I've been doing counted cross stitch since I was a kid, but most of my pictures currently reside on the top shelf of my closet, safely wrapped in bubble wrap and WalMart bags until I have somewhere to hang them. (Ironically most of them have some sort of nursery theme, and even when I get a place of my own, I still won't have anywhere to hang those.) I have posted pictures of some of my completed projects below. (Please forgive my horrible photographic abilities. Cameras scream in terror when they see me coming.) I've included some links at the bottom of this page that may come in handy later on. Beddy-Bye Blessing was my first "real" project, all the way back in 1993. I think it turned out pretty well regardless. Bears 'N' Blocks was my next project, another nursery theme, though I don't know why I chose it. (Probably because of my weakness for teddy bears.) Fourteen years in the making - I stitched these pretty little seasonal bluebirds way back in 1994 during summer break from school. (It was the summer before tenth grade - frighteningly about half of my life ago . . . EEK!) They needed an odd size frame, though, so I just put them back and didn't get around to framing them for 12 years, but I just wasn't happy with the frames. I pulled them out and reframed them in '08, and I think I'm finally happy with the results. Lawrence and Gainsborough didn't quite have this in mind . . . I stitched Pinkie and Blue Bunny in 1996. They are still some of my favorites. They are, of course, modeled after Lawrence's Pinky and Gainsborough's Blue Boy. Though the two paintings were never intended to be a "matched set," I think these two work rather well together, bunny ears and all. Elegant Roses turned out better than I had ever imagined. I wish I were a good enough photographer to do it justice because it's so much more beautiful in person than you can see in this shot. Spring Garden Spot was my first real venture into the world of Paula Vaughan. It really is beautiful, but oh, how it made my eyes cross trying to keep all those quarter stitches in the graph straight. I stitched Tropical Fish back in 2000, but no photo could do justice to all of the colors. I stitched this when my little cousin Tyler was born. And this was stitched for Tyler's little cousin Savannah. I stitched this for a coworker's baby. The bedding she chose was impossible to find a design to match, so I had to pull out the old graph paper and design this one myself. And for another coworker's little one ... Helpful Stitching Links Do you have a stitching question? A pattern or a kit that you just have to have that you can't find anywhere? Try these sites: Yarntree Message Board EMS Cross Stitch Board Adam's Used Books Old Stitch Here are a few of my favorite cross stitch designers' sites. Some of them even have free patterns: Ellen Maurer-Stroh, see also EMS Cross Stitch Board Designs by Gloria & Pat Vermillion Stitchery Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum Teresa Wentzler Stoney Creek Collection Here's great place to buy cross stitch patterns online. Just pay, download the pattern, and you're ready to go! PatternsOnline Here are some great freebie sites: FreePatterns.com - requires you to sign up for a membership, but there are a lot of great freebies here CyberStitchers.com - a little bit of anything and everything Cinnaminn's Crafts - more anything and everything Craft Designs for You - free patterns for cross stitch, plastic canvas, crochet, and beading, as well as some cute little patterns for sale Trying to find the finished size of your cross stitch pattern? Don't know how much fabric you need? Put away the calculator. This is much easier: Cross Stitch Calculator - enter your fabric count, pattern dimensions, extra border and finishing fabric and find out how much fabric you need "What Fabric Count" Calculator - how big your project will be on different fabric counts Stitches to Inches - a handy little reference chart, also has a printable version Need a list of DMC floss numbers? Here are some helpful links from DMC: Quick References from DMC - includes color descriptions for different products and a shopper's checklist Here are the links to several floss conversion lists (let's face it, we all need them sometimes): FindStitch - includes DMC, Anchor, J & P Coats, and Madeira CyberStitchers Floss Conversion Charts - includes conversions between DMC, Anchor, and J & P Coats and conversions from Bucilla and Dimensions This conversion list has more threads than I can list here Need some graph paper to do a little designing of your own? Use this Free Online Graph Paper to print your own in whatever size you need (Please note that this creates a PDF file of the graph paper for you to download and print) Questions about a particular stitch? Try: Needlework Index Sharon B's Stitches for Embroidery and Needlework