Cross Stitch – It Runs In The Family

Today I will shed a little light on the background of why I love Cross Stitch! It comes down to how much my own amazing mother has influenced my sister and I. We were very lucky to have such a shining example of creativity in our lives from the very beginning. <3 We were always watching on (annoying) and absorbing (harassing) our mother’s latest project.

Inspiration And Creativity Go Hand In Hand

I think everyone needs a source of inspiration and encouragement in their lives, no matter where we can find it. I hope we can all get that at an early age, and that it helps to shape your creativity. Even if we can’t, finding it as an adult will help develop that creative side of you waiting to get out! Creative outlets are an excellent way to ground and centre yourself. I’d be climbing the walls if I didn’t have some way to express myself.

Inspiration comes in all forms and it’s part and parcel with creativity, I think. I also believe you’re way more able to recognise and act on that inspiration when you have a solid creative outlet to express it! You don’t need to be talented either – creativity and dedication will trump lone talent every time.

Mama StitchYaWitch

My mum has always been the source of inspiration and encouragement I’ve been talking about. She’s supported me through all my crazy ideas. She’s always encouraging and offering her opinion, whilst also littering about her sage voice of reason. And there have been many (not so crazy) ideas over the years.

The Crazy Ideas Are Her Fault

There was the candle making adventure, where she was a quiet voice of reason in the background. “They smell lovely Sarah, but maybe you don’t need to go buy 100kgs of soy wax.” There was the plush sewing phase, where she’d quietly come material shopping with me and help me pick out which fabrics would make up my new concept.

The DIY home decorator phase (which I’m still in by the way mum, so if you could pop over to look at some paint samples with me this weekend that would be fab). She is forced weekly to listen to my grandiose plans about where I will put the world’s most amazing goldfish pond…

I could go on and on, but the theme is always the same. She’s always around to lend an ear and definitely an opinion, and to politely temper the outrageous ones. And rightly bloody so, because it’s her fault I’m like this!

You see, she’s exactly the same and don’t let her tell you any different (the 1,200kgs of tiles that will one day be broken up for mosaics in the garage would like a word?).

Debbie’s Cross Stitch

We won’t place blame though, I wouldn’t change any of it! Cross Stitch wasn’t her first love, but it was one of her greatest and encompassed most of my childhood. She was always working on her Cross Stitch in her spare time, and finished a huge number of projects. Gifts and anniversary presents, as well as personal projects that were framed and hung in our family home (plus a few which were stolen by her children as adults).

Current Cross Stitch Project

Mum’s been hard at work on a Halloween Stitch-Along offered by Stitchonomy, but she can’t help but make her own unique modifications to the released squares. At this point, she’s practically redesigned the entire thing! Her stitch work is as pristine as ever, despite the frogging she’s been doing when she changes her mind about a square (which she does often).

Previous Cross Stitch Projects

My mum, Debbie, has an extensive collection of completed Cross Stitches. Many of them have moved onto various other homes but she does have some of her most sentimental ones stored away. They moved recently and have not yet been put back up in their forever homes. She is also looking for new projects to put up in their new home, as the older ones are relegated to less trafficked areas. If you have any cool suggestions please comment and let us know!

I apologise for the glare in the photos! Most of these projects were framed before non-reflective glass was readily available. You can see the obvious difference with the Purple Dragon Cross Stitch, which had non-reflective glass.

To conclude, my mother is a badass bitch who has never shied away from trying new things. She’s honed her creativity to the point where she is a master in multiple different arts. Her mosaics are simply amazing (she recently finished a goldfish pond mosaic outdoor table). Her Cross Stitch is lovely and so technically precise, her stitches are just perfect. She dabbles in creating patterns for herself, and giving us critique on ours. She draws (well, she used to), she sews (rarely), she gardens (begrudgingly), and she creates!

She’s my biggest inspiration, my biggest supporter, my loudest cheerleader and a constant source of joy and love.