Cross stitching

That's gorgeous, Katek. My eyesight has never been good, so I couldn't do anything so intricate.

Thank you Annie for the information about your lamp and magnifier. Back to the googling...

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I enjoy doing large pieces, these are three that are on my living room walls. I've done others too. I have started a second version of the lady in the red dress, there is a series of them with different themes and colours. Slow going though as my poor old eyes aren't as good as they were, even with glasses lol.
The bride on the swing was a pattern my Mum bought me for christmas a few years ago, the silks/beads/jewels cost a small fortune, but worth the cost and work! It's about 24"x 18"
The Superbikes is my eldest sons favourite, he's a biker.

Beautiful jusnoneed

I have done small pieces for my two Gds and would love to do one for my 14 year old GS. He likes Banksy artwork and I would especially like to do the well known one of the terrorist holding a bunch of flowers. Anyone any ideas if there is pattern available? Google does't seem very helpful with this! Beautiful work jusnoneed - I enjoy cross stitch but not a stitcher of your standard!

Thank you both.
You can get patterns made from your own pictures, not sure how you would get on with something like a Banksy image though.
My mum had one printed from a photo of my Dads motorbike.

There is good software which will enable you to do this and DMC also offer the service, you just send a photograph and they turn into a chart

baNANAGran, I think there may be copyright issues with Bankys work but you could ask DMC

Many thanks for your suggestions, I shall follow them up. Good point about the copyright!

Just to let you know, I've found a brilliant website, www.etsy.com and there it was. Have downloaded a PDF file (cost £3 something). Not printed it out yet but looks great.

That's great baNANAGran, I have had some lovely patterns from Etsy

I always have some cross stitch on the go. Ebay is a great site for buying kits and charts. I've just bought a lovely collection of sampler patterns for just 99p and a sampler kit for £10.95.
Moira Blackburn creates some fabulous traditional samplers and can they be bought as a kit or chart from her website.
My problem is that I now have a stack of finished work that I don't know what to do with. All big projects are framed but I've got a set of individual flowers, one for each month, small samplers and pictures. Considering making some into cushions. Trouble is I can't stop making things and I have a similar problem with patchwork, but that's another story.

They do mount up Rosiebee, like you I just cannot stop stitching. Have just finished three of Derwent Waters sunset collection.

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I haven't got a pattern as such. It's extremely random and I'm using only left over threads which is why there is no order in the colours but I am enjoying it.

It's lovely Stansgran, and very clever

Last year I decided to go back to cross stitching again, having made several pictures in the past , and thought it a good idea to make my own Xmas cards .I became absolutely hooked and ended up making about fifty cards plus a few birthday cards starting in March and ending at the beginning of December .Just stitching one occasionally when tired of other hobbies .I sent for 1 or 2 kits and repeated the designs many times.There are quite a few companies to go to on the internet . Having just discovered this site has reminded me that I must soon make a start on next year's cards ! ! !

That's great riclorian , fifty cards ? that is a love of stitching

Hi there I'm working on an American pattern picking it up after many years glAd to meet other stitchers,

Hi Italiangirl, it's a most enjoyable craft isn't it, I love it so much, just before Christmas a lens fell out if my new spectacles, having poor eyesight this caused problems, couldn't stitch, then solved it by wearing a patch over one eye and carried on stitching hope specs arrive next week

I am working on two AOY kits at the moment

I have a daylight lamp (not just a white bulb) that I have positioned so that it shines onto my lap for sewing, reading, computer use etc - it is brilliant, I find I don't need a magnifier when using it. I also set it up to shine onto the table when I play scrabble and other games. Highly recommend it.

Starbird, my younger daughter bought me one a few days aso, haven't used it yet, thought best to wait for new specs

Hi again I'm enjoying it only frustrated that when I'm free to do it the light has gone I 'll try the daylight lamp .

I love my stitching, I always have, but now have so much more time since retiring. At the moment I am working on a "Heaven and Earth" design called Walk as One. It has over a quarter of a million stitches, but I am loving every minute of the time spent on it. After almost a year I am still only about a third of the way through. ?

Gill, I love heaven an earth designs, so beautiful, no back stitching or fractionals, bliss

I love cross stitch as well as it's really the only creative in any sense thing I can do. Being short-sighted means it's not a problem at the moment. The biggest worry I had was that, although I've had operations for carpal tunnel on both hands, for various reasons the one on my right-hand was delayed and I have some nerve damage, but luckily it doesn't seem to be causing a problem. I think the pictures of all your work are lovely. I'm very envious of your skill!

Maybe one of you experts might help a complete beginner. I have tackled cross stitch and I would love to do it better. The problem was that I filled in all the blanks with stitches of the same colour and I got very bored with it so it landed in the cupboard and never came out again. My question is, are you supposed to fill in the background or not? Such a faff. I would love to make a church kneeler but need to practise first.