how did you start?

Stitchinkitty · Post by **Stitchinkitty** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:19 am

I learnt basic embroidery as a child.
In 1974 I was in Copenhagen and saw the most beautiful cross stitch-Clara Waever.The shop was full of American ladies buying up just about everything.I bought as many kits as I could.I haven't stopped stitching since then.I have enough charts and floss to start my own store.

coolpenguin · Post by **coolpenguin** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:50 am

I grew up with my mom very involved in crafts, mostly counted cross stich and quilting. She taught me how to do basic counted cross stitch and I made something for my dad for Father's Day when i was little...probably 10 years old or so. Fast forward to now, I'm 34 and just started to pick it back up.

felicity924 · Post by **felicity924** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 1:27 pm

I'm fifteen, and I just started about a month ago. I was at Hobby Lobby wandering around and saw the cross-stitch section and thought it looked really cool. So I got a 3"x3" Beauty and the Beast mini kit, and finished it in about 9 days. I was hooked. I'm about halfway done with a Lion King 5x7, and I'm working on a wedding one for my sister and a lighthouse for my mom. Most fifteen year olds don't get hand cramps from cross-stitching too much! Haha

Clairabell · Post by **Clairabell** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:11 am

Hi, hope you don't mind me jumping in.

I started to xstitch when I was 14. I attended a youth group at church but I was the only girl. One evening the Pastor's wife came and was doing some. I asked her to show me, and I haven't stopped since.

Izabela · Post by **Izabela** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:15 am

Some 17 years ago I bought a set of embroidery "fruit basket" and that's how it started. Now I can not imagine a day without embroidery.

annamarie23 · Post by **annamarie23** » Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:29 pm

Both happy and sad memories for me.
About 15 years ago I remember visiting my late brothers girlfriend who lived near a stitching shop. She needed to buy some threads and asked me to go with her. At first I thought what a strange hobby but whilst I was looking around the shop, a lady was there with the most beautiful Mirabilia cross stitch she had just got back from the framer and it was simply amazing. I looked on in awe thinking how much hard work must have gone into producing this wonderful piece of art! The lady in the shop asked me if I was ok and did I stitch. My reply was no and that it looked too hard for me. She was a really kind lady and promptly took a small kit of a wishing well and showed me how to cross stitch. After a couple of minutes of the demo, I stitched a couple of crosses myself and said I would have a look at the kits for something to start off. 'No need to' she replied, 'take this free of charge and see how you get on'. Since that day, I've got quite a stash of kits (because you have to don't you?!), and I stitch whenever I can.
Whilst that's a happy memory, what is sad is that my late brother would have liked to have seen the designs and stitching as he always thought it was such a creative and talented thing to do. My late mother was a really good embroiderer and would have been the same. Sadly, like many cross stitch/sewing shops this shop has now closed down. I would have loved to have thanked that lady again as without her kindness and encouragement I would never have got so hooked!

astackhouse87 · Post by **astackhouse87** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:57 am

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elementaryteacher77 · Post by **elementaryteacher77** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:25 am

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foreveryoung811 · Post by **foreveryoung811** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:02 pm

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flosaxby · Post by **flosaxby** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:44 pm

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mattcrossstitches · Post by **mattcrossstitches** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:15 am

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nikecam · Post by **nikecam** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:14 am

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ljs1953 · Post by **ljs1953** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:40 am

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ashleyclark · Post by **ashleyclark** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:01 am

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Lozze · Post by **Lozze** » Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:25 pm

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Phobicgirl · Post by **Phobicgirl** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:40 pm

My church taught me how to cross stitch for Bible school. It was an owl about two inches high. I remember one stitch was out of place and it bothered me so bad! I can still picture it. *shiver*. It taught me to be more careful and not worry about pulling your stitches and doing them again. It is the finished product that matters. I was 6, and have been stitching ever since.

Vykic37 · Post by **Vykic37** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:54 pm

I'm another that was taught by my mom. I still remember the cross stitches she worked on when I was young. I did my first one when I was about 12. It was of a calico cat and it said "Love me, Love my cat." The outline of the cat is superbold because I didn't realize I was supposed to use only 1 thread instead of 2 like the rest of it! I still have it and still love it and I'm glad my mom got me into it

DigitalDragon · Post by **DigitalDragon** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:06 am

My parents always taught me to try new things whether it was sports, crafts, or card games. I remember doing latch hook, weaving pot holders, crochet, and learning how to play cribbage with my parents and grandparents. One day I was in a Michaels or JoAnns and saw a cross stitch pattern book on light houses. While I started several, I never completed or framed any of them. I guess one day I will need to complete a light house but over the years my taste have changed. These days I lean towards quilt patterns with vibrant colors.

tgnd · Post by **tgnd** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:09 am

I was introduced to needlework at my school when I was about 7 or 8 when we were given the option to join an after school activity. I blindly signed up for the activity that my favorite teacher was teaching, and spent the next 3 months tracing and sewing images from a coloring book in stem stitch onto an apron. The next term she taught knitting where I made a potholder, and the term after that it was a yellow pillow with black chain stitching in the outline of a cat. Somewhere along the way I discovered I had a real knack for this stuff, my results were turning out much better than those of my friends.

Then the year I was 10 my parents sent me to England to spend a year living with my grandparents. I was devastated about missing all the fun classes with my favorite teacher. Until the second day of school that is where I discovered that 3 times a week we actually had knitting class!! Apparently most of my classmates were just learning to knit that year, so I was well ahead of them and finished my assignment (a certain number of squares 30 stitches wide that were sewn together to make blankets that were donated to a shelter) well before everyone else. To give me something to do while the others caught up, my teacher gave me a small cross stitch pattern of a squirrel, as well as the supplies for it and taught me the basics of counted cross stitch. The finished piece was then placed inside a template to make a greeting card - a concept I was fascinated by! After I finished the cross stitch (in record time I think.. the poor teacher was starting to run out of things to give me to do!) she then got me started on another project that involved all sorts of different stitches. That one never did grab me though, and I abandoned it when the rest of the class moved on to patchwork.

From then on though, I've always had some sort of fiber/needlework by my side. I tried my hand at some basic weaving, did a bunch of knitting and the occasional needle work, but it wasn't until after college when I had some cash of my own to spend that I got heavily into knitting, which then lead to spinning, and dyeing, and designing my own patterns. For a number of years I sold my hand dyed yarns. But a about a year ago I got burned out and stopped almost cold turkey. Since then the itch to create has been there and I'd come across a few HAED patterns but since it had been so long since I did cross stitch, I didn't want to jump into something so big at once without knowing if I'd really enjoy it. So last year I picked up a smallish cross stitch kit and got about 1/3 of the way through it. Unfortunately it got stolen along with a bunch of other stuff while I was on a road trip. But the bug had bitten me, so I bought a new (and different) kit which I just finished about a week ago. Now I'm working on my first attempt at blackwork while trying to decide which HAED pattern to start with first! I'd say that the bug is definitely here for a while atleast. The patterns available now appeal to me much more than what was out there the last time I looked at cross stitch when all I saw was cutesy teddybears and florals. I know eventually I'll pick up knitting again - my hand knit socks will eventually wear out and my spoiled feet will protest if I try to put store bought socks on them. But I plan on enjoying the cross stitch bug while it lasts!

noodle39 · Post by **noodle39** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:59 am

I bought a clown pic it's called dream clowns I think, when I look back it was quite ambitious as its big. I like doing geishias now got sort stuck in a rut, I also cross stitch Christmas stockings for my grandchildren