Cross stitch designs based on photographs I: William and Kate

Cross stitch designs based on photographs are currently popular.  The availability of computer charting, computer scanning and similar technological possibilities has contributed to this style of cross stitch design.

These can pose a greater challenge than a traditional sampler, as the cross stitch covers most or all of the linen/aida/cloth: compared to traditional samplers which have much larger areas of 'white' or unstitched space.  This dense coverage, plus the subtle shifts from thread colour to thread colour, require significant skill and time from the stitcher.

A number of the ones on sale on eBay seem to lack a stitched example.  The site where I made the Queen's Jubilee design (see the earlier blog entry) lets you upload photos for charting.  You can specify how many colours (and thus the level of subtlety in colour gradation/complexity) you wish to use.
It's a quick enough thing to put a photo through charting software and bundle up a chart and threads, but without a stitched example you don't really know how it's going to look.  I'm finding as I sew the jubilee design that I'm amemding colours and stitch locations as I go.

So if all you see is a photo and no example, I'd be cautious about stitching: almost all have some clever form of wording in that there is a 'computer image of the design' or colour chart or something that is NOT a photo of a real stitched sample.  (Actually, by and large I'd avoid stitching these myself anyway, as they are more complex than I enjoy and take a long time).

Some examples based on William and Kate:

This John Clayton design for Heritage Crafts was for William and Kate's wedding, sold as a kit with either 27 count Zweigart evenweave or 14 count aida cloth, together with chart and threads (and it clearly has been stitched, the photo is of a finished example).  Design 22cm x 32cm.  It is portraitish and realistic in style, but doesn't seem to be solely based on one photograph, as the designs below are, but on an artistic interpretation .  Linens and Royals (see link in the blog list on the right) has stitched this kit - see Sylvia's blog for photos of the work in progress and complete.  She also has examples of other royal family members commemorated in cross stitch in this style.

This one was given away with the magazine Cross Stitch Collection (issue 195), and combines photos with a traditional coat of arms.  Designed by Maria Diaz.  The sample was stitched on 28 count evenweave:  239x183 stitches, 43cm x 33cm. 

from eBay seller designs-in-thread, sold with chart, thread, aida (doesn't specify size).  Design approx 12.8in x 15.1in.  Cost  £38.95.

from eBay seller designs-in-thread, sold with chart, thread, aida (doesn't specify size).  Design approx 9.3in x 10.4in.  Cost  £22.95.

Another royal wedding image is being sold as a pattern for experienced cross stitchers.

The ebay auction from seller rememberingmom2 shows only this photograph, no example of a stitched version of the design.  The design measures nearly 17in x 28in,  300 x 499 stitches for £16.99.

But if you really want to fill a wall with a design almost a metre wide:

from eBay seller designs-in-thread, sold with chart, thread (99 colours), aida (doesn't specify size).  Design approx 31.6in x 24.5in.  Cost  £139.95.

Here's my favourite (but not because I'll stitch it, make it or own it):

Notice anything?  Like, um, it looks like Photoshopping gone 'orribly wrong?  Take another look at the suit (not uniform), the dress, her hair, the bouquet, her face.... eBay seller pickles_1211 had this for sale: chart, thread, 18 count aida for $US36.  Wonder if it was originally a European royal bride?  Also, it's um, a tad not-for-company courteous in the trouserish area....! (not the cleverest/most subtle charting, is it?)

There are lots more William and Kate designs - pretty much all of them looking like scan and chart and package it operations rather than design, stitch then package in the traditional style.  Just search on William Kate cross stitch on eBay to find more.

There are (unsurprisingly) a significant number of Diana photograph-based cross stitch designs, so I'll put some of those in a separate blog entry.

For my taste, I'd rather the more naive style of faces/portraits in earlier samplers and embroideries to these attempts at realism; but there is no doubt of the trend and its popularity.

If you know of any portraitish William and Kate designs, in particular ones with stitched examples, please do add them to the comments with links.

Elizabeth II: Diamond Jubilee (IV) : Happy and Glorious Riverdrift House sampler

I rather like this Happy and Glorious sampler for the Queen's diamond jubilee (probably because it's the kind of one you can do in bits - a crown here, a word there, some bunting... reminds me a bit of antique spot samplers). 

It's from Riverdrift House in Suffolk, designed by Amanda Stevenson. It is described thus: "Best quality materials include white 14 count Zweigart Aida fabric, Anchor 6-stranded embroidery threads, clear chart, instructions and a gold-plated needle.Size of finished embroidery approx 25 cm / 10 inches square."

