Stitch With Me #1: How I Start a Mirabilia

Join me as a I walk you step-by-step through how I start a new Mirabilia project. I also ramble on about flosstube, stitching, life, and whatever else enters my head while I stitch.

Thanks for stopping by! Find me on instagram as @fiberartsamy.

#mirabilia #crossstitch #noracorbett

[ruthscrossstitchandquilts]

Your video just popped up in my suggestions. I am so glad I decided to watch. You talked about people buying projects because they saw it on flosstube, and that responsibility falls back to the viewer. No one is forcing someone else to buy something, flosstubers are just sharing their projects, experience, and love for the craft. I also agree that some flosstubers are great to watch and some are not for me, that doesn't mean they are bad flosstubers or people. There are others who like watching them and may not enjoy watching the ones I enjoy watching. I appreciate that it is a great community, and there is something for everyone.

[patriciatreslove]

I have been cross-stitching for the best part of 35 years, and I have never seen pulling a thread like you have shown, so thank you for sharing that with me, because cutting straight is not something I am very good at.

[lisaclark]

When others are teacher about where to start it is next to a vertical thread because otherwise it can fall under the stitch. I loved watching

[lisawhittaker]

Found your comments on flosstube really stuck a chord with me. I'm new to crossstitch ( 18 months) so started watching every flosstuber I could. Recently I began feeling almost second class as I'm working on a tight budget, which shouldn't be a problem but, my goodness it is. Many of the big name flosstubers are really becoming channels of very hard sell, you must have this or that, you must get this or you will regret it, you must attend this retreat/shop. Rarely are they even showing their own stitching just whatever a company or designer or shop has sent them to 'subtly ' push. I very much appreciated hearing I'm not alone in this feeling. Part of the reason I enjoy Saltbox Stitcher so much is because it's a conversation, show and tell without the sell.
Thank you so much for this video, though I'm 12 months late, I'm starting a Bewitching Pixie as I'm watching this.

[sarahkay]

There is a way unravel the entire skein, match ends once, twice, three times. One end will be all loops, the other end will have 7 loops and the ends of skein. Cut through the 7 loops and you have an entire skein of floss cut all at once. Your way works of course but I love doing it all at once! Besides the loop start, learning this has been one of the BEST tricks I’ve ever learned. Saves so much time. And I love to pre cut all my floss for my projects. Loved stitching with you this evening. You inspired me to shop my stash so I worked on Christmas Elegance that hasn’t been touched in like 5 years but after watching your Mira videos it encouraged me to pull it out. And made me order Cassiopeia!

[Chaos.and.cross.stitch]

Hello 🙂 I started my very first Mirabilia while watching this video. I was cross stitching a long dog sampler while watching the first chunk of this video and then the minute you started speaking about finding where to start on the piece I switched tactics. I grabbed my sewing machine and zigzagged the edges of my wichelt (😉) 28 count fabric, I then grabbed a q snap and started! I'm very excited lol. Thank you for sharing your joy of Mirabilias, and yes I agree, it is great to find a floss tuber who enjoys fancy ladies 😁 alrighty, I am going back to working on Lady of Mystery.

P.s new subscriber from 🇨🇦

[misse]

This video showed up as I was stitching, so you were my stitching buddy, two years later after you made this video, but enjoyed your talk and no I never heard of starting a stitch on the vertical thread, I paused to look at my fabric, lol. But hmmm, I may try it and see. 😊. I love Miras designs, right now I just started Dimensions gold collection, Garden Lady, it's very pretty, I am enjoying it. 🌹🧚🌿

[renatecasson]

I love your Flosstube channel. I have been cross stitching off and on for years and never heard or seen the thread on top of the cross thread. Also I have always used the loop method but, I do it on top (right side of fabric). I have never used a que snap. I use a frame. It had taken me about 6 years to do my first Mirabilia. And I only bought one and finished that one. Now over 50 years later I have a lot of a variety of patterns. I love them all, started a lot as well. I am a starter not so much a finisher but seeing all your Mirabilia's has given me the desirer to finish as much as i can. I have about about 6 Mirabilia. My projects are medium to large in size no small pieces. I have stopped buying any more now that i am retired and cannot afford to buy. In Australia the fabrics and patterns are quite expensive, yet alone to kit each one up. I love the way you change things I have completed a lot of cross stitch patterns where i did not like a certain part of the pattern but I still stitch it, I never thought about not doing any part of that pattern. I listened to the end and i agree with what you had talked about. It did put a dampener on me, not being able to do thousand stitches a week. I also watch stitchinmommy for the main reason that she does what she can and she made me realise that a little is just fine and just as satisfying. I now stitch in hand and love it. Keep up with what your doing, i need to continue watching the rest of your episodes. :)

[deeneely]

My mother was a weaver in a cotton mill and she agrees with you.

