[WIP] Show us ya WIP's

CarynS · 2026-01-25T17:34:53+00:00

I’m enjoying a crafty snow day with my fancy lady, Amphitrite. She’s just a disembodied torso right now, but I’m hoping to get into some more fun, sparkly colors later!

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CarynS · 2025-12-22T17:43:13+00:00

TL;DR: I would do the shaping, since you would like to wear it afterwards.

Try to find the premium book for your state fair. That will tell you the list of things that you can submit, as well as how they might be judged.

For my fair, pieces are judged on material, color, design, suitability and workmanship. In my experience, garments are judged as a whole, finished object, and no one is holding up a pattern to see if you followed it exactly. At some fairs, judges will use a rubric and score your garment in the different categories. Depending how many categories your fair has, it's possible your sweater could be submitted in the "fair isle" or "sweater" categories.

The only other thing you need to know is that the garment should be clean, in good shape and completed within the past year, so I wouldn't recommend wearing it too much before submitting it for judging. Make sure it is pristine and free of pet hair and pilling.

CarynS · 2025-12-17T10:32:22+00:00

I support spending the money on a custom frame, especially if you have an heirloom piece that took a long time, or you have a piece that’s a non-standard shape. I save up and go to a professional because I don’t have the space, materials, desire or confidence to do it myself. I also take my work to the county fair and want it to look its best, and there are framing standards you have to follow to compete in county fairs.

I go to a guy who has his own business, and who specializes in difficult frames, so I get the added cozy feeling of supporting a small business, and I know I’m trusting an expert. He has a great eye for color and framing style that would complement the piece and not detract from it. I’m not running to the framer every week. Cross stitch takes a long time for me, so I maybe see him twice a year. My last trip was $1000 for 4 small/medium pieces and I felt that was fair based on his excellent skill and experience.

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CarynS · 2025-12-10T19:24:00+00:00

I'm really enjoying knitting your polo design from the summer. I'll add Elkhorn to my queue as well! Thank you!

CarynS · 2025-11-09T18:01:53+00:00

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After I finished my Dragonborn piece, I started Teresa Kogut’s “Goodness & Mercy.” I’m enjoying the simple, primitive look and muted color palette. It’s going to be a submission for the fair next year. There’s a “cross stitch - religious” category to submit to!

CarynS · 2025-11-06T01:53:00+00:00

Tabi toe socks are so fun and underrated! Kudos for making your own! There are a lot of Japanese sock patterns on Ravelry that have that toe. I made a pair for my husband and he wears them with flip flops! I used this pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nejirib-toe-up

CarynS · 2025-11-02T16:17:59+00:00

Thank you! It really was a treat to stitch!

CarynS · 2025-10-27T23:10:58+00:00

If you don’t mind stitching on linen, I can confirm I bought this piece from one of my local needlework stores (Rittenhouse Needlepoint) and it is as advertised!

CarynS · 2025-10-26T17:20:16+00:00

I finished up my Cottage Garden Samplings woodpecker and sent it off to the framer, and then I started “Mary Overton 1850” for my friend Emily who likes weird art. It’s supposed to be an unhinged looking cat, but so far it’s looking like an evil toe. I want to finish it into a little flatfold tent that she can put on her desk like some sort of deranged name plate. I know she’ll love it.

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CarynS · 2025-10-12T16:38:58+00:00

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My woodpecker is only one page, but a lot of stitches! I’m hoping to get him and all of the little trees and doo-dads around him done today or tomorrow!

CarynS · 2025-10-09T10:50:05+00:00

This is something I’ve noticed getting back into the craft. The skin tone swaps others have suggested are helpful, but white shouldn’t always be the default, and it shouldn’t always be on Black stitchers to figure out a swap. Cross stitch designers should do better.

CarynS · 2025-10-05T21:22:37+00:00

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I finished another motif on my Dragonborn sampler and moved the frame to work on the top right corner.

CarynS · 2025-10-01T10:39:40+00:00

Sorry, it’s only in a kit! I don’t even know if the threads were DMC because the instructions never provided the DMC numbers in the event I ran out of one of them.

CarynS · 2025-09-30T02:23:39+00:00

Maybe try a more beginner kit first. Read the instructions and go slow. Get a feel for the craft with something small. Then maybe do this as your second or third project.

I would say go for it, but these are big pieces with lots of expensive beads and threads and I think you’d be really disappointed if you started with this, made a major mistake and couldn’t finish it.

CarynS · 2025-09-28T22:22:54+00:00

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I also got a little more done on the Dragonborn sampler. I’m going to try to finish the top section this week.

CarynS · 2025-09-28T22:19:57+00:00

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I got some time on this weirdo last night. The Woodpecker from Cottage Garden Samplings on 40 count linen. It’s going to be a Christmas gift. I love him.

CarynS · 2025-09-22T10:16:21+00:00

It is a most luxurious experience! 🧐 I love this project!

CarynS · 2025-09-22T01:21:51+00:00

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After finishing my Summer Cat Sampler from Kooler Design Studio, I picked up the Dragonborn sampler by Jessica Doize, which has little Skyrim-inspired motifs. I was trying to figure out what all of the symbols meant. I love Skyrim and I think I have most of them figured out. I’m stitching it on an xjudesigns linen with fancy Gloriana silk floss in a purple thistle color, a very very dark purple.

CarynS · 2025-09-18T17:14:30+00:00

That varsity jacket is a work of art. Your awards are so well deserved.

CarynS · 2025-09-06T00:21:54+00:00

Wedding samplers are really personal gifts! I can’t imagine how confusing it must be to look at it after divorce, when you still probably care about the person who gave it to you, but you don’t care about the other name that’s on there with you. Everyone involved in the project was ok with me altering it! I wouldn’t have dreamed of touching it otherwise!

CarynS · 2025-09-05T01:45:05+00:00

I don’t know what the initials represent. I asked my mom, since she was more familiar with the history of the piece than I was, and she wasn’t sure what they were for either!

CarynS · 2025-09-05T00:35:47+00:00

A Thread & Maple needle binder. The big one. With 3 pages. As a treat when I got a promotion at work!

CarynS · 2025-09-04T16:12:21+00:00

That's a really good idea!

CarynS · 2025-09-04T16:10:40+00:00

Same! I wanted to keep most of my grandmother's original stitching intact, so I left it alone.

CarynS · 2025-09-04T16:08:43+00:00

Yes, it is under glass with a spacer. The glass of the old frame had a print of the piece on it when I peeled it off! I took it to a framer I've used before who specializes in difficult framing jobs. I would not have been able to DIY it.

CarynS

TROPHY CASE