Something I've been working on - that isn't glass!

Some years ago I started a cross stitch....ok, for anyone who really wants the dreadful truth, it was a little over 9 years ago. This was a kit I had literally fallen in love with & lusted after.

Mum, being the wonderful enabler that she is, talked my Dad into getting it for me for Christmas.
That in itself was no mean feat as my Dad had a huge distrust of giving his credit card details over the phone & would just never allow it to be done. However, this kit had to be ordered from Australia & Mum, being determined that I was going to have this somehow, managed to talk him into making an exception for his little girl.

I clearly recall seeing it for the first time, after unwrapping it on Christmas Day & not being able to wait to get it started! In the meantime I just had to satisfy myself with a thorough exploration of the kit contents.

Pharaohs Pet by Couchman Designs - Chart

I duly started it in the evenings when babies were asleep & very quickly realised that I was not at all happy with the blue used for the 'night sky', however I plodded on. When I got bored with working on the sky I would work on part of the cats body. I was excited to be doing my first (& probably only) animal themed cross stitch after years of flowery designs, or delicate ladies.

The more I worked the sky, the more I realised that I really didn't think I could live with the colour. I know that the style of the design is representative rather than realistic, but it still didn't sit right with me.Rather than a nice inky navy blue, the floss used was a brighter royal blue (DMC-797 for those who know about such things). Eager to get to the face & eye's, knowing that a cross stitch really comes 'alive' once those are completed I kept on going.
Of course in true 'Deb' fashion once those were complete, I let the sky colour put me off....completely! The thought of undoing all that stitching in the icky blue that wasn't dark enough really got to me, so away it went.

The good news is that somewhere during the last few weeks I seem to have misplaced my 'anal perfectionist in everything I do' tendencies (but that is a whole different post, all about how perfectionism inhibits & holds you back!!). A couple of weeks ago I dragged "Pharaohs Pet" out & decided that of all the cross stitch UFO's I have, I really do want to finish this one.
I only get to stitch 4 hours per week if I'm lucky - but I will see this project completed.

Simply - because I can.

"Pharaohs Pet" Progress

The area outlined in blue is essentially what has been completed since revisiting this project, as of a week ago.

The Start

Miss 14 made a start on her cross stitch that I meant to post at the time.
In the rush & bustle of the last couple of weeks.....I forgot.
Call it Mothers Memory if you will!

Anyway here is the 'start of her project'.

Appropriately dressed, as any self respecting stitcher would be, in a Fall Out Boy T shirt accompanied by a stunning Santa hat resplendent with flashing lights, she studiously sets to the task at hand.

A few hours later & we have the beginnings taking shape.

I must admit that she has done remarkably well. Over three sessions I watched her progress from getting me to check every single stitch was in the right pace & in accordance with the chart....to being confidant enough to start, take every stitch & finish off a colour all by herself.

Teenage Angst

Ahh the 1st of December & down here in the southern hemisphere we head full on into Summer...... & the silly season.
Today was officially the first day of Summer - so why am I wearing jeans, a t shirt & a jersey? Grey, cloudy, overcast & a smattering of rain later in the day - it kind of suited my mood & the child I have been trying to deal with.

Fourteen is a tough age & often it is difficult to get through to fourteen year olds "don't sweat the small stuff", but to watch as ones child becomes progressively less enthusiastic about everything they have previously enjoyed can leave a parent with a feeling of utter helplessness. It's often difficult to say the right thing - because you can almost guarantee it is going to be the wrong thing as far as they are concerned.

I've watched helplessly as my teenager has turned from a relatively stubborn & independent child into a tearful mess. However I have also discovered things about her - when she is not busy being stubborn, she is far more open to suggestion.

I have a plan, the plan is distraction. I suggested to her that finding a new interest might be a good idea to take her mind off of things & learning a new skill always makes one feel good about themselves. Jokingly I offered to teach her to knit! After I'd received the "You must be kidding" look, that only a 14 year old can give with such utter shock at one even having suggested such a 'Nana' thing, I offered her some time at the torch & may have even implied that she could pretend the glass was those that had hurt her, as she introduced it to the flame.

