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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 9:08:05 GMT
It’s probably been 20 years since I did any cross-stitching. Ages ago mom used to make the family cross-stitch ornaments, similar to these, but framed in red or green plastic rings. I’d like to do that for my family stockings this year using snowman ornaments from this line. To make them like mom’s I’m wanting to use different base than provided, add our names and the year at the bottom just like she did, and mount them; probably in rings like these, possibly painted white over the wood color. But they are way too big on a 14 count grid. The snowman I linked above is 5” high and I’d like to use rings no larger than 4”. So my thought/hope is, that I can stitch it on a larger count fabric. Would that work? And if so,is there a conversion I can use to determine what size fabric I need? Any recommendations? I want a white, not cream background. Additional questions from follow-up post. Okay, one more question, or set of questions. Is there a brand that is nicer than the others? Maybe smaller holes, or holds up better? And what can I do about shrinking? Most of the ornaments she made, the material shrunk so you actually see the frayed edges on the font of the ornament, I know she washed them before she mounted them, but in cold water because she didn’t want the darker threads to bleed. Any ideas how to avoid this? Any cross-stitch tips in general? I m going to separate out the thread on those boards and ID them. Keep my hands clean. Use a good magnifying OTT lamp. Any other tips I’m not remembering? I’m doing 7 of them so I want to be proactive about any improvements I can make. |
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Post by unexpectedolives on Jun 16, 2021 10:57:53 GMT
Fabric Calculator
I have not cross stitched in an extremely long time, but the link above might help you figure it out. I used to make ornaments all the time. The snowman is super cute!
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Post by cade387 on Jun 16, 2021 11:12:18 GMT
The fabric calculator listed above will work. I think you may run into an issue with the beads hough. When you drop to a smaller count, the beads are larger in relation so you may need to buy smaller beads.
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Post by cade387 on Jun 16, 2021 11:23:43 GMT
Please verify but by my quick math you are going to want to stitch on 20ct Aida or 22ct Hardanger. They sell 22ct (labeled as Aida) in a tube at joanns in white. Otherwise I would plan to order from a custom dyer or from 123stitch as linked above.
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Post by jenb72 on Jun 16, 2021 11:37:56 GMT
Also a cross stitch pea.  I agree with the above posts and advice, but just wanted to stop by and wave.  Jen |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 11:41:04 GMT
Thanks for the calculator unexpectedolives ! And I appreciate the info cade387 , I’ll count the stitches and verify. I was thinking the same with the beads, boo. That’s part of the reason I love the patterns I picked. I think they’ll add a little something, and I like crafting with jewelry and have made several items with seed beads so it adds a little personal touch. I might have some basic colors in smaller beads, I’ll have to check. Hi jenb72 ! |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 11:55:13 GMT
Ugh. The beads are size 11 and 15. I do have a couple of colors in 15 that I can substitute for the 11, but need to keep them even and it would be expensive to get all of the different included colors. Not to mention I don’t want to work with anything smaller than a 15. Do they even make them? I know I haven’t used them in my jewelry applications.
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Post by Patter on Jun 16, 2021 12:17:05 GMT
Another cross stitch Pea here too. The calculator is great. I actually turn my ornaments into little hanging "pillows" instead of using frames. I love them. And you can find tons of ideas and free patterns on Pinterest. |
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Post by Jamie on Jun 16, 2021 13:02:13 GMT
instead of using the hoops, I would finish them as a flat ornament. If you wanted to send me a msg I could send you some pictures of how I've finished mine. On the pattern it should tell you how many stitches by how may stitches and you can enter that into the calculator on 123stitch with different sized fabric and it will tell you how big. As far as the beads, if you are willing you could use petit treasure braid. It gives that sparkle and you don't have to worry about beads not fitting.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 14:14:47 GMT
Another cross stitch Pea here too. The calculator is great. I actually turn my ornaments into little hanging "pillows" instead of using frames. I love them. And you can find tons of ideas and free patterns on Pinterest. Do you mean like this and this?
instead of using the hoops, I would finish them as a flat ornament. If you wanted to send me a msg I could send you some pictures of how I've finished mine. On the pattern it should tell you how many stitches by how may stitches and you can enter that into the calculator on 123stitch with different sized fabric and it will tell you how big. As far as the beads, if you are willing you could use petit treasure braid. It gives that sparkle and you don't have to worry about beads not fitting. Is it like this one?
