How Do You Decide What to Make Next?

I always enjoy checking out Hannah Handmakes’ podcast, in part because I know I couldn’t talk about cross stitch for so long as consistently and well as she does, but also because she comes up with interesting topics that are important to consider.

A somewhat recent episode was about how you decide what to stitch next, and it’s a really great question. She gives a long answer (you can listen or read about in on her website) with various considerations, such as if there’s a holiday coming up you want to make something for, if you want to use your stash of patterns or supplies, how much time you have, etc.

She ends up by saying she doesn’t have a good answer, and I wouldn’t either.

For one, I don’t actually do a lot of cross stitching for all that I write about it. I probably finished two or three projects last year (though I do have a couple of fun things on the go, and lots more I wish I had time to do).

I think my answer, though, would be similar to what I would say when it comes to deciding what to knit next. Sometimes you want something specific for the season (like I really want to knit some pants right now since I’m always cold and think that might help), or you might have a ball of yarn you want to use so you go hunting for a project that will suit it. In the case of cross stitch maybe it’s you really want to make something with bright colors, and you’ve always had a thing for whales, so off you go to find a project that satisfies that need.

Because I’m a blogger and write craft tutorials (mostly knitting, crochet, cross stitch and sewing) I also think about skill level a lot and what I can do to help people who are new in a craft to be inspired to try it. I’ll build on techniques in my projects in a way most people probably don’t think about consciously, but that makes sense to me in terms of teaching.

What about you? How do you decide what to make next?

[Image by Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay]

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Tips for Designing Your Own Cross Stitch Patterns

There are so many fun ways you can go when stitching Halloween cross stitch patterns or giving your place a slightly spooky or witchy vibe any time of year. I love the look of little potion bottles, whether they’re real bottles lined up on the mantle or shelf or cross stitched versions like these.

The gorgeous Elixir of Life cross stitch pattern from Makaronka Stitch is decidedly not Halloween in its vibes, so it would be fun to stitch and display any time of year. This is also definitely not a pattern for beginners, as it uses 37 colors and 34 blends to make the beautiful colors. It also uses full and half cross stitches, back stitch and French knots. The design measures 82 by 115 stitches, which comes out to 5.8 by 8.2 inches or 14.88 by 20.86 cm on 14 count fabric.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller but still a lot of fun, check out this set of six potion bottles from MIYA Stitch. I love how each bottle seems to have its own personality, from one with a pumpkin and witch hat to one with crystals, mushrooms, or a butterfly and flower. The patterns are 60 by 88 stitches each. That’s 4.3 by 6.3 inches or 11 by 16 cm on 14 count fabric. The full set uses 26 colors and blends.

Or try this set of five mini potion bottles from Plenty of Strings. I love the colors on these and they’d look great as a set on one piece of fabric or individually stitches as shown. Each one fits in a 3-inch hoop.

These minis from Giselles Cross Stitch are really cute, too, though they are meant to be worked together as one piece. The whole pattern uses 26 colors and measures 93 by 107 stitches, which comes out to 6.6 by 7.6 inches or 16.8 by 19.4 cm on 14 count fabric. They’re perfect on black or a dark blue fabric.

I also like this bigger set of potion bottles from SamXstitch, which is meant to be stitched as a set but you could also work individual bottles in their own frames if you’d rather. The full design uses 10 colors and is 123 by 173 stitches. Taht comes out to 8.78 by 12.36 inches/22.31 by 31.39 cm on 14 count fabric.

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