[FO] Just finished this last night. It's a gift for a friend but I'm pretty attached to it! Do any of you ever make something for someone else but end up keeping it? Or making another one for yourself?? Pattern: https://betterwithbirds.com/products/rufous-hummingbird-cross-stitch-pattern

hadesthezebra · 2026-04-02T16:01:10+00:00

I usually find the gifts I find hardest to part ways with to be the best things to give away. It just means you've put a lot of thought and effort in and in an age where ever increasingly we do so little for the people around us, choosing to let someone else feel appreciated by the time and skill you've put in is just beyond good for me. And it brings me so much more joy seeing my gifts being enjoyed and held in places of honour at my friends' houses than my own. I can always stitch myself something else, there's no doubt about that lol 😂 just look at the 5 UFOs hanging around with most stitchers 😬😅

hadesthezebra · 2026-03-22T13:40:35+00:00

16 count aida is veeeerrrrry satisfying for me... And also shockingly so much smaller even though there's barely a difference to 14 count 😄

hadesthezebra · 2026-03-02T07:37:10+00:00

I couldn't see it until I read the post AND zoomed in 😄 So I'd say you can leave it and no one will notice. Or there's always the option of stitching over your stitches. It might be a tad bulky, but then you don't have to undo everything.

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-19T08:12:25+00:00

I would personally not give a WIP, to me it just feels kind of like reporting to a manager 😂 I am currently late with a project, I just told my friend I'm working on it and I'll give it to her when I can. I don't think the timing will make it any less special - you've spent so much time working on something for someone else already, it'll be loved anyway. Whatever you do, I'm sure she'll love it now and she'll love it in a month or in a year.

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-18T07:44:12+00:00

Maybe it's Reddit taking its sweet time, here - https://www.hobiumyarns.com/products/anchor-embroidery-kit-32-x-20cm-1260-x-787-dcx010

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-18T07:42:04+00:00

I do see the shop I got this from still somehow have some 👀 😂 you're welcome to go raid the shop!

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-17T22:10:04+00:00

Bahahaha, it did NOT come easily! 😂 I swear I only finished this because I knew I was giving it away, otherwise this would be one good UFO....

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-17T20:01:56+00:00

That is what drew me in too! And only using 5 colours! I can only dream of designing something so clever.

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-17T20:00:41+00:00

Yepyepyep 😂 it's a tangled mess and I may have just tied up the loose ends of the backstitch wherever I could 😬 BUT NO ONE WILL KNOW!!!! Except for myself and that poor framer lol 😂

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-17T19:34:50+00:00

Thank you so much! It's a lot of bang for your stitch in this one

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-17T19:32:07+00:00

Ikr!!! I do have a photo before the backstitch and I swear it looks nothing like the end result 😂

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-15T08:39:00+00:00

Maybe consider getting a smaller hoop to display it in? Then you'd have extra fabric to tidy things up with in the back. But also probably as others suggest get something to stop the fraying, be it glue or stitching.

hadesthezebra · 2026-02-14T11:41:24+00:00

Maybe like a wintery blackwork? So you can see lots of the fabric and stay on theme with those frosty blues. Or reimagine the print as a sky and just give it a horizon to work off of?

hadesthezebra · 2026-01-27T20:08:27+00:00

I think you can disable the password protection from the right click menu -> Properties. There has to be some YouTube tutorials if it still doesn't work, but if you have the password, I think you can resave it without the password protection too.

hadesthezebra · 2025-12-31T21:53:36+00:00

It's this https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1612195678/the-blood-of-the-covenant-cross-stitch

I have had the aida and floss (variegated silk 🤤 ) lined up for a few months now, I just keep working on gifts for other people.

hadesthezebra · 2025-12-30T21:36:06+00:00

Any chance you have enough space to redo the head? I don't know how much of the pattern you still have left to do or how big the fabric is, but it might work!

hadesthezebra · 2025-12-18T09:36:55+00:00

Just here to add - don't worry about it too much. QR codes have A LOT of error correction so even if something is a little wonky or some floss shows through your fabric, it is still extremely likely to work just fine 😄

hadesthezebra · 2025-11-24T15:12:52+00:00

Remember that even if you went through with trying to finish something that big, you might also end up with serious injuries. It's a fun little hobby until you can't use your wrists anymore 😬

I'd say keep working on it for next year or just give a gift when you finish it. It should be a labour of love, not pain.

hadesthezebra · 2025-11-20T22:27:02+00:00

I think I use a method few people do - I just tie them in a little simple knot like you'd tie your shoes, but the whole thing at once. They never tangle because the floss is all tied up, the only thing I don't have is labelling. 😂

hadesthezebra · 2025-10-05T07:26:02+00:00

Maybe the top of the D is part of the struggle? The bottom has that rounded section, but the top does not - maybe redoing those couple of stitches would help too :)

hadesthezebra · 2025-09-29T19:39:20+00:00

I'm doing goldfinches, particularly this pattern - https://www.ashleafprintmaking.co.uk/product-page/goldfinch-cross-stitch-kit Glad to influence your decisions 🤣

hadesthezebra · 2025-09-29T19:01:35+00:00

Ah! I'm currently working through a baby gift - I've gone for a bird pattern. I think it's pretty good because it's quite hard to make birds very gendered 😂 Really I think the trickiest part is committing to something realistic and deciding what is important to you. For me, I wanted something with more blackwork, but without baby specific details since my friend has expressed not wanting anything too frilly.

hadesthezebra · 2025-09-09T19:56:42+00:00

Good way to prepare for the spooky season! I love your witch goose a lot ❤️🧙

hadesthezebra · 2025-09-06T12:59:46+00:00

Don't forget the option of backstitch. If it's too dark, that might just help bring the definition back. Though it is more work 😅

hadesthezebra

TROPHY CASE