I really love both of those ideas, and since I’m hoping to make this a yearly thing like she used to I will definitely save them. Jamie I will pm you, thanks! But this first year I think she would really get a lot out of me making them like she used to. We went through her old ornaments last year to separate them (on her driveway in our pjs where we celebrated Christmas  ) and she was so pleased that I remembered and treasured mine from way back. Have never heard of petite treasure braid, I will go look into it. But there are tons of different colors, varying shades. You can’t see that detail online. But if I need the same colors for all of the ornaments maybe the price won’t be too bad. Off to look! eta: Okay, I looked up the petit treasure braid and I’ve actually used it or a similar product I’m gold before. It’s not as expensive as the beads would be, so I will definitely keep it in mind if they don’t work out, thanks! |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 14:24:41 GMT
Okay, one more question, or set of questions. Is there a brand that is nicer than the others? Maybe smaller holes, or holds up better? And what can I do about shrinking? Most of the ornaments she made, the material shrunk so you actually see the frayed edges on the font of the ornament, I know she washed them before she mounted them, but in cold water because she didn’t want the darker threads to bleed. Any ideas how to avoid this?
Any cross-stitch tips in general? I m going to separate out the thread on those boards and ID them. Keep my hands clean. Use a good magnifying OTT lamp. Any other tips I’m not remembering? I’m doing 7 of them so I want to be proactive about any improvements I can make.
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Post by Basket1lady on Jun 16, 2021 15:03:58 GMT
Try out the larger beads by just setting them on the design. They may still work, even if they are larger than the scale.
Why not try out a little dollar store kit first to get the hang of stitching again? I think you will find that it all comes back to you!
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,861 
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Post by tracylynn on Jun 16, 2021 16:55:04 GMT
Okay, one more question, or set of questions. Is there a brand that is nicer than the others? Maybe smaller holes, or holds up better? And what can I do about shrinking? Most of the ornaments she made, the material shrunk so you actually see the frayed edges on the font of the ornament, I know she washed them before she mounted them, but in cold water because she didn’t want the darker threads to bleed. Any ideas how to avoid this? Any cross-stitch tips in general? I m going to separate out the thread on those boards and ID them. Keep my hands clean. Use a good magnifying OTT lamp. Any other tips I’m not remembering? I’m doing 7 of them so I want to be proactive about any improvements I can make. I'm a never-washer. I keep my hands clean while stitching and only drink water around my stitching - and never eat while stitching. But that's me. I use a lot of hand dyed fibers and wouldn't want to mess with potential bleeding. As for the shrinkage, I would just make sure to not cut the finished piece too close to the edges. Leave a little extra. There may be extra in the back, but that's OK, if it does shrink over time, then you won't end up with the frayed edges showing at least. As for the tips - I was going to suggest a good light. That's the best tip right there. If you have dry hands and need to use lotion, I use this one: Gold Bond Daily MoisturizingThere is a stitchers lotion, but it's generally pretty pricy. Have fun!!! |
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
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Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Jun 16, 2021 17:05:20 GMT
Thanks for the calculator unexpectedolives ! And I appreciate the info cade387 , I’ll count the stitches and verify. I was thinking the same with the beads, boo. That’s part of the reason I love the patterns I picked. I think they’ll add a little something, and I like crafting with jewelry and have made several items with seed beads so it adds a little personal touch. I might have some basic colors in smaller beads, I’ll have to check. Hi jenb72 ! For small beads, look into japanese seed beads. There are different sizes and some are REALLY tiny! Try artbeads.com or fusionbeads.com |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 17:53:47 GMT
tracylynn I don’t need lotion on my hands, so that’s a plus. Perhaps mom didn’t leave much extra. I assumed she placed it in the circle, put in the interior circle to hold it, and cut right there at the edge. It would drive me batty for it to hang out the back though. What is the benefit of not washing your fabric or finished item? seaexplore , those re the tiny beads I have. Thank you, I didn’t write all of the details down and that will help in my search! I think I got them at Fire Mountain Beads or a local bead shop, those were my,aim suppliers. But I’ve been meaning to check out those stores again. Basket1lady , I’m definitely going to try to make the beads work, I was so excited they were included in the design. That’s a good idea about the DS kits. And it gives me something cross-stitchy to do before my fabric comes in the mail!
