Wow... I can't believe its been two months since my last post. Well... I can and I can't. It seems like it was just last week when I was happily typing away on my Christmas Quilt project and how everything seemed to be moving full steam ahead.
And then it suddenly wasn't.
My computer crashed, and it crashed hard. Yes, I had a computer crash earlier this year, where the beautiful workhorse I had built to my specifications turned up toes and went home to that great motherboard in the sky. There was panic, there was SERIOUS PANIC, panic in the ways of stomach turning and tears that I had lost all of my photography files, cross stitch patterns, etc. Thankfully, the majority of my files were able to be salvaged and put onto an external hard drive. We had purchased a refurbished computer for Richard not much earlier, but without any fanfare he quietly set up his new-to-him-but-used computer and went back to using his old one.
Well, at least I didn't actually kill the "new" one... I just overwhelmed it to the point where it was running massively slow and then finally froze up. Its simple 1 TB drive (hey, if it isn't a baking measurement then the size means nothing to be, other than its supposed to be a lot) was overwhelmed by all of my photo, music and pattern files and just couldn't hold any more. It drew a line in the sand that I hadn't even noticed and that final month of churning out cross stitch patterns right and left are not only what took me across that line, but absolutely obliterated it.
This time there were no moments of tears and frustration... only that sinking feeling in my stomach as I came to the realization that the earlier temporary bandage had hemorrhaged under the amount of pressure I had placed on it. Instead of a cast to help the system heal I had left the jury-rigged splint on, failed to maintain it and just kept on running in a marathon that I had no business inflicting on it.
So we first purchased a new external hard drive... 5 TB this time, and Richard slowly began transferring files over. Sadly, a lot didn't make it through the transition, but I didn't now that for sure until we managed to get me a new (not sorta new but not really... this one here is The Real McCoy). Even better, this one came with a seriously nice 27" widescreen monitor... something my aging eyes is very grateful for.
So what has been lost?
I seem to still have most of my music files, and the photography is good, though I lost all of the more recent edited shots, so i'll have to edit them again if I want those specific shots back. I have, however, lost all of my recently worked up cross stitch pattern files (over 200, which equates to several hundreds of hours), which breaks my heart, but its nothing I can't rebuild, given time. Its a project I should be well in the middle of replacing, but winter is really playing havoc with my health, so I haven't had much time that I can spend in front of the computer.
Basically I have lost all of the work I have done since my last computer crash earlier this year. My computer had been set up to back up to the external hard drive on a regular basis, but didn't and it failed to notify me that it wasn't performing its routine back up (something I have now learned to verify for myself rather than trusting technology to do it for me).
I now keep the majority of my files on external drives, rather than tax my computer's systems. One drive (my 5 TB workhorse that I have lovingly named "Big Red", because he's red, he's not huge physically, but hey, its the biggest drive i've ever owned, thanks to Amazon holding an amazing sale), and my 1 TB "Old Blue" (not really old, but he's older than Red and, yes, he is blue) is going to be solely for back ups. I'll purchase a 3rd drive soon that I will transfer all of our music files to (as well as digitize that big box of CDs sitting in my office) so Richard and I can shuttle music between ourselves as needed, as Red is going to be slowly filled up between my photo and pattern files, and the amount of music we have already digitized is pretty substantial.
So yes, this time I am doing it right, and even though it will take time, I will retrace my steps and remake the patterns that were lost. Now that I have a computer to get back online with, the posts will start coming on a regular basis again. I am sorry it has taken this long to start it back up, but now that the injury has been dealt with (instead of field dressings think Steve Austin's Six Million Dollar Man... we had the technology and my computing capabilities certainly got a nice upgrade), I can make up for the lost time and get to it. Best of all, the old computing speed is now a thing of the past, so I should be able to cut those hundreds of hours down to something a little more manageable.
Its great to be back, and I hope that you will hang in there as I get everything back on track and do things right this time.
Thanks for being there everyone, and I hope that all is well in whatever part of the world that you find yourself in.
Oh, and don't forget your back ups!
Friday, December 29, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Works in Progress - Christmas Quilts
So what's new here at Bluecreek Creations? Well, I thought today that I would show you the newest project that I am working on.
Yes, its more cross stitch, and its a series that I am really excited about... cross stitch quilts!
I can already picture the double-takes being given. Yes, you read that correctly. This project is a series of cross stitched mini quilts that can be used in several ways.
First, each pattern can be stitched up individually and framed. This allows for a nice pop of cozy comfort without taking up valued closet space.
Second, you can pick and choose your favorite patterns and stitch them together in a sampler format.
Third, (and my personal favorite), as these patterns measure no greater than 50 stitches x 50 stitches, the individual quilts can be stitched, fused to fabric and turned into homespun-style Christmas ornaments.
What does 50 stitches square come to? Well, on a 14-count cloth (which is what I typically use for the mini quilts) your finished project will be approximately 3.5" square, which is perfect for the holidays. Small enough to be darling, yet not so large it takes over the entire tree.
I stitched up sets of 5 mini quilt ornaments for family and friends over a decade ago, and loved the look, so I decided to dust the idea off and to have the joy of creating two sets of quilts, both in a variety of colors, rather than the simple 3-color palette I used in the past.
So lets sneak a peek over my shoulder to what is currently being tweaked on my computer, shall we?
The first set will be basic patterns, with one-note palettes... by which I mean one shade of orange, teal, green, red or blue, and no shading or tones. This type of palette means you will not have to buy a lot of skeins when getting ready to stitch.
This set will be tied together with the use of white as a main component in the pattern.
Boy this one sure looks pretty, and I look forward to the test stitching of this set.
Its funny, but with tall of the many quilt sets I stitched up all those years ago, I never saved a set for myself, figuring I could always make another set "later". Well, it looks like I will finally be making a set of these for my own use!
Oh, and in honor of those long-ago Christmas present stitches, I am calling this collection Christmas Quilts. Sure, the patterns can really be used for any time, reason or season, but these have always held the love, joy, warmth and feel of Christmas to me... and quilts really are so snuggly and warm during the holidays, aren't they?
So what projects are you working on? I hope they are bringing you as much joy as I am having while playing with all of these fun little patterns.
Yes, its more cross stitch, and its a series that I am really excited about... cross stitch quilts!
I can already picture the double-takes being given. Yes, you read that correctly. This project is a series of cross stitched mini quilts that can be used in several ways.
First, each pattern can be stitched up individually and framed. This allows for a nice pop of cozy comfort without taking up valued closet space.
Second, you can pick and choose your favorite patterns and stitch them together in a sampler format.
Third, (and my personal favorite), as these patterns measure no greater than 50 stitches x 50 stitches, the individual quilts can be stitched, fused to fabric and turned into homespun-style Christmas ornaments.
What does 50 stitches square come to? Well, on a 14-count cloth (which is what I typically use for the mini quilts) your finished project will be approximately 3.5" square, which is perfect for the holidays. Small enough to be darling, yet not so large it takes over the entire tree.
I stitched up sets of 5 mini quilt ornaments for family and friends over a decade ago, and loved the look, so I decided to dust the idea off and to have the joy of creating two sets of quilts, both in a variety of colors, rather than the simple 3-color palette I used in the past.
So lets sneak a peek over my shoulder to what is currently being tweaked on my computer, shall we?
The first set will be basic patterns, with one-note palettes... by which I mean one shade of orange, teal, green, red or blue, and no shading or tones. This type of palette means you will not have to buy a lot of skeins when getting ready to stitch.
This set will be tied together with the use of white as a main component in the pattern.
The second set will be detailed with patterns, color variations, shading and toning. Yes, this means you will be purchasing more skeins of floss, but it also means you will be left with a far richer look that will mimic the quilts that you love to see at your local fairs and quilting shows. These patterns will not be limited to just white as contrast, and many of these will not feature white at all.
Boy this one sure looks pretty, and I look forward to the test stitching of this set.
Its funny, but with tall of the many quilt sets I stitched up all those years ago, I never saved a set for myself, figuring I could always make another set "later". Well, it looks like I will finally be making a set of these for my own use!
Oh, and in honor of those long-ago Christmas present stitches, I am calling this collection Christmas Quilts. Sure, the patterns can really be used for any time, reason or season, but these have always held the love, joy, warmth and feel of Christmas to me... and quilts really are so snuggly and warm during the holidays, aren't they?
So what projects are you working on? I hope they are bringing you as much joy as I am having while playing with all of these fun little patterns.
Friday, October 6, 2017
The Shocking Cost Of Giving Things Away For Free
Wow. I am surprised to see that my freebie patterns for Trixie Belden are so popular... 300 visits in 8 days. Well, not so much surprised by that... after all, we Trixie fans know that Trix is tops. No, the surprise is that there are so many visits and downloads being done, yet not one person has commented a thank you or even bothered to follow my blog, even when I pointed out that there would be other Trixie images coming up in the future.
That hurts.
It's not as if I am trying to bring in followers in order to make money off of ads on my site...far from it. I find ads and click bait incredibly annoying, even if it would bring in a little pocket money. My crafting and offering patterns here and through my Etsy shop really don't have anything to do with the money, but rather to share my love of cross stitch and the varying things that I have loved over my lifetime.
Trixie Belden means a lot to me (as my one true reader could tell you... hi Mindy!) because she is a literary character who had a lot in common with myself when I was growing up and feeling alone, living far out of town and away from my few closest friends.
