Cross stitch is back!

 

About three weeks ago I posted about getting back into cross stitch. I started with a pattern of a compass that I found in an old magazine. The pattern was sampled from the book "Stitch Graffiti". I edited the compass, adding in a spiral also found in the book and a sailboat of my own creation. I thought the design would be the perfect front panel for this Monk's Bag tutorial from The Purl Bee.

  

Last week I went to our local fabric store looking for the perfect materials. I needed three or four. One for the lining, one for the front and back panels, one for the outside of the handles and one for the lining of the handles. I ended up choosing three. I loved this green material for the lining and the front and back panels because it was the same color as the green spiral in the cross stitch design and it's print reminded me of a compass (win-win). I liked the blue material for the handles because it looks like water (sailing) and I like something dark for handles because they get tend to get dirty. I also used the blue for the small inside pocket. The lining of the handles is a red batik print with sailboats on it. I thought this was perfect since it matched the red of the sailboat on the cross stitch panel and our sailboat CRUSH has a red stripe too.

 

I am pleased with how the bag turned out. There are things I would change or do different with the handles if I made it again, but I think it's a nice sturdy bag and I hope to use it from time to time. Doing some cross stitch again was fun too. Too bad that I need reading glasses for it now.

Bringin' Cross Stitch Back.

A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning out my basement studio and decided to go through some old magazines and tear out any ideas or patterns that interested me. In one, I came across a free pattern from the book "Stitch Graffiti" by Heather Holland-Daly. I used to do a ton of cross stitch. In fact, my parent's still do. Yes, BOTH of my parents. My dad loves it too, though he hates back stitching, so my mom does that part on his. Anyway, I immediately knew I had to make it. It was of a compass with a star and moon on lime green linen and it reminded me of sailing. I kept thinking of this pattern over the next few days. I must say that this is a great book! Lots of cool, updated looking cross stitch patterns. So many cool ideas, in fact, that I decided to change the original pattern a bit by adding in one of the "spiral" designs from the book. I also added in a sailboat of my own design and modified the compass arrows and dots a bit. So, what I'm ending up with here is probably 75% the original designer's pattern and 25% mine. As much as I loved the original pattern, I really liked the changes making it my own.

Now, what am I going to do with a piece of cross stitched fabric? I have enough throw pillows and pictures on the wall and the sailboat doesn't need anything more. The pattern mentioned you could also use this for the cover of a journal but I remembered having seen on the website "The Purl Bee" a tutorial for making a (modified) Monk's Bag. I'm thinking this cross stitch piece would make the perfect front panel for the bag. I love tote bags and especially shoulder bags with long straps that make carrying a bag, hands free.

Check back to see the finished design incorporated in the Monk's Bag pattern. I can't wait to go and pick out the fabrics.