French Country IV Pumpkin - JBW Designs

Design: French Country IV Pumpkin

Designer: JBW Designs

Thread: GAST Pumpkin

Fabric: 28 count evenweave

This was finished in 2008 (although I blogged about it in January this year).

The frame was a charity shop (thrift store) find, complete with double mount - it had a dull cheap print in it and it would have cost me less than £3 (US$5). Of course, I'd stitched the pumpkin on a piece of fabric a little too small for this, so it took quite a while to centre it up and to make sure the edges were hidden! The ripples you can see I think are from the glass, as the piece is actually smooth in real life!

Easter Cracker Sampler - Bent Creek

Design: Easter Cracker Sampler

Designer: Bent Creek

Threads: GAST and WDW included in kit

Fabric: 28 count evenweave from kit

Frame: picked up from local charity shop

I framed this in the summer, and won't be displaying it until the spring - isn't that a shame? I actually bought the frame with another piece in mind, but both The Hermit and I thought this was a better combination!

I have framed it straighter than this picture suggests, too, but I think in future I will ask my local framers to mount my work - they only charge £2-£5 for it, it's more expensive than that to buy the acid free self adhesive mount board in laces like Hobbycraft!

Remember, Remember - Free Cross Stitch Design!

I have to admit, I'm a little conflicted about the 5th of November. Are we commemorating a religious fundamentalist terrorist or are we celebrating the triumph of democracy over those who would seek to destroy it? Or is it perhaps an even older pagan celebration - Samhain - which has been re-purposed like Easter was?

Whatever your take on it, I hope you like the design. If you would like a copy, please leave a comment below with your email address, as this is a little too big to display as a jpeg.

If you do stitch this chart, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for the first one I get! 

This pattern is offered for personal, non-commercial use only. Items made from this pattern may be sold on a small scale basis such as on Etsy or at craft sales. Sales for charity are positively encouraged! This pattern and the text and photos contained within, may not be copied or reproduced for any purpose other than personal use. Please direct people to this blog rather than forwarding the pattern, thank you! Copyright 2009 N M Wray

Bird in Tree - Historic Needlework Guild

Design: Bird In Tree

Designer: Historic Needlework Guild

Threads: unknown, came with kit

Fabric: 28 count linen, antique white

Another 2007 finish. I thought that this would make a nice pinkeep and although it might sound like blowing my own trumpet, I was right :o) I think cording is good on these, it lies nicely in the groove between the mounted pieces.

Guinea Pigs

I'd just like to pop up and say 'thank you' for all the lovely comments I've had recently - it is appreciated. I know I'm not always regular in my posting - hence the unheralded participation in NaBloPoMo - so it's great to know that people are still out there reading!

And just to make a change from the crafting pictures, here are a couple of 'the boys', my house guinea pigs:

This is Rowan. He's just over a year old now. He's very strong willed. He is also able to recognise certain words and will react to them - even wake up for them! The words kind of show his priorities: banana, grape, parsley, basil, day bed, duvet, hay ...

This is the old guy, Jasper. He's nearly six years old, but is ageing well :o) He is one of the most laid back guinea pigs I've had, and is an absolute love, nearly always up for a cuddle. Like Rowan, when one of us comes home, he comes out of his little house and he'd wag his tail if he had one, he loves people and is excited to see them. His favourite person in the whole world is The Hermit - the two of them often snuggle and nap together! This picture is unusual in that Jasper's eyes are open when he's curled up on The Hermit LOL!

Winter Fob - Trail Creek Farm

Design: Winter (freebie - link seems broken)

Designer: Trail Creek Farm

Threads: DMC (my choice)

Fabric: 28 count annabelle, pale blue

I stitched this for an exchange which was going to a Southern Hemisphere partner - and I realised that it was actually summer there, so this got set aside and I mailed something more suitable! I've backed it with co-ordinating pale blue fabric and it's stuffed with polyfill.

Alphabet Ribbon Sampler - Historic Needlework Guild

Design: Alphabet Ribbon Sampler

Designer: Historic Needlework Guild

Threads: Unknown - from kit

Fabric: 28 count linen, antique white

I finished this piece back in August 2007 but made this piece up in August this year. I gifted it to Tammie for her birthday as she was my partner on the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Club.

October Review and November Goals

My October goals were simple, and I'm pleased to say I managed to achieve most of them.

• Finish the Mini Cable Socks - YES, DONE!
• Start Through The Loops Mystery Sock KAL - YES, kept up to part 3 (heel turn) need to finish them now!
• Knit more Smoothie Hats - YES, 74 DONE!
• Finish HoE's Hallowe'en Exchange Piece - YES, DONE!
• Finish one UFO - NO :o( - I've misplaced the chart, again!
• Start one kit - YES - well, it's a chart I've kitted up

I also managed to:

• Start and finish the 'Tonks' Socks
• Start a Christmas pair of socks for my friend J
• Knit another Kaffe Fassett yarn sock for me
• Start and finish a 'Waterfall' Scarf
• Start and finish a pair of wrist warmers
• Start and finish a pair of slippers for The Hermit

You can see how much my crafting is moving towards knitting these days... I think I need to hang out with more stitchers in real life...

Anyway, my goals for November:

• Finish the Through the Loops KAL socks
• Finish the Christmas socks for J
• Finish the second sock of the Kaffe Fassett pair for me

(I reckon this is a sock a week - eminently do-able)

• Finish the ornament for the Friends Through Threads exchange
• Finish a UFO
• Finish She Gathers
• Start and finish the item for the Year Long Prairie Schooler Exchange

I'm hoping to achieve more than this, as one weekend is our SnB's retreat to Castleton, but we shall see...

Miniature Sampler - Cathy Bussi

Design: Miniature Sampler

Designer: Cathy Bussi (freebie kit from an old issue of Cross Stitch Collection)

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 18 count aida, antique white

The sharp eyed among my blog readers will have spotted the date on this. For those of you who don't read blogs through a magnifying glass, the shameful secret is that I stitched this in 1996. Yes, thirteen years ago, and only now have I done something with it! Okay, to be fair, it was a little small to frame but still...

It was a trifle fiddly to turn into a pinkeep, but I managed, and I think it looks very cute! Not really 'me' these days, but it's pretty. Perhaps when The Tot can be relied upon not to stab herself with the pins, she can have it for her bedroom, which is very pink!

Hardanger Square - Mary Hickmott

Design: Hardanger Square

Designer: Mary Hickmott (from First Steps in Hardanger)

Threads: Caron Watercolours, Burnt Toast

Fabric: 22 count hardanger, antique white

Backing fabric: Silkweavers quilting cotton

Another old finished piece - this was a practice piece, but I decided to 'finish' it because I wanted to practice backing hardanger. I'm happy with the backing, but I think I should have used more pins to hold the trim, or possibly used a different trim - what do you think?

Thank you everyone who comments - I do appreciate it, and I will do a gathering up of comments that need a reply to very soon!