Don't get me wrong, I loved living in the country, and I still prefer living away from the big cities and the bright lights. Give me the sounds of hooting owls and the wind blowing through the trees at night while the moon and stars shine brightly overhead. The best of my days were spent where the scent of warm pine sap filled the air and knowing that I could ride my horse for hours without seeing another human...just me, my horse, the foxes and the deer, and instead of horns beeping and cars driving by with their music blaring, my soundtrack was the birds in the trees.
Growing up that way meant developing a love for nature and, bonus!, a vivid imagination.
It was surprising to me that there never was much Trixie merchandise out in the world, nor any for a lot of the things that I loved as a child. So I made my own, and was happy to do so. I wanted to share it with the world... maybe it would spark a little curiosity to see just who and what this Trixie thing was all about, but mostly it was so others who loved my perfectly imperfect teen detective could have something Trixie to call our own.
But back to the money.
Yes, I do offer a few patterns at a low cost in my shop, but I know I will never make serious money with my Etsy shop. Heck, in the several months I have had items up for sale I have made less than $50. Considering the time it takes me to create, test and give a final approval of my patterns (not to mention searching out the copyright information for the images I use), that means I am seriously underpaid...in fact, it means I am actually losing time and money for allowing Etsy the honor of charging me money and giving me a space to show off some of my favorite patterns.
I think much of the world these days sees something offered for free and just grabs it and runs. That isn't the kind of world I want, and I hope that I never fail to thank someone for a kindness done or something given. If I have, I apologize now, for that isn't the way I was raised, nor the way that I am inside. I never came to the belief that "please" and "thank you" showed weakness, but only gratitude and kindness, and I am truly grateful for the things that I have and the blessings I have been given.
Surprisingly, I am thankful for the hardships that I have, too. Not as thankful as I suppose I should be, because, lets face it, sometimes life sucks, but I do recognize that hardships are lessons and not stumbling blocks, and that holding grudges hurts you and not the person or the situation that may have caused you pain. Life may hand you lemons, but that doesn't mean that you always have to accept them, let alone make lemonade out of those tart little things. Sometimes its best to just hand them back and find yourself another fruit vendor.
But what about the things you can't change?
I have never cared for that saying about how God never gives you more than you can handle, because it just isn't true. God allows things to happen that we can't handle all of the time, which is why we see and read about so many of the broken people in the world. The truth is, God tells us that if we lean on Him then we aren't in this alone, and, through Him, one day all will be made whole. No, there will not be some great tally in the Great Beyond that measures your suffering and says "here's a lollipop (or money, or heavenly mansions on high) to make it all better"... no, I believe the wholeness spoken of is simply acknowledgment of suffering done and a gentle healing of both body and spirit into one healthy whole.
But I digress, don't I? Sorry, I do that quite often, but I usually find that it isn't such a bad thing for me to allow my thoughts to go where they will, as I often get to the core of what I am really thinking that way.
My wonder is when did people get to be so...well... greedy. Why do we love getting and not giving? There are equal blessings to both... and the giving in this case is oh so little.
After all, is asking for a simple "thank you" or "this looks cute" or "I love Trixie too" too much to ask from the world?
I guess it is.
Which is a shame, and just reinforces in me the desire to continue giving, even if I don't get anything back in way of acknowledgment. Its not the "thank you" in the end that I yearn for, nor recognition. I do this for the fact that it simply gives me happiness to have created something that I love, and that, in sharing, this can be something that will lift someone's burden by giving them something to smile about, and knowing there will be some joy in their stitching up something that is strictly just for them.
So where is this all going? Nowhere really, I guess. Just a simple wish in the void for something that my brother once pointed out to me; about how the world would be all the better for the increased use of a few simple words:
"Please" and "Thank You".
You never know just how much you can brighten someone's day by using these until you try. After all, this is such a simple thing to do when you ask for or are given something, but it can mean a lot to the person who is doing the giving, and ever so more to you when you are doing the asking.
I hope that you will please try.
Thank you.
That hurts.
It's not as if I am trying to bring in followers in order to make money off of ads on my site...far from it. I find ads and click bait incredibly annoying, even if it would bring in a little pocket money. My crafting and offering patterns here and through my Etsy shop really don't have anything to do with the money, but rather to share my love of cross stitch and the varying things that I have loved over my lifetime.
Trixie Belden means a lot to me (as my one true reader could tell you... hi Mindy!) because she is a literary character who had a lot in common with myself when I was growing up and feeling alone, living far out of town and away from my few closest friends.
Don't get me wrong, I loved living in the country, and I still prefer living away from the big cities and the bright lights. Give me the sounds of hooting owls and the wind blowing through the trees at night while the moon and stars shine brightly overhead. The best of my days were spent where the scent of warm pine sap filled the air and knowing that I could ride my horse for hours without seeing another human...just me, my horse, the foxes and the deer, and instead of horns beeping and cars driving by with their music blaring, my soundtrack was the birds in the trees.
Growing up that way meant developing a love for nature and, bonus!, a vivid imagination.
It was surprising to me that there never was much Trixie merchandise out in the world, nor any for a lot of the things that I loved as a child. So I made my own, and was happy to do so. I wanted to share it with the world... maybe it would spark a little curiosity to see just who and what this Trixie thing was all about, but mostly it was so others who loved my perfectly imperfect teen detective could have something Trixie to call our own.
But back to the money.
Yes, I do offer a few patterns at a low cost in my shop, but I know I will never make serious money with my Etsy shop. Heck, in the several months I have had items up for sale I have made less than $50. Considering the time it takes me to create, test and give a final approval of my patterns (not to mention searching out the copyright information for the images I use), that means I am seriously underpaid...in fact, it means I am actually losing time and money for allowing Etsy the honor of charging me money and giving me a space to show off some of my favorite patterns.
I think much of the world these days sees something offered for free and just grabs it and runs. That isn't the kind of world I want, and I hope that I never fail to thank someone for a kindness done or something given. If I have, I apologize now, for that isn't the way I was raised, nor the way that I am inside. I never came to the belief that "please" and "thank you" showed weakness, but only gratitude and kindness, and I am truly grateful for the things that I have and the blessings I have been given.
Surprisingly, I am thankful for the hardships that I have, too. Not as thankful as I suppose I should be, because, lets face it, sometimes life sucks, but I do recognize that hardships are lessons and not stumbling blocks, and that holding grudges hurts you and not the person or the situation that may have caused you pain. Life may hand you lemons, but that doesn't mean that you always have to accept them, let alone make lemonade out of those tart little things. Sometimes its best to just hand them back and find yourself another fruit vendor.
But what about the things you can't change?
I have never cared for that saying about how God never gives you more than you can handle, because it just isn't true. God allows things to happen that we can't handle all of the time, which is why we see and read about so many of the broken people in the world. The truth is, God tells us that if we lean on Him then we aren't in this alone, and, through Him, one day all will be made whole. No, there will not be some great tally in the Great Beyond that measures your suffering and says "here's a lollipop (or money, or heavenly mansions on high) to make it all better"... no, I believe the wholeness spoken of is simply acknowledgment of suffering done and a gentle healing of both body and spirit into one healthy whole.
But I digress, don't I? Sorry, I do that quite often, but I usually find that it isn't such a bad thing for me to allow my thoughts to go where they will, as I often get to the core of what I am really thinking that way.
My wonder is when did people get to be so...well... greedy. Why do we love getting and not giving? There are equal blessings to both... and the giving in this case is oh so little.
After all, is asking for a simple "thank you" or "this looks cute" or "I love Trixie too" too much to ask from the world?
I guess it is.
Which is a shame, and just reinforces in me the desire to continue giving, even if I don't get anything back in way of acknowledgment. Its not the "thank you" in the end that I yearn for, nor recognition. I do this for the fact that it simply gives me happiness to have created something that I love, and that, in sharing, this can be something that will lift someone's burden by giving them something to smile about, and knowing there will be some joy in their stitching up something that is strictly just for them.
So where is this all going? Nowhere really, I guess. Just a simple wish in the void for something that my brother once pointed out to me; about how the world would be all the better for the increased use of a few simple words:
"Please" and "Thank You".
You never know just how much you can brighten someone's day by using these until you try. After all, this is such a simple thing to do when you ask for or are given something, but it can mean a lot to the person who is doing the giving, and ever so more to you when you are doing the asking.
Thank you.
New Projects and Seeking Permission
New patterns are ready to upload, and I am just waiting on the official go ahead from Tor Publishing saying I have their approval to share them.
Want a sneak peek into what I am talking about? It has something to do with this image and 51 similar illustrations, all taken from the same body of work.
For anyone who knows me, patience is a virtue that has yet to sink in and really take hold... I probably should have stopped after I worked up the first few patterns until I had permission to publish these, but I was so excited that I just plowed full steam ahead (as I usually do).
So here I sit, a bunch of new patterns in hand and nothing to do but wait.
You know, Tom Petty was right... the waiting is the hardest part.
Want a sneak peek into what I am talking about? It has something to do with this image and 51 similar illustrations, all taken from the same body of work.
For anyone who knows me, patience is a virtue that has yet to sink in and really take hold... I probably should have stopped after I worked up the first few patterns until I had permission to publish these, but I was so excited that I just plowed full steam ahead (as I usually do).
So here I sit, a bunch of new patterns in hand and nothing to do but wait.
