Pinterest Project: Tile Coaster Set

Any crafter who spends time on Pinterest probably has that board full of projects you really want to try but can never seem to get around to. I am no exception in this, in fact I have multiple boards which you can check out here. I decided it was time to attempt some of the wonderful ideas out there on the Web. So while looking through my Pins recently I was inspired to make the decorative tile coaster set.

Brown & Pink Tile Coaster Set

This is a nice, simple project. It requires some 10x10cm white tiles, scrapbook papers, mod podge, a top coat, hot glue and some felt pads. My biggest challenge was finding a suitable sealer, one that was waterproof but also somewhat heat resistant. It took several attempts with a variety of products before I finally found one that worked.

Many of the tutorials for these online suggest using an acrylic sealer or varnish. While I found that it was waterproof, when I put a cup of hot water on it, the coaster stuck to the cup. I had the same issue with clear glass paint and the Hard Coat Mod Podge. I eventually found a clear, durable, non-slip paint at a hardware store. Unfortunately it contained a substance which tinted the coasters a brownish colour.

Multi-coloured Tile Coaster Set

Finally, I stumbled across a Clear Sealer which was durable and waterproof. It worked like a dream, solving a number of problems I had with the other products. The brush can be washed in water rather than needing a solvent, it dries fairly quickly, is completely clear and doesn't smell, a big bonus.

I used hot glue and felt circles on the bottom to protect furniture and the set was complete. I'm really happy with the result and I am hoping to create a tutorial on these in the near future. In fact I enjoyed making these so much I made 4 sets, one of which I use regularly at home.

Yellow & Orange Tile Coaster Set

If you like these but don't want to go to the trouble of making them yourself, they are available on my Etsy store here, or you can contact me for a custom set. I will be adding more, so keep a look out for those as well.

What do you think of my Pinterest Project? Would you make any changes? Let me know in the comments below.

Back Stitching on Aida and Why Sometimes it's Torturous

When I first started out cross stitching, I really disliked back stitching. I found it extremely time consuming and often very difficult. Over the years I have found ways of making this aspect of cross stitching some what easier. (I will be doing a post on some of the methods I use to make my back stitching more enjoyable and also better looking in a later post.) However some charts have complicated back stitching and using Aida makes the process close to nightmarish.

Why some back stitching more difficult on aida

This issues used to be a bigger problem for me when I had an unjustified fear of deviating from the recommendations on a chart in any way. Now it most often arises when using free card kits that come with magazines. The Margaret Sherry Mouse, pictured below, and the Lickle Ted design that is my current lunch time project are two such examples.

Margaret Sherry Mouse Card Kit

These two kits, and all other free kits that I have seen, include Aida for stitching on. They are the perfect size for the pattern so I use this piece rather than cutting something from my stash. Aida is a great fabric to work with as it is a nice and stiff, which makes it easy to stitch in hand. Each square on the fabric represents a stitch and I find it can be a bit more relaxing than evenweave as I don't need to concentrate on my stitch placement as much.

Then I get to the back stitching and this is when I wish I had gone to my stash. Both of these projects have small back stitches that may not start or end in a hole in the fabric. In fact they can appear out of anywhere within the stitch square. For instance if you look at the picture below, this is a close up of the ear of the mouse framed above.

In the circled section you can see that the chart called for the backstitching to come up about half way between the two top holes, piercing the fabric, and go down in the centre of the aida square, again piercing the fabric. Not only is this difficult to do, as it can be difficult to push the needle through the fabric, but it can also be hard to get the placement just right. I have often had to rip out stitching because it was askew.
 
Back stitching is a good thing

It must be pointed out that in both of these charts it is this type of backstitching that gives the piece its charm. These smaller backstitches are often used in projects where the subject has fur or is fluffy. The chicks in my recent Somebunny to Love project are another example of this type of back stitching and I think the effect is very sweet. While this type of stitching is difficult it gives some really pretty results.

Somebunny to Love - The World of Cross Stitching Issue 179

Not all back stitching on aida is difficult, in fact some of it is down right pleasant when nearly all the stitches go from one hole on one fabric square to the opposite one either diagonally, vertically or horizontally. This sweet mini project by Joan Elliott is a perfect example of this.

Ultimate Joan Elliott Collection - Thanks You Cards

How working on evenweave differs

When working on medium/large piece, that has a lot of this small back stitching, I will usually use evenweave. It makes the piece significantly easier to do. tHis is because with evenweave you stitch over 2 strands of fabric. (This can make it a slightly more difficult fabric to work with overall and something I would not recommend to an absolute beginner.) Working over 2 for cross stitch means, you come up through one hole on the fabric, skip the next one diagonally and go down through the following hole. When a chart calls for small back stitches it means that instead of having to pierce the fabric, as you do with aida, you can just use the pre-existing holes.

The above image shows a small back stitch which came up through the hole on the left and down through the very next hole to the right. In aida the same stitch would mean having to pierce the fabric between the two holes in the fabric. Working on evenweave makes the whole process easier, less time consuming, less tiresome on my hands and leads to less ripping out.

This does not mean that I never use aida for these types of projects. The Lickle Ted project I am currently working on has small back stitching yet I am still using the enclosed aida as it is only a small project. However below are two projects for which, I really wish I had used evenweave. Though I think they still look great on the aida.

Margaret Sherry - Hedgehog - Summer Fun Booklet

Lickle Ted with Star  - The World of Cross Stitching Issue 167

I hope that this post has been enjoyable and that you found it useful. This was inspired by a question I recently received regarding a statement I made about back stitching on evenweave.

I would love to know your thoughts and if you have any other tips for working difficult back stitch on projects please leave a comment below.

I am still working on getting the images together for my gridding tutorial, hopefully you will see that in the next week.

Do you miss real letters?

Is it just me or does anyone else really miss sending and receiving letters in the post. In our time of digital communication, it is very easy to connect with people and sometimes that came be really great. However I sometimes miss that little rush of receiving an actual letter that isn't a bill.

With this thought in mind I decided to make these two writing sets. They are hand stamped and embossed with two complimentary images and the envelopes for each are also stamped and embossed. The writing paper is a lovely 90gsm hammered white paper.

They are currently available in two styles: swirls and animals.

Either set is available in embossed gold, silver or black. However if you have a colour in mind I would be happy to try to accommodate you.

Click Here to visit my ETSY shop where these sets are available.

My New Starts

This is a quick post part of which is in response to a couple of comments on my new blossom tree start in my last post. This piece in the picture does look quite large but in truth isn't very big. The design size on this is 7 1/4 x 7 3/4 and the stitch count is 11,220. This would be a medium sized project for me. The L&L charts I bought recently or Elegance of the Orient would be what I would think of as large.

The other new thing I have to share today is I have recently set up an ETSY shop, it doesn't have much in it at the moment but hopefully that will change.

I said earlier that I would be using a second blog for ETSY store related posts, however after some consideration and seeking some advice I think running two blogs is impractical and too time consuming. Therefore I will be posting on this blog about items I am adding to my shop, some tutorials and other crafts in general. I will also be announcing discounts etc so keep an eye out. Please feel free to pop over and let me know your thoughts on the items I have on my shop HERE. I am fairly new to this and would love to hear any feedback you may have.