I feel the exact same way about my Japanese Moss Garden. I just look at what I'm stitching in absolute awe. Highly recommend a Chatelaine to anyone considering doing one!
Hello Christine, it has taken me 7 days of binge watching your vlogs. And I have to say that you are just an absolute JOY and DELIGHT to hang out with. I too don’t count and have an amazing talent of tripping on flat floors and I always say “all y’all” too. Funny thing is...no one in my family is from the south and don’t know how I started saying “all y’all,” but I do… I also love your sense of humor. Thank you for keeping me company and all the laughter. Sending lots of love and hugs to you and your family.
Oh. My. Goodness. You watched them all?! I feel like I need to say sorry.. LOL! The goofiness you just endured... LOL! Thank you for the live love and hugs! (Also, I think 'all ya'll' should just be part of everyone's vocabulary!)
Thanks for your encouragement. I’ve had my Chatelaine in time out for a year or more. I got overwhelmed reading the pattern instructions. You’ve given me hope that I might be able to pick it up again.
It was challenging getting back to this the first time I picked it up after setting it aside for about 10 months. I tend to feel overwhelmed with the instructions too. I have to tell my brain to focus on finishing the crosses within a certain area before I go back to read the instructions for the next specialty stitch. When my brain starts to wander and take in the pattern as a whole, I have to give it a stern talking to and tell it to focus on one area! 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for that encouragement! I bought the Medieval Mandala last year. I had fallen in love with that from Katy Agruso's video before I even knew what a Chatelaine was. It will be quite some time before I work on it because I can only afford to kit a few flosses at a time, but when I do start I will take it one stitch at a time!
Just found your video while looking up the Poison Mandala. Thank you for this. Most videos kf chatelaines I come across are just stitch alongs or show and tells. I still can't decide between this or the Rosarium Mandala but I'm definitely starting one next year.
It’s looking so good, Christine! I have decided when I have a little extra spending money to grab me up a Chatelaine. This was definitely a helpful video! ❤️💚
Great video. I am a Chatelaine addict ( I usually get one a year since they are so pricey) and have several kitted and a few going even now. I so agree with the PDF patterns. I used to get the printed copies back in the day....They are quite daunting at first . Your work is lovely and I think I may have to do the Poison Garden....
Thank you! The next Chatelaine on my list is the Butterfly Lace Mandala. I'm itching to start that one, but I told myself I had to finish this Chatelaine first and then I will buy the kit and pattern for the Butterfly one. It's my motivation to make sure I finish this sometime soon-ish...LOL!!
The amount of evens that I cant right now. It is my hope that I start my first Chatelaine next year. Whether it'll be one of the ones I was gifted or if it'll be one I'll end up buying is still up for debate lol. I enjoyed this update sooo much, especially at this critical moment in my life where I'm OBSESSED with them. Love you Christine! I ADORE YOU! Poison Garden looks SNAPTASTIC
Ty for being so encouraging. Just purchased my first kit. Scared as hell about specialty stitches. Have joined the fb group already and sucking up as much information as I can before it arrives in Aus.
You are welcome! The diagrams for the specialty stitches are so helpful, and the people in the group are great at explaining them too (or providing a resource for learning them in greater detail). I'm excited for you to get your kit!
You are the reason I got my first chatelaine, Japanese moss garden. I saw yours and started looking and then the right one suddenly appeared on my favourite site. It is hard at times. I just keep rechecking. Thanks
It was that way for me too! I sawa video Debra (AZ Needleworker) did, and went looking for a pattern. She had finished Medieval Town Mandala, but Poison Garden was screaming my name!
Thankyou so much for this video. I am about to start the Butterfly Lace Mandala as my first Chatelaine and I am super nervous. This video put me at ease and that is really awesome. I would like to keep in touch with you as I start to stitch. Hopefully I hear from you. Thanks
Hi, Melissa! I am so excited for you! Just be patient with yourself as you get started. I am always around if you get stuck and the Châtelaine Support Group is a fantastic resource too! You can email me at Christine.stitchallthethings@gmail.com or message me on Instagram (@stitchallthethings) or on FB too!
I have a Chatelaine pattern (Alpine Seasons Garden) that I’m trying to get the nerve up to order the kit. It’s so expensive, but I know it would be worth it to get all the called for goodies. Thanks for talking through your experience...it brings me one step closer to getting all the stuff!
