Fun with Counted Cross Stitch

If anyone had ever told me even just 5 years ago that I would fall in love with counted cross stitch I would have laughed hysterically.  I think I have to give most of the credit to Alicia Paulson's beautiful blog Posie Gets Cozy.   The stars lined up when I found a box of embroidery thread at Goodwill for $3.

Yesterday I went to the library and picked up Alicia's lovely book Embroidery Companion and got to work.  I started on a piece of linen with the school house alphabet sampler project and quickly got frustrated.  Reminder to self: Don't start with the most difficult project in the book first!  I had to get creative quickly so I could satisfy my urge to cross-stitch.  So I found one of my husband's checked shirts that he has already graciously donated to the craft bin.  With the generous, perfectly spaced squares I was able to see what I was doing and make it look straight.  Here's what I've got so far of the Karin Curtains.  So excited!

Because the checks are way huger than the squares in Aida cloth, I'm going to have to cut out some of the design or at least reposition it.  The plan is to make this to top a curtain panel for the bathroom.  There are just tons of projects in the book that I want to make so I am thinking this is going to go on the Amazon wish list for the holidays. 

And there you have it, my first counted cross stitch project.