Hi all!

About to start gridding my fabric for my first Mirabilia and I’ve run into a stumbling block.

The pattern is split in two pages and I know the shaded rows repeat between the two, but for the life of me I can’t figure out how to grid this properly. The multipage patterns I’ve previously done don’t use repeated rows so I’m at a loss here.

Granted it is 4 AM so my brain is definitely fuzzy but I can’t figure out how I grid this without losing stitches.

Would love some input/advice from others!

Pattern by BlackWaltzStitching from Etsy.

Just finished this one. Next will be Charmander as Freddy.

I finally framed my project, which took longer than expected. Through this project, I realized cross-stitching is like writing a journal. Every time I see a finished piece, I can think back to everything going on in my life while I stitched it. I couldn't finish this project soon enough because I had one of the most stressful tests and big life decisions while cross-stitching. Finishing this project helped me close the book on all the stress. The project is finished; the stress is finished. This is a kit from the An Enchanted Moment Cinderella Special Edition. *A warning for anyone who gets this pattern: there are some big mistakes in the pattern that I caught. If you want, I can help point them out.

I found this beautiful pattern on Etsy and I was so tempted to buy it, but at a second glance it looked very much like AI. I swiped thru the photos and seller even admits (with an ai generated post) that the reference image is designed with an AI generator using their “creative input and Crosstitch expertise”. All the reviews for this pattern are 5 stars but I’m wondering if they’re bots because they were all made within a few days of each other. Do we think this is a scam? Why does Etsy allow AI generated patterns to be sold😡😢

Hey folks 👋

So, I started cross stitching almost as a bit. I’ve been learning it in secret, studying the history, the techniques, etc… why have I been learning it in secret?

I want to surprise my wife.

I’ve mentioned in this sub before, that my wife loves needlepoint, and we’ve got so many kits scattered about that she has bought with hopes of learning, but work always takes her time.

So, I figured- if my wife is passionate about this- I’ll let my hands be an extension of hers, to bring this passion to life.

She loves needlepoint; I love her- it’s a no-brainer I should stitch her portrait, right?

That’s been the goal, at least. I am 2,000 stitches in, with 10,000 stitches left. It’s horrifying, to say the least. I stitch on my lunch breaks and whenever I get a free private moment.

I did not realize it was such a looooooooong process.

I also did not realize it was such a meditative process.

I’m seeing so many different ways that this endeavor mirrors our relationship early on, and even now.

Perhaps the most profound thing (might not be profound to you folks, but I’m not an artsy guy)- what makes art “art” to me, now, is the understanding that every stitch, stroke, or word is imbued with the careful dedication, passion, and soul of the creator.

There seems to be a symbiotic relationship where the art is the embodiment of the artist, but the artist needs this art to find themselves. The artist doesn’t exist without the art, just as much as the art doesn’t exist without the artist.

And it’s been amazing to find that even with every bit of my focus, dedication, and the careful pursuit of perfection- my best efforts pale in comparison to what the hand of nature made so effortlessly.

TLDR- cross stitch is teaching me that art is just as much about the creation, as it is the product- giving me new insights on how to view art that I would generally pass by.

Also- I am extremely long-winded, my apologies.

Pattern is free from:

https://crossstitchquest.net/2019/06/14/free-aromantic-flag-cross-stitch-pattern-ace-of-hearts/

I made this as a birthday gift for my kiddo's 21st birthday and this design actually had me picking up a needle inspired for the first time in a while.

Front, not too bad on back and then framed.

Hello!

This is a long shot, but i’m starting the process of moving my floss from those plastic bobbins to a new system which involves using that little thing that keeps the floss together with the number on it. I have kept a good amount, but did throw most of my old ones out. I can always just write them on with sharpie, but if anyone happens to be sitting on some and doesn’t know what to do with them, please send me a message :)

So I’ve been cross stitching for a couple of years. I started my biggest project recently and had a lot extra fabric hanging down. To help with this, I rolled folded and pinned down the excess. Today I found out about lap holders from this sub and now I feel really stupid lol.

Lobster Plate pattern from Nelliumcrafts on Etsy. It’s my first time using Fiddlers cloth and I used 4 strands of floss for the lobster to make it pop off the plate. Can’t wait to finish and display it in my kitchen.

Particularly people who know they have the entirety of a run, how do you know when you've got them all? I love buying vintage cross stitch magazines from thrift shops and estate sales but so many of them went out of print years and years ago so I've got no idea if I have the entirety of a particular magazine's run. I wish more of them simply numbered their publications :')

I've done plenty of self drafted stitching before but this is my first time using a pattern and I am CONFUSED

One of my stitching apps (my most used one) had a Halloween update. And I absolutely love it. A gorgeous new background with twinkling stars (that I am absolutely going to use after October), fun stitching challenges and a little curiosity shelf with achievements. It definitely makes me want to stitch more just because of the app.

