The Story of my… Cross-stitch.
Everyone start somewhere. Everyone have no choice but make their first post. So let’s just be over with it faster 🙂 My first post will be as much pathetic as possible where I will tell you how I even started with needlework (and maybe later I will tell you more about my other hobbies).
Once upon a time, there was one somewhat-teen girl (holy-guacamole, was it even a -teen? Maaaan, I’m old (notes to myself – never call myself old))…
No, wait! Actually, it starts even earlier! I was about 4 years old (jeez, how many people remember THAT age!?). My first learning experience took place at my grandma’s house in a countryside. I was with my mum in a summer room and I saw her cross-stitching something. I do not remember what, but I do remember her keeping all her skeins braided. Those were not fancy DMC, no. I have no clue what those skeins were, they never had a number (at least I do not remember seeing those) and in 1984, in USSR what could you have? Definitely not DMC. Probably some local shit. That was a soup of different threads, even wool one were there. Anyway, I saw a cute bunny with a carrot and asked my mum to teach me to cross-stitch. Of course, she did not give me to stitch desired piece immediately, she showed me basics.
Now! Raise your hand if you, when decided to cross-stitch desired piece, wanted to start with basics and not with a picture by itself? I bet I won’t see a forest of hands. Even being adult we are not that much different here from little kids. The difference is in our understanding, patience, desire to keep moving, motivation and simple hands mobility. At 4 years old we can’t even draw like painters of the I century, can you imagine to operate with a thread and a needle at that age? Exactly! My results were hilarious: stitches were not accurate, one side is longer that another (like 3 rows down longer). And don’t even mention such terms like “cross-country, parking, loop or skein – 4 year old would never even remember that! Hell, some of that I learned only recently!
Anyway, back to a story.
Such stitching would piss my mum off, so she took everything away. My desire to cross-stitch – puffed and went into a long hibernation for 10 years or so.
Ok, now to a -teen age. I saw a beautiful napkin with a swans on it. It was very simple two color (blue and teal) napkin but in the same time it was very elegant. I was determined to stitch one for myself so I borrowed it and gave myself second try at cross-stitch journey.
Of course, being more adult, – I did way much better job than at 4. My school teacher never believed I did it, but she never liked me, so as a result she never accepted my job. The only one good thing she taught us is how to start a stitch with a loop method. Anyway, she did not destroy my desire (like) to cross stitch. So I tried few more small piece to make, which, now, my mum keeps framed somewhere at her kitchen wall. Honestly I even forgot what I did 😀 but it wa a lighthouse and some palm on an island.
One time I brought one of my piece to my aunt. She lives in western part of Ukraine, where old tradition are rooted deeply in people souls. She criticized my piece, because my stitches were not looking one direction and she said that it is not professional. I know she meant well and I really love my aunt very deeply, but I think she could use better way to tell me or even show me “how to do it right way” (even though I want to tell you, – there is NO right or wrong way to do it. There is only your way and you will hear it from a lot of competent and professional stitchers). I valued her a lot (and still am) because she had a lot of good influence on me, but her critique destroyed my desire to get back to that hobby and I thought that I suck, so I decide to never get back to it again. (have you heard a saying “never say never”?)
I did not touch this needle thing for more than 10 years (I was scared to return back, because I knew I was not good enough to do it, like I need f***ing permission or any type of secret tribe initiation). But one day I stumbled over gorgeous picture on amazon. My hungry to a craft beast woke up and was demanding to satisfy his hunger ASAP (too much hunger?). I tried to keep him at bay by repeating “I am not good enough” mantra. I was doing it until I saw on a youtube some stitchers don’t give a f***k about “not being good enough”. They simply told to send all “well mean” bitches into a deep forest and just enjoy your hobby. Ok, maybe they did not use exactly those words, but you got the point.
Here is a main lyric: it does not matter if the back of your piece looks nice with only vertical stitches (hell! no one will see it unless you are participating in special contest), it does not matter if you did mistakes (what?- 5 stitches out of 300k look into different way? So what? Like anyone will spot them there!? Or maybe you forgot to stitch few stitches and replaced with another color? – yeah, it is sooooo obvious?! Who said it is not “as designed”?! – No one will ever KNOW! Unless you point and tell them.)
What matters is to follow your passion and never ever listen to any b**ch who tries to put you down. Those people are not professional and see in you a competitor, so they tries to protect their weak skills by attacking you. Those people are not good at this craft as they think they are! My experience showed, that real professionals will try to help with wise feedback, losers, from other hand, will try to defeat you with piles of emotional shit thrown towards your way.
[The end of the lyrics.]
Alright, this story, finally, is coming to the end.
…So after looking on amazon at one design (at which I was drooling for a year) I went and bought it, but not from amazon. I found who was a seller and went on their original site, where that design was cheaper even with delivery. This is when my “hello crappy company” story begins… but that is for another day.
Currently I am back on cross-stitch track, and I am not planning to quit the ride. More to that, I am planning to expand and improve my skills. I am looking into more crafts that just cross-stitch – because world is a beautiful place and there are so many fun staff to learn out there!
On this glamorous note I want to finish MY story and I am really curious to hear yours.