Favor - Cross Stitch Pattern

[brainysmurf.livejournal.com]

Are there any members of this group who have experience in designing cross stitch patterns? I've been working with KG-Stitch, but not having much luck with it. I have a design that I'd really like to do for a friend, but it's a bit complex and I'd really like it to be nice... and it's quite possibly something that's going to have to be sketched before it can even be turned into a cross stitch pattern. Anyway, this is what I'm looking for:

In the middle, a ponderosa pine, preferably with the roots, maybe with some dirt on the roots, like it's been pulled from the ground.

Surrounding that, I want muddy boot prints that turn into muddy wolf prints as it circles around the tree.

Would anyone be willing and/or able to help out?

And I was planning on making this NOT a text only entry as I thought I has some pics of some projects I'd been working on... but no such luck. I have a bunch of large-scale cross stitch projects in progress, though, so hopefully I can get some pictures up sometime soon. :)

Tell me about your serger

[kittycatalina.livejournal.com]

Yep, just like the title says.
I've been sewing since I was 10, and have always been slightly afraid of the sergers.
So tell me about your machine. Do you love it? How often do you use it? Is it a real booger to thread? Do you keep it set up all the time, and is it easy to haul out if you don't? What are your favorite tricks?