Newbie

[Kittie]

Hi from South Carolina. Thanks for accepting me to the forum. I haven't cross stitched in a while but I recently received a chart for Thomas kinkade 's new day at Cinderella's castle. This pattern is huge!!! I'm kinda afraid to start this, I've never done anything this big before. The chart was from a secret gifter at work( so I have no idea who sent it to me) and it includes the chart, color codes for threads, but no instructions. Anyone know if there are any special instructions for doing this pattern? I looked on line only to realize this is a discontinued chart. Any advice would be greatly welcomed for taking on this project.

[rcperryls]

Hi Kittie! Welcome to the forum from South Carolina! What a lovely gift you received. We've had quite a few members over the years who have stitched Kinkade Disney themed charts. I have never done one but have enjoyed watching others as they stitched them. I don't think there are any special instructions. The color key should have what you need. Sounds like the only items you need to get are needle and fabric. You said you haven't stitched in a while. How long has it been? I hope that you stay with us so that we can cheer you along. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them. Someone here is likely to know the answer or know where to go to find the answer. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Carole

[poppy]

Hello and welcome, Kittie

Thomas kinkade 's new day at Cinderella's castle is a large chart. I would start with may be a smaller project to get back into the swing of things first.
Nice to have you onboard, Kittie

[Squirrel]

Hi Kittie and Welcome from me too in cloudy but warm Brisbane (Australia). It is great that you have joined us.

WOW that is a large chart and if you want to dive right in and start it , then go for it. Yes big charts to take time but after all big or small it is still only 1 stitch at a time.
If you are feeling a bit apprehensive about starting such a large chart after some time away from stitching then Poppy's suggestion of getting hold of a small kit locally and working you way up from there.

[Serinde]

Hi Kitty, and welcome to the forum! Everyone has given you the same advice I'd have done, except I'd emphasise the availability of free charts from really good designers easily found on the web. Otherwise, I'd go for it, if the design excites you. Squirrel is right -- all designs are just one stitch at a time. And whether you start in the centre of the chart or in a corner is up to you. No stitch police are allowed on the forum!

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have, and when it all gets too much, do find the Stash & Grab, which is our virtual pub (and still open in the Present Circumstances, too).

[Mabel Figworthy]

Welcome to the forum!

Over the years I've found that if a design delights you, then go with it - as others have said, it's all crosses, so whether your project has a hundred or a hundred thousand doesn't really make a difference (except in how long it will take, of course )

[wendywombat]

Welcome from cool and rainy SW France.

All the advice already given is good! If you love the design and don't mind that it could be some time before you finish it...then Go for it!

[richardandtracy]

Kittie, welcome to the forum.

In Jan 2011 I started my first project. Like yours, it was a kit, 350 x 240 stitches and a fairly big one. I had never stitched any cross stitch since I was 6 and did a tiny project at school and I was 46 at that time. I had absolutely no idea of the significance of the 350 x 240 figure in the size... Anyway, when I got it through the post, I realised I really needed a bit of help to give me confidence.

I bought this book second hand (for £2.81 inc postage in the UK): https://www.amazon.com/Versos-Complete- ... 370&sr=8-1

And after reading it, everything seemed so simple & easy I wondered what I had been worried about. I also bought a roller frame for the fabric, which I found easier with a big project than a hoop and I was away. Anyway, I finished the project at 11.59pm on Dec 2011 having stitched over 59000 stitches. It can be done. What did it look like?:


I hope these posts help give you confidence - and that is really all you need. Each cross is a very simple thing. Cross stitch is simply lots of these very simple crosses, one after the other. The only difficult thing is ensuring the right colour stitch goes in the right spot. To help with that I usually stitch in a grid of stitches every 10 stitches in both directions with red fishing line to act as a guide. Why red? Well, it's visible against a cream fabric. And why fishing line? Well, the monofilament line can't be pierced by a tapestry needle, so the grid can be removed afterwards relatively easily. If you use normal sewing thread, it's possible to pierce the grid thread and that makes pulling it out afterwards very difficult.
You can see the tiny grid lines made with red fishing line in the left of my current project below:


Hope this helps,

Richard.

[Kittie]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and advice
I feel much better now. I'm a BIG reader also, so if I start feeling overwhelmed I'm gonna put the project aside and read into calmness. Richard your massive project is beautiful!! My daughter tells me that I definitely have to frame this when I finish( I usually just put my finished projects in a drawer-- don't know why though). Hopefully I will finish before my grandbaby is grown( she is almost 4). LolMy daughter and grandbaby live with my husband(my childhood sweetheart)and I, so life is always busy. I love reading about all the WIPs on this page, and the tips& tricks. Never heard of graphing until now. Thanks everyone. Stay safe!!!