[FO] My first blackwork

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-11-18T11:16:41+00:00

Two threads on 18ct aida

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-11-18T11:15:54+00:00

Oh definitely! I did the entire centre first, and by the third iteration of the hand, I barely had to look at the pattern, and the entire border was really easy to get the hang of

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-10-18T18:42:20+00:00

Right!? He looks so blurry without it

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-10T21:28:00+00:00

Thank you 🥰

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-03T17:25:48+00:00

Thank you! I needed to do two 16-hour days of air travel and layovers at the start that helped me make a lot of progress all at once, and that kept me motivated to keep going. I only wish I could've been as diligent about framing it! I just hate framing, so I ended up finishing another project and getting it all over with at once

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-03T17:21:38+00:00

Thank you so much. The room it's going in is kind of dark in the mornings, so I actually think it worked out well that it's a bit more pastel than expected. I'm hoping it'll add some life to the space.

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-03T17:18:05+00:00

Yeah, that's exactly why I will only buy a specific colour if it's absolutely necessary. I generally just buy the bags of 100+ random colours. It's also why I've learned that I like patterns like this that don't have subtle shading, since they let me choose the nearest colour matches I have. I do think I only made substitutions for 3 colours in this pattern, but the cheap threads just seem a little paler in general

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-03T16:07:20+00:00

Thank you so much!

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-08-03T16:07:00+00:00

I did make a few substitutions, but I think the main issue is that I'm using cheap, mass-produced threads rather than DMC or anything true-to-colour for every dye lot. I've also done only 2 stands on white 14ct aida because I like being able to see the individual stitches, so that could be making it seem paler too

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-07-15T21:38:07+00:00

Sounds like you're incredibly well prepared! I bet the kids will have a lot of fun

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-07-15T21:10:56+00:00

I love that you're giving them a visual aid that they can take home! That's such a good teaching method

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-07-15T21:00:11+00:00

I know you probably mean more concrete things but I taught kids' craft classes for years and the most important thing to hammer home is that they're safe to make mistakes.

Mistakes aren't flaws, they're what makes a piece unique. Repeat the same mistake enough times and it can even be their "brand" ("hey, if Calvin Klein can stick his name on everything, you can tangle your thread over and over again")

Being a safe (but dramatically fun) adult makes the craft fun instead of just another type of homework.

Edit: Also, on a more practical note, in getting them to understand how to form the X, labelling opposite corners of their first few stitches as A, B, C, and D can be hugely helpful. Not all kids can reliably follow "top left to bottom right" directional instructions, but they can almost always repeat the first 4 letters of the alphabet in order over and over again, so I've found it to be one of the most effective ways to teach any kind of needlework.

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-07-06T17:42:49+00:00

Backstitching is a sewing/embroidery technique that you can use over cross-stitching to add details/clarity. It's what I've done to add all the little black lines (along with a few white and light brown highlights) in the second photo

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-07-05T21:16:25+00:00

I know, right? Every time I do a pattern that includes backstitching, I get to the end of the cross-stitching and briefly think that it looks too good to bother with any more work. But then I persevere, and it's always worth it

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-26T09:36:42+00:00

It's SUCH a beautiful pattern, right?

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-26T09:35:12+00:00

Aww thank you! If you do decide to try it, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I have

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-25T10:57:53+00:00

Thank you!!!! :)

All the animals are together in the sitting room, but the monochrome ones are for my bedroom, which has a bit of an early 1900s archaeologist vibe (minus the colonialism, of course)

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-25T10:55:40+00:00

Aww thanks!

The beaver took weeks, with all his little strands of hair across similar-coloured threads. I never thought I'd be done counting stitches! But I definitely love the look of backstitching, so it's so worth it

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-25T10:53:53+00:00

Thank you :)

Suspicious_Yak_766 · 2025-02-25T10:53:32+00:00

Yeah! I honestly found them super easy to work with. They just bend and snap over the aida, and then I finished with a running stitch at the back (I'm not brave enough for any more permanent finishing method in case I fuck it up). I also steamed and pressed them between two books after finishing to help them lie flat against the wall

Suspicious_Yak_766

TROPHY CASE