You know, Tom Petty was right... the waiting is the hardest part.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Free Cross Stitch Patterns...Trixie Belden
Who doesn't love free stuff? Well, good free stuff anyway, especially when there is no *ahem* dumpster diving involved. I live in a college town, so I am constantly amazed at all the things the kids leave behind at the end of term each summer, all because they didn't want to haul it home with them... message boards galore filled with pleas of "come take this" or flat out leaving stuff abandoning treasures on the curb.
Oh wait... is dumpster diving still hip or is it back to being gross?
I have never been one to keep up with what's trendy at the moment. I have been a generic jeans and t-shirts gal since the 1970's and I see no need to change myself now just because some item is now considered fashionable, and its been the same way with my decor tastes. Crows in this year? Already have them (crows are downright adorable), though I never went in for the sunflower thing. Rabbits seemed pretty popular a few years back, but I never hopped onto that wagon either, though rabbits really are cute.
I guess what I am saying is I don't ever expect to start trotting out patterns for whatever new crafty "hip" thing that is currently trending, and I am fine with that. I know what I love and I figure at least one person out there probably likes it too. Those are the people I want to meet. I want to reach out through our monitors, clasp your virtual hands in mine and say "you like this too?" and feel like I have met what Anne of Green Gables would call a "kindred spirit",
But wait, I was talking about free stuff...boy it is easy for me to get off target.
I started with my first Nerdy Girl/Nostalgia Nerd whatever-you-want-to-call-me projects by creating a pattern for a character I loved from my childhood... Trixie Belden. I've spoken before on my love for this wonderfully flawed teenage sleuth before, so I probably don't have to go into any details, but its safe to say that I went a little overboard, as I am often wont to do, and created numerous patterns... some of which I decided weren't "perfectly perfect" enough to sell in my Etsy shop.
Seeing that Trix isn't perfectly IM-perfect herself, you might think these should fit right in, but, for one reason or another, I wound up deciding to save some of these to offer as freebies, for those who will love and want to stitch them, because they speak to the child within. I will add more freebie patterns down the line, so be sure to follow my blog so you will be the first to know when they become available.
So lets get to it, shall we?
First freebie is this illustration from Secret of the Mansion, in which Honey is giving Trixie a boost through the window of Mr. Frayne's crumbling old mansion...Honey is looking fearfully behind her as she just had just been surprised by Queenie, the hen, who had flown at her in an effort to keep the girls away from her nest.
I don't know for certain why I didn't choose to sell this one, but I think its because, while the details of the picture are great, this just isn't my favorite image of the girls. Its a fun moment from the book, but I just couldn't see it being incredibly popular, mostly due to that look of fear on Honey's face. This is one that I want to stitch up for myself, but is on the back burner at the moment, as so many other patterns are clamoring to be stitched first and I have already filled up my stitching project slots through the holidays.
This one isn't my largest pattern, but its certainly lovely with lots of detail. Finished pattern is 100 stitches x 127 stitches and uses 50 colors, so you have a lot of depth in this one. In US measurements you're looking at the finished project to measure 7.14" x 9.07" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 7.94" on 16-count, or 5.56" x 8.33" on 18-count.
I should probably mention here that in order to get the free pattern, you simply need to click on the link beneath each image and you will be directed to a printable PDF pattern... you will need Adobe Reader or other similar program in order to read the file.
Oh wait... is dumpster diving still hip or is it back to being gross?
I have never been one to keep up with what's trendy at the moment. I have been a generic jeans and t-shirts gal since the 1970's and I see no need to change myself now just because some item is now considered fashionable, and its been the same way with my decor tastes. Crows in this year? Already have them (crows are downright adorable), though I never went in for the sunflower thing. Rabbits seemed pretty popular a few years back, but I never hopped onto that wagon either, though rabbits really are cute.
I guess what I am saying is I don't ever expect to start trotting out patterns for whatever new crafty "hip" thing that is currently trending, and I am fine with that. I know what I love and I figure at least one person out there probably likes it too. Those are the people I want to meet. I want to reach out through our monitors, clasp your virtual hands in mine and say "you like this too?" and feel like I have met what Anne of Green Gables would call a "kindred spirit",
But wait, I was talking about free stuff...boy it is easy for me to get off target.
I started with my first Nerdy Girl/Nostalgia Nerd whatever-you-want-to-call-me projects by creating a pattern for a character I loved from my childhood... Trixie Belden. I've spoken before on my love for this wonderfully flawed teenage sleuth before, so I probably don't have to go into any details, but its safe to say that I went a little overboard, as I am often wont to do, and created numerous patterns... some of which I decided weren't "perfectly perfect" enough to sell in my Etsy shop.
Seeing that Trix isn't perfectly IM-perfect herself, you might think these should fit right in, but, for one reason or another, I wound up deciding to save some of these to offer as freebies, for those who will love and want to stitch them, because they speak to the child within. I will add more freebie patterns down the line, so be sure to follow my blog so you will be the first to know when they become available.
So lets get to it, shall we?
First freebie is this illustration from Secret of the Mansion, in which Honey is giving Trixie a boost through the window of Mr. Frayne's crumbling old mansion...Honey is looking fearfully behind her as she just had just been surprised by Queenie, the hen, who had flown at her in an effort to keep the girls away from her nest.
This one isn't my largest pattern, but its certainly lovely with lots of detail. Finished pattern is 100 stitches x 127 stitches and uses 50 colors, so you have a lot of depth in this one. In US measurements you're looking at the finished project to measure 7.14" x 9.07" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 7.94" on 16-count, or 5.56" x 8.33" on 18-count.
I should probably mention here that in order to get the free pattern, you simply need to click on the link beneath each image and you will be directed to a printable PDF pattern... you will need Adobe Reader or other similar program in order to read the file.
This one just frustrated me, as the original image doesn't give a clear shot of Trixie's face, and so its just colored pixels...it will still look just fine, but I want so much more detail than that. I really do love this illustration, and I may try again, but I need to find a better copy of the book cover than what is currently sitting in my collection.
This one is 100 stitches by 146 stitches, and the finished project measures 7.14" x 10.43" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 9.13" on 16-count and 5.56" x 8.11" on 18-count.
This one is a favorite, and I am happy to be able to share it. This is one of my favorite Trixie tales and even a jeans and t's gal like me can't resist that gorgeous sailor dress. This lovely pattern features Trix admiring the wooden statue that she decided she just had to have, sparking a whole new mystery for the Schoolgirl Shamuses to solve. I hope that you enjoy it... its one of many in the line-up of my "projects to stitch".
The finished piece will measure 7.14" x 10.93" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 9.56" on 16-count and 5.56" x 8.5" on 18-count.
The finished piece will measure 7.14" x 10.93" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 9.56" on 16-count and 5.56" x 8.5" on 18-count.
Okay, this one is larger and has a lot more detail...I just love the beachy feel of this and Trixie's happy expression as she prepares for what she believes will be a week of sailing and fun, rather than the mystery that awaits her...though if she had any idea a mystery awaited her I am sure that smile would be all the wider!
This one will measure 7.14" x 14.29" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 12.5" on 16-count and 5.56" x 11.11" on 18-count.
This one will measure 7.14" x 14.29" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 12.5" on 16-count and 5.56" x 11.11" on 18-count.
Okay gang, this one is pretty huge, coming in at 100 stitches by 218 stitches, but the detail is great, and this is a pretty iconic shot of our favorite teen detective, considering how often she has to rely on her bike in order to get around and collect clues! This image from the Marshland Mystery shows Trixie, basket filled with herbs and flowers to create a new book of botanical specimens for their teacher at Sleepyside High.
This one will definitely require a specialized frame as it will measure 7.14" x 15.57" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 13.63" on 16-count and 5.56" x 12.11 on 18-count, It may be big, but it will be completely worth it when its done.
And last, but not least...
This one is the entire cover image, minus the writing (I couldn't find my image file with the lettering removed, sorry!) This one isn't for sale on my site simply because the face, once again, isn't detailed at the size of image I have. Yes, you can see that she is smiling, etc, but its not as crisp as I would like it to be... unfortunately, the cover in my Trixie collection isn't good enough, so I am on the lookout for a better copy. Trust me, once I find a cleaner image, I will re-work this pattern and post it here.
As is, this is still going to be lovely stitched up, and isn't so tall as to be intimidating like Marshland. This piece will be 100 stitches x 154 stitches, which means a 14-count cloth will measure 7.14" x 11", 16-count will come out to 6.25" x 9.63" and 18-count will be 5.56" x 8.56".
As with anything else posted here for free, you have my permission to stitch these up and sell the finished products (please include a link to my blog on anything you sell), but the pattern itself is not available for resale.
Regardless of which size of cloth you choose to stitch any of these on, or which pattern tempts you to start stitching, I wish for you the blessings of the Embroidery Gods: May your floss remain free from unwanted knots and tangles, your stitches fall in their proper places and your family and friends allow you the time you need to get your projects done.
Regardless of which size of cloth you choose to stitch any of these on, or which pattern tempts you to start stitching, I wish for you the blessings of the Embroidery Gods: May your floss remain free from unwanted knots and tangles, your stitches fall in their proper places and your family and friends allow you the time you need to get your projects done.
Happy Stitching.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
A Crafter's Work Is Never Done
Its a busy life, being a Crafty Girl...a fun and fulfilling life, but definitely busy.
So what fun things are going on here at Bluecreek?
