30 Days of DIY

Cross-stitching may remind you of grandmothers or Summer camp craft time. It brings up the same memories for me so when I was gathering ideas for my 30 Days of DIY series, I was surprised to come across some pretty cool cross-stitch ideas. That surprise turned into a project.

When choosing what to stitch, I wanted to go simple. If I remember correctly, my Summer camp stitching was through a wide beginner’s template and made using yarn. I figured doing a stitched portrait was out of the question (at least for now). Ultimately, I settled on a word that Ash and I say all the time to express agreement: “Word.”  (as in “word up” or “word, son” as my resident Brooklyn native/husband would say.)

I used a white aida cross stitch cloth, a 10 inch embroidery hoop (I could have gone much smaller but I used what I had left over from another craft project), cotton embroidery floss and a large embroidery needle. (Note: I’d likely use a smaller needle in the future. The stitching cloth was so fine that the large needle left bigger entry holes than I prefer.)  I also got a laser cut raw frame. I went to Michael's for everything but if you want to order online, here is a source. 

To make the pattern, I used stitchpoint.com. It is very easy to use. Once I had the pattern, I marked the center of my piece and began to follow the pattern. It took me a couple of days and while I was frustrated at the beginning, I started to find the process relaxing towards completion. To finish the project, I cut the stitching cloth to fit the frame I wanted to use, painted the frame and attached the stitching to it with craft glue. Couldn't be easier. Here’s how it came out. 

If you're interested in cross-stitch or just want to buy your own, here are some helpful links. 

Vendor 22
Red Bear Design
Tutorial by Sewing Adventure