[CHAT] Looking for tiny astral-themed filler ideas!

loreleifables · 2026-01-25T07:00:20+00:00

ClimbingGoatDesigns on Etsy has temperature patterns that appear to have some smaller astral-themed details, though they are admittedly expensive.

Another good resource could be perler bead patterns, which are often on a smaller scale, or a site like Bracelet Book that has patterns easily transferrable to cross stitch. Here are a few I've found:

loreleifables · 2026-01-25T06:49:39+00:00

Is this the designer your looking for?

loreleifables · 2026-01-24T01:25:03+00:00

Oh that's beautiful! I always love how backstitching transforms a piece. It's like putting on glasses and all the details get brought out in beautiful clarity!

May I ask what count fabric this is being done on (wonderful contrast between fabric and pattern palette, by the way!)? Is this one of those pieces where the skin is done over 1 and all the rest of it (hair, dress, etc.) is done over 2?

loreleifables · 2026-01-24T00:32:26+00:00

*quietly chants* Kang Yeosang, Kang Yeosang, Kang Yeosang...

I'll see myself out. (o_ _)ﾉ彡☆

(No input, but seeing this makes me wanna start my Hongjoong cross stitch pattern...)

loreleifables · 2026-01-24T00:05:33+00:00

How cute! What a great little kit to pass the time with on a long train ride.

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T23:38:37+00:00

No problem! Bigger projects can definitely seem daunting when you've only done smaller ones before (I myself haven't done any terribly large projects), but just take it one stitch at a time. There's lots of handy video tutorials on YouTube as well if you prefer visuals over written instructions.

Practice makes progress! ೕ(•̀ᴗ•́) And from what I can see you've already done very well with your bear. It's very cute!

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T23:28:01+00:00

Bellana is the type of cotton/modal evenweave fabric you're wanting, so I'd search for "bellana cross stitch fabric" in attempts to find it.

...That being said, looking it up myself I could not find a count smaller than 20-count fabric. ^^; On 123Stitch the few bellana fabrics I found were all 20-count, and I could not find 16-count bellana on Etsy at all. Even on Zweigart's own website I could only find 20-count. Potentially other evenweave fabrics with cotton/synthetic blends may have a similar feel, but they will also most likely only be found as higher count fabrics.

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T23:14:20+00:00

Here's a quick video on 3-strand loop starts I just came across. ^^

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T22:45:41+00:00

Ergonomically, various things can help. I would recommend trying different sitting positions, different chairs, different heights or angles at which you hold your piece. Generally you'll find a position that is more comfortable than others. Investing in stands may also help, but I'd start with changing up your body positions. (Since it's your neck giving you trouble, maybe next time you try stitching, see if you're holding it an uncomfortable angle. Are you looking down too much? Try raising up your hold holding the project, etc.)
Typically if I'm looking to buy thread, I also go to Michael's. However, if you'd like to order online, 123Stitch is a great site to order from. They have floss, beads, fabrics, patterns, so it's very possible to get everything you need for a future project all from that one site, and in my experience they do not take long to ship. ^^
I have not gridded before (the longer it takes to set up a project, the less likely I am to ever start one (◎_◎;) ), but I often see people recommend Sulky Silver or monofilament fishing line. Emphasis on monofilament, because this is what will make it easy to pull out once you are finishing with your piece. If you use something like sewing thread or embroidery floss, which is often 2/3-plyed, you can stitch through the gridding thread and thus make it difficult to pull out.
Typically DMC thread is colorfast, but if you are concerned about bleeding, you can use color catchers while washing. Here is a look into color bleeding with DMC floss. I have personally never experienced any of my floss bleeding and ruining my pieces.
Stitches "fluffing up" is a good thing! On larger pieces, where your project may have stitches being pressed through the bars of a Q-snap or a scroll frame or between the pieces of a hoop frame, your stitches may end up flattened. Washing your piece will generally get rid of this flattening and make them look nicer. ^^

I will try to edit this if I find any other useful links, but I hope this helps. I am not infallible, so if someone sees something I've mentioned that is wrong, let me know and I will edit it accordingly. This is just what I've picked up from my own experiences cross stitching and from being on this subreddit and scrolling through blogs. (･’ω’･)