It is a lot to invest in at once. You can also buy smaller amounts of gift certificates for European Cross Stitch and build those up to pay for a kit with them all at once. That was actually Cindy's suggestion for me and I loved the idea. That is, if you are going to buy the kit from them.
The other option is to use the dmc conversions that were given. Just buy the bead pack and go to your LNS with or for your fabric. From there you can pick out dmc and decide which conversions suit your piece.
Stitch ALL The Things My birthday is coming up next month. I *may* have floated the idea of getting the kit to my family in the hopes that they splurge for my birthday. I am definitely going to look at the DMC and see what I think.
Lol. That’s such a beautiful pattern. Your work is wonderful. You absolutely talked me out of doing one. Way out of my expertise. Lol. Love watching your progress.
Well, that was certainly not the intention!! I started as a stitcher with only 4 years of stitching experience and only regular cross stitches. I had no idea there even were specialty stitches until this pattern! But I totally understand looking at something and thinking, "I just do not have it In me to want to stitch that kind of detail... No Thanks!" 😂😂😂
Lol. I also feel that way about full coverage. One day I hope to be able to tackle both those types of projects. I’ll keep watching and maybe you will give me the confidence to do it 😊.
Yes, I feel the same way about full coverage! I bought a HAED I loved, spent about a week looking at the pattern and Noped out of stitching that one! It's definitely better to figure that out before you buy the chart! LOL!!
Thanks for the video. I have always wanted to do one just not sure I would finish. I have stitched many years I think I’m capable but not quite at the point to do it. We will see I like how informative your video is.
Now I'm even more excited about getting mine. Hurry up kit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never even touched a silk before. I assume you work with them the same way you would DMC, right? The pattern is definitely overwhelming. I spent HOURS looking over mine and trying to make sure I understood it all. I'm sure I'll need help here and there, but that's what the internet is for. You are absolutely 100% correct about PDF. No clue how anyone stitches from a hard copy. But let's talk about HAED for a minute. You need to take your husband's advice about eating elephants. It is one stitch at a time and there are zero speciality stitches. I am currently working on two HAEDs and they are not difficult at all. If you can stitch a Chatelaine, you can stitch a HAED. You are using the parking method with your zombie woman (sorry I don't remember the real name). Same thing with a HAED. You've got this!
I'm super excited about you getting your kit too!! And I will definitely take your advice about the HAED. I actually have one pattern from HAED and one from UnconventionalX that I'd love to stitch, so I will keep that in mind!
I’d love to stitch a chatelaine pattern. So far yours looks beautiful. I read that there is a real poison garden at Alnwick castle in the UK. Where do I look for chatelaine patterns?
Thank you so much for this video Christine. I've had my Chatelaine kitted for over a year and my mental block has been figuring out that darn pattern. Do you use Good Reader? I need to figure that out rather than print the pattern. Isn't change fun?
I haven't used Good Reader. I've been using FoxIt for this one. I should try Good Reader though and see how that works for me. The pattern is so much more challenging than the stitching itself! I keep wanting to look at the bigger picture and then remind myself to just stay focused on the area I'm in... LOL
I ended up feeling overwhelmed at first too! I realized I just had to pick a small area and focus only on that. Every time I kept looking at the bigger picture I would do a mini freak out. I ended up choosing the area I wanted to work in and identified the cross stitches. Then I would focus on the specialty stitches and then do beading. Then I would work the next area outside of that finished area. It helped me to stay focused only on the small area I wanted to stitch. Hopefully that will help you too. Just take it one stitch at a time!
I just started Pomarium 2 weeks ago and I'm almost done with the middle section. I am loving it!!! It's my first Chatelaine, too. I agree with everything you said 100%. It's one step at a time, one color at a time and it just grows into something beautiful. I'm waiting until the very end to add beads because I'm working on a qsnap and will be moving it around a lot. Can you share what software you're using to view your .pdf? I'm using foxit which works fine, but I can't mark the squares that I've stitched. Thanks for sharing! Poison Garden is gorgeous!
I tend to use Fox It and the Châtelaine patterns aren't designed to have each symbol be searchable like HAEDs are. I end up using the draw function to draw rectangles over ares I've completed. I will see how EZ PDF works, because I haven't tried that one.