Well, the idea of Bluecreek Creations really started with little crocheted bags with charms and beads. They were designed with the idea of hanging from your car's rearview mirror and in them you could tuck away little things that have meaning to you...a special pebble (yes, rocks are a big love of mine), a piece of sea glass, a feather....anything that can fit inside really.
I loved the idea of this little pouch, filled with little things that, in a way, sort of defined me...pieces of me anyway...I doubt there is a pouch in the world big enough to fit everything that has meaning to me, other than the body that I putter around in.
I had started with crocheting dice bags for my husband and I (yes, I play D&D and love it). I was bored and started crocheting a smaller bag, with no real goal in mind. The first bag turned out darling and I loved it so much that I started crocheting them up in different colors, Then I thought about adding charms, and from there I started adding beads to the fringed cords.
More and more bags were being whipped up, and then it came to me...these were totem bags.
I wound up making around 15 of these before I decided that I needed to get a shop up and running where I could market these, and began on my Etsy shop. I became distracted (as I easily do) with a cross stitch project and then I found myself working on cross stitch patterns and filling my shop with them.
But my totem bags!
I went to photograph them and put them online only to realize they had been put away somewhere when my husband and caregiver had straightened up...my totem bags are currently packed away somewhere no one knows and we have yet to find them!
Well, I did have 3 bags set aside in my knitting bag, so all is not lost. While we are looking for my lost bags, I have been crocheting up new ones...after all, its a fun project and it doesn't hurt to have more of them in my store's inventory!
So what fun things are going on here at Bluecreek?
Well, the idea of Bluecreek Creations really started with little crocheted bags with charms and beads. They were designed with the idea of hanging from your car's rearview mirror and in them you could tuck away little things that have meaning to you...a special pebble (yes, rocks are a big love of mine), a piece of sea glass, a feather....anything that can fit inside really.
I loved the idea of this little pouch, filled with little things that, in a way, sort of defined me...pieces of me anyway...I doubt there is a pouch in the world big enough to fit everything that has meaning to me, other than the body that I putter around in.
I had started with crocheting dice bags for my husband and I (yes, I play D&D and love it). I was bored and started crocheting a smaller bag, with no real goal in mind. The first bag turned out darling and I loved it so much that I started crocheting them up in different colors, Then I thought about adding charms, and from there I started adding beads to the fringed cords.
More and more bags were being whipped up, and then it came to me...these were totem bags.
I wound up making around 15 of these before I decided that I needed to get a shop up and running where I could market these, and began on my Etsy shop. I became distracted (as I easily do) with a cross stitch project and then I found myself working on cross stitch patterns and filling my shop with them.
But my totem bags!
I went to photograph them and put them online only to realize they had been put away somewhere when my husband and caregiver had straightened up...my totem bags are currently packed away somewhere no one knows and we have yet to find them!
Well, I did have 3 bags set aside in my knitting bag, so all is not lost. While we are looking for my lost bags, I have been crocheting up new ones...after all, its a fun project and it doesn't hurt to have more of them in my store's inventory!
Cute little things, aren't they? Now I just need to find my lost little darlings, take some lovely shots, showcasing their beautiful little selves and get them into my shop.
Wish me luck...either with whipping up new lovelies, or finding my little stash, wherever they are hiding. Either way is fine by me, as I adore crocheting them!
Hope you are happy crafting wherever this finds you!
~Shawna
Friday, September 8, 2017
Stitching my first nerd-love pattern
Am I allowed to use the term, "nerd girl"? I am sure that there are millions of girls out there just tossing out this phrase, and far be it for me to jump on the bandwagon...but what to say otherwise? Geek Girl is just as trendy, Nostalgia Nerd is a bit wordy, though it is actually pretty accurate and I am fairly certain no one is using it yet.
Lemme check...
Dang it, it IS being used.
Oh well, Nerd Girl for now I suppose. I'll have to think on what else to call it some more...regardless, my first, fully realized, getting-my-literary-childhood-geek-on pattern was a blast to do. I had fun playing with the pattern design, with stitching it up, with being SEEN stitching it up (so I could excitedly bore the pants off of anyone who asked about the project) and even with snapping photos of my progress every day or so just to dweeb out over the images on my phone.
Like I said, I'm a geek...now lets deal with it and move on, okay?
Now, less we forget what it is that I am talking about, maybe a tiny little refresher might be in order. You see, I am a big Trixie Belden fan, and have been for nearly 40 years .. close enough that the actual count really isn't an issue. I can place the blame squarely on my paternal Grandmother (THANK YOU GRANDMA!) who gave me a copy of book #18 Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper not too long after it first came out in 1977. She found it at a yard sale, and thought it might be something I would like (we both loved to read).
In these first few shots you can see her face is quickly taking shape
Lemme check...
Dang it, it IS being used.
Oh well, Nerd Girl for now I suppose. I'll have to think on what else to call it some more...regardless, my first, fully realized, getting-my-literary-childhood-geek-on pattern was a blast to do. I had fun playing with the pattern design, with stitching it up, with being SEEN stitching it up (so I could excitedly bore the pants off of anyone who asked about the project) and even with snapping photos of my progress every day or so just to dweeb out over the images on my phone.
Like I said, I'm a geek...now lets deal with it and move on, okay?
Now, less we forget what it is that I am talking about, maybe a tiny little refresher might be in order. You see, I am a big Trixie Belden fan, and have been for nearly 40 years .. close enough that the actual count really isn't an issue. I can place the blame squarely on my paternal Grandmother (THANK YOU GRANDMA!) who gave me a copy of book #18 Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper not too long after it first came out in 1977. She found it at a yard sale, and thought it might be something I would like (we both loved to read).
There was no big fanfare about it...our family showed up one day to visit and she handed it over saying, "here, I thought you might like this." No angels sang, no marching band with twirling batons ablaze marked the moment, but still, a love was born that day.
Zip ahead a few decades and here I am, with a newly-printed pattern in my hot little hands and all my skeins organized and ready to go. I could almost hear faintly in the back of my mind, "Houston, preparing for lift-off in 5...4... 3... 2... 1....."
I'm sure that I haven't quite nearly enough explained how much I love this piece of my childhood (and adulthood, I'm not ashamed to say I still read my Trixie books, in fact, I still have all 34 of the Trixie titles Golden Publishing put out at that time. How many kids can claim to still own an entire series of books from their childhood that their mother didn't make them save? I even still have that very copy that started it all, though I have a duplicate copy to read now so I don't wear out my old one as quickly).
Again, I head off into tangents (and run-on alliterative sentences!)...sorry Houston...where were we on that countdown?
Ah yes...BLAST OFF!
My first few stitches were momentarily confusing (what's with the pale lavender? Did Trixie have a shadow under her eyes that I hadn't remembered?) Still, with each new stitch the excitement grew. My husband sweetly oohed and aahed every time he saw me stitching, but he truly was happy that I was cross stitching again after such a long break (hand tremors...ugh...one of the joys my health tosses at me from time to time).
Only a few days in it was recognizable (to me anyway) what the finished piece would be...everything but those few pale purple stitches...those, I admit, were really bothering me. Sadly, I couldn't deal with them yet as they were securing my foundation stitches...I would have to wait until I had a lot more stitches laid down before I could even think of ripping them out... which I eventually did. It turns out the program read Trixie's blue eyes as a purple and plotted accordingly. I didn't notice when I was buying my embroidery thread, as the pattern had a thin, blue line around one edge of the oval frame, so I saw blue thread and thought "oh, that's for her eyes."
Nope. Thank goodness it was a problem easily corrected later on....wait...more on that in a moment.
In these first few shots you can see her face is quickly taking shape
Even more so now...wow, just going by the photos, the stitches are just flying by!
Wow, that orange is BRIGHT, but its definitely my girl coming through the stitches.
Ugh! That purple is driving me nuts...time for those stitches to GO!
Try to always keep your seam ripper/embroidery scissors handy...you don't want to be a doofus like me and risk ruining all your hard work by using tools like a screwdriver and a full-size, wickedly sharp pair of Gingher scissors! Please note: in any other situation, I cannot praise Gingher's scissors highly enough! They are well worth investing in for your fabric and thread cutting needs!
(not that they need me to sing their praises...they know how amazing they are!)
Whew, glad THAT's over.
Pretty new blues and I love how the colors make her eyes pop!
Now to finish up on the hair and that background
As far as the original pattern was concerned, this was complete, but that cut-off bottom edge looks very sloppy. Unfortunately, the original image that I used had the rest cut off.
And, voila, she is complete! I love how PC Stitch's program allows me to add additional stitches onto the pattern...and, thankfully, for this project it wasn't too hard to continue the shirt, based off the illustration on the back of the book jacket.
So what happens now. Well, as much as I loved doing this piece, I eventually decided before I was finished that I would stitch it again, but this time on a creamy yellow fabric, rather than the black. The black is lovely, but, if you'll look back at the original book cover, the books were printed with a golden shade of yellow backdrop. I think stitching on yellow would just feel more true to the look and feel of the books.
So what about this one? Hmmm...I really don't have any followers as of yet, so offering it as a giveaway would be rather pointless. I'll probably put it up for sale in my Etsy shop or offer it in one of the Trixie groups I am a member of on Facebook. That way someone who likes the piece, but doesn't have the time (I won't say inclination, because how could someone not love cross stitch???) will be able to add it to their collection.
