The start of my cross-stitching journey, the result of a silly accident!
My cross-stitching journey started during the last couple of years, at the beginning of the dreadful ‘Covid years’, when I found myself going back to creative hobbies to keep me happy and grounded.
These long challenging months have allowed many of us to refocus, introspect, reassess our desires and needs, change our way of thinking, and resulted for me in a complete metamorphosis!
It all started with a silly accident, which from Day-4 of the 1st lock-down forced me to wear an orthopedic boot for 8 weeks.
As you can see, I started off with a bang and no need to say that I railed against myself every day.
The advantage with these booties is that you can walk, provided you find a shoe with a thick enough sole to compensate for that of the boot. But, while it keeps you mobile (and you have to walk to promote blood circulation and heal faster!) you can’t walk for hours, much less run around like a bunny. This bootie was like a cannonball.
So there I was, enslaved to my sofa with my leg in the air (still to promote blood flow.)
My occupations were somewhat reduced. Reading went well for a bit, but after reading three books in the first week, I had to find something else.
Cross-stitching came naturally to my mind.
I quickly ordered a kit online, a beautiful weathered wooden stool with a huge bouquet of delicate pink roses in an old watering can.
It was my salvation, as the two months passed at breakneck speed. My leg was free at last, but we were still in lock-down…
But I absolutely needed another project, a new destination for my cross-stitching journey.
My cross-stitching journey’s first project: a beautiful weathered wooden stool with a huge bouquet of delicate pink roses in an old watering can
I rediscovered an old hobby, designing cross-stitch patterns
It was then that I decided to rediscover an old hobby of mine: designing cross-stitch patterns.
I needed a subject!
Easy, it was Figaro, my cat who spent most of these 8 weeks with me on the sofa, mostly messing around with my threads and cloth…
The making of Figaro in cross-stitch was another trigger for me.
I had finally found what I wanted to do: set up my small business creating and selling my own designs.
After these past two years, I can really say ‘something good always seems to come from something bad’ or even ‘all’s well that ends well’.
I spent the following months perfecting my skill, stretching myself, creating different patterns, many from my own photos (people, animals, flowers, houses…) but also from public domain vectors.
These two very different techniques allow me to create a varied range; simple, easy and fun patterns for those who want to get into counted cross-stitch, and more elaborate patterns, some highly detailed for those who want a challenge.
I found cross-stitch both therapeutic and very fulfilling. It gave me a lot of pleasure and helped me get through the successive lock-downs and challenging times.
My small business is in its infancy, as I’m new to this niche market but I have years of practice because I had the chance to learn how to knit, crochet, and embroider when I was a little girl.
These are skills that you keep for life and I am pleased I finally decided to take the plunge and just go for it, so… here I am!
Thank you for joining me on my cross-stitching journey, and I’m looking forward to your help, support, advice, encouragement and online friendship.
I hope you’ll enjoy my creations as much as I enjoy producing them.
Please join me, tag me, talk to me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest where I’d love to share and showcase your creations.
Let’s cross-stitch together 😉
