how did you start?

[19Roland19]

Found the picture.

This was my first embroidered picture.

[Rose]

Oh how adorable!!!!!!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

What a lovely picture! Do you still have the embroidery?

[fccs]

That's so sweet!!

[19Roland19]

What a lovely picture! Do you still have the embroidery?

No. I embroidered a bunch of nursery rhyme pictures. My mom made a quilt out of them. I used it for years, then my son found it and would not sleep without it. Eventually, I couldn't repair it any more,

[lillybit]

My Mums hand,s were never still - she made all our clothes and a lot of the household goods including, I remeber, unbleached calico sheets that took quite a few washes before they got soft enough to offer any comfort ! She was an Asthmatic as was I so she taught me embroidery knitting and crocheting very early in life. I now realise just how much of a trial that must have been for her with me being left handed. My first efforts were colouring book pictures she traced onto flour bags.
Small things can make big memories.
I was using one of these early embroideries as a hanky in my first year at school (easy to date because of the teacher involved) A dispute happened about ownership of my hanky and I said I had made it - She said her Nana had made it and she was awarded my hanky! My Mum was cross but assured me she only wanted it because I had done it so well. That would have been 1946 and I'm still going strong with all manner of needles, and after giving up making my own clothes a few years ago, have restarted in the past 2 years so I don't look the same as every other grandmother and great grandmother in town as ranges for sale suitable for those of us who have left our teens behind is so boringly alike. Currently I'm knitting for greatgrandie no 10 due later this month.

[wikdik]

I started cross stitch when I was 35 years old on holiday with my wife in Croydon in Surrey, England. I was watching my wife's cousin Denise stitch over a 4 month holiday and I thought I could do that. She showed me how to start the stitch off and told me not to go more that 5 spaces between stitches and I was off. Bought the Aida, cotton , needle and scissors and stitched like a man possessed on the flight back home from London to Sydney and I have been hooked ever since, I stitched my wife's name ANNE and she made it into a pillow and it sits on our bed with a few modification' s ( flowers and Butterflies ). I get a few funny looks from men when they find out what I like to do in my spare time.
Keith

[richardandtracy]

I have the same odd looks myself, though, it has to be said, mostly from more manual workers. However, when they see the results, the odd looks usually change to ones of astonishment when they realise it's not compulsory to stitch 'cute'. (eg http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=26356 or http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=25792 or even http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=25597)

Regards,

Richard.

[Kibakyu]

This totally needs to be a survey so we can see a pie chart of the results!

My mom stitched for a number of years and taught me basic sewing, cross stitch and latch hook, which I enjoy them all. She gave me all her knowledge and most of her materials at some point, and the rest is history!

[Kathy_A]

I started out with needlepoint in junior high (I think one of my aunts taught me the basics, but I'm not sure about that). By high school, my older sister and I were both doing little practice projects of basic embroidery stitches (no designs or anything, just learning the different types) in between our own projects (she did crewel while I was sticking with the needlepoint kits). (ETA: I also did a few latch-hooking projects--I still have the Santa-waving-from-the-chimney that I hang on my wall every Christmas.)

As I was finishing college, my sister had been doing counted cross stitch for a few years and taught me--she ended up getting away from it after she started working part-time at Jo-Ann Fabrics and collecting fabric for various sewing projects. I, however, continued on with the stitching and have ended up taking over her last UFO that she had abandoned years ago (I'm going to give it to our aunt, the one who I think taught me needlepoint).

I'm the only female in my family who never got into sewing (I can do a decent hem by hand-stitching it, but have never gotten comfortable with a sewing machine), so stitching is my only hobby that is sewing-related.

[LaurelC]

This totally needs to be a survey so we can see a pie chart of the results!

My mom stitched for a number of years and taught me basic sewing, cross stitch and latch hook, which I enjoy them all. She gave me all her knowledge and most of her materials at some point, and the rest is history!

This is me to a T, Kibakyu. I stopped stitching about 20 years ago because I am a computer programmer and being at the keyboard all day long made my hands ache for stitching. I'm back in the saddle and loving it. I don't have a daughter (or son!) to teach but I'm hoping someday one of my long-distance (as that's the only kind I have) nieces or nephews will ask. wouldn't want to push myself on them, lololol.

[Karamo]

I shared my first needle with my mother when I was 12 and I've never laid it down since.

EDIT: I'm sure at least ten people must have used this joke in this thread ._.;

[fccs]

I shared my first needle with my mother when I was 12 and I've never laid it down since.

EDIT: I'm sure at least ten people must have used this joke in this thread ._.;

[charlizebe]

When I was a child my parents worked so hard... I was in my grandmas house. I saw that her hobby is cross stich. I like it. A lot of colorful things. Grandma helped me to start it. And today... I show it my daughter.

[littlestar]

I see it on Tv. And I think... "I must try it!". So me and my sister went to the shop and bought all what we need. Today is our hobby. After my tennis trainings.

[Rosheen]

I have always been crazy about German Shepherds, so my first project ever was a head study of a German Shepherd.
I was a teenager and yes, it is a very long time ago.


Hilde

[ClaireDWashford]

Hiya
I have been cross stitching practically everyday for about 3 years. Before that I had done 1 or 2 projects in about 1997-99
claire

[loucee]

I started thirteen years ago when I was expecting my youngest child, I just bought a cross stitching mag one day as I liked the free kit that was on the front, and the rest as they say is history! I knew I wanted to stitch a birth sampler but a girl I used to work with who stitched was only ever doing Winnie the Pooh designs, I had no interest in the hobby then as that wasn't my thing. I had NO idea that there were literally hundreds of thousands of designs available in every genre imaginable. I didn't know anything about it and assumed there were very few choices and probably only a limited number of licensed character kits. How wrong can you be?! My kids all learned to stitch when they were five years old and even though they don't go back to it regularly it's always another skill they have under their belts ready for the day they realise stitching keeps you sane!

[MelindaH]

My mom taught herself to crossstitch when she was a child and always had finished projects laying around the house. Many of them had handmade frames, but she only ever had one or two on the wall at a time. One day, while digging through her collection, my sister and I found a beautiful piece with children playing in a park. That was it. We cornered our mother and demanded that she teach us to crossstitch. I've been addicted ever since. Sadly, my sister never took to it. She gave it another try a few years ago, but she claims to not have the patience for it. Instead, she just "oohs and ahhs" over my projects, and I try not to be jealous of the awesome things she sews up.
I started designing as a teenager, when my mom bought me a program for it.

[fccs]

My kids all learned to stitch when they were five years old and even though they don't go back to it regularly it's always another skill they have under their belts ready for the day they realise stitching keeps you sane!

That it does!

Sadly, my sister never took to it. She gave it another try a few years ago, but she claims to not have the patience for it.

I'm not a patient person by nature, but my stitching is an exception.