I was looking for a cross stitch magazine. I rarely buy magazines these days but on the cusp of a new hobby, I thought I'd treat myself. I decided on a Christmas edition of Ultimate Cross Stitch. It was a bit more expensive at £7.99 than the others on sale but I thought it was worth it for the 105 charts it contains. There's some large ones and plenty of small ones so I'm sure there'll be plenty I'll be able to manage even though I'm a novice.
I had a quick flick through the magazine whilst I was in the shop and saw these Scandinavian love hearts designs which can be made in to cards. I thought they were lovely so I decided to buy some aida and some red stranded cotton to give one a go.
I've only even used aida but I'm quite keen to have a go with evenweave fabric, it doesn't seem quite so stiff, so I bought some of that too. I'm not sure how I'll get on with it as it seems harder with this to see where the needle should go than with aida but I'll give it a try. My eyesight is rapidly deteriorating. I was given glasses three years ago but I know they're no longer strong enough so I'll have to book myself an appointment at the opticians. A voucher for a free eye test was pushed through my mum and dad's letterbox yesterday so that will do very nicely.
I also bought a new embroidery hoop as the one I have left marks when I used it. I'd really like a snap frame before I start my next large project so that I don't have to use a hoop at all.
It's quite exciting embarking on a new hobby, I just wish there were more hours in the day so that I had more time to do everything I want to do. One thing's for sure, I'll never be bored.
That does look a good haul Jo ... and just right for Christmas too!
ReplyDeleteI do like the colour in the love hearts ... red is such a wonderfully warm colour.
It is important to look after our eyes so good job on making the decision to get an eye check.
Happy Tuesday Wishes.
All the best Jan
I'm not sure I'll get anything done for this Christmas but I hope to be better prepared for next year. I've been meaning to get my eyes checked for a while so the free eye test voucher will spur me on.
DeleteI am hoping to try this out in the new year, there is no chance of trying before then, too busy sewing.
ReplyDeleteThere's so many things I want to do but I just don't have time. I could do with a few extra hours in the day.
DeleteI stopped doing cross stitch when I couldn't focus without glasses. Normally I can see near too but as I age the focus is starting to go. Perhaps I should put those glasses on and start the hobby up again. As you say there are not enough hours in the day.
ReplyDeletexx
I use glasses now for any close work but I definitely need something stronger, getting old is a drag. I'm loving cross stitch, I'm looking forward to starting a new project.
DeleteGood luck, it is addictive, start small, get a couple of projects done then move to bigger stuff. I do't buy kits, I keep in different fabrics and loads (and I mean loads) of colours, they collect up over the years.
ReplyDeleteI don't intend to start anything beyond my capabilities, that's why I thought this magazine a good place to start. I'd like a thread box so that I can start collecting colours, perhaps I'll put that on my Christmas list.
DeleteI can't wait until I get some more time to start a hobby. I'm desperate to learn how to patchwork.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of patchwork, that's something else I'd like to learn. If only there were more hours in the day.
DeleteI hope that you really enjoy your new cross stitching hobby! It is a lovely thing to do isn't it, the red and white hearts look especially beautiful don't they. xx
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to learn something new, I think cross stitch is quite relaxing so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to a new project. I think the red and white design is quite striking.
DeleteIt's been a few years since I did cross-stitch but I always enjoyed doing it. Maybe I should dig it out and do it again - assuming my new spex are up to it!
ReplyDeleteI think a break is as good as a rest, you'l probably really enjoy giving it a go again. I'm hoping that once I get some new glasses, my eyesight will be much better.
DeleteHope you enjoy your new hobby. I also find that anything other than Aida is too hard to see these days. I think I showed some cross stitch I did and had framed for the local show back in March 2013, so yes have done a little bit and still have a couple of tiny ones DD bought me many years ago, so maybe should pull those out and finish off and also one that needs framing from way back in 2000. I'm not sure if you've a timber hoop which if stained, do sometimes leave a mark. I find the plastic ones don't do that, but just leave an indentation which comes out with a gentle wash and iron. Have fun and take care.
