Weiling's Very Own Blog

Goal achieved!

2009-07-22T21:15:00.004+08:00

Goal achieved!

Recreational goal

Learn cross-stitching

Specific

As specified, I had achieved my goal by week thirteen.

Measurable

This goal that I had set was measurable because the design instructions were clear and easy to follow. Moreover, the width and height of my design is 99 stitches wide follow by 98 stitches high which is logical for me to finish it within nine weeks.

Achievable

I had sort out most of my time to practice on my cross-stitching skill every Saturday and Sunday. Furthermore, I had also practice it on my leisure time. By practicing constantly, I tend to be patient to strive towards my goal.

Relevant

Instead of wasting my time on computer games or watching television, I used it more wisely and fruitfully on learning cross-stitching. During these nine weeks, I had become a more patient person. Especially towards my studies; when I face with a problem with my homework, I will calm down and think of a solution to my problem. By learning cross-stitching, it increase my skills on stitching. In addition, this skill might come in handy in the future.

Time reference

Week 5: I had follow very closely to my goal settings on getting all the necessary materials for my cross-stitch. Instead of disturbing my cousin to teach me cross-stitching, I learn it all by myself with some help from cross-stitch book reference that I came across.

Week 6-12:I had surf on the internet for some useful instructions and also beautiful designs for my cross-stitch work. In order to achieve my goal on time, I started on my stitch work on week six.

Week 13: Finally, I had successfully completed my stitch work!

To sum up, I think that my goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and also successfully achieved within the time frame. In addition, I want to touch up some more work on my cross-stitch work. For instance, I will make it into a small pouch for me to put in my valuables.

This is my completed work:)

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 11 & 12

2009-07-12T17:20:00.000+08:00

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 12

Finally, my common tests were finished and done with. This week, I was striving my very best and also putting in my hard work to finish my cross-stitch work. On both Friday and Saturday, I worked on this goal till midnight just to finish it. In between, I noticed that the boy's hair still does not contrast with the girl's hair. Hence, I spent most of my time yesterday to redo on it.

Thanks to my hard work, I managed to finish my cross-stitch this week. I only left with the outlining of my cross-stitch. Let me show you on my progress this week and also the change of colour on the boy's hair...

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 11

Sorry for breaking on my promise about putting up my progress on my cross-stitch work last week because I occupied most of my time revising for my common test. However, I had tried my best last week to finish up my cross-stitch work, as week thirteen is coming soon( which is the week I stated to fulfill my goal).

This is my progress for last week:

How to do basic cross-stitch

2009-06-29T17:35:00.001+08:00

How to do basic cross-stitch

This short video was taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLYdbatulwM

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 10

2009-06-28T23:56:00.000+08:00

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 10

Recently, one student from my school had reported to have Influenza A(H1N1). The infected student was discharged from CDC on Thursday and is on home quarantine until 30 June. Therefore, our school had announced all the students to stay at home for one week.

Actually, my common test should be on tomorrow. However, it had been pushed forward to the next following week because of the Influenza virus. During this one week break, we have to do home base learning. Starting from Monday till Friday, from eight in the morning to one in the afternoon. Furthermore, my lecturers even text message or e-mail us to do some homework and prepare it when school reopens. Moreover, I still have to revise for my test. I also have to finish my cross-stitch work by week 13. All these added pressure upon my shoulder making me hard to breathe.

However, I will try my best to finish it .

Let me show you on the next following week, on how much I had done for week 10 on my cross-stitch work. Stay tune!

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 9

2009-06-21T22:34:00.000+08:00

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 9

I had spend countless of days and nights working on my cross-stitch, making sure that I will be able to finish it by week thirteen. In between these two weeks (Week 8 and 9), I faced a lot of problems that held back on my goal. The problems were, I had stitch the wrong matching colours for the boy's hair. By correcting it, I tried to hook out each of the embroidery thread one by one. It took me about half an hour. After undoing it, I have to stitch it all over again. Those steps took me a lot of hard work. However, I still managed to complete the boy's hair. In addition, I had to revise for my common test which is coming in week eleven. All these obstructed my progress on my cross-stitching work. As a result, I was uncertain of finishing my work piece in time. On the other hand, it trained my patience and also taught me how to endure and solve each and every problem I face.