Or maybe I WILL save it for a giveaway...in about a decade when I manage to pay off some people to follow me ;D
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
PC Stitch...oh how I have waited for you...
I have mentioned in other posts my desire to own the PC Stitch program has gone on for much of my life...ever since I saw that first advertisement offering to create a pattern from a picture first crossed my little hands, I somehow wanted it for my own (remember, this was the days before people had home computers).
Through the years those ads just kept coming, from publication to publication, and, each time I came across it I wondered, "what would I want to stitch?"
Would it my current favorite cat (small home in the country, cats had short lifespans between cars zooming around the dirt road curve where we lived and the coyotes in the hills around our home). Would it be one of the goats that we raised from kids? How about our dog?
The older I became, and the more interested I grew in photography, the more my answer changed. Sure, I would still have loved stitching a portrait of our cats (or, better yet, mom's favorite cat from our childhood), and our goat family had expanded, but, by then I was in love with horses. Horses, yes, that's what I would want to stitch, or, wait, the mountain view in front of our home...
I never found the right picture (or, frankly, the huge amount of money they wanted for the service, this being the late 1970's and early 1980's and I, just another young teen too far from the city to get a job, and not enough babysitting gigs locally to save up for much...besides, my allowance usually went to develop the photos from my so-cool 110 camera and buy more film to use in it.
Zip ahead about 3 decades and here I am, an adult (by age definition anyway) with a home computer, a decent job and looking through a cross stitch magazine at the store. Well, hello, there is my old pal, "create your own cross stitch pattern" ad, only this time the ad is telling me I can buy the program itself.
Mind. Blown.
I manage to hold myself together, finish shopping and drive home, keeping to the speed limit as well as I usually do. Haul up the groceries, dump them into the fridge and cupboards and then sign onto Amazon.com.
Oh yeah baby....come to mama.
Two days later it arrives in the mail (thank you Amazon Prime!) My husband helps me install the program and I start taking a look around. The program offers a walk-through tutorial...pretty basic, and offers a new tip every time you open it (though you can shut it off, it does offer some really good information, so I left mine on).
Surprisingly, its not too hard to work your way around, but, I admit, there are options I still haven't quite figured out yet. I never got around to finishing that walk-through (see what I mean when I say I have a problem finishing things?) and instead jumped right into the "LET'S MAKE A PATTERN!" mode.
My younger sisters (16 and 21 years younger)...yep, we're a bit spread out in the all-original parents Zimmerman bunch (though not so all-original now that a few steps stepped in), but I digress. My sisters both had an interest in trying out cross stitch around that time, and were also sharing pictures back and forth of owl designs as a possible tattoo option. One, a very elaborate Ying/Yang of owls was a running favorite.
"Well", I thought, "this could be the project to get them both into cross stitch".
I found a good quality image, translated it into a pattern, ran out and purchased all the skeins needed, floss bobbins (the nice plastic ones, not the cheap cardboard), floss storage containers, Aida cloth in a lovely pale blue, hoops, scissors, needles...everything I thought they could possibly need.
I arrived home, and began assembling my kits...one for each sister and then one for my mother. I happily wrapped them up for Christmas and couldn't wait to see their faces when they opened them.
Well, mom was happy about it, but wasn't sure when she'd have time seeing as she was now into a knitting binge, but she will eventually use it. My sisters were another story altogether. The youngest was probably going to get this tattoo at some point and thought it would be weird to have her future tattoo hanging on the wall, and the middle sister pretty much looked at how much work it would be and asked me if I thought she should start with something a bit smaller and easier?
At that point I realized that starting with a complicated, 50-color piece that would be nearly 9" square on even a decently small thread count was probably not my best choice. I was taking something I knew that I could do, but not taking their skill levels and interests into consideration.
My younger sister moved on to hand-stitching felted animals, and the middle sister happily stitches those trendy little one-liners with a simple one-color image of a pile of poo on it. She likes them because they are quick, are basically her age bracket anyway for humor, and she likes that she can leave it in the tiny wood hoop that she stitched it in, trim the excess and hang it on the wall with no muss or fuss.
Sigh. My first lesson in listening to what people really want and not jumping the gun.
As I never asked the original author for permission to use the image (since it was just going to be used for family), I can't market the pattern until I can track them down and get their blessing... something that I admit I haven't bothered following up on, as every time I see this pattern I remember how classically (and expensively) I blundered.
Someday, yes...but right now? Ummmm.... not sure.
Next I promised to create something I really wanted to do for me...and then work changed. No longer was I an assistant at the office, but now the manager as she had left to chase another opportunity. I was thrust head-first into running a business and, while I understood billing and the day-to-day operations, I was clueless on all the regulation paperwork that had to be filed, multiple state taxes to be done monthly or quarterly, depending on the state, licenses to keep up, new ones to pursue as we expanded into new regions.
I was way over my head, and for the next 20 months my health took a downturn as my hours steadily increased to 50, 60, 70+ hour weeks without break and I was on-call each and every night and weekend. I had a surgery and was taking calls up until the moment they came to wheel me into the operating room, and back answering calls as soon as the anesthesia wore off. I worked from home for 3 days and then went back in, despite my doctor urging me to take at least 2 weeks off.
My health dipped again and I was up for another surgery a few short months later, and that, thankfully, is when I was fired.
After a third procedure a few months after that, my health was at its lowest, and my doctor recommended me for disability...and the government agreed. I had a long history on file regarding the condition of my skeletal system, and now the calcification had not only created bone spurs all over, but was slowly fusing my neck and spine, calcifying my tendons, destroyed my knees and, soon, my hips and leaving chronic, widespread pain in its wake. Unknown spiral fractures were discovered on my arms and legs, proving that I had moved into an area of high-risk fracture with falls.
I became depressed. I did nothing. Sure, I went to my physical therapy appointments as directed, but otherwise I just say and stared at the walls. I stopped reading, I stopped stitching...I pretty much stopped living.
Slowly though I came out of it. I began reading again; wondering why I had ever stopped. My hand tremors were still there, but I could manage some knitting and crochet, though I still grow tired quickly. Eventually I was able to be out of the bedroom and would walk to the living room, where my husband agreed to move my computer, as I hadn't used it in ages. I found a game called Cross Stitch World and began stitching virtually, but it just made me miss the real thing.
I thought about stitching and my lovely program, just waiting for me. Could I try cross stitch again? With water therapy and medication management my hand tremors were less, and only noticeable when I grew tired.
I opened the program and thought hard.
What would my first project be that was just for me.
I thought for awhile, and did random searches of images as things came to mind. I thought back to the one constant thing that I have loved since childhood.
Trixie Belden, teen detective. Much more realistic than Nancy Drew ever was, Trixie and her friends solved mysteries, helped friends and strangers through charitable activities, and Trixie not only wanted a horse, but grew up on a small family farm...just....like....I....did.
Trixie...of course! How could my first-ever just-for-me pattern be anything else?
I found an iconic picture that I liked, used Photoshop to remove the black frame and the blue arc on the right, and let the system do its magic (please note: according to my searches, the image below is no longer under copyright as Random House, the publisher who currently owns Trixie, has not renewed or taken up this image, but rather created a new one for their use)..
I couldn't believe it when I hit PRINT and watched as the pattern slipped into my hands. This was it...this was for real. I could hardly wait to get to the craft store where I would need to buy a whopping 52 colors! 52 colors, I scoffed...this is TOTALLY worth the cost.
And it was.
My next post will go in-depth into the stitching of this piece, but I do have to say a few things about the program itself.
First, I've seen sellers grabbing any non-copyritten image out there (and many that are still under copyright), run it through the program and then toss it online for sale. You cannot do this, and no, I am not going to yell about copyrights, because we all know that its wrong to use someone else's trademarked image without permission.
The reason is that unless you are willing to take into account the size of the original piece, your reduced-size pattern isn't going to have nearly the detail you want. You just can't take a huge Monet canvas, reduce it to a 5 x 7 cross stitch pattern and expect the same amount of detail, and yet I have seen it up for sale and have purchased a couple in the past.
All you are doing is setting yourself up for an upset customer when the time comes to stitch the piece.
Second, you have to review your pattern carefully, which is why I didn't offer the Trixie pattern online until after I had stitched it up. Its a complex pattern with a lot of colors, and, it turns out, PC Stitch LOVES to toss in shading where there isn't any. What do I mean? Well, I took an image with a single-color round "frame" around it, and the program turned it into an impossible 15 shades of blues, purples, greens and yellows! There is a handy function where you can reduce the amount of colors the program originally works up, and its best to utilize it, otherwise you will be stitching a pattern that you bought a brand-new skein for and only use it for 3 unnecessary stitches (true story).
Third, the program isn't really happy about shapes, like rounded edges on the pattern. The Trixie image above had all sorts of jagged edges where one line of the oval would cut in by 8 or 9 stitches for no reason, and then back out again on the next, rather than offer a smooth edge.
Thankfully, this can be taken care of by selecting the color you want and filling in the missing stitches onto the pattern. The above image was cut off on the bottom, rather than give me a complete oval, which looked strange, so I simply painted in the areas I wanted, using the same colors already chosen for the shirt and shadows.
I have to admit, the drawing option is loads of fun to play with,
Fourth, the program likes to "best guess" sometimes. Trixie's eyes are china berry blue, but the program decided the image I used looked more lavender than blue. I hadn't noticed that until I was stitching the pattern and realized the error. Easy enough to correct, and your average stitcher at home can tear out stitches and replace them with what they want, but this shouldn't happen because its wrong on the pattern that they are following.
