Actually, last summer when I went to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home near DC) with my dad and sister I bought a small cross stitch kit that had T. J's famous quote, "I cannot live without books." At first I was just going to buy a postcard with the quote (because it absolutely fits me) but then I decided to try the cross stitch. In the excitement of summer, though, I put it in my suitcase and forgot about it. Then after getting back to Japan and having the exhausting chore of unpacking and washing/putting things away (not to mention moving, getting an intern, hosting a friend from the states), it got put in a corner and forgotten about again. But last weekend while doing a bit of cleaning/organizing I found it and decided to give it a go. And it has been love ever since.
OK, OK, puppy love- it has only been a week. BUT I have been thinking about it non-stop and have expanded to new projects. The TJ sampler was pretty easy and I was sad when it finished so quickly. It took me the length of the first three Twilight films that were on TV last week (another plus- I can do it while watching TV!). So the next day at work decided to search around for some "hip" cross stitch that I could do for myself and as possible gifts (warning to all of you who I normally give stuff to), and I found "Subversive Cross Stitch," or basically the punk version of the granny art form. Here are some examples of what they do..
Love it love it love it!! I have always been a huge fan of quotes (does that even make sense? doesn't everyone like quotes?) and love the clash of traditional stitching with blunt comments- "Don't make me cut you" is hilarious. And the great thing about cross stitch, for simple things like words it is pretty easy to DIY without a pattern. Because you are working with making x'es in little boxes, it is pretty easy to just count the boxes and make your own pattern based on images you find on Google (again, I said for simple things like words, hearts, zig-zags, etc- for pictures and stuff you need a pattern). Not that I wouldn't mind buying the book that these sayings came from, but I don't want to spend a lot of money before I really decide that this is what I like doing (again, comment about every new year brings a new craft).
The actual fabric and cloth was really cheap at the local craft store, and I like the fact that the fabric is the canvas so I can cut it up and use it for several projects. There are two that I want to do for upcoming birthdays, but I bought a Wizard of Oz kit to practice on first. It has some trickier techniques than the TJ quote so I am glad that I am doing it first. I don't want to spoil the surprise about what I am making for birthdays, but here is an example of the Wiz of Oz sampler (will try to put up real pictures this weekend).
I'm thinking I'll leave the mouths off since I think it makes the tin-man look like a pig, and will have to figure out how to put Toto* in there somewhere. GOOD LORD I'M A DORK! Watch out Judy Gardner*! Your competition has arrived!
*Notes:
*Toto, the dog from the Wiz of Oz, is a cairn terrier and my family loves cairn terriers. We have two and the black one is just like Toto, only mean. And the Wiz of Oz is one of my parents favorite movies. We have a Wiz of Oz tree every Christmas and they sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at my mom's funeral. So I figured with the above sampler, I can always give it to someone in the family.
*Judy Gardner is my friend Ashley's grandmother. She did a copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night in cross stitch. It is unreal!
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