Craft: Moreta cross stitch, just finished (again)

[Priscilla]

I did the full version of this cross stitch pattern quite a few years ago. Then, I did this portion as a gift for Anneli when Jeff and I spent those wonderful weeks at her home. I "said" I'd never do it again, but how often do we say that and end up eating those words!? Here it is, and this time it's mine, all mine. The first thing I've ever sewn for myself, after almost 25 years!

[Becky]

Wow!!! Great job Cilla!!! So how many needles do you have going at once? It looks like you work your way across line by line. When I do my cross-stitch I work each color in full then go to the next color.

[Priscilla]

I do it in blocks of 100 stitches (ten across - ten up), starting (usually) at the bottom left and going across. I used to do it all the way across by one row at a time, but that felt like it took sooooooo long! I don't think I could do each color completely, it would be too hard for me to follow all the little boxes across the whole pattern! Have you pictures of what you've done? I'd love to see!

[Cheryl]

Looks great, Cilla! Nice even stitches. It's been forever since I last x-stitched...

[Topaz the Golden]

WOW!!!! It's beautiful Cilla. I don't have the patience to do it. I wonder if I can do it as a hook rug.

[Priscilla]

Thanks for fixing the picture for me, Cheryl! And, thanks for all kind comments. I figured out that just this portion of the picture has over 20,000 stitches in it!

[Hans]

It looks fabulous, Cilla! You may be proud of yourself!

[Anneli]

*chuckles* Glad you finally did one for yourself, Cilla, but I'm equally glad I don't need to look for this thread to see it *looks up and to the left on the wall above her computer and gloats*

[Lady Maelin]

Cilla, I have to agree, its time you kept one of your treasures to hang on your own wall. This one is just fantastic to see, especially since I have got to see it in progress... and it makes my head hurt to think of keeping track of all those thousands and thousands of stitches....ugg.
I am also very privillaged and honored to have two of your incredibly beautiful creations hanging on my own walls, that I can and do enjoy each and every day. Thank you dear friend for all your hard work, for your friends...and for those fans of Anne that have also be priviledged to see them.

[Priscilla]

Thanks, I really am glad I made this at last.

Maelin, it isn't that hard keeping track, just one stitch at a time - by the thousands!

Anneli, I'm so glad I picked this piece to make for you, it made it "possible" for me to re-create it for myself. Hooray for a little "gloat" once in a while!

[Brenda]

What count fabric did you use?

[Priscilla]

I had to go measure. It's 16 count. I'm just starting a little project for a friend at the KT who wanted me to try and make him an "emblem" from Dr. Who to put on a beret. The way my cross stitch program set it up I'm using 22 count fabric in order to make the emblem as close to the size as he wants. I'm always stitching. Someone said to me this morning that it's like an addiction, and I suppose in a way it is.

[r2005]

That is gorgeous.

I know how to x-stitch, but I've never done anything that complicated.

[sjslack]

I tried getting a free program that converts pictures to cross stitch, but it wasn't very good.

-Makes grabby hands at this- It's absolutely wonderful...the patience you must have boggles the mind. xD

[Priscilla]

I don't think I've seen a free program. I used to have one that Tony gave me and I used it several times, but when we moved it got lost. So, I asked my husband to buy me the latest version, and I've found it creates pretty nice patterns. Of course, this Moreta pattern comes from Cathiescupboard.

I seem to have a lot of patience, or maybe not enough "brains" to realize this sort of thing is mind numbing! I listen to my favorite CD's while I sew and the time just sort of slips by.

Thanks, but I'm afraid no "grabby-hands" this time. Mine, all mine!

[GinnyStar]

Very Nice.
I have one of the Lion King (r) I had a friend of mind do for me, I can not see well to do it. All now I need it a frame, There is another one I think at my dad's place. I don't know when I get time to put it up "sigh"

[Becky]

Cilla, I don't have the piece here at home that I'm working on now. I do it at work on my lunch hour. So basically for a half hour a day, 5 times a week. I did take time out from my pansy piece to do a ladybug piece for my granddaughter. She's got ladybug bedding for her crib and we're finding ladybugs on all her clothes! I was surprised to find ladybugs on so many clothes.

