Stitch What you Love SAL

We would like to announce a new SAL  for anyone who would like to Join.  It is really simple, Pick something you LOVE!  whether it is a WIP you are currently enamored with or that Project that is screaming for you to start it, or maybe you have something you want to do for a special person in your life.  What ever makes you feel all warm and happy inside!  Pick up that project and Stitch on it for this SAL.   The Start Date is September 6th.  Post your progress where you like when you like.  Instagram and twitter :  #crossstitchitsfun #crossstitchitsfunsal #stitchwhatyoulove

2016 Sals

The Admin Team is proud to present the SAL and start dates for 2016. Most of these SALs were voted for by the group. We are sure this list will get longer but for now here it is. In the near future these will be added to the calendar with further information for each SAL.
Date Sal
1/1/16 Lavender and Lace
1/2/16 HAED
2/1/16 Coffee, Tea or Me
3/1/16 Little House Needleworks or Country Cottage
3/6/16 Freebie Chatelaine
4/1/16 Disney
5/1/16 Owls
6/1/16 Books
6/4/16 Teresa Wentzler
7/1/16 Around the world
8/1/16 Nature
9/1/16 Fantasy
9/6/16 Paula Vaughan
10/1/16 Ink Circles
11/1/16 Misery Loves Company (UFO)
12/1/16 Stitch from Stash

Bullying and cliques in stitching.

I have seen many videos and comments about bullying and cliques floating around the stitching community recently.  While I am sad to hear that there is bullying and cliques in the community, I also realize that these things are human nature.  It is up to members of the community to stop these behaviors.  You can choose to NOT participate in behavior that leads to these issues.  Treat people in a manner in which you, yourself want to be treated.  This is a rule that I try to live my life by.  I try to be as inclusive as I possibly can especially with the stitching group, and everything in this community.   If every person in the community were to take a step back and think about what they do and say to other people  then the community would be a better place.  We need to be supporting people and trying to include as many people as we can.  Now let's all get back to the important part of our day, Stitching!!

SALs, Facebook, and other Social media

As many of you know Cross Stitch it's fun is a group on Facebook.  As I have said from the beginning of this group we welcome any and all participation in our SALS and Events.  The group has a # that can be used on the various social media SALs #crossstitchitsfun .  You can show your progress on Flosstube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, a blog, or where ever works for you.   Stitching is supposed to be an enjoyable Hobby, social media is optional as always. 

SAL Rules

Ok, Just a brief explanation for all of the SALs and their rules. I created the SALs for fun! Most of them are meant to be Small projects to give us a break from all of the large projects. They also give people who are new to Cross Stitch a chance to try new and different things. Some of them are meant to Challenge all of us to get out of our "comfort" zones when it comes to stitching. I want to try new things in 2015 and I know many others have said they do as well! I am excited to try all of these things and hopefully have some of you trying right along with me  
Every group has their own rules and not everyone will like them but that is something each group must figure out for themselves. I am not a big rule person as I think you have all probably figured out by now so here are my rules for the Stitch A Longs (SAL) Let me know what you think! I am always open to feedback.

Here are my SAL

1. Have fun! (hangouts increase the amount of fun possible)
2. If they are designer specific pick something from that designer. (Wips are fine)
3. If they have a General theme Pick something that represents those themes for you. (Example: if you don't celebrate Christmas do something for your belief system) Yes Wips are fine! See Rule 1.
4. Start on or around the same time as the rest of us. (no I am not monitoring this nor do I care if you start early or later… See Rule 1)
5. No you do not have to finish it by a Certain time. (I'm not that crazy cause if I make the rule I have to follow it!)
6. And once again see Rule 1!!!

Introduction: Charity

Hello everyone, I am going to tell you a bit about myself today.  My first introduction to cross stitch was at a fairly young age when my grandmother let me play with some of her old crafts.  I started with embroidery and then tried stamped cross stitch I didn’t mind embroidery but I hated stamped cross stitch.  I discovered counted cross stitch in home ec. classes in Junior high and fell in love.  I since that first embroidery experimentation to this day I typically have at least on project on the go.  I don’t remember how old I was when I started embroidery but I know it was a very long time ago.  At a best guess I would say I have been stitching for around 30 years at this point.  Until I started doing You Tube videos last year I was largely a one project at a time person.  Though the community my stitching has grown so much in the last year.   There are so many things I want to stitch and try at this point.  I don’t really have a favorite designer at this point but I can tell you some of the ones that I enjoy greatly right now.  I have been enjoying Heaven and Earth Designs, there are so many to choose from and their patterns are easy to read even if they are gigantic.  Joan Elliott designs are stunning and enjoyable to stitch.  I have been recently enjoying samplers more than I thought I would.  I have very eclectic tastes and enjoy stitching and apparently kitting up new projects as well.  

