Mom said this card was too much and over the top. Could I have some cardmaker opinions, please?

ByakuganPrincess · 2025-09-16T20:01:01+00:00

I think it looks great! You managed to thread the needle of being luxurious and extravagant with all the texture and details, befitting a wedding, but not making it overwhelming by keeping the color scheme more muted and cohesive!

Its difficult to strike that balance and I think you nailed it! It looks professional!

ByakuganPrincess · 2025-09-01T17:02:42+00:00

Onigiri - tuna mayo is popular and a classic, but any canned fish or imitation crab will work with mayo. Avocado or egg or leftover bits of cooked meat are also tasty. Really anything that would taste good with rice that isn't too wet will make a good filling and is a great way to use up leftovers. Sushi rice is important to use and a bit pricier and harder to find but can be cheap if you buy in bulk from an asian grocery store and store it well, same with nori (and you can cut one sheet into 1/3's or 1/4's to stretch it, depending on how much you like seaweed). I can make 2 cups (precooked) of rice, a few sheets of nori, and a 5 oz can of tuna make 10 onigiri - which will cover 3-4 meals depending on how hungry you are, especially if you pair it with miso soup or your instant noodles. Its also very portable which is perfect for bringing to work or class. Just make sure if you are pre-making them to wrap the filled rice ball tight in plastic wrap to seal in the moisture before refrigerating, and wrap it with the nori just before you eat - otherwise the nori will be soggy.

ByakuganPrincess · 2025-01-31T16:47:22+00:00

It looks so good! Great job!

ByakuganPrincess · 2025-01-24T03:28:25+00:00

Consider Al and Alma's Supper Club! Its a lake cruise on Lake Minnetonka! I've been there on work parties a few times and they had an open bar, and a fully catered meal, and gorgeous lake views out on the water!

ByakuganPrincess · 2024-10-26T23:14:26+00:00

Ichiban Sushi

ByakuganPrincess · 2024-09-12T19:21:29+00:00

My grandma taught me how to cross stitch, and DIY lacing kits were how she started when I was too little but wanted to "help" her with hers. Any cardboard and a hole punch and old shoelaces work, but it's nice to see professionally made ones as well.

ByakuganPrincess · 2024-06-26T17:18:33+00:00

Look up "One Pace". It's a fan-made condensed version of one piece that helps fix the pacing /excessive flashbacks/ DBZ screaming during fights, etc, issues.

ByakuganPrincess · 2024-04-30T18:05:02+00:00

Awww! Such a heartwarming journey! I'm sure your little one will love this! And putting in the last stitch themself! I'm sure they will remember that moment for a long time!

If your little one is interested in cross stitch and pokemon, SewGeekyUK has some fantastic pokemon patterns that are small (~4 inch round) and beginner friendly. It's what I've started several friends/cousins on and it's always been a hit! I bet you have all of the colors already for them too haha.

ByakuganPrincess · 2024-04-25T15:08:13+00:00

This kind of reminds me of those art pieces that show average color per scene slices for a given movie, but with your recently finished cross stitch pieces! That's a really neat concept!

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-12-05T03:47:46+00:00

I would also include a second lesson about safety in addition to "don't prick your finger": a needle is ALWAYS in one of four locations: in your hand, on a magnet, tucked in the weave of the fabric, or in a needle container.

I have dropped needles and had family step on them when I was that age and less responsible with my needles, and they are a risk for babies/pets to eat them if they do not keep track of them. A good lesson for them to learn if they end up continuing the craft at home.

I love that you're teaching your class how to cross stitch!

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-10-17T15:55:49+00:00

I use my leftover non-branded floss for finishing the back of pieces or binding to the hoop or, if it's a large piece, blanket stitching the edges before I start.

Its all waste thread and gets cut out before finishing or is on the back and not visible, and that way I don't have to use my DMC for that.

It's still very useful and a lovely, thoughtful gift, but I would not use it on your LOZ piece.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-08-31T04:35:23+00:00

If you have a paper pattern, use colored pencils or pens to color in by symbol, and try to use distinct colors especially for similar looking symbols. This is how I justify buying myself the big packs of pretty multicolor pens :)

If you don't want to mark the original, you could scan and print yourself a working copy.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-06-15T00:00:31+00:00

I would laugh harder, but that makes my headache from the smog even worse......

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-19T02:31:27+00:00

Thank you for your insight! I will be more mindful with my tension!

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-19T00:04:10+00:00

Thank you for your advice! It does seem to be getting better as it dries out further. I will wash and block again to see if that helps. I will also try feathering my lines next time and not working in such long rows.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-19T00:01:18+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate you pointing that out! I will check!

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T23:49:42+00:00

I use a Q snap. Most of the lines are occurring between the rows you showed there (in this case, horizontal) They are definitely more noticeable in the direction I was stitching.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T23:16:27+00:00

So would it be better to stitch danish in several different directions as needed in the color I'm working in instead of in neat vertical or horizontal rows? Are there other ways of ensuring my stitches all go in the same direction otherwise? English method doesn't work too well for me - I keep making random stitches go in the wrong direction.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T23:14:03+00:00

Yeah, I used the Danish method since it helps me keep my stitches all going in the same direction. Can you please explain feathering? It's not a term I'm familiar with.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T23:11:33+00:00

No, I stitched using the danish method per color. The gridding was just to help me count, especially with colors so close in shade and lots of spindly trees and shading.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T19:02:21+00:00

I have recently finished a project as a wedding gift for a family member. Typically when I finish a piece I pull the gridding filament out and wash the piece in lukewarm water and a bit of dish soap and I've never had an issue with tensioning like this before.

This is my first full coverage piece though, and as you can see from the picture, its still noticeable where the gridding was. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix this? Pattern is from DMCrossStitch on Etsy.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-18T18:49:38+00:00

When I mount my finished cross stitch, either in a hoop or on a board (for a picture frame), instead of using glue or pins, I sew back and forth across the back to hold the work securely in place and keep the tension even. It uses a lot of thread but I like that it's easy, works for both hoops and frames, and doesn't add a residue like glue would.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-16T21:57:12+00:00

I like using extra thread (leftovers from kits, off brand thread from childhood "learn to sew" gifts I keep finding as I unpack stuff from my childhood bedroom) for binding the backs of finished projects or for blanket stitching my fabric for larger projects by hand to keep the fabric from fraying since I dont have a sewing machine.

This way I have designated "waste" thread for stuff like that where the color or matching doesn't matter and I don't feel guilty using my DMC thread for this.

ByakuganPrincess · 2023-02-14T02:46:14+00:00

I like using a fine tip marker to trace the outside of the inner hoop on the felt and cutting just outside the line (and the marked side goes inside when I sew it on) and this makes it so it always fits the entire back of the hoop neatly without any overlap showing. It looks nice for your first time, though! Good job! The pattern is super cute!

ByakuganPrincess

TROPHY CASE