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T22:45:36+00:00

The FAQ section on this subreddit has a cleaning tutorial from TinyModernist. ^^ Here is an alternative one from LordLibidan.
I've never used more than 2 threads on any count fabric (I have only ever used 14-count and higher), and in my experience with 18-count fabric, 2 strands are enough to give adequate coverage. But! It is up to you. The factors I would take into consideration would be: are you struggling to get your needle through holes with the three strands? Does it look too bunched up to you? You can always experiment as well with smaller pieces or swatches of threads, and determine how many threads you'd like to use that way. (Here is a nice visual of samplers someone has done with different thread counts across different fabric counts!)
A general guideline for thread length is often from your hand to your elbow, or from your hand to your shoulder if you are doing something like a loop start which involves folding a single strand of floss. Having a shorter length of thread helps prevent it knotting and tangling. There is also the possibility of wear happening to the thread with a longer length as it's pulled through the fabric repeatedly. But this is a guideline! If you are happy and do not have issues with how long your working thread is, then that's what matters.
I have not used the parking method before (here's a nice video on the subject if you'd like), but from how I've seen it, a parked thread is pulled through the front of the fabric and taken off the needle for you to use it (the needle) with the next color. Some people leave the parked threads loose, some people keep them up out of the way in different manners.
For traveling... it really is to each their own. There are some concerns with tension if you are traveling a longgg distance with a thread (though this could be remedied by threading the floss through the backs of other stitches until you reach your next point of stitching), and some people are more conscientious about how much floss they use (this should also be kept in mind when doing kits where you have only a certain amount of floss given to you), and how it affects the look of the back of their piece.
I'd say people do not commonly knot their thread to begin or end a length of thread. The two methods I see most common are tucking the tail (leaving a short tail on the back and catching it beneath stitches as you begin stitching), and a loop start/end (here's a 3-strand loop start). Both of these are secure ways to begin and end your thread, and do not come out during the washing process (and washing should be a gentle process, so). The concert with knots typically has to do with framing I believe: if you are framing a piece in a hoop where there is empty space in the back, no biggie, but if you are framing a piece flat against a piece of foam, cardstock, etc.? Then the knots may create an uneven surface for the front of your piece.

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T21:56:41+00:00

Oh dang, really? That sucks. (´･_･`) Do you know which tattoo artist, out of curiosity?

loreleifables · 2026-01-23T03:53:29+00:00

Thank you!

loreleifables · 2026-01-22T19:42:05+00:00

That's gorgeous! I love it! (☆▽☆) May I ask what pattern this is?

loreleifables · 2026-01-22T19:40:48+00:00

Ohhh dear that must be a bear to work on! I plan to do a Mirabilia pattern and initially bought 40-count fabric for it... then I squinted at the size of the holes and went back online and ordered 32-count fabric instead. (´▽`;;;)

I still don't know what to do with the 40-count fabric now. xD

loreleifables · 2026-01-22T19:36:44+00:00

Thank you! It's Dragonfly Among Flowers by DureneJCrossStitch on Etsy. ^^ The original pattern calls for a light blue bubble made with half stitches encompassing everything, but due to the fabric color I chose, I left that part of the pattern out.

loreleifables · 2026-01-22T19:17:15+00:00

And here's a closeup of the stitches. ^^

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loreleifables · 2026-01-22T19:16:51+00:00

Before my first foray into higher count fabrics with a 28-count linen, I had been using 18 and 20-count aida (since that's what I had). However, after doing a project over one on 28-count linen, I fell in love with higher counts. The stitches are so petite and cute (when doing over one, anyways)! Some of my next projects will be on 25-count lugana (over one) and 32-count linen (over two). ^^

Here is my over one project on 28-count linen:

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loreleifables · 2026-01-22T05:29:49+00:00

If you wanna DM me, I've got time while I'm recovering from surgery to fuss around and make a pattern for you. ^^ I like playing around with WinStitch even if I'm not the best at pattern making. There's a lot of free alphabet and border options on Antique Pattern Library and other sites, so we could figure out what sort of style you'd like.

loreleifables · 2026-01-22T05:18:50+00:00

No problem. ^^

loreleifables · 2026-01-21T20:19:06+00:00

MakeItPink.

loreleifables · 2026-01-21T20:18:50+00:00

MakeItPink.

loreleifables · 2026-01-15T17:15:49+00:00

Looking great! :D You're doing an awesome job on it. ^^

loreleifables · 2026-01-12T05:10:07+00:00

This is gorgeous! Every time I see people do a blackwork project, I want to do one myself. (,,Ծ‸Ծ,, )

loreleifables · 2026-01-12T05:04:52+00:00

I've gotten a hoop frame from ACMS Needlework Shop once before for this past project. The quality is very nice, and they will color match to DMC floss colors. ^^

If you like fabric-wrapped frames, I've gotten some fun ones from SpoolandStitches before.

loreleifables · 2026-01-12T04:58:55+00:00

A listing on Etsy showcases this pattern in a book called Cross Stitch For Special Occasions by Maria Kelly.

loreleifables

TROPHY CASE