So, I wound up buying Julie Jackson's book Subversive Cross Stitch at Amazon (and really, so should you...it is fun.) However, after working on more than a few of her designs, I realized I needed to start branching out. Machete my own way though the jungle that is cross stitchery.
In the book are several links to crafting "communities," the most insane and hilarious one being Craftster. Here, people show off their goofy cross stitches, share patterns and give advice to nascent hobbyists.
For my next project, I decided I would crib a pattern for a project I found on Craftster: a portrait of Tom Selleck.
Yeah, I totally stole the pattern. I just copied the picture, blew it up a little so I could see the stitching and then printed it out to use as a guide. The rest was up to me, though. What color thread would I use? How big should I make it?
I went to the craft store (more about that later) and found some variegated floss. Essentially, it is thread that gradually changes color as you use it. I thought it seemed cool.
Little did I know what a pain in the ass it was. It was hard to thread on the needle, and the more you worked with it, the more the color came off on your hands and canvas. It sucked and took me hours, and looking at it now, I realize I never really finished it. Tom is sort of cut off at the top, which makes it look like he has a coon skin cap on or something. However, that sweet 'stache is still well represented and highlighted.
A good next effort. Maybe I will finish it someday.
PS. My apologies to whomever actually designed this pattern. I promise to not steal from you again. Unless, of course, I decide to finish up with your picture of Chuck Norris.
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