February « 2012 « Covet Living

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Not sure how I’ve just discovered the art of subversive cross stitching, which is apparently taking the DIY world by storm. But I have, and I thank my freaking hilarious co-worker (and Covet Living’s brand spankin’ new DIY guest blogger!) Heather on telling me about this burgeoning hobby. Before we continue, let me just notify those with virgin eyes, that yes, there could be some salty language on this post. So get your Bibles out; you might need them. Without further ado, here’s Heaths!

(Heather aka Lady In Red)

Hi all! So, I used to do a lot of cross stitching with my mom. We’d sit together on the couch and crank out butterfly, unicorn and puppies-rolling-in-flower bed patterns ’til our little fingers bled. Ahhh the good old days. I wanted to relive the magic but juuzz up my needlepoint with something that screamed “I’ve become an angry, bitter woman”… so I made this! It’s my stab at subversive cross stitching, commissioned by Covet Living’s own Karrie.

And here’s how I did it:

MATERIALS

Stitch Fabric (14 count is the most common)
Tapestry Needle
Thread
Embroidery
Scissors
Pattern
Pictures

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Get inspired

What up subversivecrossstitch.com?!

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Step 2: Map out your pattern

I really hope imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, because my design was (*cough) inspired by Miso Funky.

I counted all the little x’s in the picture and then plotted out the masterpiece on graph paper. Sounds easy, but I never excelled at math… or counting. I’m not going to lie; I struggled a bit. Kind of sad. Good luck to you though.

Step 3: Get your sew on

For those of you who haven’t cross stitched since you were in the 1st grade, here is a great sewing 101 tutorial. They’ll do a much better job explaining than I ever could.

Step 4: Put a frame on it! (Karrie’s note: This frame below cost a whopping $3 at Goodwill)

Step 5: Voila!

Happy stitching everybody!

Thank you, Heather, not just for your awesome little DIY project, but for always, and I mean always, being the life of the party at our work holiday bashes.

Below are some other ideas pulled from the web. I die:

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(My mommy friends will appreciate this one the most I’m sure; via)

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One thing’s for certain, kittens. This ain’t your grandma’s cross stitching.

Oh, and too lazy to craft these delights yourself? Check out Subversive Cross Stitch’s Etsy shop for some inexpensive gifts.

Happy Fat Tuesday you little heifers!

xoxo,

So, one day as I was piddle puttsing around on Pinterest – as I (*cough*) often tend to do – I saw these dreamy pink rooms…

And a few days later, I ran into a few ditties like these… (GASP!)

Pops of blush & bashful – THE happiest hue out there – seemed to be everywhere I looked, and I couldn’t get enough of ’em. And then one day, this one really did me in…

And that was that. I had to have it… somewhere. Knowing my landlord would murder me if I painted our front door or our entire living room the color of Peptol Bismol – or bubble gum – I opted for a smaller space: my closet / dressing room. Why? Easy. Because if you reaaaaaally screw something up, small spaces are doodles that can be undid. Here’s what my closet looked like before:

Vanilla walls… white mirror… vintage dresser. But this space is actually a long, narrow mini dressing area – about 12 ft by 5 ft – with the racks and shelves at right (not pictured):

Scuzzi for the high-water curtains. That was the day I moved in a few years back. Clearly, they were too short and those bad boys came right back down. (Good rule of thumb: Curtains should always skim the floor, or puddle for a more formal look. And to make the ceilings appear higher, don’t hang the rod just above the top of the window – hang it just below the top of the ceiling.) This is a GREAT decorating trick to put in your back pocket.

Moving along… I busted out a shade of perfection called “JAIPUR PINK” (Sherwin Williams) – which got a cheerful endorsement from my girl Vani, since “Jaipur” is an Indian word that actually means “Pink City”. So I said, Jai ho. Bring it on.

When the paint first went on (above), it literally looked like Barbie hosed down my closet in neon, tacky pink. But soon after it started to dry, it started looking closer to what I had envisioned.

And now that I’ve hung everything back up (my “analog Pinterest” inspiration boards + some uber traditional wallpaper samples in shades of white) – I think I might just love it.

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Other dip-your-toe-in-water, non-threatening places to experiment with crazy colors? Powder Baths. The inside of clear glass cabinets. The inside of bookshelves (!) Ceiling medallions. OOooooooooooooooooooooooooh (!) Give it a spin!