I think the question I get most is why did I start doing the hangouts?  Honestly it was because so many people on flosstube expressed a wish to be able to meet each other and have friends to stitch with.  Well I thought what about technology to get together and stitch.  Kerry was the first one to try this idea out with me.  A few more people joined the early hangouts and we also tried voice chat where I met some new people as well.  The group was born from this desire to have hangouts and be able to have a virtual stitch along.  We needed a better way to organize ourselves and do things as a group and that gave rise to the group.

I have met so many wonderful people though the hangouts.  It doesn’t matter if they join the live hangouts or just watch on You Tube and participate via chat.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to talk to people from all over the world about so many different topics while we stitch! 

What are my goals for the group?  I want a true community, I want people to feel like they have a place in the group and are liked and appreciated for what they bring to the group.  I want to see people try hangouts and making friends.   I want a place where we can share our joy and passion for this hobby.  Until this group if you asked me I could name only a handful of true friends in my life.  Now I have more people that I consider dear friends and that If I do not talk to them at least a few times a week I worry about them (yep I am a worry wart) and miss them dearly.  I have always considered myself and outsider and asocial but I find that the problem was that I just didn’t have the right people in my life.  I want everyone to experience that joy and happiness that having such wonderful friendships can bring. 

I hope this gives you a little insight into what makes me, me.

Introduction - Mindy

Greetings All!

It’s me Miss Mell! On the Facebook group page I go by Mindy Zea Morrison.

I’ve been stitching for 30 year! Yup, you read that right, 30 years. The earliest memory I have involves me “stitching” with yarn and a yarn needle on plastic canvas while my mother and the other ladies of the church sat together and worked on their needlework. I can honestly say that I have been stitching most of my life. When I was 5 I received my first “true” cross stitch kit, it was a little teddy bear that could be finished as an ornament. In fact it still hangs on our Christmas tree every year. It only took me 3 days to do. After that I went big. My next project after that was a Precious Moments entitled “Telegram”. It took me a year to complete but complete it I did, and I was hooked.

Now just because I’ve been stitching for 30 years doesn’t mean that I have walls covered in framed pieces or FFOs displayed everywhere. In fact I only have 4 pieces framed and displayed, year round, in my house. Two of them are my children’s birth samplers. I do plan on changing that though and getting more of my work on display in my home.

I know that one question I get asked a lot is “How/why did you start making videos of your stitching?” It all starts with the first video I made and then the first video I watched. The first video I made was a slide show of all of the finishes and WIPS I had at the time. I posted it first to Facebook as a way for my family to see everything. On a whim I posted it to YouTube and was astonished when it started getting views and then subscribers. Unfortunately that video is not viewable in the US or any US territories due to copyright. Then the day came that I watched a cross stitch video on YouTube. It was a video of JelliclesForever. I sat there completely amazed that someone was putting more than just makeup videos on YouTube. From her channel I discovered a couple of others that were also doing the same and decided that I was going to do it too. That same day I made my first “FlossTube” video.

A few months into making and watching videos I discovered Wonderfully Hopeless (Charity/Hope). I found out that she had a group on Facebook called “Cross Stitch, It’s Fun!” I joined the group and started having fun with posting of WIPS and finishes. I was really enjoying the community feel the group has. Soon Charity started doing the hang outs. I remember the first one I joined, I was on bed rest and bored. In all honesty I was nervous joining the hangout; I mean I didn’t really know everyone, I just “knew” them from watching their videos and looking at their posts in the group. That fear was soon put to rest after the warm greeting I received when I logged in. After a while of regularly participating in the hangouts and being active in the group, Charity asked me if I wanted to become a MOD. And I guess you can say the rest is history.

Welcome!

I would Like to welcome you to our blog.  This is another creative space for the group Cross Stitch, It's fun.  This group is based in Facebook  but also has a You tube presence as well.  For the first few posts the Mods will be introducing themselves.  So that you can get to know each of us better.  After that you can expect to see periodic articles and we are considering doing a Stitcher of the month where we will show case a particular Stitcher from the group.  I hope that you enjoy our blog!