As yet I haven't seen a stitched example: this looks to be based on a computer-generated chart.

This one isn't on their website when I last checked [see update below] - it turned up on eBay.  Maybe they're testing the market?  It's very much 'in style' with their other samplers.  They have some rather nice souvenir ones for various British towns eg. Felixstowe, Cumbria, Aldeburgh, Cotswolds and (unsurprisingly) Suffolk.  They use nice colours - some muted, some brighter -  and attractive modern/vintage fonts.  Here is their eBay user page: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/riverdrifthouse/ which will link you to their current sale items.  As of today they are offering it in both a bidding scenario and a buy-it-now scenario.  They do post outside the UK (you can also buy direct from their website).

On their new design page they indicate their plans for other jubilee samplers: "Next on the board are the new designs for the DIAMOND JUBILEE, still to be finalised - but you can expect a set of FOUR square, each featuring one of the Royal Residences, lots of crowns and corgis - on 14 count. Then we will put the four together to make a more substantial Sampler to stitch on 18 count, for a lovely piece of heirloom stitching... "

None of which sounds like this one, as I can't see a royal residence... still, I think this is my favourite so far of the commercial cross stitch sampler designs for the diamond jubilee.  Maybe the category killer?

It has a feel of Jacqui Pearce's very popular Will and Kate wedding sampler that was in Cross Stitcher magazine.  Nodding to vintage and traditions, while being unashamedly modern.

Read all about that design, with links as to where you can buy it in my blog entry about 2011 wedding samplers.  They seem to be out of kits now, but seem to still have the sampler pattern available for download.  The magazine, Cross Stitcher issue 238 Spring 2011, turns up from time to time on eBay; so does the pattern as pages taken from the magazine.  You can also buy the full issue on Zinio as a digital download full colour copy to read on your computer or tablet/iPad (Zinio has a website at zinio.com or you can download the app to your tablet/iPad and buy from within the app.  That single issue is $AU5.49 for the digital download as of December 2011).

I'm documenting diamond jubilee designs as I find them.  If you know of others, please do let me know by leaving a comment.  All these entries are tagged with jubilee so you can find them via the tags as well as the search button (top left of the screen).

If you're a shop or designer with a design I haven't documented here as yet, please do get in touch.  I'd like this to be as comprehensive a record as possible.

Happy New (Diamond Jubilee) Year!

Ruth

3 January 2012 UPDATE:
The Riverdrift design is now listed on their website:
Diamond Jubilee Square Sampler Kit
Counted Cross Stitch Square Sampler Kit

Price:

£12.95

Riverdrift House New Designs information:

http://www.riverdrifthouse.co.uk/ecom-catshow/new_designs.html

Riverdrift House News page:

http://www.riverdrifthouse.co.uk/ecom-catshow/news.html

William & Kate: royal wedding crafts (article)

Link to image (larger)

Illustrated with this cross stitch chart of Kate (courtesy of Cross Stitcher magazine), the Guardian had an article in April 2011 about the wide variety in royal wedding craft-related items.  I only just tripped over it, and figured it should be recorded here.  Royal wedding: Kate Middleton cross stitch pattern, by Perri Lewis.

Read the whole article here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/26/royal-wedding-kate-middleton-cross-stitch-pattern

William & Kate: royal wedding sampler in QR code

Another wedding sampler entry from another blog of mine, repeated here as it also fits this blog's focus.

Inspired by a QR code cross stitch sampler by Omega Chicken on Craftster - I found it on Mr X stitch here - I got to thinking about QR codes, and how their grid lends itself to cross stitch. (I'd been thinking about them in relation to their possibilities for work, and this took me sideways into stitching options).

OK, why not stitch a QR code royal wedding cross stitch?  Very 2011!  Bamboozle 'em proper in fifty years' time!

There is a recommended wording for royal wedding souvenirs.  Read all about it here.  The wording is:
To Commemorate the Marriage of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton, 29th April 2011



And that wording is represented by this QR code.  Really and truly.  I generated it using the free online QR code generator here.  Try this online QR code decoder if you wish to check my veracity: http://zxing.org/w/decode.jspx.  If you have a smartphone, you can get free QR reader apps - just point your smartphone's camera at a QR code using the app, and bingo, up comes the information in the QR code.