This is my progress for two consecutive weeks:

Cross-stitch

2009-06-14T23:09:00.000+08:00

Cross-stitch

Cross-stitch is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture. Cross-stitch is usually executed on easily countable even weave fabric. The stitcher counts the threads in each direction so that the stitches are of uniform size and appearance. This form of cross-stitch is also called counted cross-stitch in order to distinguish it from other forms of cross-stitch. Sometimes cross-stitch is done on designs printed on the fabric (stamped cross-stitch); the stitcher simply stitches over the printed pattern.
Cross-stitch is one of the oldest forms of embroidery and can be found all over the world. Many folk museums show examples of clothing decorated with cross-stitch, especially from continental Europe and Asia.
Multicolored, shaded, painting-like patterns as we know them today are a recent development, deriving from similar shaded patterns of Berlin wool work of the mid-nineteenth century.
Traditionally, cross-stitch was used to embellish items like dishcloths, household linens, and doilies (only a small portion of which would actually be embroidered, such as a border). Although there are many cross-stitchers who still employ it in this fashion, especially in Europe, it is now increasingly popular to simply embroider pieces of fabric and hang them on the wall for decoration.
There are many cross-stitching "guilds" across the United States and Europe which offer classes, collaborate on large projects, stitch for charity, and provide other ways for local cross-stitchers to get to know one another.
Today cotton floss is the most common embroidery thread. It is a thread made of mercerized cotton, composed of six strands that are only loosely twisted together and easily separable. Other materials used are pearl cotton, Danish flower thread, silk and Rayon. Sometimes different wool threads, metallic threads or other speciality threads are used, sometimes for the whole work, sometimes for accents and embellishments.

Related stitches and forms of embroidery

Other stitches are also often used in cross-stitch, among them ¼, ½, and ¾ stitches and backstitches.
There are many stitches which are related to cross-stitch and were used in similar ways in earlier times. The best known are Italian cross-stitch, Celtic Cross Stitch, Irish Cross Stitch, long-armed cross-stitch, Ukrainian cross-stitch and Montenegrin stitch. Italian cross-stitch and Montenegrin stitch are reversible, meaning the work looks the same on both sides. These styles have a slightly different look than ordinary cross-stitch. These more difficult stitches are rarely used in mainstream embroidery, but they are still used to recreate historical pieces of embroidery or by the creative and adventurous stitcher.
The double cross-stitch, also known as a Leviathan stitch or Smyrna cross stitch, combines a cross-stitch with an upright cross-stitch.
Berlin wool work and similar petit point stitchery resembles the heavily shaded, opulent styles of cross-stitch, and sometimes also used charted patterns on paper.
Cross-stitch is often combined with other popular forms of embroidery, such as Hardanger embroidery or black-work embroidery. Cross-stitch may also be combined with other work, such as canvas-work or drawn thread work. Beadwork and other embellishments such as paillettes, charms, small buttons and speciality threads of various kinds may also be used.

Ukrainian girls in traditional embroidered costumes

All information was adapted from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-stitch

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 7

2009-06-07T20:44:00.000+08:00

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 7

Weekends were the only time I could focus wholeheartedly on cross stitching. This is the reason I spent the whole Saturday and Sunday doing my stitch work. After stitching part of it, I rested for awhile and continued stitching again non-stop. For that reason, I managed to finish a quarter of the stitch work:)

The following photos show what I have done for my stitch work...

