cross stitching

I was given a gift certificate to The Workroom from my wonderful parents-in-law. The only trouble I had with it was trying to decide which of the many fantastic classes to take. I decided on the Intro to Cross Stitch (mainly based on the cover, that is, the photograph of the alphabet). While I love to letterpress and sew, I thought it'd be a good idea to learn something new that was easily portable. I like the idea of  taking cross-stitching on the road, on the subway, to the cottage etc.

Our instructor Johanna Masko was so friendly, knowledgeable and patient with us. She was just as excited as we were to thread the needle. We didn't make our first stitch until the class was an hour and a half in (third photo down)! And let me tell you, it was an amazing feeling that one cross-stitch did for me. The world was pretty much the class' oyster after that.

Karyn just got in, oh about a million, colours of Cosmo 6-stranded embroidery floss. But true to form, I stuck with the greys and decided on a gradient, just for some variety.

As I was working on the alphabet sampler at home, I realized how much focus it takes. I enjoy that it's a slow progress and requires close attention (unless you don't mind repeatedly un-threading your mistakes). The tactile results are immediately satisfying and the creative possibilities are endless.

//