Apologies for my complete lack of inactivity..again! *looks up at her 1,379 deviations, 1,112 messages and shudders*
I have a good reason this time! My watchers will have noticed the theme of my most recent polls..stitching. I've been working on little embroidery projects now and again since small. A few years ago I bought a Dimensions Gold kit.. the best quality cross stitch kit I've ever seen. Dimensions Gold range are well worth the money. I will eventually finish it one day.. check out my progress here. It's a huge project and a little daunting at times; you can see the size on the frame..and that's only a fraction of the canvas, the rest is rolled around the frame. The chart is printed on A3 paper..it's a whopper. That was my only project until a few weeks ago when a friend of mine became pregnant. She had a little girl in January, and by then I'd managed to put together a little card for her. She adored it and it spurred me on to sew some more. Since then I've been gathering more craftie books about me, I've nearly finished some daffodils for a card, I've got a teatowel with an aida band lined up, followed by a baby's bib, a coaster and some more cards.

There is a point to this journal, I'm not just rambling.

Another friend of mine is expecting (something in the water, huh?), unclear on gender so far, and I'm looking to embroider her a wee bib for the baby. My problem is finding charts. I have the bib, I can get the threads, I've got a picture I want to embroider on, but I cannot for the life of me make a pattern. My mother bought me some pattern making software which is -great- for large projects, but when it comes to teeny ones it throws a wobbler. It's only a short aida band on this bib, about 7.5 inches by 3 in total, so less for stitching area. I think it's 14 count, although I'm not sure.

a) does anyone have any advice on making my own pattern?
b) does anyone know of any decent free software for making a pattern?
c) does anyone have a pattern with a teeny piggie, chicken, sheep, turtle or bunny? Can't be more than 3 inches high.
d) does anyone have some valium?

Patterns don't have to be cross stitch, I've been looking up other stitches recently. On my holiday last august I found a little treasure, dating back to the 1930s, Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches by Mary Thomas. And a store with books for £1-£3 instead of their RRP of £14. I LOVE Poole. So far I've mastered lazy daisy stitch and chain, double running stitch, back stitch, algerian eye stitch, french knots (damn, they're buggers to do), blanket stitch, herringbone stitch (another which took me a while..but now I can even turn corners!), fan stitch (beautiful), upright cross stitch, star stitch and how to whip some. Really having fun, when my list of projects comes to an end I'll be trying a sampler. Hoping to attempt hardanger and embroidery onto clothing etc.. once I figure out what I need to do with regards to stabilisers, backing, etc.

Off on another tangent now, I've been wanting to design a decent CSS layout for my journal, mine is the most boring owned by a subscriber..ever. I'd appreciate ideas and any guides for dummies that people can find. I have a -basic- understanding of CSS, it's more the graphics that are my current nightmare. And inspiration. It's -horrible- trying to be an artist when you have no real taste and a constant block.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help with the stitching problem. I need to get this finished by september and I'm a slow sewer thanks to arthritis.




Yes.. I'm watching you.

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