So you want to cross stitch, or maybe you are thinking you might want to.  It can be scary to take on a new project that you are unfamiliar with - but don't be afraid of that needle and blank piece of fabric!  You can do this and FINISH a piece by following a few suggestions.

First, you absolutely MUST choose a design that tugs at your heart and invokes some kind of serious emotion, such as, "Oh my gosh, this is the cutest blah blah blah I have ever seen!" or "This would be absolutely PERFECT in my (fill in the blank) room."  With having said this, please note, I did not say "so and so would love this," or "this will be the perfect gift."  If you want to create a hobby, you need to give to yourself first, then spread your joy, creativity, and love to others.  So basically, make a project you intend to keep for YOU!  My purpose behind this is that if you see your project every day, you will become even more fond of it and want to stitch more (again and again and again).

Second, and this is where it gets tricky, keep your first stitching piece small.  Most often times the items that tug at our heart the most are large pieces, with intricate work, detail, and countless hours spent stitching.  Unless you ALWAYS (and I mean ALWAYS) finish a project, don't subject yourself to that.  Give in to a little more instant gratification and maybe find a small saying to stitch, or some small handmade ornaments for a perfectly trimmed tree, or a book mark, or initial pillow.  (As a side note, remember that a 4" square item that is stitched solid might take quite a bit longer than a bit larger "Welcome" piece that entails mostly backstitching. See, this is why I said it was tricky)  Work your way up to that to-die-for take-forever piece.  You'll have more stamina and a better understanding of what you are getting into.

Third, use a traditional fabric in a color you love.  Try aida on 14 count.  It goes pretty quick and is fairly easy to see the holes.  I think you get the most bang for your time because the design will be the largest it can be without loosing any of the details and intricacy.

Finally, and this is where I tend to get hung up the most, you have to finish it after you finish stitching!  There are a couple of things that help alleviate this issue.  A - buy a premade item, such as a purse, tote, or pillow sham, that only needs to be stitched.  B - Have a frame or displaying design in mind while stitching the project and settle on it before you finish.  I have actually had "Framing Parties" with my grandma because she was notorious for stitching several (like 5 or 7) projects and never doing anything with them!  They were pressed out and layed aside.  (But at least I know where I get it from :)  In reality, those pieces weren't finished until they were in the frame or centered in a quilt, etc.  I should also add that custom framing can be quite expensive, so you might want to try finding a standard size frame that works well.  Even if you have to add custom matting, you will still come out cheaper.

I think that might be my next guide - framing a stitched piece!