If, at this point, you are wondering what the heck a QR code is, it's like a barcode but it can do more, convey more information than a number.  Read the Wikipedia entry here.  You'll see them around - the SMH sometimes uses them to link readers to further contents, and advertisers are jumping on the bandwagon.

The size of the QR code is influenced by the amount of content.  So just : Will + Kate looks like this:

(Generated that with the same QR code generator as above).

Will I get stitching myself?  Dunno.  But if you'd like to borrow the idea for your own personal use, you are welcome.  If you do, or you link to this entry, do leave a comment so I can follow your progress!

Cheers

Ruth

PS/Added later: here's a gallery of more cross-stitch and sewn designs incorporating QR codes:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2011/jun/15/cross-stitch-craft-qr-code?intcmp=239#/?picture=375759912&index=0

William & Kate: royal wedding samplers

This blog entry first appeared on another blog in April 2011, but I am repeating it here as its content is precisely right for British Patriotic Samplers.

I am intrigued to see how crafters are choosing to document the royal wedding - most particularly with cross stitch/embroidery.  There's a commitment of time involved, and the fact that people feel engaged enough (um, bad pun) to spend that time.  The social history of it interests me.

Having had a couple of other vintage royal samplers find their way to me (although I'm not exactly a rabid royalist - or republican, either: but social history, yes, I'm interested!), I went looking to see what's about in the royal wedding sampler/craft stakes - stuff to stitch and sew, rather than commemorative souvenirs to buy.  Some of these are free/downloadable patterns, some are commercial patterns and kits.  A snapshot of designers' responses to the challenge of this event.

If you plan to download/print/buy/sew any of these, I'd suggest getting in sooner rather than later, as after 29 April 2011 the interest in William and Kate's nuptials will likely wane; links may disappear, kits run out and not be replaced.

My utter favourite is this one:

Designed by Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch, it is a free pattern.  Find out more here, including the link to the free PDF.  I gather it was designed in response to a challenge from the Independent newspaper to young designers for something a bit quirky by way of royal wedding souvenirs.  See the entire collection of ideas by clicking here.  With Keep Calm and its many cousins and variants being so popular at present, this is a fun nod to a current trend.  The tag line at the bottom is about the royal wedding being brought to you in association with the coalition government - perhaps an allusion most clear to those in the UK/familiar with current UK politics (I know there is currently a coalition govt in the UK, but the finer nuances of this tag line escape me).

Kell Smurthwaite of Kincavel Crosses has designed a couple of free royal wedding sampler patterns.  She blogged about this one here; find a larger image of the graph here.

From the same designer, another free pattern for a smaller sampler.  Read about it here.

From the same designer (has she been busy or what??) this one, called Kind Hearts and Coronets:

It's also a freebie pattern.  Read about it and find the chart by clicking here.

I note, in passing, (is that a bad pun?) that a lot of samplers I've seen have been carefully avoiding the happy couple's formal initials: WC having Other Associations......

Another quick and simple vintage style initial sampler is this freebie from Sarah Lindfield of Craftymoo:

Read her blog entry about the design here.  See a finished version as an ornie (ornament) here.  She went with WK.....


Taking a moment out for knitting, which I don't do...Selling gangbusters, and a hoot to boot is Fiona Goble's Knit Your Own Royal Wedding book

Love the corgis! Available all sorts of places: if you're in Australia and can't find it easily, Book Depository (either http://www.bookdepository.com/ or http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ offer free shipping; or check at http://www.booko.com.au/ for other prices/sources).



Among the commercially available samplers is this tapestry in two colourways from Beth Russell of Designers Forum:

Find out more on her website by clicking here.

US-based The Sampler Girl has this design, referencing the charming randomness of vintage samplers:

Read her blog entry about it here.  Buy the e-pattern or a mailed version of the pattern, and read details of size etc by clicking here.  The ribbon at the bottom is a printed one she sourced from Etsy (she provides the link).


The UK cross stitch magazines have jumped on the bandwagon: one that seems to be turning up all over (and which cleverly includes the current Cool Britannia decor enthusiasm for Union Jacks and bunting) is this one in Cross Stitcher magazine issue 238 (not yet out in Australia, but you can find it on http://www.ebay.co.uk/ if you just can't wait).

Read about it here and here.  It was designed by Jacqui Pearce of Granny Knits.  You can buy the pattern from her here, or a kit (canvas, wool, chart etc) from her here.

If you like that pretty look but want something even simpler, Laura Howard of Bugs and Fishes designed this:

Click here for her free pattern and instructions.

