Crafting Geeky: Damnit Jim!

Home Sewing is Easy by Sally Sititch http://muppin.com/wordpress/index.php/2012/04/

Etsy is a cross-stitcher’s best friend, if you don’t mind paying a few dollars here or there for patterns. I decided to move on to an actual pattern as designed by someone else with all the details laid out, maybe I would get my spacing right (spoiler alert: I didn’t). Searching the multitude of patterns on Etsy, I settled on a Star Trek themed one for my good friend. Specifically, I knew that she loved Bones, so this pattern was beyond perfect. I went to my local Michaels to pick up the colours I didn’t have and bought some 14 ct aida cloth to replace the horrible paper. After putting together a 4-piece rectangular wooden frame, I was ready to start.

TIP!

I learned a new trick from my mom. Well, new to me. Stitch a cross section in the middle with a bright color, leaving the ends loose to pull out after completion, so that you can more easily keep the spacing correct (ha).

 

This pattern is mostly text but it is on a much larger scale than my previous projects and includes my first image, a blue Star Trek Insignia. The text uses more black than I can imagine, but seeing the larger, bolder letters come together gives me all sorts of excitement.

I work in the quadrants I have set up with the bright red, normally working from right to left, top to bottom. I’m not entirely sure why I work this way, it seems a bit backwards. But my mother told me this is how it is done, and I can’t defy her expertise. The first quadrant looks amazing, I am so pleased and hey, the spacing is so perfect it brings tears to my eyes! I now understand that free-handing stitching just isn’t my thing and established patterns are where it’s at.

The top left quadrant turned out perfect again, fantastic! Now to start on the bottom. Count twice, all seems well, continue to do my thing. A few letters into it I realize that not only is the spacing from the top section off, somehow the spacing in relation to the centre line is off too! I recount again and again and I honestly can’t find where I went wrong. It really doesn’t change the look of the piece, it just bothers me. I finish the bottom left quadrant with no issue and move onto the image.

I have to admit, I really thought stitching would be faster. My first two projects were pumped out relatively quickly, but I honestly thought these were things that could be completed in a week tops. Perhaps if I wasn’t working full-time I could have, but as a hobby it was taking more time than anticipated. My original goal was to have homemade Christmas gifts for everyone. Once this project is complete, I will have two. And this image really slowed me down. I got so used to stitching text that I didn’t realize just how slow filling in each and every space would be. I think half my time was spent filling in the blue. I do like the look of imagery better though, I want to focus on that more going forward.

Somewhere towards the end of this project, my friend (the intended giftee) randomly texted me while I was stitching and said if we were characters on the original Star Trek series, I would be Kirk and she would be Bones. I actually squeed as I was stitching; I couldn’t wait to give this to her.

Damnit Jim! I'm a doctor not a...
Damnit Jim! I’m a doctor not a…
Series Navigation<< Crafting Geeky: Oh My God Becky…Crafting Geeky: Clench Up Legolas >>
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Adrienne Marie

Adrienne Marie

Wannabe Editor, Reluctant Author, Cross Stitch Enthusiast, Hawk-man/girl/eye Fanatic, Number One Fan of Hall and Oates.

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