My suggestions? Start with smaller patterns, or ones that don't take a lot of colors, until you get a better feel for how the program works for you. Play with the draw and erase stitches functions, as they are a joy to play with and you will learn a lot, Definitely play with the backstitch function, as its not the easiest to figure out. Yes, drawing the backstitches isn't too bad, but erasing them if you've made a mistake is a literal pain in the tail. Its one option I wish were easier to deal with in the program, as the edit "go back a step" function will not back you up more than a few steps...if your mistake if well back in the design, its going to take some work to take the incorrect lines out.
Would I recommend this to others? Oh heck yes...its fun and easy to use, once you learn its quirks. Its reasonably priced too...I currently run PC Stitch Pro Version 7 on my computer, but version 11 is now out (ooh, I need to check up on what new stuff they offer) and its $70. Don't let the price tag scare you, because if you just want to create patterns for your own use at less cost, there are other programs out there... just type Cross Stitch Software on the Amazon search bar will bring up several optional programs (KG and Hobbyware) with decent reviews and a lower sticker shock, plus there are older versions of PC Stitch listed for $20-$30.
Whichever program you eventually wind up choosing, I hope that you have fun creating patterns to satisfy the child within yourself.
Through the years those ads just kept coming, from publication to publication, and, each time I came across it I wondered, "what would I want to stitch?"
Would it my current favorite cat (small home in the country, cats had short lifespans between cars zooming around the dirt road curve where we lived and the coyotes in the hills around our home). Would it be one of the goats that we raised from kids? How about our dog?
The older I became, and the more interested I grew in photography, the more my answer changed. Sure, I would still have loved stitching a portrait of our cats (or, better yet, mom's favorite cat from our childhood), and our goat family had expanded, but, by then I was in love with horses. Horses, yes, that's what I would want to stitch, or, wait, the mountain view in front of our home...
I never found the right picture (or, frankly, the huge amount of money they wanted for the service, this being the late 1970's and early 1980's and I, just another young teen too far from the city to get a job, and not enough babysitting gigs locally to save up for much...besides, my allowance usually went to develop the photos from my so-cool 110 camera and buy more film to use in it.
Zip ahead about 3 decades and here I am, an adult (by age definition anyway) with a home computer, a decent job and looking through a cross stitch magazine at the store. Well, hello, there is my old pal, "create your own cross stitch pattern" ad, only this time the ad is telling me I can buy the program itself.
Mind. Blown.
I manage to hold myself together, finish shopping and drive home, keeping to the speed limit as well as I usually do. Haul up the groceries, dump them into the fridge and cupboards and then sign onto Amazon.com.
Oh yeah baby....come to mama.
Two days later it arrives in the mail (thank you Amazon Prime!) My husband helps me install the program and I start taking a look around. The program offers a walk-through tutorial...pretty basic, and offers a new tip every time you open it (though you can shut it off, it does offer some really good information, so I left mine on).
Surprisingly, its not too hard to work your way around, but, I admit, there are options I still haven't quite figured out yet. I never got around to finishing that walk-through (see what I mean when I say I have a problem finishing things?) and instead jumped right into the "LET'S MAKE A PATTERN!" mode.
My younger sisters (16 and 21 years younger)...yep, we're a bit spread out in the all-original parents Zimmerman bunch (though not so all-original now that a few steps stepped in), but I digress. My sisters both had an interest in trying out cross stitch around that time, and were also sharing pictures back and forth of owl designs as a possible tattoo option. One, a very elaborate Ying/Yang of owls was a running favorite.
"Well", I thought, "this could be the project to get them both into cross stitch".
I found a good quality image, translated it into a pattern, ran out and purchased all the skeins needed, floss bobbins (the nice plastic ones, not the cheap cardboard), floss storage containers, Aida cloth in a lovely pale blue, hoops, scissors, needles...everything I thought they could possibly need.
I arrived home, and began assembling my kits...one for each sister and then one for my mother. I happily wrapped them up for Christmas and couldn't wait to see their faces when they opened them.
Well, mom was happy about it, but wasn't sure when she'd have time seeing as she was now into a knitting binge, but she will eventually use it. My sisters were another story altogether. The youngest was probably going to get this tattoo at some point and thought it would be weird to have her future tattoo hanging on the wall, and the middle sister pretty much looked at how much work it would be and asked me if I thought she should start with something a bit smaller and easier?
At that point I realized that starting with a complicated, 50-color piece that would be nearly 9" square on even a decently small thread count was probably not my best choice. I was taking something I knew that I could do, but not taking their skill levels and interests into consideration.
My younger sister moved on to hand-stitching felted animals, and the middle sister happily stitches those trendy little one-liners with a simple one-color image of a pile of poo on it. She likes them because they are quick, are basically her age bracket anyway for humor, and she likes that she can leave it in the tiny wood hoop that she stitched it in, trim the excess and hang it on the wall with no muss or fuss.
Sigh. My first lesson in listening to what people really want and not jumping the gun.
As I never asked the original author for permission to use the image (since it was just going to be used for family), I can't market the pattern until I can track them down and get their blessing... something that I admit I haven't bothered following up on, as every time I see this pattern I remember how classically (and expensively) I blundered.
Someday, yes...but right now? Ummmm.... not sure.
Next I promised to create something I really wanted to do for me...and then work changed. No longer was I an assistant at the office, but now the manager as she had left to chase another opportunity. I was thrust head-first into running a business and, while I understood billing and the day-to-day operations, I was clueless on all the regulation paperwork that had to be filed, multiple state taxes to be done monthly or quarterly, depending on the state, licenses to keep up, new ones to pursue as we expanded into new regions.
I was way over my head, and for the next 20 months my health took a downturn as my hours steadily increased to 50, 60, 70+ hour weeks without break and I was on-call each and every night and weekend. I had a surgery and was taking calls up until the moment they came to wheel me into the operating room, and back answering calls as soon as the anesthesia wore off. I worked from home for 3 days and then went back in, despite my doctor urging me to take at least 2 weeks off.
My health dipped again and I was up for another surgery a few short months later, and that, thankfully, is when I was fired.
After a third procedure a few months after that, my health was at its lowest, and my doctor recommended me for disability...and the government agreed. I had a long history on file regarding the condition of my skeletal system, and now the calcification had not only created bone spurs all over, but was slowly fusing my neck and spine, calcifying my tendons, destroyed my knees and, soon, my hips and leaving chronic, widespread pain in its wake. Unknown spiral fractures were discovered on my arms and legs, proving that I had moved into an area of high-risk fracture with falls.
I became depressed. I did nothing. Sure, I went to my physical therapy appointments as directed, but otherwise I just say and stared at the walls. I stopped reading, I stopped stitching...I pretty much stopped living.
Slowly though I came out of it. I began reading again; wondering why I had ever stopped. My hand tremors were still there, but I could manage some knitting and crochet, though I still grow tired quickly. Eventually I was able to be out of the bedroom and would walk to the living room, where my husband agreed to move my computer, as I hadn't used it in ages. I found a game called Cross Stitch World and began stitching virtually, but it just made me miss the real thing.
I thought about stitching and my lovely program, just waiting for me. Could I try cross stitch again? With water therapy and medication management my hand tremors were less, and only noticeable when I grew tired.
I opened the program and thought hard.
What would my first project be that was just for me.
I thought for awhile, and did random searches of images as things came to mind. I thought back to the one constant thing that I have loved since childhood.
Trixie Belden, teen detective. Much more realistic than Nancy Drew ever was, Trixie and her friends solved mysteries, helped friends and strangers through charitable activities, and Trixie not only wanted a horse, but grew up on a small family farm...just....like....I....did.
Trixie...of course! How could my first-ever just-for-me pattern be anything else?
I found an iconic picture that I liked, used Photoshop to remove the black frame and the blue arc on the right, and let the system do its magic (please note: according to my searches, the image below is no longer under copyright as Random House, the publisher who currently owns Trixie, has not renewed or taken up this image, but rather created a new one for their use)..
I couldn't believe it when I hit PRINT and watched as the pattern slipped into my hands. This was it...this was for real. I could hardly wait to get to the craft store where I would need to buy a whopping 52 colors! 52 colors, I scoffed...this is TOTALLY worth the cost.
And it was.
My next post will go in-depth into the stitching of this piece, but I do have to say a few things about the program itself.
First, I've seen sellers grabbing any non-copyritten image out there (and many that are still under copyright), run it through the program and then toss it online for sale. You cannot do this, and no, I am not going to yell about copyrights, because we all know that its wrong to use someone else's trademarked image without permission.
The reason is that unless you are willing to take into account the size of the original piece, your reduced-size pattern isn't going to have nearly the detail you want. You just can't take a huge Monet canvas, reduce it to a 5 x 7 cross stitch pattern and expect the same amount of detail, and yet I have seen it up for sale and have purchased a couple in the past.
All you are doing is setting yourself up for an upset customer when the time comes to stitch the piece.
