Stellar Stitches @stellacendias-stellarstitches - Tumblr Blog

Hello! Welcome to Stellar Stitches!

My name is Stella; I'm a queer neurodivergent fiber artist. I make plastic canvas art pieces, a craft I've been doing for more than half my life. Plastic canvas is similar to crossstitch in that it uses a few of the same stitches and some patterns can easily translate between mediums, but very different in that plastic canvas is done on stiff grids of plastic and crossstitch is done in aida cloth. Plastic canvas can also make three dimensional pieces! I recommend simply searching "plastic canvas" on google images to get an idea of what's possible, or just scrolling this blog!

I post a mixture of pieces I've personally made, patterns I've designed myself, and pieces I'm interested in making. In some cases, I no longer have access to the actual piece I made in order to take my own photo, so I borrow the photo from the pattern I used to make it.

I also dabble a little in crochet and knitting, but I'm definitely only an amateur in those. I've been doing it for only a fraction of the time I've been doing plastic canvas and I haven't learned much yet.

Plastic canvas is excellent for things that are both functional and decorative or pieces that are purely decorative, and they make excellent gifts! They're lightweight and hand-washable if they get dirty.

Posting to this blog happens very slowly. I just want to show off some of what I make :)

#stella's art #stellar stitches #plastic canvas #needlecraft #fiber arts

theprofessional-amateur

Oh hey, do you know what time it is? It is highly specific resource time!

Today we have the Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank! There are HUNDREDS of stitch types in the RSN Stitch Bank.

And more added regularly, let’s look at a recent addition

I picked the first one in the 25 recently added Elizabethan stitches, the Elizabethan French Stitch

The stitch bank provides written and photo tutorials as well as a video option to learn to do it yourself. There are examples of the stitch in use, resources, references, everything but a needle and thread!

RSN Stitchbank

rsnstitchbank.org

vincentbriggs

I looked at some of the tutorials last night and holy shit I'm so impressed! They're SO thorough! Not only do they have written and video instructions, but there are photo and illustration options for each image AND a "flip view" button so that left handed people can see all the images in reverse!

theprofessional-amateur

I am going to jump in and add, as you said they are very detailed in their directions, something that takes a lot of time and money.

If anyone who has enjoyed this resource has the means, I encourage you to adopt or sponsor a stitch to help keep this free to access. I know not everyone has the means to (fair, been there) but if you can, check out their sponsor options

RSN Stitch Bank Progress

And one other resource I have shared before, The Lady's Magazine. Embroidery patterns from 1770-1819. In case anyone wants some historic ideas for using all these new embroidery stitches

The Lady's Magazine: Patterns of Perfection

wiisagi-maiingan

Hey, if you do crafts (especially things like crochet, knitting, embroidery, etc), make sure to look up how to identify when a listing is AI generated. You do NOT want to waste money on an incredible looking kit or pattern that is physically impossible to make, especially if you're on sites like etsy hoping to support an actual artist.

pleasespellchimerical

OP's tags:

#as an embroiderer: big red flags are curved straight or satin stitches #stitches that you cannot identify or figure out at all #thread that fades into other colors #backgrounds that match the piece weirdly well (like a floral embroidery piece with a matching vase and flowers on the table) #and a lack of videos of the piece and photos from other angles

elenorasweet

Here's a guide for identifying real freaking cross-stitch patterns that are doable, and not AI-converted confetti:

A guide for crochet patterns:

How to Spot FAKE (AI) Crochet is full of practical tips for being able to quickly identity aritifically created crochet patterns and images.

And one for embroidery:

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is affecting our lives in a multitude of new ways. Every type of art/maker community is being affected, inclu

I don't knit, but I'm sure someone has a comparable guide somewhere. I know crochet and knitting seems like more of a problem- the crochet "patterns" make vastly different items than what's pictured, and you can find some of those on r/CraftedbyAI because some people do follow those "patterns" to make a point.

Cross-stitch and embroidery seem like they'd be easier to fake, right? Like, cross-stitch patterns are basically pixel art, so what's the harm?

The cross-stich often has dozens or hundreds of colours and they change every single pixel, which is basically impossible for a human to reproduce. It's just not a pattern, dammit.

The embroidered ones break my heart, though:

Wherein someone is making a lovely embroidered piece but they end up dissatisfied with their work because it doesn't look as impossibly plush and bright as the fake.

It makes people who are new to these crafts feel like they're not doing it right, or gives them insane expectations, and it can drive people away from the craft.

I know of several cross-stitch pattern shops on Etsy that have closed because it's just not worth the investment when they're competing with AI-generated nonsense that can charge pennies because it doesn't take any time or effort to make.

Fuck AI-generated patterns and crafts.

gn005virtue

I'm actually knitting right now! Most of the resources I can find are targeted towards crochet because amigurumi and crocheting cute little creatures is super hot right now, but this information definitely applies to knit pieces as well.

It is probably not shocking that the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created a stir in the technology world - especially in recent

Learn how to identify AI crochet to avoid pattern scams.

In my last article in my AI Griftwatch series, I covered the recent phenomenon of AI-generated images of fake crochet items popping up all…

Most (if not all) AI-generated images that feature knitted objects possess at least one of these traits:

-Rows (or even entire components of the project) splitting or merging in ways that make no sense. This sweater looks impressive until you try to make sense of that lump near the left shoulder or whatever is going on with the collar. You can even see one row splitting into two near the bottom for seemingly no reason at all.

-Impossible stitches. Those lumpy squares (?) in between Mario's eyes are not real stitches. Neither are the stitches that fade seamlessly into tufts of material on the lion's mane.

