Exciting

I haven't been doing as much stitching as I usually would at the moment, school and other things have taken over. Nor have I been making any new patterns - both because I changed my laptop from a PC to a Mac only to find my cross stitch program didn't have a Mac equivalent. Then I found out that there is no really good Mac software that I want to use out there. So I may have to go back to completing patterns on the family PC, or buy a copy and load dual boot on my Mac or find some new pattern maker that will meet my requirements for use and output. (it would be nice if my chosen program just made a Mac version.)
There is also a lack of images to create into patterns, which makes it just as hard.

I have however, sold a few more patterns recently, and a couple of days ago I got an email from one of those buyers to show me the picture of her completed shot of Clockwork Fairies and Lace. I am amazed that she has been stitched and she looks fantastic!

If I get permission I would love to share the picture of the final image with you. But she looks pretty much exactly like the pattern which makes me feel really good that it worked!
(This stitcher has also purchased Fruits, Tartan and Socks... I can't wait to see what they look like when they're finished!)

Clockwork Fairies and Lace

Sorry!

Wow.... I have not kept up with this blog very well, and I know why - I haven't been stitching much recently. I promise to replace this terrible post with an outline of the little I have been up to in regards to stitching and designs as soon as I can.

Categorising Tea Party Revolution

I class my stitches as modern. I don't do "seditious" patterns  - if you don't understand what I mean by seditious, let me explain: There are a group of people who do those types of patterns - quite often samplers such as "Back off Bitch" and other modern quotes that don't fall into the typical cross stitch pattern catalogue. Others do realistic nudes, sexual images and others of that nature.

I recently saw a description of some of my patterns as "porn". I'm not quite sure where fully clothed pinups and such images full under the umbrella of "porn", and while I admit some of the patterns that I do have can be classed as risque and naughty, I am not a dealer of porn and nor is LillyKitten - the original creator of these images, a creator of porn. If you have a different idea of porn and can class fully clothed images in that category, then obviously these are not the patterns for you.

Many people class the patterns I do as 'anime'. LillyKitten doesn't classify them that way (and I always go on the artist's view on this point) - she would explain them as halfway between western and eastern cartoon. She freely admits to inspiration from both sides (more anime now than she used to.)

As for within my patterns themselves, I give four categories according to difficulty and in some cases, size. Because I'm slack, I've called them A, B, C and D.

Category A patterns are very simple (often termed chibi) images. The patterns themselves have very few colours, with no blending, special stitches or backstitching. All are designed to be stitched on 14 count Aida (or whatever your heart desires).

'You're so Cute' - Category A

Category B patterns can be designed on anything from 14 count to my all time favourite - 22 count. They are slightly more difficult than Category A, and can have blending and special stitches, backstitching and full shading. All the bookmarks I design are in Category B, but for them to remain as bookmarks, the count cannot be changed.

Lilac Siamese - Category B

The only difference between Categories C and D is size. Category C is smaller in size, but both are fully shaded, may have blended threads and often have backstitching. Both are designed for 22 count.

I Give You My Heart (Category C) and Kandi Kane (Category D)

I also have a seperate category for the Anti-Twilight Militia patterns, designed for all those who don't think that Twilight is all that flash. I keep those in a seperate catalogue and category as they are markedly different from the majority of my patterns.

Real Vampires Don't Sparkle, The Anti Twilight Militia Collection

The Cross Stitch Revolution

I have been creating Cross Stitches under the name Tea Party Revolution for about 3 years now. I primarily use artworks created by LillyKitten Art.

The story begins when I was looking for something to cross stitch in 2002. I had finished a number of traditional stitches - houses, flowers... and I was looking for something a little more modern. But as much as I looked, I couldn't find anything that immediately struck me.

That year I used a primative method to create a pattern for a birthday present for a friend, which turned out really well and soon after this I saw advertisements for the release of DMC's pattern creator, which piqued my interest.

Que and Shay, the first pattern: TPR 2002

The first pattern created and stitched with DMC's program was 'Lestat's Eye', an older LillyKitten image and clearly shows the lack of skill in the design and colour departments. 'Lestat's Eye' had over 80 different colours.

Lestat's Eye, 2004

When I became serious, I upgraded my pattern program to PCStitch Pro and have been altering images and fixing patterns ever since....