I have everything I need to start my Scotland mandala but after I looked at the instructions I was thrown off kilter... I have still not started it due to the fear of screwing it up from the get go.
You can definitely do it! Just start with the cross stitches in the center and focus on a small area to start. Every time you want to look at the bigger picture, give yourself a minute and then refocus on the one color in the small area you are stitching on. You got this!!
All of a sudden, I have a burning desire to stitch a Chatelaine....... 💙
Hmmmm... A perfect High Tea Start one of these months. 😂😊💖
I like a challenge but this is over the top. Its going to bebeautiful! I am doing A Tisket A Tasket by Rose wood and that's A lot...lol
I feel the exact same way about my Japanese Moss Garden. I just look at what I'm stitching in absolute awe. Highly recommend a Chatelaine to anyone considering doing one!
Yes! They are just stunning and so worth it!
I have this one to kit… I kitted my mystery mandala mini 1 first… but I’m in aww of the Japanese Moss Garden and can’t wait to start it.
Your stitching is beautiful!
Hello Christine, it has taken me 7 days of binge watching your vlogs. And I have to say that you are just an absolute JOY and DELIGHT to hang out with. I too don’t count and have an amazing talent of tripping on flat floors and I always say “all y’all” too. Funny thing is...no one in my family is from the south and don’t know how I started saying “all y’all,” but I do… I also love your sense of humor. Thank you for keeping me company and all the laughter. Sending lots of love and hugs to you and your family.
Oh. My. Goodness. You watched them all?! I feel like I need to say sorry.. LOL! The goofiness you just endured... LOL! Thank you for the live love and hugs! (Also, I think 'all ya'll' should just be part of everyone's vocabulary!)
I am in the process of gathering my floss etc. I have two in the wings and so thank you for your advice.
This actually makes me think I could do a Chatelaine...someday. Haha. Thanks for breaking that down! Yours is looking absolutely beautiful. ❤️❤️
You totally could!! Yes! You know you want to join the ranks of the Châtelaine stitcher... LOL!
Thanks for your encouragement. I’ve had my Chatelaine in time out for a year or more. I got overwhelmed reading the pattern instructions. You’ve given me hope that I might be able to pick it up again.
It was challenging getting back to this the first time I picked it up after setting it aside for about 10 months. I tend to feel overwhelmed with the instructions too. I have to tell my brain to focus on finishing the crosses within a certain area before I go back to read the instructions for the next specialty stitch. When my brain starts to wander and take in the pattern as a whole, I have to give it a stern talking to and tell it to focus on one area! 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for that encouragement! I bought the Medieval Mandala last year. I had fallen in love with that from Katy Agruso's video before I even knew what a Chatelaine was. It will be quite some time before I work on it because I can only afford to kit a few flosses at a time, but when I do start I will take it one stitch at a time!
Thank you! That is the only way I can stitch this one. The detail is just so great! And Medieval Town Mandala is one of my favorites!
What a motivating video. My friend does difficult patterns and did one of these. Blew me away! Yours is stunning. Thx for the positivity.
Thank you!
Just found your video while looking up the Poison Mandala. Thank you for this. Most videos kf chatelaines I come across are just stitch alongs or show and tells.
I still can't decide between this or the Rosarium Mandala but I'm definitely starting one next year.
I have never seen a Chatelaine pattern and really appreciate your insight!
Thank you!
I bought Summer Garden and I really appreciate your supportive info!!
It’s looking so good, Christine! I have decided when I have a little extra spending money to grab me up a Chatelaine. This was definitely a helpful video! ❤️💚
I am so glad! I think I actually talked some people OUT of buying one... Oops! 😳😂😂😂
Great video. I am a Chatelaine addict ( I usually get one a year since they are so pricey) and have several kitted and a few going even now. I so agree with the PDF patterns. I used to get the printed copies back in the day....They are quite daunting at first . Your work is lovely and I think I may have to do the Poison Garden....
Thank you! The next Chatelaine on my list is the Butterfly Lace Mandala. I'm itching to start that one, but I told myself I had to finish this Chatelaine first and then I will buy the kit and pattern for the Butterfly one. It's my motivation to make sure I finish this sometime soon-ish...LOL!!
