Cleaning out my Crafting Bookmarks

I started cleaning out my crafting bookmarks and trying to get the more organized. As I was going through them, I came across a few goodies to share:

• Cute Bug Mittens to Knit


• Rebecca's Everyday Crafts


• Altered Altoid Tins

Freebie Cross Stitch Sites:

• Blackwork Embroidery Archives


• Dawn's Free Patterns


• DMC Club Free Charts - registration is required, but they have great stuff


• Dragon Dreams Sample Charts


• Dunmani Designs


• Free Patterns.com


• JOY Christmas Angels


• Shona's Place Mini Graphs

Other Good Cross Stitch Sites:

• CyberStitchers - some good free patterns and tons of galleries for inspiration


• Stitching the Night Away - Journaling your work - includes free printable pages
  

And a helpful hint of the day in dealing with UFOs. Everyone from knitters to stitchers to crocheters can use this method of dealing with all those projects you can never seem to finish. Chris Miller describes a good Rotation Method for keeping things moving. In fact, there are a number of excellent articles on the Shakespeare's Peddler site.

Once you're done with all the stitching, check out these sites for finishing techniques.

• Focus on Finishing - a group blog with lots of finishing ideas and pictures


• Needlepointers.com - plenty of finishing techniques to choose from


• Twisted Stitcher - tutorials on finishing techniques including flatfolds and pinkeeps

My Current Work in Progress

My friend Christine and her husband just had their first child, Alexa. Since her nursery is a nautical theme, I picked this piece from the Design Connection. (I noticed I have quite a few Design Connection pieces in my stash.)

I'm personalizing the piece with some modifications. The first line of text in the piece will be changed to the baby's first and middle names, and the second line of text will be her birthdate. In the space below the third section, I'm able to fit in her weight, length and time of birth.

It's a LOT of stitching, but there are large sections of simple cross stitching in one color, so that makes it easier. I've started by doing half crosses in those large sections, and then I'll come back later and fill in the other half of the stitch. I think it will be really cute when it's done.