-Impossibly huge projects. This elephant is almost twice as tall as the person next to it, and you'll realize that the stitches are actually massive when you take the time to think about how you could make it yourself. If you look closely, you'll also see a fifth leg on the elephant!

-The overall "vibe" of the image is glossy, shiny, plastic-y, or smooth to a degree that is almost unnerving. Yarn comes in lots of different colors and textures, but what's depicted in the image below is a bit too vivid and perfect to be real. Excessive blurring/out-of-focus areas on the project itself can also be signs of AI use.

Apologies for the long addition, I just loathe this stuff with a passion. The only people who benefit from the proliferation of AI images in fiber artist's spaces are scammers, and they make things worse for literally everyone else.

#ugh #i either use printed out patterns i inherited or ones i created myself #or sometimes i don't use patterns at all tbh #but still this is.... well extremely irritating seems almost too mild of a description #i'm confident i could spot fake plastic canvas patterns a mile away if those start popping up #but having to deal with that would still suck

Crochet "creatures"

I made these for my family as Christmas presents. They were fun to make! It's about the extent of my skill in crochet (squares and rectangles are really all I can make) but they're relatively easy and quick to make. They're assembled from rectangles sewn together and stuffed.

The three sizes pictured here are approximately four inches wide in the body for the smallest three to approximately six inches wide.

#fiber arts #needlecraft #stella's art #stellar stitches #custom design

tlirsgender

Trying to sell handmade crafts in this economy is so. Like. Hey guys I know we're all broke as fuck but do you want my silly little things. I'm very good at it. For the time it takes to make them + skill + materials it's gonna be 30$ per silly little thing. But also shipping costs 12$ for reasons outside my control so it's actually 42$ now. Sorry. No I really can't charge less than that. Yeah I know. Ok. Bye

tlirsgender

And this is for my things that are silly and little. I'm not even one of those people making, like, quilts and blankets and shit. Can we pour one out for the fiber artists making quilts and blankets and shit

tlirsgender

I'm presenting a tiny crocheted bird to you. Putting it into the palm of your hand. This can be yours. For what seems like too much money but I promise it isn't. We've all just really lost sight of fiber arts' value with industrialization and outsourced sweatshop labor etc. This is actually the minimum I could ask for without fucking myself. I don't like what this implies about mass produced items either. It's really horrific. You can get an ethically sourced 42$ tiny crocheted bird though

tlirsgender

Shortly after posting this I received an order for nearly 200$ worth of tiny crocheted birds this is the good luck post for people actually paying for your handmade crafts

useful-boy

@shopwitchvamp

shopwitchvamp

Yeah, I had to quit making crocheted little guys for this and many other reasons, but I quit back in like 2018/19. I can't even imagine how rough it is out there to try to make a living from anything handmade right now. 😥

Handmade artisans deserve so much respect and money, but I can tell you from experience most of the time you'll get a lot of rudeness and little money..

#my prices are all based only on the time it takes to make each piece #but this is mostly because my supplies are incredibly cheap (per piece anyway)#a few dollars for needles i use for years. less than a dollar per sheet of canvas #and 5ish dollars per skein of yarn but then i use like. a few inches or a couple of feet of it at most per piece #so that's pennies in yarn. i don't even know how i'd calculate cost of supplies per piece tbh #so i just consider it negligible #but i'm lucky in that sense. other fiber artists not so much

eleilinnrallin

This is a reminder for those who handmake Christmas presents that now is not too early to start. It may in fact be a good time to start if you have a lot to make/your craft takes a long time. You should maybe start it now, whether that's brainstorming or actually doing the crafts!

#ooh yeah good reminder i should probably start soon #at least figure out the list of who i need to make stuff for this year

Star Magnets

I made this particular set as Christmas gifts for my family, but I've done other themes and colors as well. (Here it's red, white, and a very dark green)

#stella's art #stellar stitches #plastic canvas #needlecraft #fiber arts #made by me #custom design #star magnets #magnet

I may be changing my banner and profile pic soon, but in the meantime, here are the image attributions:

Download this Free Photo about Vertical shot of a beautiful starry sky, and discover more than 60 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freep

Download this Free Photo about 3d space scene, and discover more than 60 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepik

Custom Purple Coasters, Set of 8

Another request from my mom, to make coasters for her living room in her favorite colors

Everything in this set was customly designed, from the sizes of the pieces to the colors chosen and the design of the stitches.

I also added felt to the bottoms of the coasters, which isn't something I usually do, but my mom uses them so often I wanted to protect them from fraying threads.

#stella's art #stellar stitches #plastic canvas #needlecraft #fiber arts #made by me #custom design #square coasters #coasters with holder

Custom Boutique Style Tissue Cover

Another custom design! I made a tissue cover for my sister-in-law, and then a few years later she mentioned that it was, unfortunately, too small for the boxes she was buying, so she asked for one that was slightly bigger.

The custom part of this design is its non-standard size; I used an existing pattern for the stitching

#stella's art #stellar stitches #plastic canvas #needlecraft #fiber arts #made by me #custom design #online pattern #modified pattern

Custom Tissue Box Cover

This was a fun project! My mom asked me to make her a tissue cover that matched her shower curtain.

What she meant was that she'd like the colors to match. I misunderstood and created a custom design to match the flowers on the curtain. I did this by copying the picture she sent into my drawing app on my tablet, tracing the flower onto paper, and then using graph paper to make a pattern. It was a lot of work but I had a great time doing it.

The cover is also a custom size. She texted me the dimensions she wanted and I created the piece to match, rather than using an existing pattern's dimensions

#stella's art #stellar stitches #plastic canvas #needlecraft #fiber arts #made by me #custom design #tissue cover