The amount of evens that I cant right now. It is my hope that I start my first Chatelaine next year. Whether it'll be one of the ones I was gifted or if it'll be one I'll end up buying is still up for debate lol. I enjoyed this update sooo much, especially at this critical moment in my life where I'm OBSESSED with them. Love you Christine! I ADORE YOU! Poison Garden looks SNAPTASTIC
I can't wait to see which one you decide to start next year! It is going to be so amazing! I adore you to bits and bits and bits!
Ty for being so encouraging. Just purchased my first kit. Scared as hell about specialty stitches. Have joined the fb group already and sucking up as much information as I can before it arrives in Aus.
You are welcome! The diagrams for the specialty stitches are so helpful, and the people in the group are great at explaining them too (or providing a resource for learning them in greater detail). I'm excited for you to get your kit!
Very helpful! I am eeking ever closer to getting my first Chatelaine!
Yayyyyyy!!
This video is very helpful, thank you so much for doing it. And thank you so much for including Chatelaine resources!
Thank you so much!
Thanks for taking the time to explain and give tips about stitching a chataleine. I have a couple, but haven’t stitched any yet.
Thank you, Teal! I will keep my eyes open on social media for when you do! I know they will be so beautiful!
That was very helpful. And I don’t even have any plans to stitch a Chatelaine any time soon.🤷🏻♀️
Oh, but when you do, I am going to be squealing in excitement for you!
Stitch ALL The Things 2020... I think!
Yeahhhhhhh!!
You are the reason I got my first chatelaine, Japanese moss garden. I saw yours and started looking and then the right one suddenly appeared on my favourite site. It is hard at times. I just keep rechecking. Thanks
It was that way for me too! I sawa video Debra (AZ Needleworker) did, and went looking for a pattern. She had finished Medieval Town Mandala, but Poison Garden was screaming my name!
Beautiful!!
Thank you, Brandie!
Thankyou so much for this video. I am about to start the Butterfly Lace Mandala as my first Chatelaine and I am super nervous. This video put me at ease and that is really awesome. I would like to keep in touch with you as I start to stitch. Hopefully I hear from you. Thanks
Hi, Melissa! I am so excited for you! Just be patient with yourself as you get started. I am always around if you get stuck and the Châtelaine Support Group is a fantastic resource too! You can email me at Christine.stitchallthethings@gmail.com or message me on Instagram (@stitchallthethings) or on FB too!
Thank you for the video! I found it really helpful as I wanna do a Chatelaine... because of you!
I'm so not sorry! 😂😂😂
I know your not!! But I wouldn't have you any other way
Great to catch-up. Have decided that when I have a little extra cash I will purchase a Chatelaine. This was very helpful.
Yay!! I can't wait to find out which one you decide to buy!
I have a Chatelaine pattern (Alpine Seasons Garden) that I’m trying to get the nerve up to order the kit. It’s so expensive, but I know it would be worth it to get all the called for goodies. Thanks for talking through your experience...it brings me one step closer to getting all the stuff!
It is a lot to invest in at once. You can also buy smaller amounts of gift certificates for European Cross Stitch and build those up to pay for a kit with them all at once. That was actually Cindy's suggestion for me and I loved the idea. That is, if you are going to buy the kit from them.
The other option is to use the dmc conversions that were given. Just buy the bead pack and go to your LNS with or for your fabric. From there you can pick out dmc and decide which conversions suit your piece.
Yes! A DMC conversion would be a fantastic option and just as beautiful!
Chester Smith I am considering that. I need to really check out the what’s supposed to be in there and then compare.
Stitch ALL The Things My birthday is coming up next month. I *may* have floated the idea of getting the kit to my family in the hopes that they splurge for my birthday. I am definitely going to look at the DMC and see what I think.
Lol. That’s such a beautiful pattern. Your work is wonderful. You absolutely talked me out of doing one. Way out of my expertise. Lol. Love watching your progress.
I'm with you she just talked me out of doing one too.
Well, that was certainly not the intention!! I started as a stitcher with only 4 years of stitching experience and only regular cross stitches. I had no idea there even were specialty stitches until this pattern! But I totally understand looking at something and thinking, "I just do not have it In me to want to stitch that kind of detail... No Thanks!" 😂😂😂
Lol. I also feel that way about full coverage. One day I hope to be able to tackle both those types of projects. I’ll keep watching and maybe you will give me the confidence to do it 😊.
Yes, I feel the same way about full coverage! I bought a HAED I loved, spent about a week looking at the pattern and Noped out of stitching that one! It's definitely better to figure that out before you buy the chart! LOL!!
