Willow in Winter

The start of a new season doesn’t mean much for most people, but for me, it means there’s a new Craftpod to explore, and the Spring box was a good one.

I’ve never been a fan of cross stitch, I’ve always considered it something older people do to pass the time. I feel bad for saying this, but I’ve previously looked down on cross stitch. I don’t consider myself a snob, but I guess I am a bit snobby when it comes to stitching techniques.

So I was a bit disappointed when the main Craftpod project was a cross-stitch design. It mixed two things I don’t like: birds and cross-stitching, so I’m a bit shocked to say I actually loved this box.

Greenfinch Cross Stitch

After weeks of putting it off, I forced myself to start the bird project. So I put on Twin Peaks season 1, got all my materials out, and by episode 5, I was done. It turns out cross stitch is way faster and easier than embroidery.

I never thought I’d say this, but I quite like following a chart of crosses. I thought having to count squares would get tiring, but it was, dare I say, fun? It reminded me of when I studied pointillism in art school.

I also liked the fact that it’s so fast! I enjoy working on multiple projects, so I usually avoid designs that take weeks to complete. The only issue I have with this hoop is that cross stitch is not as aesthetically pleasing as embroidery, so you won’t see me ditching one for the other yet.
I think embroidery gives you more freedom to create exciting designs, and you can work with volume, textures, shapes… There are so many different stitches that you can use for embroidery. But cross stitch is just that, cross stitches.

Mimosa Needle Book

The second project for Spring was a needle book made with felt for the pages and with the embroidery of a mimosa branch as the cover, easy enough. And yet, I found a way to mess it up.

It was during Easter break that I decided to start on the needlebook. I finished around 11 pm on a Friday while rewatching Sex And The City ( I know, my life is crazy exciting) when I realised the mimosa embroidery was upside down. But after spending the whole day working on the needlebook, I didn’t have the heart to un-do everything to fix it.

Overall, I had fun with this box, and I look forward to the next one. I’m not excited about another Summer indoors, but at least having a new Craftpod with me will provide some entertainment.