Elva Martin

Sidney, NY

Counted Cross Stitch

As a young girl, I learned from my mother to embroider pillowcases and dresser scarves. Embroidery is the needle art of stitching a design that has been stamped onto fabric. Though similar to embroidery, counted cross stitch is unique in its own way because a design is created on plain, unstamped fabric.

It was not until my daughter took up counted cross stitch in her early twenties that I became interested and asked her, “How do you do that?” I didn’t know at the time that I would find my true passion in needlework. I have now been cross stitching for nearly 30 years, having won blue ribbons for several varieties of my work.

For me, counted cross stitch is a rewarding, challenging and fascinating art. I create many of my own designs by dissecting a pattern or patterns already in print and then putting selected parts of the pattern(s) together to create a new, one-of-a-kind design. I continue to explore new ways of doing counted cross stitch from ancient to modern techniques, from cultural designs around the world, and from my own creative mind. I also do custom work, fundraising projects, and can personalize needlework as desired.

I worked in the corporate world for nearly 40 years. I joined the Artists of the Northern Tier Cultural Alliance in 2010 and invite you to visit the shop at the Weigh Station in Towanda, PA and see my cross stitch items on display.