Thanks for the video. I have always wanted to do one just not sure I would finish. I have stitched many years I think I’m capable but not quite at the point to do it. We will see I like how informative your video is.
Thank you, MaryJo.
Bravo,Bravo!!! What a job...I'm so not ready for this pattern....
Thank you!!
Now I'm even more excited about getting mine. Hurry up kit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never even touched a silk before. I assume you work with them the same way you would DMC, right? The pattern is definitely overwhelming. I spent HOURS looking over mine and trying to make sure I understood it all. I'm sure I'll need help here and there, but that's what the internet is for. You are absolutely 100% correct about PDF. No clue how anyone stitches from a hard copy. But let's talk about HAED for a minute. You need to take your husband's advice about eating elephants. It is one stitch at a time and there are zero speciality stitches. I am currently working on two HAEDs and they are not difficult at all. If you can stitch a Chatelaine, you can stitch a HAED. You are using the parking method with your zombie woman (sorry I don't remember the real name). Same thing with a HAED. You've got this!
I'm super excited about you getting your kit too!! And I will definitely take your advice about the HAED. I actually have one pattern from HAED and one from UnconventionalX that I'd love to stitch, so I will keep that in mind!
I’d love to stitch a chatelaine pattern. So far yours looks beautiful. I read that there is a real poison garden at Alnwick castle in the UK. Where do I look for chatelaine patterns?
Thank you! I do believe that Martina designed this based off of that very garden. You can find Châtelaine pdf patterns from chatelaine.de
Thank you so much for this video Christine. I've had my Chatelaine kitted for over a year and my mental block has been figuring out that darn pattern. Do you use Good Reader? I need to figure that out rather than print the pattern. Isn't change fun?
I haven't used Good Reader. I've been using FoxIt for this one. I should try Good Reader though and see how that works for me. The pattern is so much more challenging than the stitching itself! I keep wanting to look at the bigger picture and then remind myself to just stay focused on the area I'm in... LOL
OMG! I bought the pattern and I'm lost. Lol. I'm an advanced stitcher but I am overwhelmed.
I ended up feeling overwhelmed at first too! I realized I just had to pick a small area and focus only on that. Every time I kept looking at the bigger picture I would do a mini freak out. I ended up choosing the area I wanted to work in and identified the cross stitches. Then I would focus on the specialty stitches and then do beading. Then I would work the next area outside of that finished area. It helped me to stay focused only on the small area I wanted to stitch. Hopefully that will help you too. Just take it one stitch at a time!
Love the Chatelaine, but I'm going to wait , not sure if I eve will, but you never know.
That's right!
I just started Pomarium 2 weeks ago and I'm almost done with the middle section. I am loving it!!! It's my first Chatelaine, too. I agree with everything you said 100%. It's one step at a time, one color at a time and it just grows into something beautiful. I'm waiting until the very end to add beads because I'm working on a qsnap and will be moving it around a lot. Can you share what software you're using to view your .pdf? I'm using foxit which works fine, but I can't mark the squares that I've stitched. Thanks for sharing! Poison Garden is gorgeous!
EZ PDF free app for android lets you mark off Floss Tube Crafty Lisa has a how too which is amazing.
Hope this helps. Robin
I tend to use Fox It and the Châtelaine patterns aren't designed to have each symbol be searchable like HAEDs are. I end up using the draw function to draw rectangles over ares I've completed. I will see how EZ PDF works, because I haven't tried that one.
I have everything I need to start my Scotland mandala but after I looked at the instructions I was thrown off kilter... I have still not started it due to the fear of screwing it up from the get go.
You can definitely do it! Just start with the cross stitches in the center and focus on a small area to start. Every time you want to look at the bigger picture, give yourself a minute and then refocus on the one color in the small area you are stitching on. You got this!!
Yours looks amazing - but way too much for me! I look forward to seeing your progress!
Thank you!
What brand scroll frame are you using for your Chatelaine?
I have mine on a Rola Frame.
👏👐👐
Chatelaine!
I need to update my information given on EZ PDF it's EZ PDF Pro and I think it cost about 3.99.
Thank you!
Great instruction but way over my stitching abilities. Will just enjoy yours. Does your husband eat a lot of elephants?🤣
😂😂😂 I sure hope not!