If you caught up last month, you might have seen my previous Tip Time post about navigating your cross stitch kits. This time around however, I’m helping you go from a PDF pattern to your own kit! Of course, the vast majority of this is all self-explanatory, yet if you’re a bit of a novice and aren’t sure where to start, I’ll be sharing my tips on how to ease yourself in to your new project.
As you stitch and gain confidence, you’ll find your own ideal ways of setting up. Over the many years I’ve been stitching, I’ve found my bliss point of doing so. Of course, you don’t have to follow my little guide here, but if you’re new to stepping away from the kits, it might offer you a little dingy if you need it.
Let’s Get Started…
First, I’ll grab my colour chart and head to my large kit and pick the colours I need. As I’ve usually got a few WIPs on the go, I’ll highlight the ones that are taken from other kits, so if I think I’ve lost a colour, I’ll check my other charts and then realise it’s in another box. Again, this makes sense to me, but I appreciate it might not to others!
It’s a little messy in there right now, as I’ve got colours taken out from other kits, hence why some are all over the place!
Once my colours are in order and tucked into a thread box, I’ll put a couple of mini highlighters in there, spare needles, a few quilting clips (as I roll up my loose aida and clip it up so it’s not in my way), a little pair of scissors and a lip balm. There’s got to be a lip balm. I usually throw a Sharpie in my kit bag to mark off with, too.
This kit is one of my rogue ones that has three patterns worth of colours in, hence why they’re all seperated. If you’re in the exciting beginning stages of learning a new craft, it might be a little easier to just have one pattern’s worth of bits and bobs in your storage at one time.
Next, I’ll find my centre stitch on the pattern and highlight it in a different colour than the colour I’d be using for the current symbol I’d be working on. This way, when I’ve got my kit and hoop ready, I can just get going, rather than have to stop and figure that out again.
Sometimes to make it that little clearer, I’ll go around that stitch with a pen, just to make it a little bolder.
I personally prefer and seem to work better from a printed black and white chart; I find it easier to break things down and cross sections off as I go as sometimes, especially as I’m currently unable to stitch as much as I’d like to. Of course, I can track my progress by looking at my WIP, yet seeing how much I’ve got ‘left’ on page 2 of 5 for example, gives me a good gauge of where I’m at even moreso, especially if I’ve moved my hoop so my fabric is practically empty.
When that’s all set up, I’ll have another look at my pattern and highlight in another colour any big chunks of a different symbol. I do this to not only keep track and focus on one section, but if I take my kit anywhere, I don’t need to worry too much about having to stop and highlight further. Or if I’ve got a somewhat large piece, I’ll just take those colours out with me, so it’s even easier for me to get working.
Finally, I go back to my centre colour, thread up and start stitching!
Now, I know there’s a bit of back and forthing here, but that’s what works best for me. Like I said, we all find our own rhythms and best ways of doing things, but I honestly think that crafting is a joy and spending a little more time getting set up so you can focus solely on stitching, really is time well spent in my book.
Kit Upkeep
As you continue with this craft, you might become like me in the sense of having a larger kit that you pull from, rather than always having a full skein to work with from the top of a project. I always think it’s worth having a bit of a reccy and a check-in at points in the project. For example, I love taking my WIPs away with me, but before I pack, I check any colours that I’m running low on and if I am, I’ll grab a skein from my little stockpile or buy myself one from the warehouse.
Again, you don’t have to do this, but I used to find it super frustrating when I needed one colour in my stash and I had to look through an entire tray, only to find I didn’t have it anyway.
I spent a little time creating a table and logging the ‘stock’ I had. When I remove them, I just tick them off my sheet – easy! Orrrrrrr….. I tick it off and scribble it out because I didn’t actually need it.
Whoops.
Errors or not, I’ve found this the easiest way of keeping track of my extras and when I do need to remove any, I can easily see what I need or don’t have.
I do think there’s nothing worse than almost bringing your project to completion on holiday and being just shy of a bit of thread. For this reason alone, I’m all about the double check! If you’re thinking about travelling with your projects, Alex has some great tips HERE, but always remember if flying, to check the aircraft’s rules and regulations regarding sharper objects – so maybe have a think before taking your favourite vintage pair of scissors!
I hope you found these little tips useful! Do you have any particular ways of getting started with your kits, cross stitch or otherwise? Let us know by tagging us in your posts using #MyTipTime and we’ll share some of our favourites.
Happy crafting!
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