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 6

2009-05-31T21:00:00.000+08:00

Reaching towards my goal... - Week 6

On Saturday, I spent about six agonizing hours surfing on the internet trying to search for beautiful cross-stitch designs for my cross-stitch work. Being able to find a design that is suitable for a cross-stitch beginner, was very difficult because the designs uploaded on the net was mostly very difficult to stitch or follow. Finally, I have managed to come across a nice design that I appeased. The cross-stitch chart for this design is quite easy and clear to follow. After saving the design in my computer, hastenly, I took out a notebook to note down all the measurements that I need. For instance, the width and length of the design and also the size of the aida cloth that I need to cut out for stitching. Moreover, I was looking forward to lay my hands on those threads and needle...

Today (Sunday, 31st May) without hesitant, I woke up at nine in the morning to start on my cross-stitch. Cross-stitching was an enjoyable hand craft at the beginning. However, I was getting tried and became impatient to finish part of the work. On the other hand, I was persistent on getting part of the stitch work done. In the end, I managed to finish part of it. This is what I have stitched for the whole afternoon...

Beginning of my goal - Week 5

2009-05-24T21:01:00.000+08:00

Beginning of my goal - Week 5

Today, I went to the Cross Stitch shop to purchase some of the basic materials that I need for cross-stitching. All those materials were easy to get, however, some of them are quite expensive. Especially, the Aida fabric that is required for my stitch work. Luckily, one of my aunt, who went for stitching lessons before, willing to give me a huge piece of aida fabric after knowing that I was interested in learning cross-stitching. Thanks to her, I have gathered all the necessary items that were required to start my stitch work. Those basic items for cross-stitching are...

Different colours of Embroidery thread...

Cross stitch needle...

Aida fabric.

Wei Ling's SMART Goal 09 - Learn Cross-stitching

2009-05-23T19:45:00.000+08:00

Wei Ling's SMART Goal 09 - Learn Cross Stitching

Recreational Goal

Learn Cross-stitching

Specific

I will learn and master the skills of cross-stitching, by week thirteen.

Explanation: This interest was inspired to me by my Secondary school friend. Once, she bought a cross-stitching set from the popular. When she finishes the cross-stitch, she showed it to us. When I first saw it, I thought to myself: How amazing cross-stitching can be, in changing a plain piece of cloth into a beautiful piece of art work. From that onwards, this interest began to grow inside of me. Furthermore, I have the capability to do it. Hence, I have the confidence and determination in striving to master it within nine weeks.

Measurable

I will finish a piece of cross-stitch by the end of week thirteen. For practicing on stitching, I will ask for help from my cousin who knew how to stitch. As she is a patient person, I believe that I will be able to master the skills of cross-stitching.

Explanation: With such a patient teacher to teach me cross-stitching and also months of practices, I am wholly sure that I can complete my piece of stitch work.

Achievable:

I must master the basic cross-stitching skills, and if I practice twice a week, I’m sure my goal is achievable.

Explanation: Being a good cross stitcher, you have to start to be patience. The more you practice the more you get use to it. In the end, I will be able to complete my cross-stitch work.

Relevant:

Cross-stitching requires patience and concentration in achieving a beautiful piece of work. These, will help me to build up my patience and to focus better in my academic years. Especially now, I encounter a lot of stress in my Polytechnic course. Cross-stitching is a way to help me distress and it also give me a sense of satisfaction when I complete the whole piece of work.

Explanation: Especially during holidays, I will tend to spend my leisure time on playing computer games or watching television programs. By learning cross-stitching, it will help me spend my holidays more wisely and fruitfully.

Time reference:

Week 5: I will buy all the basic necessary items that cross-stitch requires. After that, I will ask my cousin to teach me the basic skills of cross-stitch. I will practice on myself.

Week 6 - 12: I will surf on the internet for some useful instructions and beautiful patterns for my cross-stitch work. Also, start stitching my piece of cross-stitch work.

Week 13: Finally, I will be able to complete it.

2009-05-20T23:11:00.000+08:00

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