Here's a closeup of the ladybug, I do have a pic of it. It's about 5x5 inches in size.

Here is a picture of the completed kit. I was a bit upset that it's a stamped cross stitch and not counted, but I ADORE pansies so had to have it! And the stamped bit isn't as easy as it seems as it's hard to see the lines on the fabric at times, so you need to go from the paper printed key for the floss colors.

There are about 5 shades of green and I'm about ready to start the last one which is the lightest shade. Then I'll FINALLY get to start on the colors! I don't do blue much in my house so I'll be changing most of the blues to a shade of purple that has a lot of blue in it so it still goes with the bluish color of the fabric.

I will post a picture of the completed project, tho at the rate I'm going that will be next year sometime. But it does give me something to do with my hands.
I do wish I could spend more time on it, but with little Abby around in the evenings I'm busy with her.

[Lady Maelin]

Here is one of my most treasured collection pieces...done for me, this last year... by my very dear friend Cilla. Sorry that the photo is so bad...but where it hangs is not great for light in photos.
Thank you again Cilla...for this wonderful gift

[Hans]

WOW and WOW again, that in cross stitch is a helluva lot of beautiful work! Cilla, this is marvelous work and to be the recipient of it is a great honour, Maelin

[Priscilla]

That lady bug is adorable, Becky! I've done some kids' things too. My daughter is a big fan of Tigger, so I did her a Tigger and Pooh that she still has hanging in her room. Oh, my. Those pansies are beautiful and will be a LOT of work. I'll be waiting to see the end result!

[Sandi]

A heartfelt to all who are capable of such wonders! I played with knitting and embroidery long years ago but haven't been very crafty in recent years.

[Lady Maelin]

Here is a scan of the other cross-stitched treasure that Cilla created for me...I have yet to get it mounted and framed..but at least I was able to scan, so that you could see it better this way.

[GinnyStar]

To all the working doing crosstich Wow! If I can find the once I was talking about I have to see if I can show off some of my friends and a crafty grandma work some thime

[Allana]

Wow, all of these are so great! I've decided after a long break (busy with school/work) to finally start cross stitching again. All I have to do now is wait for my floss to come in. I'm going to be ambitious and try Theresa Wentzler's Celestial Dragon. I may want to shoot myself for this choice later, though.

[Priscilla]

A Wentzler? Whew. You have courage! They are gorgeous, though. I "think" this picture I did almost 15 years ago is one of hers. It took me nearly 5 years to complete. Nearly every stitch is a combination of two different colors. It about drove me crazy, but when I gave it to my son? He LOVES it!

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...t=IMG_0988.jpg

[D. M. Domini]

Those are lovely! I've never been fond of cross-stitch...probably because the subject matter I've usually seen has never hooked me. But I find I like cross-stiched dragons and Helva just fine!

[Priscilla]

I know just what you mean. I've seen some absolutely awful patterns in catalogs, stuff I wouldn't give house room to, let alone take the time to stitch. However, now that I have a program to make my own patterns, the sky is nearly the limit.

[Becky]

Cilla......you are a wonder worker!! I LOVE Maelin's special pieces! Doing Helva was the perfect thing for her and then to do her own art work! Ya done good! The Wentzler is beautiful! Great work, Cilla!

Imagine the pansy work as just the green areas. I'm just starting the lightest shade of green, actually today. I'm very eager to start a different color, even tho switching shades of green has made it not quite so boring. I did the ladybug hoping for a break, but as you may have noticed, there are several shades of green in it too! But even tho the green has been getting a bit old I'm keeping the wonderful colors that are coming foremost in my mind to help me get thru the greens. If I remember to bring it home I'll take a pic of it in the green phase tho.

[Shalyn]

Those are all beautiful, Cilla.

I can't see the Wentzler though - I'm getting an error that Photobucket is down for maintenance. Maybe later.

[Priscilla]

I'd love to see it, Becky.