Second, you have to review your pattern carefully, which is why I didn't offer the Trixie pattern online until after I had stitched it up. Its a complex pattern with a lot of colors, and, it turns out, PC Stitch LOVES to toss in shading where there isn't any. What do I mean? Well, I took an image with a single-color round "frame" around it, and the program turned it into an impossible 15 shades of blues, purples, greens and yellows! There is a handy function where you can reduce the amount of colors the program originally works up, and its best to utilize it, otherwise you will be stitching a pattern that you bought a brand-new skein for and only use it for 3 unnecessary stitches (true story).
Third, the program isn't really happy about shapes, like rounded edges on the pattern. The Trixie image above had all sorts of jagged edges where one line of the oval would cut in by 8 or 9 stitches for no reason, and then back out again on the next, rather than offer a smooth edge.
Thankfully, this can be taken care of by selecting the color you want and filling in the missing stitches onto the pattern. The above image was cut off on the bottom, rather than give me a complete oval, which looked strange, so I simply painted in the areas I wanted, using the same colors already chosen for the shirt and shadows.
I have to admit, the drawing option is loads of fun to play with,
Fourth, the program likes to "best guess" sometimes. Trixie's eyes are china berry blue, but the program decided the image I used looked more lavender than blue. I hadn't noticed that until I was stitching the pattern and realized the error. Easy enough to correct, and your average stitcher at home can tear out stitches and replace them with what they want, but this shouldn't happen because its wrong on the pattern that they are following.
My suggestions? Start with smaller patterns, or ones that don't take a lot of colors, until you get a better feel for how the program works for you. Play with the draw and erase stitches functions, as they are a joy to play with and you will learn a lot, Definitely play with the backstitch function, as its not the easiest to figure out. Yes, drawing the backstitches isn't too bad, but erasing them if you've made a mistake is a literal pain in the tail. Its one option I wish were easier to deal with in the program, as the edit "go back a step" function will not back you up more than a few steps...if your mistake if well back in the design, its going to take some work to take the incorrect lines out.
Would I recommend this to others? Oh heck yes...its fun and easy to use, once you learn its quirks. Its reasonably priced too...I currently run PC Stitch Pro Version 7 on my computer, but version 11 is now out (ooh, I need to check up on what new stuff they offer) and its $70. Don't let the price tag scare you, because if you just want to create patterns for your own use at less cost, there are other programs out there... just type Cross Stitch Software on the Amazon search bar will bring up several optional programs (KG and Hobbyware) with decent reviews and a lower sticker shock, plus there are older versions of PC Stitch listed for $20-$30.
Whichever program you eventually wind up choosing, I hope that you have fun creating patterns to satisfy the child within yourself.
My First "Borrowed" Pattern
I was going through some old family photos the other day and discovered I actually did have a picture of the first cross stitch pattern I ever took on. Its one that I have described before, where I took a simple pattern of two girls sitting back-to-back, changed the dress colors and shapes a little and then braided embroidery thread into "hair" tied with a floss bow.
I had first spotted this pattern in a catalog called The Stitchery, that used to come addressed to my mother. It turns out that the catalog is still in business, though you can get a much better look now that companies host websites, rather than the old days of seeing a tiny picture, calling the toll free number and ordering over the phone.
As I didn't have a credit card (being around 14 at the time), and with a 14-year old's lack of money in general, I took a magnifying glass and a piece of graph paper and then painstakingly drew out the pattern, adjusting where I liked, and, for a pattern that is fairy basic shapes, this took hours and a lot of eyestrain.
Between things like this and my penchant for late-night reading by flashlight, this is why I now wear bi-focal glasses, and, sadly, I have begun to accept that tri-focals would benefit me better (which is pathetic, as I am only 48, and should have decades of lovely crafty projects yet awaiting me to tackle them, without need for magnifcation!)
But for now, back to my story...
As soon as I had the pattern worked out, I got into my mother's embroidery supplies (lots of colorful skeins, all tangled around one another...not sure what happened there. I wound up eventually "inheriting" the mess and spent several happy days, salvaging as much of the thread as I could, but that's another story), I pulled out the colors that appealed to me, found a piece of Aida cloth that was a suitable size, and dove in.
Original dresses in pink and purple (at least, my memory remembers it used colors I wasn't thrilled about, nor that could be found in mom's eclectic stash). I was really into blue back in the 1980's (when this little caper all went down...statute of limitations should be passed on "borrowing" the pattern, right?) I pulled a lighter blue to represent my best friend, Corine (an adorable little blonde who, I have to say is still adorable now) and then a darker blue for myself (chunky brunette who grew chunkier as the years have passed).
While I like Holly Hobbie, the huge move to homespun girls in big bonnets and no faces always bothered me. I tried sketching smaller bonnets and little faces, but it never looked right, so, I thought, "well why not try giving them hair" to personalize them a bit. Stitched hair looked silly and I was getting frustrated at my lack of skills when it dawned on me to try something different. I pulled thread through, braided it and then tied it with a corresponding thread.
Surprisingly, it looked good, and I liked the depth it brought to the little girls.
It took ages to figure out how best to do backstitch (self taught, make-it-up-as-I-go girls do NOT let silly things like backstitch hold them back)! By the time I finished the project that poem was memorized FOR LIFE. Yes, 34 years later and I can still recite that little ditty:
We've shared so much laughter
Shared so many tears,
We've a spiritual kindship
That grows stronger every year
We're not sisters by birth
But we knew from the start
God put us together
To be sisters by heart.
As soon as it was done my mom had it framed and I then gave it to my best friend. I am pretty sure she still has it, but then, I've never asked. Years later, when she got married, I gave her a stitched piece with Hunca Munca watching over the children sleeping in a basket, figuring it would be darling for a nursery (thankfully, her firstborn was a girl).
Its a total surprise that I would still have this photo lurking amongst my family photos, but maybe not as surprising as I first thought...after all, it WAS my first project, and mom was pretty proud of me for the determination of taking a 3 or 4" catalog photo and making it into reality. She was probably surprised I had a finished project, as I was notorious for not finishing things back then (and yes, even now, depending on the situation), It makes sense that that mom would want to capture the moment.
Regardless of the reasons, I am very happy to see this little gem, and thankful that it doesn't make me cringe in any way. Trust me, I have short stories and drawings from my teenage years that really should be burned,,,not all of them, but the BattleStar: Galactica stories with me saving Starbuck and his smelly cigar from the Cylons are definitely meant for the scrap heap!
So what memories do you have of your first projects?
Friday, September 1, 2017
Free Cross Stitch Pattern - Episcopal Church of the US
Yesterday I got into a chat on FaceBook with a gal about which program I use to create my cross stitch patterns. She had a project in mind and wasn't sure about how to get her pictures converted so she could start stitching.
I asked what image she was wanting to work with, figuring it would be a family picture or pet, or something similar, and asked her to email it to me and I would see what I could do with it. This way she could see what the program could do and decide if it was something she wanted to invest in.
(My thoughts/review about using the program PC Stitch will be posted later this weekend!)
I was surprised when I opened her message that she then said she had TWO projects, and she was including both images.
Oh boy, I thought...I walked right into that one. Being a nice person though I downloaded both files to see what it was I was working with. To my amazement it was nothing I would have ever guessed as my first "commission"..
Turns out her request was to create two patterns for her Episcopal church that she could enjoy stitching, have framed and then donate to hang in the church for all the congregation to enjoy.
Being unfamiliar with these specific religious symbols, I nonetheless found the shield to be a simple image to translate into a pattern, however the cross was another story. That required building from scratch as the program muddled all the lines of the Celtic-style lines on the cross and the lines of the woven rope border.
Challenge accepted.
Honestly, once I started on the cross it was more a matter of removing all the additional shades of blue the program loves to add to a pattern (again, more on that with my next post), and then to create a negative space for the details so the project could be stitched using just one color. Matching up the lines proved to be more trial and error.
Believe me when I say that math (specifically geometry and graphing) were never my strong suit, but I had so much fun with trying to get the final pattern as close to the original image as possible.The requested size (around 5" x 7" on a 16-count cloth) was pretty restrictive, but thankfully, it worked out after a few hours of playing around.
It didn't feel right to accept payment, though one was offered, and it was then that I decided to share them here; the first of many free downloadable patterns I hope to offer. The Shield pattern is stitched with 3 colors (red, white and blue) and the Cross is simply one shade of blue.
My apologies in advance if the colors listed in the patterns are not the exact shades of blue or red that they should be: feel free to pick up the proper colors (or ones more to your liking) when you purchaseyour stitching supplies.
So, if you have a need for these patterns, feel free to help yourself. I do ask, however, that if you share it with others to please not remove my logo or web information. To download a PDF files of the patterns, simply click on the link underneath its corresponding image.
Will I address religion again in the future? Possibly. Its a touchy subject for many, as religion is a vast scope embracing everything from all walks of Christianity to Paganism and even Science these days, and I am not really sure how much demand there is for such a thing. Feel free to comment below if there is anything religious you think I should try tackling in the future, or what other fun project you might want to see offered as a free pattern.
Happy stitching!
Shawna
Friday, August 11, 2017
My love of cross stitch
I now have four cross stitch patterns up for sale in my shop, 3 of which are of my favorite teen detective, Trixie Belden. I am also working on several non-book patterns, and it is so satisfying to be creating again. I am especially thrilled because its CROSS STITCH, which is a craft that I love and adore (cue up the angelic choir). How fun to take an image, transform it into a grid full of mystifying symbols and then follow that lovely crafty road map to create a work of art that can be framed to hang on the wall!
