Category Archives: Postgrad Study

Before I get to the next set of questions… the exam went well. It was a satisfying exam, in that it was solid and comprehensive, and I think I performed well on all the sections. I am so pleased to be on a break now though. With any luck, next semester should be less horrible than this.

In other business, for Cathy, here’s a pic of my Storyteller. I’ve done a little bit more since this picture was taken – backstitching the top border – which gives it wonderful definition. After the Annual stitchalong (this weekend), I’ll take another picture.

And now to the next batch…

6. What is your favourite stitched piece?
Um er… well, I described WFS as my favourite WIP recently, and that will probably be my favourite when finished. But for the time being, my favourite finished piece would probably be Celtic Christmas. I don’t have a good deal of finished pieces yet 🙁 … soon.

7. What is your favorite fabric?
Quaker cloth. It’s 55% linen, 45% cotton, has the appearance of 100% linen, but is a fraction cheaper, and in my opinion, nicer to stitch on (a softer handfeel). It’s also what I’ve been doing my hand-dyeing on, and I’m very happy with the results – a little more subtle than 100% linen.

8. What is your favorite fiber?
I’m not sure I really have a favourite fiber. I love to stitch with silks, but the designs I stitch don’t call for silks much, which I’m fine with, due to the extra cost. Variegated cottons are fun, I like trying to predict how the variegations are going to fall. And although metallics are sometimes a pain to stitch with, I love the result. Of the metallics, Rainbow gallery petite treasure braid is my all time favourite, it is simply lovely to stitch with, and has a beautiful shine to it.

9. What is your favorite needle?
According to my records from the last 2 times I bought needles, Piecemaker Needles tapestry #26! I do have some #28s, but they’re mostly too fine for my liking. I think I also have some John James needles hanging around. I use Beading Needles (size #10) for beading, the ones I have are blunt-ended, not sharp. They go through delicas, and most Mill Hill beads. I hate the really fine, supersharp beading needles, that’s just a recipe for disaster in this house!

10. Do you prefer black & white or colored charts?
Black and white, hands-down. Colour charts, ick, ack, euw :yuk:

{still to be continued…}

At the exact time this blog entry is posted, I will have just started reading time for the Intelligent Web Systems exam. How is this so? I love this tricky little feature – just alter the timestamp of the post, Publish, and the post will show up after the given time. Nifty!

Anyway, I’m pinching the 25 Questions about Stitching from Belinda’s blog (among other places). I don’t plan to fill my blog with memes, but I think since it’s primarily a stitching blog, these questions are probably worth answering, just so you know. But I’m not going to do them all at once, oh no. Five at a time… you’ll just have to come back to read the rest of the answers later :giggle:

1. How old were you when you started cross stitching?
When I was 12 or 13, my Aunt gave me a stamped cross stitch kit (I know – :yuk:). It was a daisy pattern, to be made up into a cushion. That was also my first colour conversion – I’m not that crazy about oranges and yellows, so I changed them for pink and purple. Amazingly enough, I believe I finished that project… I’ve no idea what happened to it since though.

2. Who taught you to cross stitch?
I did! Well, I guess the instructions did, but nobody specifically showed me how to make an x.

3. What inspired you to begin cross stitching?
After that stamped kit, I was an on-again-off-again stitcher until about 4 years ago. Mainly because I picked too-hard charts. I bought Teresa Wentzler’s Spring Carousel Horse, and later, Mirabilia’s Garden Verses and Winter Queen. None really qualify as beginner designs, and while I had big ambitions, I just didn’t have the patience for these big designs. Finally, at 25, stressed-out by work, I found some freebies on the ‘net (Ellen Maurer-Stroh) , and took it up as relaxation. I found TW’s freebie Stretch around the same time, and subsequently the TWBB, and ebay, and… well, you get the idea. My stash came into being, and I have never looked back.

4. What has been your most difficult cross stitch piece?
So far, I would have to say Stretch. I know he’s only small, but for me it was the first time doing loads of fractionals, and blends. My most difficult in progress is TWs Storyteller, for the same reasons, but on a much bigger scale.

5. Do you have friends that stitch?
I introduced Mum to cross-stitching after she became interested in surface embroidery. Her fabric stash is a great resource! I have 2 friends who stitch – but one is in the UK now, and the other doesn’t get a lot of stitching time, so no SAL-ing for me (other than with online friends).

{to be continued…}