How does one order a customised cross stitch? A question that has plagued the most brilliant minds for millennia, surely?!
Well ok maybe not, but while I do get quite a few requests for customised pieces, sometimes I think people might be put off purely because they don’t know what’s expected of them or what you have to 'do'. Fear not, I have a list...
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who needs to know the steps in a process before committing to it. I need to know what’s expected of me and what I’m letting myself in for. If you're like me, then this is for you. If not, just DM me and we'll have a chat!
Custom orders can be anything from ‘I’d like that one but in a different colour’ to specifying the words, colours, and borders you want to make a piece perfect for you, or as a gift.
I have questions...
So, if you DM me about a personalised order, there are some questions I’ll ask. If you don’t know all the answers straight away, no problem! We can work stuff out as we go through, but it’s helpful to be able to answer some of these at the beginning.
1. What would you like it to say?
A fairly key question! Maybe you’d like wording from something I’ve made previously, or perhaps you’d like to tweak a couple of words of an existing pattern, to make it more appropriate for you. Space may well be a constraint here, but it’s possible to go for smaller text or a larger hoop if you’re looking at adding extra words in. I do a draft of a pattern first and get your approval for that before I begin with the sewing. If you’d like a border around the text, take a look at the website and see if there’s anything you like there.
2. What colours would you like?
Perhaps you’d like something to match a room in your house? Or would you just like something in your favourite colours? It’s an idea to have three or four colours you like that would work together. Another thing around this is what type of colours do you like? Are you a pastel person? Prefer muted shades? Or are you all about the bright colours? Once we’ve narrowed it down a bit, I’ll send you some photos to show some combinations of colours to see which you prefer. Although this is never an exact science due to the difference in screen tones, it does give you an idea.
3. Would you like a hoop or a frame?
Entirely down to personal preference. I have several frames in stock and can show you what I’ve got that most suits your needs. It is also possible, of course, to have neither – if you already have a frame you’d like to use, just let me know and I can attach the cross stitch onto some black card so you can add it to your frame.
4. Do you need it by a certain date?
As I’m sure you understand, these things take time to make. Not just the sewing itself, but deciding patterns, colours etc always takes a bit longer than you’d think. It’s unlikely you’re going to get your cross stitch within a week, the more advance notice the better.
5. How do I pay?
The cost of the item will be for both the time taken to design a pattern and the cost of the item itself. This will be agreed upon before I make the product. I’ll message you with a payment link and you just need to click on that and add your card details. I’ll send you some progress photos during the process so you can see what it looks like as we go.
And that's it!
So, there we have it. I think I’ve covered everything, but if you have any further questions about the process, drop them in the comments below!