Cross-Stitch

Charts, patterns and everything needlepoint

Tips to Make Cross Stitch More of a Habit

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This is the cross stitch page, so of course I’m talking specifically about cross stitch here, but these ideas for making cross stitch more of a habit really work for any craft or hobby that you want to deliberately spend more time on.

I got to thinking about this because of a post/podcast from Hannah Hand Makes, which talks about something she started doing that made it possible for her to cross stitch more. Briefly, though you should go read the post, she says she felt more energized to do cross stitch after finishing her evening chores when everything was set and ready in her crafting spot.

This makes a lot of sense. I always have a knitting project (OK, usually more than one) on the couch so I can pick it up whenever we sit down to watch TV or have friends over. There’s no excuse not to do it if it’s right there and ready to go.

In addition, having all the supplies you need handy makes it easier to get started and keep going. If you have different places in the house where you like to craft, invest in some basic tools in duplicate (like little scissors, needles, needle threaders if you use them) so you don’t have to hunt them down while you’re stitching.

I think it also helps to have a specific time that you intend to work on cross stitch or any other craft during the day. Say it’s 20 minutes after you take the kids to school or half an hour after cleaning up supper. The best way to form a habit is to tie it to another habit or something that happens every day so you’re less likely to forget about it.

I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have any ideas or tips that make it easier for you to work more cross stitch (or other crafting) time into your day.

[Photo by ? Monika ? ? Schröder ? from Pixabay]

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Designer Spotlight: Bella Rose Craft

The designs from Bella Rose Craft look like they would be good for beginner cross stitchers and others who like relatively simple and small designs that are quick to finish for gifts or decor.

I’ll mention up front that this Etsy shop based in Indiana has no organization whatsoever. There are two categories: kits and patterns. So it’s a bit of a treasure hunt to find what you might be interested in.

As mentioned there are lots of minis and small looking projects with simple lines and minimal colors. There are holiday projects, animals, summer motifs like palm trees and beach umbrellas, a bathtub with a rubber duck, some text based designs (like hoppy spring and merry and bright), some biblical and religious designs, flowers, bunting and more.

On a site like this its difficult to pick something representative of the whole page, but I liked this bees and beehive design, so it’s the one I picked to share. This one illustrates a lot of my general points about the patterns from this shop. It’s small (2.79 by 2.57 inches, or about 7 by 6.5 cm on 14 count fabric), it looks like it’s all whole cross stitches and probably uses only six colors, and a couple of colors are only used for a handful of stitches.

Of the 300 plus cross stitch patterns available as of this writing, 140 are also available as cross stitch kits. These would be great to give as gifts if you’re trying to get someone interested in cross stitching. The kits include the pattern, fabric and floss, and you can choose to have it include a needle or not. The hoop is not included but the patterns explain what kind of hoop is shown if you want to get one to match.

So if you’re looking for cute, beginner friendly patterns for yourself or you’re trying to be a crafty enabler for someone else, check out Bella Rose Craft on Etsy.

[Photo: Bella Rose Craft]