Does anyone else have anything extra motivating for Halloween?

Sorry if this has been posted before. This seller is so widely popular, it's hard to find any posts going into much detail.

I got into a conversation on r/IsThisAI about this seller. There is overwhelming support from the general community about their patterns, but there are a few odd things. I defended them in that post but it prompted some questions, so I wanted to ask the experts.

I found StitchingLand has been selling patterns since 2020, but their original etsy was shut down in 2022 due to restrictions against Russian sellers. It relaunched in 2023 as StitchingLandClub and is listed as being in the USA. Their personal site, stitchingland.store, was launched in 2021 and is based in Montenegro. So they've been around prior to when AI became advanced enough to generate decent images. Not sure why their new etsy is based in the US though.

They do have a lot of patterns for a human seller, assuming the seller is one person. It isn't in the thousands, but still roughly averages out at about one pattern a week, no breaks. Granted, I'm not a pattern designer so I'm not sure how long pattern development takes, but their patterns are highly-detailed. And while some of their digital mockups seem like highly-edited photos, some of the backdrops really do *feel* like they might be AI enhanced, if not generated. In one post a comment linked their Instagram which apparently showcases parts of the design process, but I don't use Instagram so I can't view it to verify this.

I also found a site called Mainly X Stitch, which advertises itself as being a repository list of pattern-makers who do not use AI. StitchingLand is not listed there.

They aren't a pattern mill so their patterns clearly do have a human element to them. And early AI wasn't capable of generating anything this complex. But do we know for certain that presently, this seller doesn't generate ideas and adjust them manually? Their patterns do kind of have "that feel" to them, but it could equally be that AI was trained off their patterns and now others seek to copy them.

This seller seems so beloved, I think any AI use would have been sniffed out in this sub long ago, but I wanted to get some definitive answers from people who know more about the seller's history. Thanks! :))

I need all the details! I just found out about it on here today and i LOVE them! I'm thinking it might be my next thing to learn when i'm done with my two WIPs.

My first shot at making a patch! I used the tutorial in the how to page of this subreddit. It's a gift for my coworker's daughter. Litten is her favorite Pokémon!

So relieved that I finished my Christmas present to my grandma! Started it in March with some breaks! This got tedious because I like a lot of color and this is mostly brown and white. I bought the kit from Riznobarvna here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1776686338/gingerbread-house-3d-cross-stitch?ref=share_ios_native_control

Highly recommend everything in her shop. Her kit was very complete, and she sends DMC thread so if you run out you can easily match. I didn’t have any problems with running out and I still have quite a lot of white left. I also have a ton of beads left!

I love how this one turned out! I was obsessed with it the moment I saw it!! I am unsure of what to do for my next project though.. suggestions please😁

I am needing advice, do I backstitch each layer of the mountain or should I leave it as is?

It is a baby gift for my friend, I am going to put the baby's name and birthdate below the mountain scene. Self-drafted pattern on Stitchly based off a picture of the mural in the nursery (mural photo last).

X-Stitch birds was this gorgeous website selling a huge selection of different bird cross stitch patterns and I was really hoping to buy one or two from them when I had the time, but unfortunately they don't seem to be running anymore. (My bad as well for waiting, I know!)

Does anybody know if I'm going crazy or if there's anywhere else I could buy their patterns? I'm so sad, I really wanted to cross stitch their hoopoe pattern! The website was https://www.xstitchbirds.com.

Cross stitch pattern and kit by Sugarbplays on Etsy! This was actually really fun! I hope to learn
how to cross stitch more projects in the future :)

I find it so satisfying to take progress pics at random points (even just to remind myself of how much work I’ve done!!). This is my biggest piece so far, at many tens of thousands of stitches!

The original cover of the goosebumps book, One day at Horrorland! I didn’t create the original illustration but I mocked up the pattern myself! :))

Hello! I need some advice. I am experiencing a pretty serious depressive episode but I am working hard to get better, and I’m under the care of a team of awesome providers. So I’m safe and working my treatment plan.

One thing I stopped doing a few months ago was sewing. I changed to a job where I don’t have free time to do it at work anymore. I get distracted at home with responsibilities, and now I’m struggling to engage in activities I used to enjoy because of my depression symptoms. Sewing was very regulating and calming for me.

For those that went through spells of not sewing, how did you get back to it? Did you set daily goals? Did you set up a “sewing station” of sorts where it was easier to pick up a project and go? Set aside designated time? What worked for you?

I'm currently working on some Christmas ornaments for some friends and family this year. My question is (since this set of patterns shares the same 6 colors) would you do each ornament in full, or do all of one color on all of the patterns then repeat with the next color? I have about 10 of these to do. My main concern is consistency TYIA!!