A year of crafting in review~*

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Welcome to the Arts & Crafts corner of my blog! When I’m not writing until my wrist is sore, I love to pass the time away with some sort of craft. I have to say, 2019 seemed like a big year of counted cross stitching and dipping my toes into some embroidery. Mainly though, I wanted to try my best to hand-make as many Christmas presents this year as I possibly could. So right at the beginning of October I got to work! And here…(giant flourish of my hand)…is what I have to show! This year though I am making it a point to photograph everything I make and I promise to share all the unique crafting ideas that some amazing people in the craft communities have come up with that I’ve decided to give a go.

Almost all of the counted cross stitch patterns I used I got from Etsy. I just want to say that there are a huge amount of awesome shops over on Etsy, with some of the most talented designers I have seen. They are definitely worth the time to pop over and take a look around! =)

In order of the photos numbered above, the patterns are from:

1. This cute little dreamcatcher is actually a kit that I got from Hobby Lobby. I was at the store with my friend Kenan just looking around for fun when I saw it. At only a few bucks, I picked it up without a second thought. I had been while since I stitched anything so why not? In the end I got the wooden frame from Michael’s and gave it to my cousin who LOVES dreamcatchers to put on her desk at work. Dreamcatcher Mini Counted Cross Stitch Kit–Hobby Lobby $2.99
2. These next to were a set of D20s that I put together as a gift for my bf’s brother. At first I saw the nat 1 and it gave me a good chuckle, but the same shop on Etsy had the nat 20 as well! I just had to make them for him since he’s the DM of our little group every Wednesday night and they make the perfect gift for anyone in your life that plays Dungeons and Dragons! That’s Hot I Roll Cross Stitch Pattern, Dungeons and Dragons Cross Stitch Pdf/Dungeons and Dragons Cross Stitch Pattern, Critical Failure, D20 Cross Stitch–Aliton Embroidery on Etsy $3.95 each.
3. My boss at work (it’s just the two of us and sometimes she honestly feels like a surrogate granny) loves to see everything that I make. I knew I had to make her something special as well for Christmas this year. Our logo is a hot air balloon and I found this colorful version on MariBoriEmbroidery’s shop. The colors were so nice to look at while working on it and it was super satisfying to see the watercolor-like mix of colors to come together in the end. Hot Air Balloon Cross Stitch Pattern PDF– MariBoriEmbroidery on Etsy $4.50
4. This is just a close-up to show off the little bit of beadwork I added on. All the beads, sequins, and the hot air balloon charm came from Michael’s.
5. Spideypool! ❤ This iron-on patch was my very first attempt at honest-to-goodness embroidery that wasn’t cross stitch. I had another plan in mind but didn’t want to go into before trying a test piece and this was the result! Its not the best, but I did learn a lot and my second attempt came out much better because of it. The pattern I hand drew based on the logo from Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness’s Deadpool/Spiderman comic run (with a little heart for fun!~*)
6. The Star Spangled Man with a Plan! Alright, to be fair, I made this one for myself. I just couldn’t help it! I was on GrandmaGirlDesigns page on Etsy trying to decide which of the many adorable needle minders I was going to buy, when I saw this funny, quick stitch. She’s got a bunch of cute things over on her shop and I highly recommend it. Language Cross Stitch PDF–GrandmaGirlDesigns on Etsy $5.00
7. This gorgeous interpretation of the Deathly Hallows caught my eye and right away I knew who had to have it as a gift. It took awhile to stitch, but I was well worth it to see my cousin open it up. Harry Potter Floral Deathly Hallows Always Cross Stitch Pattern PDF–CrossStitchForYou on Etsy $4.50
8. This one was very special for me. My friend Kenan, who absolutely loves Rocky Horror Picture Show, dragged me out in October to see my very first live performance of the classic show. We got all dressed up in our matching corsets and shouted out obscenities the whole time with the rest of the crowd, lol. It was a super memorable night, so I had to make him something as a souvenir. Side note: I wish I had enough time in the world to stitch everything on the WitchyStitcher’s shop, but alas I am just a mortal being. Definitely go check it out! Rocky Horror Picture Show Cross Stitch Pattern PDF–WitchyStitcher on Etsy $5.58
9. Last but not least, Oshawott! This was my second attempt at making an embroidered patch and this time it was for my cousin who had been waiting for YEARS to catch an Oshawott in PokemonGo. Finally last year he was added to the game and we found one together down by the beach near work one day. It was freezing out of course and I don’t think I’ve ever walked so fast to catch a pokemon, but it was worth it! The pattern I drew based on a piece of fanart by コマドリ over on pixiv.net.

And that’s it for all the crafts I managed to take photos of in 2019. If you liked any of these, please go check out the artists and give them some support. Also, make sure to follow my blog if you want to see more interesting crafts or like to follow my writing journey! Thanks so much and stay tuned ❤