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by tracylynn on Jun 16, 2021 18:07:58 GMT
tracylynn I don’t need lotion on my hands, so that’s a plus. Perhaps mom didn’t leave much extra. I assumed she placed it in the circle, put in the interior circle to hold it, and cut right there at the edge. It would drive me batty for it to hang out the back though. What is the benefit of not washing your fabric or finished item? seaexplore , those re the tiny beads I have. Thank you, I didn’t write all of the details down and that will help in my search! I think I got them at Fire Mountain Beads or a local bead shop, those were my,aim suppliers. But I’ve been meaning to check out those stores again. Basket1lady , I’m definitely going to try to make the beads work, I was so excited they were included in the design. That’s a good idea about the DS kits. And it gives me something cross-stitchy to do before my fabric comes in the mail! As for washing the fabric, I've just never felt the need to. I keep my hands clean and my fabric clean. I'm just always afraid of floss color bleed as well. If you're finishing it in a hoop like that, you can lace it out, then cover it in felt. Here's a quick video: Hoop Finish
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 18:20:34 GMT
Thank you tracylynn, that video is super helpful and it looks nice and finished, and it looks like she has others on basics like washing and ironing as well to refresh my memory. |
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,861
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Post by tracylynn on Jun 16, 2021 19:14:27 GMT
dewryce Here's another prolific, and popular, cross stitch finisher. She does flat finishes, flat fold finishes, pillow finishes and more. Vonna Pfeiffer
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Post by craftedbys on Jun 16, 2021 19:17:32 GMT
Stopping by to see if any cross stitch Peas ever do any of those small ornaments that have a little plastic frame (usually round or maybe heart shaped).
If so, PM me. Would love to share some with someone who will use it (and not just donate it to GW where they will turn around and sell a 1.00 kit for 99 cents).
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 19:20:19 GMT
tracylynn, perfect, thank you! craftedbys Those are the ornaments my mom made that I’m trying to emulate a little. That’s a very sweet offer, I hope you get a taker!
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 19:30:58 GMT
Okay, back the train up. What’s the difference between linen and Aida? If a project is designed for Aida, can I switch to linen? It looks like a nicer fish. And what bout Aida vs Hardanger? I noticed they only sold the later in a 22 count, but it looks the same. I’ve decided to try it on the 22, otherwise it will be too big for her small tree.
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tenakee
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Aug 9, 2014 2:05:19 GMT
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Post by tenakee on Jun 16, 2021 19:44:31 GMT
I'm a stitcher pea too! I work on bigger projects on linen here at home, but I LOVE the Mill Hill kits for travel projects. They're small and compact and if you do them on the paper you don't have to carry qsnaps (or hoop or whatever.) I love doing the Christmas ornaments, which I back with coordinating felt after their stitched and cut out. But of course you can stitch them on anything you'd like and finish them as you pleas. The Jim Shore snowmen (linked in the OP) are really cute stitched up.
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tenakee
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Aug 9, 2014 2:05:19 GMT
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Post by tenakee on Jun 16, 2021 19:49:36 GMT
Ugh. The beads are size 11 and 15. I do have a couple of colors in 15 that I can substitute for the 11, but need to keep them even and it would be expensive to get all of the different included colors. Not to mention I don’t want to work with anything smaller than a 15. Do they even make them? I know I haven’t used them in my jewelry applications. I've done the Mill Hill kits for 20 years or more and I keep all the leftover beads, so I've got at least some of every color they make in the 15s. If you decide to go this route and sub the smaller ones in to fit your project better, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll be happy to send you what you need! Oh, and the kit will include a beading needle, I typically don't have any issues with the 15s using the needles they supply. But they are a bit fiddly, LOL! |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 19:52:08 GMT
Ugh. The beads are size 11 and 15. I do have a couple of colors in 15 that I can substitute for the 11, but need to keep them even and it would be expensive to get all of the different included colors. Not to mention I don’t want to work with anything smaller than a 15. Do they even make them? I know I haven’t used them in my jewelry applications. I've done the Mill Hill kits for 20 years or more and I keep all the leftover beads, so I've got at least some of every color they make in the 15s. If you decide to go this route and sub the smaller ones in to fit your project better, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll be happy to send you what you need! Thank you so much, that’s very generous! I’m ordering the fabric tonight so it’ll be a bit before I can start, but I will definitely keep that in mind when it is time to add the beads. What do you do will all of your finished items? |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 20:03:49 GMT
