The Family Tree Cross Stitch

I really got into cross stitching this year. This is my first cross stitch, a family tree I made as a wedding gift. (It looks kind of lame with the names blotched out, I know. Dang privacy.) I got this family tree cross stitch kit from 123Stitch.

I really like Janlynn patterns and kits a little better than Dimensions, I think. I love the traditional hand-designed look of this specific pattern rather than a computer-generated pattern based on a photograph or painting. This pattern is so classic, like a centuries-old family tree sampler.

My one tip for cross stitching? Following the pattern, pick a color and stitch an area only stitching half the X (one stitch, /) over an area. Then you can set the pattern aside and go back, filling in the other half of the Xs (\) without pouring over the pattern and counting. It makes things go much faster!