My Cross-Stitch Addiction

Does anybody else wish there was just more time in the day to do more fun stuff? Why do I always have to pick the most time-consuming hobbies? I got into cross-stitch sometime in high school, and it’s been an on-and-off hobby ever since. I say on-and-off because I’ll overwhelm myself with a huge project and then stop for like a year before picking it back up again. But I’d like to show you everything I’ve worked on and what I’d like to do in the future!

I started out buying the kits from Hobby Lobby, with the pattern and all the colors that come with it. Those were fun for awhile until I discovered the internet had made amazing video game patterns. And being a nerd, that’s what I decided to focus on.

I like these smaller sprite patterns; they’re simple and only take a few hours to do. Yes, I said a few hours. Something small like this can take up to 4 hours to stitch; that’s crazy, right? It’s a very slow hobby. From left to right, it’s Kefka from Final Fantasy 6, Marle and Ayla from Chrono Trigger, and a Black Mage from the original Final Fantasy.

I stitched this really cute baby Princess Peach when I found out Allison was a girl; I totally meant to frame it and hang it in her room, but that kind of never happened.

Here’s my pride and joy: Aeris from Final Fantasy 7. Um, yes, that’s all stitched. Here’s a closeup:

I didn’t even keep track of how many hours I spent on this thing. This was back when I was working as a massage therapist, and I sometimes had a few hours to kill between appointments. I would sit and watch videos, usually The Angry Video Game Nerd, while I stitched; those were the good old days. I made a ton of mistakes, most notedly the fact that I didn’t stitch the pattern evenly on the fabric. You’re supposed to leave a few inches of space around the fabric so you can frame it, and I, a beginner cross stitcher, didn’t even think about it. So now my beautiful creation gets to stay unframed.

Here’s where I get some of my patterns:

• Sprite Stitch: Totally love this site! It’s filled with video game and anime patterns, and you can request help for converting a picture into a cross-stitch pattern. These people are hardcore and I’m jealous of the free time they have.
• Super Stitch: This is where I got the pattern for Aeris. I really think I want to do Cloud next, provided I actually go through with finishing it. I have so many unfinished patterns… I hope John’s not mad I keep spending money on things I don’t use. =)
• Pinterest: Seriously, Pinterest! I just typed in “Video Game cross stitch” and got a ton of results. They’ll sometimes take you to Imgur galleries, or Deviantart, where you can find even more.

Like I said above, I kind of want to work on Cloud next, but it depends on time. I barely have time to work on this blog during the day! We’ll have to see. =) Do any of you cross-stitch? I’d love to see pictures!

Jaime Bacon

Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.

Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.

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