Two weeks ago, I began my first Cross-Stitch project. Last week I made some good progress, but this week is the week I finally finish my little project.

So lets see how I got on. 

My Third (and final) Session
Going into my third session, I felt like I was finally getting the hang of it. I moved onto to the silver/grey thread, and made a start on the screen surround. Unfortunately, I fell straight back into old habits and the stitches along the top of the screen were stitched the other way around. It didn't feel as though it was as obvious this time, but it still bothered me that they weren't all uniform. 

As I moved onto the keyboard section, I was able to produce uniform stitches again, but it was at this point that I realised I had done an extra yellow stitch for the cats face. It was too late to correct it now, so I was hopeful it wouldn't be obvious when the piece was finished.

When the keyboard section was finished, I moved onto my next colour; black. This was to be used for both cross-stitch and back stitch details, so I decided to continue with the cross-stitch bits first. This would make up the cats facial features, tail and musical note. 

It was at this point that I noticed another mistake. I should have left two gaps for the cats nose, so instead I had to stitch the black thread over the yellow thread. 

Back-Stitch 
With all the cross-stitch sections completed, it was time to work through the back-stitch portions. My confidence was right back at the beginning again, because this was something new to learn, and I didn't know where to start. 

The craft group was very kind to me, and talked me through the best approach, and I was on my way again. 

Going around the edge of the computer screen, was a fairly simple process, but when it came to the white text on the computer screen, and the details on the cat, I realised just how busy the back of my cross-stitch was. 

Trying to find the right gap was tricky, and it took me a couple of goes to get it right. I started the whiskers too high on one side, and by the time I'd realised it looked too complicated to unpick. 

I hadn't quite finished the design, at the end of the session, but I was so close that I decided to finish it when I got home. 

I was so proud of myself, once it was done. It was such a huge achievement for me, and I think it looks great now it's done. I took progress pictures throughout my journey, and when I zoom right in, all my mistakes sit there glaring at me. But when I look at the actual finished piece (which is less than 5cm square), it looks perfectly fine. 

The last thing I need to do, is find a little frame for it, so I can proudly hang it in my craft room.

Would you try Cross-Stitch as a new hobby?
If you are looking for a new craft hobby, then I would highly recommend trying cross-stitch. I've really enjoyed learning something new, and with all my mistakes, I am still very proud of my work. 

I can appreciate that in other designs, the mistakes may be more obvious, but I am happy to stack this up as a learning opportunity and focus on my next project.

I have some big ideas that I would like to try with cross-stitch, but they will require a lot of planning first. 

A member of the craft group, has offered to teach me how to knit, so next week I may try my hand at that. 

In conclusion 
- Read the instructions, then read them again! 
I read the instructions so many times, and still made mistakes. 

- I found going from top to bottom, left to right, much easier and I was able to keep my stitches uniform. 
However, this isn't always possible, especially when the instructions state to start from the centre. 

- I ended up with A LOT of thread left over, so I really didn't need to be quite as conservative as I was. 
In order to avoid 'wasting' thread, I made sure that used each piece to the very end, and subsequently some of the back-stitches 'popped out' the front, and I had to poke them back in. 

- And finally, just in case you weren't paying attention the first time, read the instructions again! 

Watch the complete progress here

Thank you for following my journey, I hope this has inspired you to try something new. 

We love to hear what you get up to, so send us a picture of your work (WIP or finished), and share your story. 

Most importantly, celebrate ALL your achievements, big and small. 

Happy stitching!
#wearemoc