I have been cross-stitching for over 25 years. My appreciation for needlework started at my grandmother's knee but I didn't start cross-stitching until my early 20's. I was a very young military wife living in Germany, alone a lot because of my husband's call of duty.
I spent a lot of time discovering all the wonders of Europe. The needlework shops there took my breath away. Although the sales people tried their best, I sometimes faced language barriers. On one occasion, I walked home with 13 meters of needlepoint canvas. It wasn't what I needed but because of stupid, stubborn youthful pride, I found ways to use it.
Like thousands of others, I started out stitching little motifs, greeting cards and other projects to give as gifts. I starting collecting books and magazines and was always in search of charts that caught my eye. I progressed on to rearranging the designs in the magazines to suit my own needs.
Along came home computers and photo to cross-stitching software programs. I was hooked. Being a military wife has always involved a tight budget though. I, like many before me, had the desire to create from my computer. Even fancied myself as a designer. I just didn't have the right tools and information.
The Internet was full of sites that offered to turn your photos into cross-stitch patterns, for a price. I just wanted to know how to do it and the budget continued to be a factor. I created Layden With Stitches as a place to store all the links, data and resources I had come across. I knew in my heart that there were and are many, many talented stitchers around the globe that were in search of the same information I was. Voila! Layden With Stitches had a real purpose.
There is so much undiscovered talent out there it amazes me. I am not a designer, expert, or even a good stitcher. I just have an unexplainable obsession with sharing what I have learned, found and search for regarding photo-to-cross-stitching with anyone who will listen. My goal is to showcase some of that talent on the "Stitcher's Gallery" for the world to see, FOR FREE. Stitchers are always searching for inspiration. One of the best ways to do that is to see what others have done.
Rather than a feature about Layden With Stitches, a promotion for submissions to the Stitcher's Gallery would be more beneficial to stitchers everywhere. It could be the "Louvre" of the stitching world. Enjoyed for free.
Make sure to click on any of the links to check out the website.
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