Member Advice on Cross Stitching

Cross stitch in general: Cross-stitch is my favourite hobby; I love sitting watching CSI and making pretty things. It has a reputation for being a bit old fashioned but the range of contemporary designs, fabrics and threads you can get these days in amazing. Cross-stitch, (also called counted cross-stitch), is a form of embroidery. You stitch little crosses with coloured thread to make up a pattern. The range of designs available is very varied ranging from very traditional designs right up through to very modern stuff and just about everything else in between. I cross-stitch because I find it ... more

INTRODUCTION I have been cross stitching on and off for years now and still to this day I enjoy it, I am glad I have taken it up as one of my hobbies but like any other hobby it can be quite expensive. I don't have a lot of time at the moment for my hobbies apart from when my little goes to school and bed, but to be honest be time he goes to be I am shattered and don't tend to much apart from sit in front of the tele, as I am to tired. When it comes to doing my hobbies in the day it also is a little difficult as there is always chores to do or because I am now a rep for avon that takes up my ... more

I have recently gained interest in a brand new hobby, which has even took me away from the many an hour I used to while away on here – I have taken up cross stitching. This was a spur of the moment thing. I went for a day out at Pollok Country Park in Glasgow, and I was doing the obligatory browse through the gift shop, when I spotted a “kit”, to be completed in half cross stitch, and showing a view of the city of Glasgow. My kit cost £34.99, and completed, it measures about 15” by 12” so it is a decent sized piece of artwork. It took me three weeks to finish, working on it most evenings, and ... more

It's no good, I've got to go against my "only write in paid categories" ethos and put this here having just written it for another site I thought more people should share in it! In this case it is a hobby which has become an addiction offering me fulfilment, enjoyment, relaxation and admiration - now you can't say that for many addictions! Still confused? I'm talking about cross-stitching - not just the reserve of bored housewives and grannies - I know of a few of us younger folk that love it. I first become entranced by this hobby a couple of years ago - stuck at home all day through illness ... more

A lot of excellent information about cross stitch and stitching magazines has been provided in Café. I’ll just offer a few more ideas on it. Cross stitch is the sort of hobby that you tend to scorn before you try it. It seems very passive, the sort of thing that elderly or housebound people might engage in. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s hugely popular in the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and many countries in Europe,and is enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s now being taught in many primary schools, and a growing number of men have taken it up. Until a few years ago I ... more