Designer Spotlight: Wild Bluebell Patterns

At the end of each month I made an editorial calendar for the next month, and by the time I get around to writing the posts I sometimes forget the particulars of a site or a pattern I wanted to share.

So it was when I opened the link for Wild Bluebell Patterns on Etsy and said (out loud, because I work alone) “ooh, I love these.”

It’s easy to see why I would say that when you take a peek at their detailed and colorful patterns, many of which have a witchy vibe. If I weren’t already in the depths of a big cross stitch project for my daughter, I would definitely be buying some of these patterns to stitch for her.

And since that’s what drew me in, let’s take a closer look at one of those dark and witchy patterns, in this case the Gothic moth. Worked in shades of purple and blue on dark fabric, it might be a little frustrating to stitch if you’re not under a bright light, but wouldn’t it be worth the work?

The design is 111 by 109 stitches, which comes out to 7.9 by 7.8 inches, or 20.1 by 19.8 cm, when stitched on 14 count fabric. It uses 13 colors.

If you like this vibe you’ll want to check out the full section of witchy cross stitch. And honestly that would be enough to keep me going for a while, but this shop also has holiday designs (mostly Halloween and autumn of course, but Christmas, too, including an adorable T. rex covered in Christmas lights). There are other animals, with an emphasis on cartoony frogs and floating whales. A few landscapes and some labeled humor, including this amazing ramen bowl based on the Great Wave of Kanagawa painting.

There may not be something for everyone in this shop, but if your tastes go to the gothic, moths and mushrooms with a side of role playing games and witches, you’re sure to find something you like. Check out Wild Bluebell Patterns on Etsy and let me know what you think!

[Photo: Wild Bluebell Patterns]

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Celebrate International Women's Day with Cross Stitch

The post over at The Crafty Mummy has the click-baity title of “Is there a right or wrong way to cross stitch?” Of course the answer is no. As with any other craft, as long as you are happy with the results you’re doing it right and no one should try to convince you otherwise.

That said, there are things that you can do to make your cross stitch a little better if you aren’t totally happy with the way your projects are looking. They might not be considered the “right way,” but they are important things to think about and if you want to deviate from these “rules” at least you’ll know that you’re doing it.

You can head over there to read all the tips, but it’s things like making sure your stitches are all going in the same direction (meaning you stitch the bottom legs of a row all in the same direction, then work back and stitch all the top legs in the same direction). You wouldn’t think something like that would make a huge difference until you don’t do it and then you can’t unsee it.

Most of things things aren’t rules so much as they are reminders to be consistent in what you are doing as you work a project. So however you start doing things like stitch direction or the number of strands of floss (I might even add using a hoop versus not, since the hoop can stretch the fabric and change the tension of the stitches a bit) you should continue in that way throughout the project in order for it to look its best.

Head over to The Crafty Mummy to read the rest of her list, then come back here if you have something to add. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: The Crafty Mummy]

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