[vintagehollywoodstars]

I know this is a year old video, but I always searched you tube for Mira stitchers as well! You’re so right, they are hard to find on here.
Flosstube, I agree with you too. So many I stopped watching. One Flosstube, would show so many designers each week, which I enjoyed. Now it’s just their charts, like a infomercial.

[alisongallup]

I did know about the pulling thread thing, but I was also taught to start on a vertical thread. Love your video style!🎉

[janinelevy]

Loved your video! I've just begun the Miribilia journey, was a little hesitant at first but now I think I'm hooked. Your voice is soothing and easy to listen to. Being an Aussie sometimes some voices really grate on us ;)
I'll keep watching your videos so keep producing them!

[sarahkay]

And yes, I pull a thread to cut my fabric but I always put my salvage at the top so I know which is top of my project. I’m glad to see someone else who doesn’t mess with their edges. I leave mine alone. It frays a little but not really a ton. I was taught about the vertical thread when stitching on linen. My eyes have gotten worse as I got older so I stitch a lot on evenweaves . I didn’t love linen overall even when my eyes were better.
I was recently diagnosed in my 50’s as having ADHD. Once I got medicated for it, not only can I stitch longer and not get as distracted by other hobbies, my spending is way down on not just crafts but other stuff too.

[rowiemurphy]

When I first started with Flosstube I had to watch them all (that was about 2 years ago when I got back to cross stitching after a very long absence). Now I only enjoy watching maybe 10….and interesting enough I love the ones who stitch large projects that take years to finish. After watching you maybe I will start one of the Nora Corbett’s I have. Thank you.

[calliesskatecorner]

THANK YOU for being authentic. I feel the same exact way about flosstube - so many channels, so few that I enjoy watching 😁 I'm also a huge fan of Nora and Mirabilias, so this video was so much fun to watch and listen to 🤩

[conniedvorscak]

Enjoyed this stitching time with you! You're prepping for a start and I'm knitting socks! I started a Nora Corbett fairy by simply "jumping in". I wanted more suggestions on stitching this type of pattern and have found you very refreshing. I started stitching in the 1980's when we lived in the Pittsburgh area but life happened and I put it aside. Have returned to cross stitch, and just as you said, no local cross stitch shop and no local friends that cross stitch! So here we are ! I appreciate your insight and directions for a start! I work on seasonal smalls, samplers, and now wanted the New Year challenge of working on a Nora Corbett creation! Your progress is always appreciated!

[kathrynryan]

I would love you to film when you are working on Red. It is gorgeous and would enjoy listening to you and stitching and looking up to peek at that piece or another you are working on, not just starting.

[vickiweston]

Love Mirabelia. Don’t have one yet. Want stitchy stuff. Like different things in different charts. To see what different treasures they have

[dianemiller]

This was the clearest example of starting on the vertical thread I’ve seen. Thank you.

A suggestion - you’ll have less thread tangles if you stitch with a shorter length of thread. Also, If you watch yourself stitch, it takes multiple hand motions for you to make each cross. A shorter floss length would eliminate that.

Happy stitching!

[teresaboyer]

Hi Amy! I really enjoyed stitching along with you, and yes, it felt like we were just talking and stitching with a friend! How fun is that! I did know about the vertical thread, but I’ve been stitching on linen for years. I think somebody originally figured out that if you start by the vertical line that there is less chance of your stitch slipping behind the one beside it and you “losing a stitch” ! You gave a terrific explanation. I also learned it from Jan Hicks, who described starting as leaning on the thread next door! I sure am glad you figured out that the Indigo wasn’t going to work before you had a whole bunch of stitches in. It was a beautiful color, but rubbing off would sure ruin your project. Thank you for this most excellent video! I will look forward to the next one! (I don’t care if you finish anything at all. Smalls strike me as a waste of time that could go into a big project!)