Hello Stitchers! Today's the day I get to show you what I made for Clair's Stitching on Paper class. Remember the sneak from a couple of weeks ago? I know lots of you loved the sound of more sewing on your pages (genius idea for a class, Clair!) and have been joining the lessons each Saturday and Sunday. If you haven't already checked it out, you need to head over to Obstinate Pursuit to pick up all the tips. You can download the lessons if you follow the links and catch up on quilting, embroidery, stamping, machine stitching and sewing by hand. There is a prize involved too - go, see!
Today is cross stitch day. I used to do quite a bit of cross stitch and I still have the pattern books, so I paged through to find a motif which would fit on my page and I came up with this:
An old cassette to go a page about a little keyring I bought recently. I do old school cool it says and I have nothing to add to that!
Before I show you a close-up, let me remind of the first rule of stitching on paper
- it's on paper, it doesn't have to be perfect! You're already subverting the whole idea, so a bit of added quirkiness only adds to the charm. A couple of my threads are a little bit loose - it definitely is harder to get a nice even tension when you are holding a piece of rip-able paper and not working on fabric in a hoop. But honestly? Once it's on the page, you can't see it
and that brings me to my next thought. I didn't stitch this right onto my background paper. I did it on a separate piece I could stick on when I was finished and satisfied with it. That way, I wasn't going to spoil my entire layout if I lost my concentration and started poking lots of holes in the wrong place!
piercing holes - it might sound obvious to say use a paper piercer. But use a paper piercer.For years I pierced holes with a needle, then I decided to buy a piercer and I'm very glad I did. It does make things easier. I only pierce a few holes at a time, stitch and then pierce some more. It limits the accident potential.
remember that your choice of square size and number of threads you use will affect the look of the finished motif. I wanted an open, modern feel here for an 80's effect - think Madonna's lace fingerless gloves, or a pair of fishnets - so I used big-ish squares. Small neat squares would look neat and traditional.
like any cross stitch it mightn't look like anything until you put the details on. So persevere with the back stitch and watch it come together.
start small - maybe with one cross stitched alphabet letter? You don't even need to stitch the whole thing: let it drop of the edge of your page like you do with an embellishment.
But always remember - I'm going to say it again - it's on paper, it doesn't have to be perfect! So head over to Clair's and see what she has for you, download the pdf's, thread a needle and link up your project. Let's stitch.
What a fabulous idea to combine both crafts. I had never thought of using cross stitch so extensively on a page and now you have me thinking how to incorporate it into my pages!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fantastic. Just love this - unfortunately my cross stitching usually ends up about 3 inches thick with all the knotting and tangling on the back :P
ReplyDeleteOkay, big breath Amy ... don't laugh .... I have never done a cross stitch. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your page look fabulous!
I love this tape design :) I am an avid cross stitcher....its how I came into papercraft in the first place so why I dont use it more on my LOs I do not know
ReplyDeleteAnd very lovely it looks, Sian - and very cleverly designed and neatly executed. I'm not spotting loose stitching anywhere± I've never had a piercer so that sounds like a good idea ...
ReplyDeleteLove the way you have made the cross stitch cassette. Would never have thought of doing that, and I love your tips about making the stitched element on a seperate piece to avoid tears and tantrums if it goes slightly wrong!
ReplyDeleteFab fun page - a LOT of work though!
ReplyDeleteJust wonderful! So exciting to see our old passion used in scrapping!!
ReplyDeleteStill considering finishing some cross stitch projects. Maybe this winter.
ReplyDeleteRinda
Great! I used to do a lot of cross stitching before I got into the scrapbooking! I do add stitching to mympages now and again butninwouldnt have thought of stitching a whole embeliishment like that - it's brilliant!
ReplyDeletemany many years ago i tried my hand at cross stitch. Never thought to incorporate it in a layout.....yours is lovely and looks perfect too x
ReplyDeleteI have done cross stitching in the past and loved it, but I probably took on bigger projects too soon and then never finished them! I still have thougths of bringing it all out in the evening and start again :) Perhaps this will inspire me to.
ReplyDeleteA perfect pattern for your layout Sian :)
A great idea of reviving cross stitch for another purpose. I was explaining to the kids that the first ever tape I bought was by Madness in the early 80's - I'm not sure if they understood what I was talking about!
ReplyDeleteLove it & your key chain. My daughter just bought a cassette case holder for her IPod - too cool!
ReplyDeleteI have stitched on paper and I really enjoy it but I have never cross stitched in my life. You sure are inspiring me to give it a try! Love the old tape reference :)
ReplyDeleteI love it! Now I know what to do with all the left over embroidery threads I have from when I used to do lots of cross-stitch. Your layout looks lovely and the cross-stitch definitely adds to it.
ReplyDeletei love the "old school" look of this! and the texture is amazing. this is a great technique to add an extra punch to any piece of art.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWould never have thought of cross stitching on a LO..it looks really effective!
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
Very cool and I love your pointers!
ReplyDeleteReally really impressive and beautiful :-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks great!
ReplyDeleteI love your new look & am inspired by this post....off to dig out my cross-stitch design books to see what I can use in my next project! :D
ReplyDeletep.s. love that you had 'sfair' as a security word...spooky!!
I love your new look too Sian. I started a tiny cross stitch ages ago, (lodging in the 'to finish' box now) I think looking at your page it was too small for a first try. Thanks for the inspiration to try again on something a little bit bigger!
ReplyDeletefun - in my list of pages to do is one about cassettes, from when Wookie used to make up mixer tapes all those years ago.
ReplyDeleteCute keyring too :)
i am really enjoying this series, and strangely i still have hatful of hollow on tape..............we r twins aren't we?
ReplyDeletejo xxx
Hello! Shame on me for being so far down the list of comments (I did visit early on Sunday, but your post wasn't up then and I had to dash off to meet my dad.) But, it is amazing and it's lovely to read about the page in your own words here - it was so hard to put into words how amazing I felt it was. I hope that came across in my write up!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking part, it's been lovely x
I absolutely love the look, but don't have the patience for cross stitch. But the bigger squares make it look sooooooo funky that you may even entice me to give it a go, or I might cheat and draw in the stitching :-)
ReplyDeleteTHis is so amazing!!! What a fabulous idea! LOVE!
ReplyDeleteWow, your cassette tape looks great! I've only stitched once or twice on a layout; not sure if it's my thing, but I'm willing to try it again just to be sure! :>)
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about getting my cross stitch out again as my boy seems to getting the hang of a needle. I love the little cassette - so cute!
ReplyDeleteThat looks really neat Sian. I'm really thinking I need to get out that cross-stitch project and finish it once and for all. :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm - never heard of a paper piercer I'll have to check that out.