Trying out some new supplies
Hello stitchers!
Over the past few weeks, I've been jumping FAR out of my comfort zone in terms of color and designs for my stitching. It's been quite fun to do patterns and colors I wouldn't usually pick. My husband is loving it. I've been stitching lots of GREEN... so not my color, but it's his favorite! He's already requested that he gets this bookmark:
I also usually use DMC embroidery threads (they're actually Rhona's... but she's kind enough to share her stash!). But lately, I've been using these threads. I also purchased some black aida, and have enjoyed stitching on the black fabric. It was actually my first time stitching on black aida!
(Note - the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you purchase I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
I got these supplies because I wanted to play around and try some things I haven't done before (such as embroidery!). I also wanted to design some bold, bright designs - and I thought these would look nice on black rather than my usual white.
Here's my first attempt at embroidery (it's not finished yet, but I wanted to share!):
As you can see, I drew in pencil directly onto my fabric... and then didn't follow my lines! Ahhhh!! I'm kicking myself now for doing that... what was I thinking?!
Anyway, I found these threads to be great to work with for trying my new projects.
Now, keep in mind that I'm not too picky about supplies - but I actually really liked the bundle pack of threads. While they were a bit fluffy in the middle, they stitched up just fine. I think they're a great option for small projects and for people who are just getting started with cross stitch. I'm not sure why, but I didn't get as many knots in my thread with these threads as I do with DMC ones. (Has anyone else had this sort of experience with non-DMC bundle packs? Let me know if you have!).
When it came to the black aida, I found it to be quite stiff, which I really liked because it made it really easy to find the holes with the needle. (A tip for stitching on black aida - make sure you have something white behind it so that you can more easily find the holes. Thanks, Rhona, for the tip!).
One thing to be aware of is that the stiffness makes it more difficult to fray the edges if you're going to finish your stitching in that way. If you are planning on fraying your edges using this black aida, I'd recommend fraying slowly and only pulling out one strand at a time rather than multiple.
And, if you like the green bookmark design at the top of this page, it's an additional freebie that all Patrons receive if they sign up in the month of July to support this website, TangledThreadsAndThings.com. There's still time to get your additional freebie... visit our Patreon page today!
I'll share an update once I have my embroidery finished. I'm really hoping I can get those pencil lines out of the fabric!! I've learned my lesson... and will only be using disappearing ink from now on!
Happy stitching, and until next time,