I've seen from a few posts that a few of you (Kenna, Eve, Karen) do or have done cross stitch. I think it would be a great hobby and I'd love to start but I have no idea how. Did someone teach you? Did you learn from a book? I know there are programs for patterns but do I need to start there? Any tips or suggestions would be great. TIA

By Emily7 on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 03:11 pm:

I taught myself. I bought a very simple kit to start. When my dh started we bought a book at Wal-Mart. Its a great hobby to have.

By Tink on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 08:29 pm:

Your dh does this too? What a great hobby to have together!

By Emily7 on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 09:54 pm:

my dh sews & crochets!! He can even cook now.

By Ladypeacek on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 12:18 pm:

If you start with basic patterns it is very easy to do. Do not start with programs they get very advanced. I would start very small on a 14 count fabric, white or off white. The pattern will have the colors you need to use. Then you need the needles. Thats about it. Do a few small ones until you are comfortable with your needles and technique. I use a hoop with mine, some people don't like to use hoops but for a beginner it HELPS big time. If you have any questions you know you can email me! Good luck, it really keeps you busy and calm during the day!

By Tink on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 07:21 pm:

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm really unartistic but fairly creative and I thought the structure of this might be fun for me. I like to keep my hands busy during the day but I need something small that isn't spread everywhere if I need to leave it for a few minutes. I don't have any older friends or family members to teach me and I didn't know if it was better to "learn at someone's knee." I'll try to pick up a pattern at the store and let you know how it goes.

By Cat on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 10:53 pm:

Tink, there are even patterns out there that are printed right on the fabric. I prefer to do counted cross-stitch. I draw grid lines on the pattern and then thread a funky colored string (not one that's in the pattern) on the center of my fabric to have a starting point. Some simple ones to do would be Christmas ornaments. They come with everything you need in the kit (frame included). Good luck!

By Rayanne on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 11:00 am:

It's not hard. I taught myself also. Just read the instructions. They tell you exactly what to do. It is a great stress reliever.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 09:47 am:

I taught myself. I still have a gazillion patterns, the fabric in white, off white and some blue and green fabric too, and so many different colors of thread, I can't count them. I haven't done any cross stitching in almost 20 years, yet I've saved all that stuff. I also did plastic canvas and made some stuff for gifts.

I think most of my patterns for cross stitching are things I wouldn't like now, my tastes have changed. But all this talk about it has sparked an interest so maybe I'll look for some new patterns and start again.............