Miss 14 wasn't fussed on that idea either, but a visit to her Nana's house & receiving the same plan of learning something new resulted in her pointing at a framed needlework hanging there & saying "I've always wanted to learn that".

Well, knock me over with a feather!!!! In my past life every spare moment I had was spent stitching - both my boys & the girls have grown up watching me stitch daily....& never once had she shown any interest in what I was doing - let alone inclination to try.

Buy hey - it was an easy solution, I have a stash of patterns, fabrics, floss & kits that should be deemed illegal! So we sorted out a chart that she'd like to attempt & she happily agreed that I would show her how it was done on one of my existing stashed away WIP's. Today I shall pull the fabric & the floss for her, tomorrow we will hopefully start.

The Chosen Project

Of course I am left sitting here wishing that I had actually purchased a certain chart that I was about to buy - right as I downed needlework tools in favour of a torch & glass.

From the day I first saw Martina Weber's "The Egypt Garden" in her Mandala series, published originally as one of her mystery projects, over 4 years ago I have wanted to do it.

The Egypt Garden

Of course I'd happily settle for Water Garden, Knot Garden, Persian Iris garden, Alhambra Garden, Oriental Harem Garden, Pompeji Garden or the new Hawaiian Mandala - but the Egypt Garden was my first love. I know a friend did get this chart a couple of years back after hearing me rave about it & showing it to her (probably more than once - lol!), so maybe I'll go for another choice if I decide that I really want to complete one of these before they become a 'no-go' for my eye's.

Cross Stitch Lacing - & the ethics of charging for a Tutorial.

For now this is just sitting up here for now, while I decide what to do. The recent surge of lampwork artists putting out tutorials got me to thinking.
Now I know that lampworkers aren't the only people that put out tutorials - a quick search on Etsy - showed me over 1539 tutorials ranging from $3.00 upwards. There are tutorials available for everything & I do mean everything.

This particular tutorial I produced about 3 1/2 years ago. I had become tired of trying to explain with words alone, to a group of stichers I was involved with, how to correctly lace a cross stitch or any piece of needlework in a manner suitable for conservation framing. All the time I was being asked 'why do you do this a certain way' - & 'how do you do that bit again'.

There had been a lot of discussion at the time about methods of mounting needlework.
Many had been informed by framers that it is ok to staple, glue, pin permanantly or do whatever to pieces of needlework that people had spent countless hours creating.
It isn't 'OK' & it isn't acceptable, I had waged many a cyber battle trying to make people aware that anything that is framed should be able to be removed from a frame at some time in it's future & still be in the orginal condition it was when handed over to the framer. No trimming, no holes from pins, no rust, no glue, no staples. Having been on the receiving end of the utter feeling of dismay when un-mounting peoples lovely pieces of needle art - I was only to well aware of what went on when the customer was out of sight - by framers assuming that they would never know what had been done to their handwork.

At the time framers were looking for a quicker more cost effective way of mounting needlework, & in my experience within the industry I had learned that, when asked, they often said "yes we hand lace" - but didn't. The extra cost to clients for hand lacing(if done correctly) also adds a substantial amount to the framing cost.

Unfortunately one cane never be sure unless they have laced their piece themselves, or can stand over a framer & watch it be laced, exactly how carefully it has been mounted. So the next question from the people I was discussing this with was 'but how do I lace it myself'. I decided to give them the tools to do so. Given they were spread all around this country there was only one way to do it. So one night after work when I had a customers piece of needlework at home ready to be laced I produced this tutorial.

The group of stitchers I produced it for were most appreciative, saying it was the best guide to lacing they had ever seen, so easy to follow, truly 'step-by-step' & that for the first time they had been able to do this themselves. They also had the benefit of me having shared some of the technical data involved in different types of fabrics & the best threads to use for each, the importance of correctly tensioning & so on.

So this basic - no frills, short but with clear photo & written instructions version has been sitting on my website now for 3 years & on Webshots for 2 years. In that time it has had over 7000 views - so I'm hoping that some at least found it useful & informative.

There are other instructions on the web - but dare I blow my own trumpet loud enough & say they are not as clear & concise? (which is why I was asked for these in the first place)

My question is - since I have been happy to share information 3 years, is it wrong if I now turn this into a PDF tutorial & sell it?