Once again, I have awesome news to tell you all! I’ve got another kit book out!
Fine Art Cross Stitch Box Cover by Lord Libidan (source: amazon)
This time we delve into the classic paintings of the past, with a Fine Art Cross Stitch kit, complete with 12 patterns from Mondrian to Da Vinci.
Cross Stitch Creations: Fine Art turns your needlework from a craft to fine art by showing you how to recreate the classic masters’ finest works.
Take your needle art to the next level and recreate some of the finest masterpieces in history! Cross Stitch Creations: Fine Art presents to you a myriad of patterns which will channel the master artist in you. From van Gogh to Klimt to Munch, the projects and artists found in Cross Stitch Creations: Fine Art represent a wide range of art movements in the painting world as a whole. The clear, step-by-step instructions and full-color photographs for the 12 included projects allow you to decorate your walls with the master’s most iconic works of art in the classic medium of cross stitch!
Cross Stitch Creations: Fine Art includes a 64-pg instruction book which shows you how to create works originally painted by van Gogh, Klimt, Matisse, Hokusai, and many others.
Fine Art Cross Stitch Book Cover by Lord Libidan (source: amazon)
You can get your copy from Quatro (the publisher) now!
I’ll be posting some of the completed peices over the next week, so keep your eyes out for them!
Two bits of news in one day? Yep! I’ve got two kit books out this month!
Emoji Cross Stitch Box Cover by Lord Libidan (source: amazon)
12 fun and simple emojis to stitch your heart away at, with enough thread in the kit to stitch up to 4 emojis (but definately at least 2)!
Stitch 12 Iconic Patterns to Communicate with Your World!
Even when you can’t find the right words, you can always find the right emoji! Frame these sweet and sassy little symbols as art or embellish clothing, linens or a throw pillow!
Emoji Cross Stitch includes the patterns to craft twelve of the most popular emoji, along with all the materials to make to finished projects. The 64-page book offers clear step-by-step instructions and full-color photographs, suitable for beginners and experienced stitchers alike.
Emoji Cross Stitch Book Cover by Lord Libidan (source: amazon)
After the release of Mr X Stitch’s Guide to Cross Stitch and the XStitch magazine, both that I was part of, I have yet another publication coming out this year.
It might not be my normal style, but I was asked to with with my good pal John Lohman to create a Hello Kitty book kit, which is being released in 4 languages! Hello Kitty: 12 Super Cute Patterns Cross Stitch Creations cover
Crafting just got a whole lot cuter. Like Hello Kitty herself, the twelve patterns in this fun, accessible, cross-stitch kit are all simply adorable.
Cross Stitch Creations: Hello Kitty includes a fully illustrated book with step-by-step instructions and photographs of the finished projects, plus fun notes and details about the characters of Hello Kitty’s world.
A needle, embroidery floss, a six-inch hoop, and cloth for completing two projects comes with the kit, so there’s no waiting to get started. With twelve sweet patterns inspired by the world of Hello Kitty and featuring all of her friends, adding Hello Kitty’s classic charm to clothing, pillowcases, onesies, and more has never been easier.
I’ve also been contacted about another 2 book since this, so be on the look out for the Libidan name in your bookstore! You can purchase a copy over on amazon for $13.
For the first time in 14 years, DMC threads are launching new colors. We were able to get a preview set, and so we’re decided to help out and go into detail with the 35 new colors.
Firstly, the new colors range from code 01 to 35, and no colors are being replaced; these are all additional only. This brings the total range up to 500. They’re out in late October/early November (dependent on where you live).
Based of the new colors is clear that DMC have really listened to what customers wanted. Without further ado, lets look at each of the new colors.
01 to 04 – Greys The first set is numbers 01 to 04, all grey. The current grey selection is a bit lack luster, with very popular colors such as 415, 318 and 414 being slightly purple hued. The new set effectively replaces these colors by removing the purple, making a fantastic run of 762, 01, 02, 03, 04, 317, 413, 3799, 310. We’ve made up this color swatch up below. Honestly, of all the new threads, we think these four will be the most popular by far, and will stop that weird purple hue on grey scale projects like our Canabalt piece.
05 to 09 – Browns
The second set, 05 to 09, are all brown. At first glance they’ve very similar to the 453, 452, 451, 3861, 3860, 779 line, however that has historically been muddled and lacking in a progressive shading. Instead, the new line makes a pure brown, something that’s been missing for a while from the traditional line.
10 to 18 – Greens
Initially it seems a little odd to have so many greens in the new threads, especially considering green has always been a strong point of DMC. However, if you think about the greens available, they either transition into blue, or brown. Hardly any move into yellow. This is where the new green threads come in, offering fairly pale greens that transition into yellow. In addition color 13 sits as a lighter 3849 to allow blue to green blending a little easier at pale ends of the spectrum.
19 – Orange
We then have the solitary 19, a peachy orange. This is clearly made to fit within existing 3823, 3855, 19, 3854, 3853 line. I must admit, I’ve never really seen much use of these colours, however unlike most other color ranges featuring at least 5 colors, it shows DMC are devoted to making their existing line perfect. (The images don’t do it justice.)
In addition this orange could be included within the next set of colors; flesh tones.
20 to 22 – Flesh tones Skin tones have ALWAYS been an issue with threads, and whilst there are some good shades out there, the darker white skin colors have been missing for a while. Colors 20 to 22 solve that issue.