Referencing the charming illustrations from children's books, Bustle and Sew has this royal wedding embroidery pattern:

It's available from this Etsy shop: listing link; shop link.  As an e-pattern, I'm sure if that listing is sold you can convo (converse with/contact) the seller to enquire about another one.  Found this via the Feeling Stitchy blog here.

Taking another slight detour, Makower in the UK have updated their Charles and Diana wedding fabric design into a William and Kate design, which they have produced as a limited edition in two colourways:

They sold 40,000 metres of the Charles and Diana fabric, so 'limited edition' means time rather than quantity, I would guess... Read more on the Makower site by clicking here.  It's for sale from quilt/fabric shops (esp. in the UK, I would guess; less likely to make it abroad) and from sellers on http://www.ebay.co.uk/ and likely http://www.etsy.com/ .  There are etsy sellers using this to make bags/tea cosies etc.


Majesty magazine's shop offers this sampler from One Off designs - they got in early with an engagement version:

Click here for the shop page (the pattern offers engagement/wedding lettering).

 
You can see (and also buy) the wedding version from Sew Inspiring here.

Coats Crafts has a free downloadable pdf pattern for their wedding sampler:

Click here for more information and the PDF link.

The Royal School of Needlework has a whitework kit in their shop.

Sorry it's so blurry, but the pic's just tiny on their website.  Read all about it (and buy if you wish) here.

Florashell offer this coat of arms royal wedding sampler:

They sell through their website (click here) and also have this listed on http://www.ebay.co.uk/.  Chart only, or complete kits.


This design is from Mary Hickmott:

On her website you can order the chart, or kits with Belfast/aida.  Click here for the link.

On http://www.ebay.co.uk/, seller cathduff52 is selling this blackwork design:

The item number is 170628849170 and she is selling multiple copies (of the same chart) at this item number.  Blackwork Royal Wedding Embroidery Chart is the item's title.

If blackwork's your thing, this is (yet another) free chart from Lady Kell of Kincavel, aka Kell Smurthwaite:

Click here for the blog entry and chart.  Unlike some of the others, this is a wedding sampler that could be adapted to other people.


DMC has a range of royal wedding samplers in kit form.

Read about the DMC kits here.

John Clayton Royal Collection has a pictorial cross stitch kit, rather than a sampler.

Find out more by clicking here.

Monica Solorio-Snow of the blog, Happy Zombie (unsupervised and armed with scissors!) has this colour-in style modern embroidery as a free pattern on her site:

Read more about here "Kiss Me Kate" design here.  PDF link is here.

Crafter News had this collage of royal wedding crafts:

Click here for the links to each of the crafts/designers/designs illustrated.

There are a few designs where I can only find images, not links to buy.  Some may be findable on eBay etc, or by you doing more creative googling than I have managed.  I'm putting them here to record the range/variety of items available.

Cross Stitch Collection magazine issue 195 includes a huge royal wedding souvenir cross stitch, another pictorial one:

An unknown magazine had this cushion design:

I think this one is also from a magazine pattern:

One keen stitcher blogging about her royal wedding sampler stitching is Linens and Royals.  Her projects include the One Off sampler and the John Clifton design.  Playing with Needles has an entry on royal wedding blogs here: and her needlework based on the Queen's coronation gown - together with extensive information in photos and text - is definitely worth reading.

If you know of any other Will and Kate/William and Catherine/ WC/WK/Royal Wedding samplers or stitcheries etc that I've missed, please leave a comment with linkydinks so folks reading this can follow and find more!

Is this the most comprehensive roundup of royal wedding samplers and patterns on the internet right now?

Dunno.

But it's fun to have recorded them.  For me, a number have really cliched fonts/lettering, and I wonder how they will wear over time.  There are classic design elements that don't date - coat of arms as a f''r'instance: but the silhouettes on the DMC design look cliched to me, as do their curlicues.  Given that I prefer vintage-style samplers, the hugely pictorial ones (like the John Clifton, or or the Cross Stitch Collection one) are less to my taste.  Partly, it's because when I've done cross-stitch, I avoid the patterns/designs that occupy every inch of the linen with a stitch: I like the white space (and it's faster to stitch up, too!).  To each their own: a friend of mine does astonishing, prize-winning cross stitches of the pictorial kind, which are beautiful.  I just know I wouldn't choose to sew them myself.

Cheers

Ruth

PS if you would like to boggle at the range of royal wedding souvenirs available, http://royalweddingtat.tumblr.com/ will enable you to boggle comprehensively.