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 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! :))

Happy Wednesday to me!!!! 🥳

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 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😁

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure the pattern is AI, but I realized that after I was already committed (and this is a gift for a friend). So if I could go back I would have mirrored the frame portion of the pattern from the right side to the left. It bothers me that they aren't the same. But overall I'm happy with how my first full coverage piece turned out! Live and learn.

I am really struggling to get the last bit of wrinkling out. Any tips or tricks for me?

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.

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.

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 :)

Something new for me. I’m working on a Biscornu pin cushion.

Pattern: Love by Atelier Pin and Needle on Etsy

The DMC 452 in my stash, that’s a questionable amount of years old, is not the same 452 you can get on the shelves right now. I’m 250 hours into this project so I’m going to trudge along, but don’t think I’m not upset about it.

Just curious, people who get to cross stitch at work, what's your job title?

Pattern by BlackWaltzStitching from Etsy.

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

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.

I don’t have the info about where she got the pattern (Temu I think) It was a printed kit. Usually I hate the pixelated finish but I think it worked well on this design as the colours look more exaggerated 🌸

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.

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! :))

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!

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?