23 to 35 – Purples
Finally, we look upon the final section of new threads, colors 23 to 35. These compromise a series of purples, mostly light hued, without any runs of progressively darker threads. For a long time purple has been a big issue, with only darker purples being an use, as lighter ones were just way too pink. The new threads offer both lighter purples, but also a series of purples that merge into other colors, such as 28 and 29 which blend into a grey line 415, 318 and 414, which now feels a little orphaned with the new greys. 30, 31 and 32 blend into blue. And 33, 34 and 35 blend into red well, something there currently isn’t any of.
A word on compatibility
It’s worth noting that with all new threads, pick up is a little slow going at first. Most pattern makers will updated yearly, meaning the next update using these threads could be some time in mid 2018. We reached out to WinStitch/MacStitch which will send an update in the coming week. No update on when PCStitch will update, we’ll update this when we hear back. In addition the DMC shade card, despite earlier reports, it being updated with the new threads.
Where and when can you get them? Officially the new threads go on open sale in November, with a few select retailers getting their hands on them early. One of these is SewAndSo.com where you can buy each thread with 25% off, or get a collectors tin with all of them included, in the middle of October. In Canda you can pick them up from StitchItCentral. We expect this will be the only place you can pick them up this early, with the DMC website, Hobbycraft and Michaels to carry the line once they’re officially out in November. We’ve got confirmation that Walmart will NOT be carrying the line at all. Collectors tin for the new 2018 DMC color threads (source: sewandso.com)
It’s been a rather busy few months for me this year, with my upcoming Hello Kitty Kit coming out, and a feature in Mr X Stitch’s Guide to Cross Stitch Book. However, when I heard about the new cross stitch magazine, XStitch, on kick starter, I just HAD to get involved.
I’m keeping my pattern secret for now, however it is one of the patterns featured on the cover below. xstitch magazine cover summer 2017 featuring Lord Libidan (source: xstitchmag.com) The first issue comes out Summer 2017, with 80 pages, and all kinds of great things like thought provoking columns, interviews, product reviews and tips and techniques to help you improve your stitching. And to make it stand out from the competiton (just encase the contemporary side of things wasn’t enough) each issue will have a collaborative playlist to listen along to as you read.
It stands to be one of the best magazines around in my mind, and I’m just crazy happy about being able to get involved from the very first issue. Saturn V blueprint embroidery in the Xstitch Mag by Lord Libidan (source: xstitchmag.com)
Once again, I have awesome news to tell you all! I’ve got another kit book out! Star Wars Cross Stitch Book by Lord Libidan Alternative Cover (source: Amazon)
This time on Star Wars, which is sold in US, AU, UK and EU territories. Its full of cross stitch patterns from A New Hope all the way to Rogue One.
Inside of the Star Wars Cross Stitch Book by Lord LibidanCover of the Star Wars Cross Stitch Book by Lord Libidan (source: Amazon)
Cover of the Star Wars Cross Stitch Book by Lord Libidan (source: Amazon) There will be a killer review on Mr X Stitch soon, however if you’re itching for a stitching, get it on Amazon now!
I’ll be posting some of the completed peices over the next week, so keep your eyes out for them!
“I’ve been stitching now for more than 5 years, and in that time; I’ve amassed more than 230 threads, but is it worth getting the complete set of DMC threads?”
That was a year ago, and now, with the full set of DMC threads, I can finally answer the question. However as always, its not that simple.
My full set of DMC threads ordered by number
The story starts back when I picked up a small inch square kit from the local hobby store. I had nothing, yet instantly fell out of favor of the standard kits. So I started making my own, and buying threads up.
The early years
At first you buy a thread here. A thread there, and maybe you buy 10 or 20 for a big project. But it never really goes beyond that. You never finish a thread, resorting to reusing the same color next time, even if it isn’t a perfect fit.
Cross stitch is my main hobby
But things start getting better. You start larger and larger pieces, and you’re getting picking about the right colors. Sure, you still make changes to reuse old ones, but you have 5 reds to choose from, so its OK!
But you realize buying 1 or 2 threads isn’t effective. You get batches, and you start having over-spill from your storage boxes…
I’m serious about this now.
So you get new storage. Maybe you get the DMC Thread Storage Box.
But that makes you realize how few you have..
But you just keep getting through those blacks… So you buy a cone or two. And that’s where things hold.
You have so much selection you can always find 1st or 2nd choice threads.
Purchase
And that’s where I caved. Now, to be clear, I didn’t go out of my way to buy all the threads. I had actually got an offer from a store to buy a kit at a discounted cost.
And I turned it down.
And regretted it instantly.
I made a new pattern, and pulled up a list of colors to find I didn’t have any of them, which was rare in itself. I searched my thread book for a good alternative, and didn’t have the second choice.
Or third.
Or fourth.
So I finally splurged on a full 447 set, complete with variegated threads for £250.
So many DMC thread number wraps…
Post purchase
Whilst initially I started using a few new threads, I quickly found another problem. Over-spill. I had worked with 230 threads for the better part of 3 years, and when I brought my new set, I also got those 230.
So I had to work through all 230 threads first.
It took 9 months, and a load of stitching, but I got through it all. Now, I can use any color. Now I have so much choice every piece uses a new thread just for the hell of it.
And you know what? I finally have choice when it comes to skin color. Skin tone threads! Ahhhh!
Is it worth it?
Yes. Oh my word yes.
Even though it doesn’t seem it at first, a complete set means you can always pick the right colour. Hold it up to your screen to check its perfect, or put multiple threads next to each other and pick the best.
And it really shows in your work…
MrXStitch 2016 Cross Stitch Calander featuring Lord Libidan (source: mrxstitch.com) After the awesome sucsess of last years 2015 calander, this year I’ll be featured in this years edition. It will be my awesome Transforming Optimus Prime cross stitch on the month of October.