tenakee, If it doesn’t work, I wonder if I can use the one I use for making jewelry.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 20:07:59 GMT
I'm a stitcher pea too! I work on bigger projects on linen here at home, but I LOVE the Mill Hill kits for travel projects. They're small and compact and if you do them on the paper you don't have to carry qsnaps (or hoop or whatever.) I love doing the Christmas ornaments, which I back with coordinating felt after their stitched and cut out. But of course you can stitch them on anything you'd like and finish them as you pleas. The Jim Shore snowmen (linked in the OP) are really cute stitched up. I missed this post earlier. What do you mean about doing them on paper? Good to know the Christmas Ornaments kits are good, I have them planned out for the next 5 years (snowman, Santa, ornaments, novels, Christmas animals, and stars). Oh wait, that’s 6 years! If they’re well received I will be doing 7 a year. Do you ever notice them going on sale anywhere? And finally, do you happen to have a photo of one backed with coordinating felt? |
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Post by picotjo on Jun 16, 2021 20:20:06 GMT
Okay, back the train up. What’s the difference between linen and Aida? If a project is designed for Aida, can I switch to linen? It looks like a nicer fish. And what bout Aida vs Hardanger? I noticed they only sold the later in a 22 count, but it looks the same. I’ve decided to try it on the 22, otherwise it will be too big for her small tree. Aida is easy to use. You count holes so 14 ct Aida has 14 holes per square inch. It is cotton and you can find lots of colors. Evenweave has threads. So there are 28 threads per square inch. The threads are all the same thickness. When you stitch you go over 2 threads so it will make the same size pattern as the 14 ct Aida. It is a good fabric to learn on. Lugana and Monaco are names of some nice evenweaves. Linen is the same as the evenweave in how you stitch on it. You go over 2 threads. But linen's threads are different thicknesses and some don't like working on it or that your stitches may vary. Any pattern can be used with either Aida, linen or evenweave. You just have to calculate the sizes. 14 ct Aida=28 ct Linen or evenweave 16 ct aida =32 ct linen or evenweave Hope this helps |
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by tracylynn on Jun 16, 2021 20:23:55 GMT
Okay, back the train up. What’s the difference between linen and Aida? If a project is designed for Aida, can I switch to linen? It looks like a nicer fish. And what bout Aida vs Hardanger? I noticed they only sold the later in a 22 count, but it looks the same. I’ve decided to try it on the 22, otherwise it will be too big for her small tree. There's a huge difference between Aida and Linen ... and then there is Evenweave. Aida is what you are used to. Pretty stiff fabric, big holes, easy to use. Great for beginners. Though a lot of long time stitchers continue to use it and love it as well. Hardanger is very specifically a 22count ... Aida. I'm not sure why they differentiate that, but they do. Basically, you'll get 22 stitches in an inch, which will shrink the size of your finishes project. Bead size could be an issue. Aida you stitch "over 1" - meaning you go from one hole to the next without skipping. Linen is just that ... linen. It's fabric counts are double that of Aida. So, you'll see 28ct, 32ct, 36ct, 40ct, etc. The reason it doubles is because you typically stitch "over 2" - meaning you SKIP a hole/thread when doing your stitches. Because you're skipping a hole/thread on this type of fabric, your stitches per inch will be half the fabric count (ie: 14, 16, 18, 20, etc). Linen tends to be uneven, some threads are thicker than others and you tend to see "slubs" in this type of fabric. Evenweave is a lot like linen, but even. The counts you will typically see are 28ct and 32ct. They do have a 40ct evenweave called Verdal. You stitch this "over 2" typically as well. Because the threads are the same thickness your stitches will be more even, and you don't have to fight "slubs" in evenweave. There are shorter videos out there, but Jan Hicks is a well respected designer and this is a good video. Different Fabrics |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 16, 2021 20:40:38 GMT
Thank you ladies, that helped a lot! Eta: just watched Jan’s video tracylynn, exactly what I needed to know to make that decision on the fabrics. Now I’m going to see if she has any tips on how to thread the needle |
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Okay, one more question, or set of questions. Is there a brand that is nicer than the others? Maybe smaller holes, or holds up better? And what can I do about shrinking? Most of the ornaments she made, the material shrunk so you actually see the frayed edges on the font of the ornament, I know she washed them before she mounted them, but in cold water because she didn’t want the darker threads to bleed. Any ideas how to avoid this? 
I agree with the above posts and advice, but just wanted to stop by and wave. 
) and she was so pleased that I remembered and treasured mine from way back. 