For those who love cross stitch and embroidery, it is a wonderfully relaxing medium that is easily portable and can be done anywhere. After a series of surgeries these last few years (none of which were hand-related, go figure), my hands grew shaky and I wasn't able to stitch, much to my dismay. Thankfully, over time (and with some knitting and crochet "therapy" my shakiness has subsided enough that I can stitch again, though on a slightly larger weave of fabric than I usually prefer. I am certain that, with time, I will once again be stitching away on ever-smaller and daintier weaves, but, for now, I am just happy to be able to stitch in any form.
Its now become my routine to sit quietly in my living room, overhead lamp shining golden light around me as I stitch away, and I find it to be such a serenely satisfying and peaceful way to end my day. There is nothing like the soothing rhythm of pulling thread through fabric repeatedly and watching an image magically being created right before your eyes.
I discovered cross stitch in much the same way I discover anything crafty: I see someone else doing it, figure out how its done and then dive in. With stitching, it was watching my mother when she started a sampler pattern of garden vegetables. She hadn't gotten very far, and her project bag sat in the back of the car one Sunday and throughout Sacrament Meeting I could feel the temptation rising. I tried ignoring it, squelching it down and focusing my attention on the speaker and the lesson, but to no avail... I just HAD to try stitching and waiting simply would not do.
So I did what any young teenage would-be crafter would do: I faked a headache and got mom to allow me to go "rest" in the car for the rest of church. I had to fight to look sick and tired and hurting as I walked to the car, but inside my thoughts were gleefully skipping and giving myself mental high fives.
Not a single guilty feeling for lying, especially on the Sabbath, was in sight.
I studied the pattern for awhile, trying to make sense of it, before making my first few stitches. Thankfully, mom had left her project with a threaded needle already in use, so it made recognizing
where I was in the pattern and figuring out the symbol that that shade of grey-green followed.
I suppose I should take a moment to point out that there is more than one form of cross stitch... there is printed cross stitch, in which a regular piece of cotton has the pattern stamped onto its surface and all you have to do is stitch an "x" wherever x marks the spot on the pattern (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun). Pillowcases, tea towels and the like often come stamped as you wouldn't want to wipe your face on the scratchier Aida cloth that comes woven with holes in it typically used in cross stitch.
Then there is my favorite: counted cross stitch, in which you have a pattern full of lovely symbols (shown above) and a color key, which translates the symbols into specific colors. DMC, which stands for Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie, a French embroidery manufacturer who has become the industry standard worldwide, although you can find conversion charts for other thread companies, such as Anchor, and smaller companies, such as Mill Creek, utilize specialty threads from specific vendors.
Nearly any image can be converted into cross stitch: when I first became interested (mid 1980's), my mother was receiving a membership to a monthly cross stitch magazine (all of which, I have since inherited). In the back were ads offering to turn beloved family and pet photos into personalized cross stitch patterns (the idea of which thrilled me to the bone, though the outrageous $50+ price tags were another story). In the late 1990's that software program became available to the general public, but cost over $350! Not that I owned a computer to use it on, even if I could have scraped together the money to pay for the program.
My first "homemade" cross stitch pattern was one in which I used a magnifying glass to better see a simple pattern offered in a catalog and drawing it out onto graph paper, then picking out the colors I wanted to use out of my mother's small stash. I even adapted it as the original picture of two little girls sitting back-to-back had bonnets on their heads so you couldn't see their hair (all the easier to stitch I suppose). Not liking that idea, I braided brown and yellow floss into braids, tied them with a contrasting thread as "hair ribbons" and had them coming out from under the bonnets: "real" thread braids that hung free from the fabric, adding a depth of dimension the original pattern didn't offer.
Next I pulled out my trusting graph paper and copied a pattern found in an old book for miniature quilts whose color I changed to red and various deep greens to turn them into hanging Christmas ornaments that several family members received for Christmas that year. Those pattern sheets, created in the early 1990's, are still in my cross stitch pattern drawer and I have plans to adapt them once again this year.
The times since have changed. That ever-elusive pattern software that no one I knew could afford became reasonable in the last few years...how do I know? Easy, I now own it. Its a marvelous tool for taking an image and making a pattern, but it still has its own issues, which, thankfully, the program allows you to correct, or to draw your own pattern from scratch. For example, I will be posting shortly about a pattern I am testing that had a section that had to be erased and redrawn in the correct colors, but more on that later.
Its because I learned to draw my own patterns on graph paper that makes it easy to use my cross stitch pattern creator...something I never thought would be handy when I was young and simply copying out patterns because I couldn't afford to purchase. Its funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it?
The best part about cross stitch, to me at least, is the ease at which you can find patterns these days. Thanks to the internet, what was once only found in a magazine or in the pages of a print catalog (with their limited selections to choose from) you can now go to Etsy and find loads of inventive and fun projects to stitch...from simple back-stitched phrases and simple figures, to elaborate landscapes. Google search "cross stitch patterns" and hundreds, if not thousands, of free patterns are available at your fingertips, simply waiting for you to save and print.
If you haven't discovered the joys of cross stitch for yourself, then I highly suggest you give it a try.
For those who love cross stitch and embroidery, it is a wonderfully relaxing medium that is easily portable and can be done anywhere. After a series of surgeries these last few years (none of which were hand-related, go figure), my hands grew shaky and I wasn't able to stitch, much to my dismay. Thankfully, over time (and with some knitting and crochet "therapy" my shakiness has subsided enough that I can stitch again, though on a slightly larger weave of fabric than I usually prefer. I am certain that, with time, I will once again be stitching away on ever-smaller and daintier weaves, but, for now, I am just happy to be able to stitch in any form.
Its now become my routine to sit quietly in my living room, overhead lamp shining golden light around me as I stitch away, and I find it to be such a serenely satisfying and peaceful way to end my day. There is nothing like the soothing rhythm of pulling thread through fabric repeatedly and watching an image magically being created right before your eyes.
I discovered cross stitch in much the same way I discover anything crafty: I see someone else doing it, figure out how its done and then dive in. With stitching, it was watching my mother when she started a sampler pattern of garden vegetables. She hadn't gotten very far, and her project bag sat in the back of the car one Sunday and throughout Sacrament Meeting I could feel the temptation rising. I tried ignoring it, squelching it down and focusing my attention on the speaker and the lesson, but to no avail... I just HAD to try stitching and waiting simply would not do.
So I did what any young teenage would-be crafter would do: I faked a headache and got mom to allow me to go "rest" in the car for the rest of church. I had to fight to look sick and tired and hurting as I walked to the car, but inside my thoughts were gleefully skipping and giving myself mental high fives.
Not a single guilty feeling for lying, especially on the Sabbath, was in sight.
I studied the pattern for awhile, trying to make sense of it, before making my first few stitches. Thankfully, mom had left her project with a threaded needle already in use, so it made recognizing
where I was in the pattern and figuring out the symbol that that shade of grey-green followed.
 |
| A counted cross stitch pattern can be a truly confusing thing to the uninitiated |
Then there is my favorite: counted cross stitch, in which you have a pattern full of lovely symbols (shown above) and a color key, which translates the symbols into specific colors. DMC, which stands for Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie, a French embroidery manufacturer who has become the industry standard worldwide, although you can find conversion charts for other thread companies, such as Anchor, and smaller companies, such as Mill Creek, utilize specialty threads from specific vendors.
 |
| Ah, now the chart makes more sense, doesn't it? |
My first "homemade" cross stitch pattern was one in which I used a magnifying glass to better see a simple pattern offered in a catalog and drawing it out onto graph paper, then picking out the colors I wanted to use out of my mother's small stash. I even adapted it as the original picture of two little girls sitting back-to-back had bonnets on their heads so you couldn't see their hair (all the easier to stitch I suppose). Not liking that idea, I braided brown and yellow floss into braids, tied them with a contrasting thread as "hair ribbons" and had them coming out from under the bonnets: "real" thread braids that hung free from the fabric, adding a depth of dimension the original pattern didn't offer.
Next I pulled out my trusting graph paper and copied a pattern found in an old book for miniature quilts whose color I changed to red and various deep greens to turn them into hanging Christmas ornaments that several family members received for Christmas that year. Those pattern sheets, created in the early 1990's, are still in my cross stitch pattern drawer and I have plans to adapt them once again this year.
The times since have changed. That ever-elusive pattern software that no one I knew could afford became reasonable in the last few years...how do I know? Easy, I now own it. Its a marvelous tool for taking an image and making a pattern, but it still has its own issues, which, thankfully, the program allows you to correct, or to draw your own pattern from scratch. For example, I will be posting shortly about a pattern I am testing that had a section that had to be erased and redrawn in the correct colors, but more on that later.
Its because I learned to draw my own patterns on graph paper that makes it easy to use my cross stitch pattern creator...something I never thought would be handy when I was young and simply copying out patterns because I couldn't afford to purchase. Its funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it?
The best part about cross stitch, to me at least, is the ease at which you can find patterns these days. Thanks to the internet, what was once only found in a magazine or in the pages of a print catalog (with their limited selections to choose from) you can now go to Etsy and find loads of inventive and fun projects to stitch...from simple back-stitched phrases and simple figures, to elaborate landscapes. Google search "cross stitch patterns" and hundreds, if not thousands, of free patterns are available at your fingertips, simply waiting for you to save and print.
If you haven't discovered the joys of cross stitch for yourself, then I highly suggest you give it a try.
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