A tempory bind

So you've all heard the rumours that I enjoy cross-stitch. Thought I'd provide a bit of proof that I actually do enjoy this craft. While I'm at it, I thought I'd share a quick tip I use to keep my head when there are lots of colours in the design.

I take a scrap piece of A4 paper that's usually been printed on one side. I'm all for reusing printed paper. I fold it in half with the printed side on the inside, then fold the halves again. I end up with a piece of paper a quarter of the size with the blank side facing outwards. Then I grab my punch and punch a number of holes in the paper along the open side. Next I take a pen and jot down the numbers of the colours next to a hole. I also make a note of which pattern it relates to. Then I thread that particular colour through and loop it around the paper to secure it.

It means I never loose any of the project's thread and I always know which colour is which, even months later when I eventually get back to that project.

Too precious

Whilst sorting through all my craft things, I came across a box with all my cross-stitch patterns and a number of projects in various states of incompletion. I pulled out an absolute treasure. Boy, did this send me on a trip down memory lane. I took it upon myself to educate my children in the finer aspects of crafts when they were younger. I tried to teach them how to knit, crochet and sew, which they went along with up to the point of frustration. Obviously lacking the same level of passion, they had varying degrees of success.

If my son knew I was sharing this .... I would be so dead! I might as well go all out and put it up on my Facebook for fun. When he was about 9 or 10, I tried to teach him cross-stitch. Seeing as he liked animals, I gave him a really small dog to stitch. If I recall correctly, he did remarkably well, with me to the rescue only a couple of times. I'd forgotten he'd presented his completed project back to me in the form of a hand made card. I just had to share.

On the back of his card he told me I Rock! If that doesn't warm the heart, nothing will.