It was a lot of fun doing that Helva for Maelin and I was amazed at how eery (is that how you spell that?!) it turned out. Right up to the last, I wasn't sure how it would look, but once it's done you can truly see the woman's face, which I didn't think was coming through.

Thanks, Shalyn. Photobucket seems to be okay again, for me at least.

[Becky]

I too have found with the pansy that I wasn't sure that what I was doing would look right, like ivy leaves. But as I've added each shade of green I'm seeing them.
I'd love to see your floss collection, Cilla! All the tiny sections of different shades of a color are what make your pieces so special. Even one little stitch done in a slightly different shade makes a huge difference.
And, since you asked, I think it's spelled eerie. (but I could be wrong!)

[Priscilla]

I don't really have a floss "collection". More like many, many large ziploc bags - one for each project, filled with multiple smaller ziplocs of up to 10 colors per bag, depending on how many colors the project consists of.

[Lady Maelin]

Becky...your pansy cross-stitch is so very lovely. After your very generous gift of the Santa ornament that you sent to me, I know just how perfectly you do your work. So I know the pansy's will look fantastic decorating your walls, and in the far future your Daughters and then Grand-daughters.

[Allana]

Priscilla, Yes, that is a Wentzler, a very beautiful one! That's the first one I ever did. The horrible part is I lost it when I moved out of my parents' house (although my sneaking suspicion is that my mom kept it on purpose).

[chrysalis]

The very first counted cross-stitch I ever did was of a dragon. It took 5 years (working on it off and on). Anyone that got the AMCF calendar saw it as the January picture.

The framer at Michaels thought I was nuts for the type of frame I chose. He changed his tune when he saw the finished product. Of course they told me after the framing was completed that I should have stitched my name in the bottom corner. I'm going to do that from now on though.

I just realized I can't post pictures here.

[chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Priscilla

A Wentzler? Whew. You have courage! They are gorgeous, though. I "think" this picture I did almost 15 years ago is one of hers. It took me nearly 5 years to complete. Nearly every stitch is a combination of two different colors. It about drove me crazy, but when I gave it to my son? He LOVES it!

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...t=IMG_0988.jpg

I have the exact same dragon picture in my stack of "to-do" crafts. I haven't worked on anything for the past 5 years because of school. I recently graduated with my MBA so now I can do my crafts in my spare time. Right now I'm working on a picture for my husbands cubicle at work. It's a bass with the words Gone Fishing. He loves to fish so I thought it was appropriate. The next one I'll do for him is a saying: "Genuine Antique Person. Been there, done that, can't remember." He's 11 yrs older than I am so it's appropriate.

[Becky]

Ok, I actually remembered to bring home the stitchery! So here are a few pics of it.

I use a hoop and work one color in full before going to the next color. I've used black and am on the 4th shade of green. There's a dark green that's almost black and they get lighter. I'm on the lightest shade now. The background color is a light blueish color and there is a lot of grey printed on the background and also a brighter blue color. I don't particularly care for blue and will change some of the blue colored pansies to a more purpleish shade of blue to help it go with my home a bit better.
I just hope my finished product is as nice as the picture on the front of the kit.

[Priscilla]

That is gorgeous! What a tremendous lot of work! Wow!

Tell me. Do you always work with a hoop? I've never gotten the hang of it. I sometimes wonder if it makes it easier on the hands? Mine get tired occasionally.

Looking again. That looks like a stamped pattern, but not like one I'm used to. Do you also have a pattern "page" that you are following as well? I can't wait to see the finished picture (bet you can't either?! )

[Priscilla]

I just finished this little piece for Jayson at the KT. He wanted it as a "patch" for a Dr. Who gather (I believe) he's going to. It took longer than I'd thought, about 5 days. I wanted it to be small for what he needed it for, so I did it on 22 count fabric. The end product is about 5 inches long by about 2 inches high. Teensy, tiny stitches! Came out okay, now if I knew what it meant?

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...t=DrWho002.jpg

[bisbe]

You all are so talented!
I don't have the patience to do it.