1) How long have you been stitching?
I’ve been stitching since I was a wee teen! maybe around 12 or 13? I’ll be 35 in 2 months. All I know is, since my mom was big into cross stitching when my brother and I were tots, she thought it would be great to get me a small kit from hobby lobby. At least I THINK she was the one who got me the kit, now that I think upon it. Maybe I got the kit MYSELF with my allowance? I have no idea now...All I know is, my first ever project was a little bee, stitched on 11ct aida fabric. The kit came with all the pattern, thread, needle, hoop, and cloth From there, I just remember my ADHD getting hooked on this new thing, and as common with ADHD people, we tend to go big or go home while the adrenaline courses through our veins, and i remember buying more cross stitch pattern kit things at hobby lobby (a few still sit in my crafting drawer).Thought it would be a life long hobby, but also with ADHD people, we lose interest eventually (or quickly) and we have to move on to something else that gives us that instant gratification/excitement. I lost that interest for SO many years..15 years, my threads just collecting dust...until one day, I got that inspiration again...that “go big or go home” and thought “OMG I SHOULD CROSS STITCH SAILOR MOON STUFF!!” and I had all these ideas, bought all these threads and hoops...then...never touched them. until about 2 or 3 years ago when i had this GRAND idea to stitch a baby bib for the baby still inside her comfy, warm, and wet, home. But I wanted my own patter, so i went to MS paint and started pixelating a T.A.R.D.I.S...and from there, that excitement kicked in, and it’s been kicked on ever since.
7) Do you have any other crafty/artsy hobbies?
any other hobbies? well, aside from cross stitch and knit? Uh, drawing used to be a hobby. I think mainly because I was in school, and one way that kept my ADHD attention focused was to fidget, and i fidgeted by doodling on my notes/notebooks...Man, from middle school onward. Sketch books. Weeb art. OC characters. And as time progressed, my art skills got better. I took art classes in high school, in college...hell, even thought that getting an illustration degree was what i wanted to do, only because i was pressured to pick a degree by my mom, and illustration looked cool because i saw ONE portfolio that had an anime drawing in it. After college, it seems my art has taken a back seat. I never seem motivated or inspired to draw these days. other hobbies include reading (something i used to do A WHOLE FUCK TON until i got into a reading slump. I’ll be lucky if i read one short story a month. and by short, i mean...ones on my kindle that say “read time: 2 hours” or less. I own so many books and manga...and back in high school and college, i was a HUUUGE WEEB. the annoying kind of weeb who tried to use japanese words in everything. I used to read SO much manga. I hope i can get back into reading more...But i’m not going to hold my breath...I love to cook. This hobby i do often...or often enough when my anxiety isn’t running amok...I do it often BECAUSE MY FAMILY HAS TO EAT so i’ll feed them delicious meals! Thankfully, the rule in this house is: who ever cooks, the other person cleans up. I HATE CLEANING UP BUT I LOVE COOKING! works in my favor! great, now i have to think about what to cook for dinner tonight with the tofu i have. I would say sewing...but...i only do it out of necessity...when i have a hole in a shirt, or need to finish a commission book mark, or need to work on halloween costumes. I wouldn’t say that this is a hobby per se. Or maybe it is? I did take a sewing class through the park district for 2 sessions...in those 3 months...i leanred new techniques and things...but she didn’t teach any seamstress sewing, as the instructor doesn’t know how to sew clothes. Only projects, bags, etc. I saved all her hand outs and projects. I hope one day, to have the space in a new home so that i CAN get back into sewing. I’ll add gaming too! I don’t do it often, as i am very indecisive on what to play next unless a new fav of mine comes out...and i know that when i DO play, i get addicted and i can play for 8 hours straight if you let me. I am currently playing FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS...as I’ve never played it before...and it’s been sitting on our game shelf for years. I’m the gamer type who like to explore too much...so games for me take 3x or 4x as long to finish because i can’t just do the story line and be done!
10: How/where do you get your patterns?
For the most part, I make my own via KG CHART (look up kg chart or kg-chart in the search when you are on my blog page). I got so tired of seeing nothing but cute bears and flowers, so I decided to make my own, and then sell them on my Sturdy Nerdy Stitchery Etsy page.
I also may look on etsy and buy some patterns that I see that I like...or, since craft stores seem to be expanding, I can find more selection of cross stitch kits and things and they aren’t just limited to cute bears and flowers! I bought a unicorn one at the AC Moore craft store!
