My doors so far have been the hardest to stitch on because I just grew tired of them but once I framed the  first two and realised just how pretty they looked I saw them differently and am eager once again to finish the set.

16.  Have you ever had a stitching related injury?

Thank goodness no.  But I had to stitch so much in December to get a christmas present finished, that I actually had a sore wrist at the end of a few nights.

17.  Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined?  What's the story behind it?

Once again luckily not.  I love having my project frames and so they are protected.  There is one design I stitched years ago and just havn't gotten framed yet due to there always being more to have framed than I have money for and so sadly the fabric had discoloured and looks ecru now instead of the original white.

18.  Do you have a favourite stitching magazine? 

I love both Cross Stitch Collection and Cross Stitch Gold. 

19.  Do you watch television or listen to music whilst you stitch?  What are your favourite things to stitch to?

We have only one tv in the house so not much chance of watching TV but I do buy TV Series on DVD and I like to watch those while stitching.  Although really great programmes like Merlin are bad for stitching as I find I watch more than I stitch.  When I am not watching something I listen to books on my ipod while stitching.

20.  Do you stitch in public?  Was anyone offended/incredibly happy/curios that you were doing so?

I do stitch in public if I know that I am going to be waiting for something to start etc.  I have gotten all different reactions.  One older man was excited to see me doing it and said he was going home to tell his wife how he saw someone young stitching.  I have also been told that I must of thought the conversation boring at a social gathering when one woman took offence that I was stitching as she felt it meant I couldn't be stitching and listening at the same time.  I have also been told that I act like an old lady because of my stitching but I don't care.

21.  Do you stitch gifts for friends and family for the holidays or birthdays?

Not usually because I don't want to chance giving someone a gift that took me ages to do and then be upset because they didn't appreciate it.  But I did do a pillow for my niece for Christmas last year and I plan on doing something for my MIL's birthday this year.  Just need to find the perfect pattern.

22.  Have you ever stricked someone off your to-stitch-for list because they didn't appreciate take care of your last stitched gift to them?

Nope.

23.  If you had the supplies (and pateince) for it, what project would you start today?

There isn't a specif project that comes to mind but I want to do the Joan Elliott series of fairies and goddesses and if I had the money I would love to buy the fabrics that the designs are stitched on in the magazines instead of one the white fabric that I will be making them on.  Once again the Rand Versus The Dollar sucks but luckily the designs will still look beautiful either way.

24.  Have you ever made your own pattern?  How did it turn out?

No... I have the mind that there are such wonderful designers out there that I will have more than enough to stitch for the rest of my life.

25.  Do you have a book or a place where you keep patterns, ideas, wish lists?  Post a picture of it!

I have my To Do list in an excel document but I do have a book that I use to write info about projects in and also a picure of the project once it is finished.

(Photo To Come)

26.  Have you ever been a part, or wanted to be a part of a stitch-a-long?  What was it?  If not, why?

No.  I love stitch-a-long's and I always dream about doing one but I just havn't found one that suits my wants/needs at the right time.  But I am thinking about doing one on a yuku board that seems to be geared towards technique.

27.  How do you acquire most of your stash?  Online retailers, local shops, swaps or large chain craft stores?  What's your favourite?

My DMC threads I buy from a craft shop in my town.  There is a shop that does postal orders and they are cheaper but I like to support the craft shop because it would be sad if he didn't stock them anymore for that odd time when one just needs that one colour and you don't want to wait for days to get it.  Otherwise I buy my fabric from a online shop and most of the designs I want to make are out of magazines.

28.  Do you do any other crafts besides stitching?  What are they, and did learning to cross stitch come before or after learning these other crafts?

I learnt to cross stitch first when I was a teenager but in my 20's a friend taught me to knit and when I was 26 I taught myself to spin but I have come back to my first love and plan on doing it for the rest of my days.

29.  What kind of designs do you like to stitch?

I do seem to be drawn to fantasy a bit more than anything else but I always just make whatever grabs my attention at that time.  I do so love the Doll House I made for my daughter and I have another "Doll House" type of design that Joan Elliott did in a magazine and wish I could find a few more designs like this.  I also love cute cats and humorous designs.

30.  Do you have any tips, or things that you've learned from stitching?  Share them!
I find that with reading all the wondeful blogs out there that one sort of feels like it's a competition.  Oh my that person finishes things so quickly... or that person does such difficult work... or that ones back's are perfect and mine looks ok but not perfect.  Just remember that stitching is for fun and that you are doing it for yourself and not everybody else.  Do not try to push yourself so hard that you are no longer enjoying the process.  Just have fun and relax.