ReplyDeleteI really want to try evenweave as I find aida really stiff, however, I may find that I can't work with it. At least I'll have given it a go though. I think the clip frames look really good as they don't grip across the design, I'll have to see how big my next project is and see what I decide.
DeleteAh the eyes. I have worn glasses for years but not all the time now I have varifocals and find myself nodding my head all the time working out which bit of the lense to look through! That cross stitch magazine looks great, I love the Scandinavian ones I hope you share your projects :)
ReplyDeleteMy glasses are just for close work but I can tell that my distance vision is deteriorating too so I'm dreading going to the opticians, I can see me coming out with glasses for both so varifocals might be on my agenda too. There's some lovely charts in the magazine, quite a few I'd like to have a go at so I'll definitely share them when they're done.
DeleteI've done some tiny cross stitch buttons for the #stitchingsanta and thoroughly enjoyed it after a break of some twenty odd years! I used fine weave linen which is so tiny that I could hardly see the holes even WITH my glasses:)
ReplyDeleteI bet the buttons are beautiful. I can imagine how hard it would be to see properly with fine weave linen, I think I'd need an industrial strength magnifier to work with that.
DeleteThey turned out beautifully - I'll share them on the blog soon:)
DeleteI look forward to seeing them, they sound really lovely.
DeleteHave fun! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI certainly will. It's always lots of fun embarking on a new hobby.
DeleteYou'll never get bored with hobbies like this! I like cross stitch too and wish I have more crafting time so I can do more cross stitch projects. I'm interested to see how you're getting on with the even weave fabric. I've only ever used aida before. Enjoy! X
ReplyDeleteMy list of hobbies keeps growing, I just don't have enough time to keep up with them all now. I haven't had a go with the evenweave fabric yet but I'll do an update once I've tried it.
DeleteHow exciting, Jo. I love that you're so into a new hobby. The Scandinavian hearts are lovely and will be a pretty addition to your home. Enjoy yourself!
ReplyDeleteThere's so many new things I want to try, if only there were more hours in the day. I'm loving cross stitch, I'm just hoping that my eyes will hold out, just one of the drawbacks of aging.
DeleteI prefer Aida, only because the squares are easier to stitch on. Having said that, even weave gives a lovely finish. Nearly time for my cross stitch decorations to come out! I love the hearts; they look like beautiful cards already.
ReplyDeleteI may be back to aida if I don't manage to see the holes with evenweave, we'll have to see. I'd like to stitch some Christmas decorations but they won't be ready for this year, perhaps I'll have some to hang next year.
DeleteGood luck with your new hobby. I like the patterns which are just worked in one colour, the simplistic patterns can look stunning.
ReplyDeleteLisa x
I like the one colour patterns too, I think they give a great effect. I'm looking forward to stitching up the Scandinavian designs.
Deletehave fun - I tend to do lots of cross stitching over summer. I love the Scandinavian designs too and like the look of the new mag as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the summer light would be better for my eyesight, it's a strain to see in the dreary days we're having just now. I'm really pleased with the magazine, there's lots of things I'd like to have a go at in there so it was well worth the money.
DeleteI think the last time I came across cross stitching was high school. I liked it. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't remember doing anything like cross stitch at school, I wish I had though, and I wish I'd taken more notice in my sewing classes, although we didn't actually have very many.
DeleteI like those Scandinavian designs too! How exciting to start a new hobby. I used to do a lot of cross stitching before I had children. These days crochet has taken over! If you can, get yourself a little bendy craft light with a daylight bulb, they are invaluable for sorting out very similar colours, I wouldn't be without mine. It has a magnifying glass attachment too, so useful, as my eyes are not what they once were either. xx
ReplyDeleteIt is exciting starting something new. I've been looking at those magnifying lights, I think they're definitely the way to go, especially during winter when the natural light is really bad.
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