WIP Introduction – HAED #2

A couple of weeks ago I introduced you to the first HAED I ever purchased. Now although Serenity was the first one I purchased, it was not the first one I started stitching. Within 5 days of having bought my first HAED, I was forced (yes, forced! Shame on you HAED for putting out such irresistible baubles!) to purchase 2 more patterns. What sucked me in was one of HAED’s uber generous 50% off sales.

Cross stitch for the home

So in my last post we covered how I got into the fascinating world of cross stitch. Today I’m going to talk about one of the very first projects I attempted that was intended for myself –  or at least for our home. A project that was not driven by a class grade or a deadline for a birthday/farewell gift but simply an urge for a handmade piece to decorate our first home as a couple.

Even before I completed my Praying Hands project, cross stitch had me hooked. I immediately wanted to sink my teeth into a new WIP and I stumbled upon this beautiful freebie while trawling the world wide web.

His Name is Jesus by Martha Pilgrim

What I love about this pattern is that nothing is set in stone. You could pick any fabric/floss your heart desires. The possibilities are endless.

After much agonizing, I chose green and yellow as my color scheme to match my living room decor. So it was that I started the pattern with some 14 count white aida (the only fabric I owned at the time) and some DMC I had lying around. Here is how far I got with this project.

Can you believe this beautiful pattern is FREE?!

Looking back now there are so many things I would have done differently for this pattern.

• For starters, I really wish I hadn’t been lazy and had gone out shopping instead for some better color combinations. (How could I have foreseen that in a few more months I would start building up my DMC stash?)
• I’ve now outgrown the white 14 count aida I started it on. (I had no clue back then about linens and evenweaves. And those higher count fabrics with perfect coverage even when using 2 strands. And don’t you just love how they make your stitches look like nice, plump little morsels?)
• I now know this pattern would have looked stunning on some hand-dyed fabric or even on a plain fabric with variegated threads. (Omiguness! Why didn’t anyone tell me about dyed fabrics/threads before? I love how they can elevate even the simplest of stitches to a whole other level)

I must confess that this project has now become a UFO. But I am not going to frog and re-do the bits I’ve already completed. Instead I am tempted to pick it back up some day and finish it simply because in spite of all its shortcomings this was one of my first projects.

I still love the pattern just as much as the day I started it. In the short time that has elapsed since then I can already see how much I’ve grown and how much more I’ve learnt about this craft. And since I don’t have any of my other beginner pieces, it will be nice to have this one completed exactly as I first envisioned it to document my growth as a cross stitcher. So here is my promise to myself and to all of you… I WILL finish this someday (Note how I cleverly omit to mention exactly WHEN that will be).

 Do you look back at your old projects too (whatever craft they may be) and reminisce on how much you have grown? Would you change something on an old WIP if you had the chance?

My cross stitch journey

I must confess that up until a couple of years ago I disdainfully considered cross stitch as something only a grandmother would take up to fill in those idle moments. Now before you cross-stitchers grab your pitchforks (ummm… needles?) and have a go at me, let me present my defense that the only patterns I had been exposed to until then were old fashioned, flat and repetitive. I have since been enlightened that cross stitch is an incredibly modern and constantly evolving craft form. Today’s patterns somehow manage to re-create stunning pieces of art ranging from Van Gogh to Whitney and everything in between. Easy now… gently place those needles down. My eyes have been opened to the truth.

This post is going to be a flashback of sorts. A look at how I first got into the craft of cross stitch and how I have grown by leaps and bounds over the past year or so. Seeing as how cross stitch is my current favorite hobby you can expect to see a LOT of posts on the subject in the days and weeks to come.