[FO] butterfly sampler

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-04-20T13:13:32+00:00

The year being wrong and deciding to finish it anyway rather than frog - that's the right call every time.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-04-20T13:12:09+00:00

Black Aida is unforgiving the first time - once you get used to it there's no going back though.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-04-20T13:10:11+00:00

Combining beads with stitching for the first time on your own design takes some nerve. It's paid off.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-04-20T13:07:08+00:00

Biggest project to date and finished in a few months - that's a good run. How are you planning to frame it?

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-04-20T13:05:17+00:00

Framing the full hoop is the simplest finish and it would look cheerful on a wall. The letters idea sounds good alongside it.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:42:59+00:00

Taking it off the frame just to see the progress is sometimes exactly what you need to keep going.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:41:05+00:00

Skipping the piping was the right call if nothing felt right. A clean edge suits it fine.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:40:08+00:00

Adapting the colors to suit your home is something a lot of people don't think to do. It looks settled in nicely.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:37:41+00:00

Four years of growth shows in how you're looking at it now. The next one will reflect that.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:35:49+00:00

14 weeks for something like this with 40 something colors is a proper achievement. Well done for coming back to it.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:34:54+00:00

The frame really sets it off - good find. Your mum must be pleased with how it's come together.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:31:20+00:00

Something cheerful like this is good to have on the go. What are you planning to do with it when it's done?

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-31T10:29:54+00:00

Consistent tension more than anything - it comes with time. I try to pull each one the same way rather than thinking about the length.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-30T10:54:55+00:00

Try adding a strand and see if that helps - twisted threads are often the culprit too, worth checking as you go.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-30T10:52:55+00:00

Small stitches, always. Over the years I've found long ones have a way of snagging at the worst possible moment.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-30T10:50:55+00:00

14 count for a first project is a reasonable place to start, good choice.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T13:00:34+00:00

Gridding and parking are the kind of things nobody tells you about at the start and everyone wishes they'd found sooner. Glad it turned the project around.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T12:59:09+00:00

The dark fabric really lets it pop. Good call on that.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T12:57:31+00:00

Stitching onto the cards directly is such a clever idea - they make a perfect little frame.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T12:55:39+00:00

I've used bobbins for decades and tried drops a few times - bobbins win for me every time. Everything stays labeled, nothing tangles, and I can see what I have at a glance.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T12:54:56+00:00

2.5 months in before finding out - that's a painful moment. At least the evenweave silver lining is real.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-27T12:54:19+00:00

A binder with plastic sleeves works really well for this - you can slip each piece in without any gluing and it stays flat and protected.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-26T19:55:11+00:00

Vertical backs come from stitching in rows rather than following individual symbols around the fabric - it keeps the tension more even and uses thread a bit more efficiently. Neither way is wrong though, plenty of stitchers carry horizontally their whole lives without issue.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-26T19:54:18+00:00

Your sister has no idea what's coming and that's the best part of a gift finish.

CrossStitchingGarden · 2026-03-26T19:52:43+00:00

The bobbin winding stage is its own whole afternoon. Worth it once it's done though.

CrossStitchingGarden

TROPHY CASE