Happy Dance! - E is for Embroidery

Design: E is for Embroidery

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

Stitches: Half cross stitch, backstitch

 

Oops, I'm a little bit behind on posting my finishes. I enjoyed this, even though I was a bit worried about the seemingly complex design on the "frame". There are a couple of small charting errors on that section, but it all came together well in the end.

I got rid of the Embroiderer's cat - they aren't my cup of tea - and I added the date instead of a sprig of flowers.

This is how the five letters I've stitched so far:

 

I'm so looking forward to finishing the first nine and getting it framed.

E is for Embroidery - Prairie Schooler

Even though I have UFOs to get cracking with, I couldn't resist starting the next block of my Prairie Schooler ABC, and this was after the first couple of sessions.

I've left out the cat - I don't really like cats, and there are two large ones in this project to come - I'll probably replace it with another spool of thread.

I've also changed the design the lady is stitching to incorporate the year.

I'm not sure about the design to go in the frame, whether to stitch the dark background or not ...

Happy Dance! - D is for Drum!

I still hear the snares in the square
Colours ablaze in the evening
The air was still
Down the stormy hill
It's good to be young and daring

Beat the drum
Beat the drum
Like a heartbeat
Lonely and strong
Beat the drum

Design: D is for Drum

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

Stitches: Half cross stitch, backstitch

I've finally finished this block! I think I was dithering over it because of the big changes I made. It seems ridiculous, but I wasn't hugely confident that my modifications would work, but now it is complete, I'm pretty pleased.

This block as charted was very patriotically American. I'm not American, and neither is The Hermit. He's not wildly patriotic in a Canadian or British way either (dual national...), and so any modifications I felt had to reflect my own heritage. My father is English, my mother is Scottish, and as it was my mother who taught me needlecrafts, it was fairly obvious what I'd choose (sorry dad!).

The flag was relatively simple (one of the reasons I chose the Scottish flag, not the British Union Jack!). The Bald Eagle became a Golden Eagle, just by subbing one of the existing colours in. There are quite a number of Golden Eagles in Scotland, although I've not been fortunate enough to see them in the wild. The design in the shield of the drum took more thought - I could repeat the flag motif, but I thought that a little dull. And then I thought about the Lion Rampant, the symbol of Scotland. Could I really design something that looks quite complex and make it so small and yet distinguishable? The answer is yes, with the aid of a computer design programme! It took quite a while, but eventually, I came up with something I was happy with.

This is certainly a very individual block now!

And seeing as I've had the song whose lyrics are written above in my head as I've stitched, I thought I'd add a bit of Runrig too. Runrig are one of my favourite Scottish bands, even though the lead singer in the clip below has now been replaced by a Canadian ;o)

Prairie Schooler SAL

I've not had a lot of time for stitching over the last few days as I've had work and Uni stuff piling up. This is where I'm at with D is for Drum, the next letter I'm working on for the Prairie Schooler ABC SAL. I have to confess this is my least favourite of the designs. It's just so very American and flag wavingly patriotic, and I'm not. I wish designers would realise that they sell to international markets ... Anyway, I have been working with my design software and have come up with some amendments. The flag is going to be a Scottish saltire, the drum will have a Lion Rampant in the shield (and that took some doing!) and the Bald Eagle will change species and become a Golden Eagle.

Happy Dance! - B is for Blackbird

Design: B is for Blackbird (from A*B*C)

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Threads: DMC as charted, modification noted below.

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

Stitches: Half cross stitch

This is my final stitching happy dance for 2009. I finished it on the 28th, and I'd hoped to have had "A is for Anchor" done too, but work commitments have got in the way... sigh. It's not very flat, as I laid it out on my fluffy duvet...

I loved working on this, despite a visit from the frog. I only made one modification from the design as it was charted, and that was to turn the red eyes of the blackbirds into one of the gold colours, as blackbirds over here have yellow rims to their eyes. It was nice working on this to think of the nesting pair of blackbirds my parents' garden hosted - they used to make their nest in an old honeysuckle bush.

And is is how it looks with the first letter I did.

I'm so enjoying this, I'm not sure I'm going to want to knuckle down to my Year of the UFO project, but I must...

C is for Cow - Prairie Schooler

Design: C is for Cow (from Booklet A*B*C)

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Threads: DMC as charted

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, antique white

Stitched in petit point over one thread, with two strands of floss

Thank you for all your kind comments on this so far - you've really been an incentive to keep stitching, and now my cow is finished! I've been lucky in that all my Christmas preparations were completed early and so I've had time to stitch :o)

I can't promise I'll keep this speed up in future, but here's to starting B is for Blackbird later today!

I've stitched this as charted - the only modification I made was not filling in the block around the letter C.

Prairie Schooler SAL

Hey Diddle Diddle

The Cat and the Fiddle

The Cow jumped over the Moon...

Here's my cow in space rather than on a lush green field - she looks a little startled, but I've found cows take most things in their stride! I'm pleased with how quickly this is working up, but I hope I don't go off like a rocket and then burn myself out! However, I'd like to get this part finished before Christmas now, rather than the end of the month...

Prairie Schooler SAL

I know I said next year was going to be the Year of the UFO and that I wouldn't do any new starts ... but I really couldn't resist the Prairie Schooler SAL Vonna has set up! And I told myself (and everyone agreed) that if I started it now, well, it was obviously going to be a UFO for 2010 ...

Initially, I thought that I could just stitch the little boxes with the letters, but that wasn't really working for me in the end. So, I decided to bite the bullet and go for the full blown designs! Eek!

I'm going to stitch them over one on 28 count evenweave, but only do a half cross stitch in two strands. I've done this before and liked the effect. And the speed!

I'm going to do the alphabet in three pieces, so I will have a layout of 3 x 3 on each piece - it brings them down to a more sensible size for handling, I like working with a small hoop in hand.

So, here's the set up, with my lovely Prairie Schooler floss tag I received from Laurence on Hooked on Exchanges...

And this is after my first session on Sunday - I'm starting with C is for Cow, as there was a nice solid border on the right hand side so I could just measure and go ... well, calculate, measure, calculate, measure and go...

I'm happy with the coverage of the threads, on the whole. Of course, as it's going to be framed, it only needs to look good from a distance :o) It looks yellowish because of the lighting, unfortunately.

And this is how it looked after Monday night's session:

 

 

I did a little bit of frogging (and you can just about see the fluff left) as I felt that the C didn't stand out enough against the dark background, so I'm going to leaveall the letter spaces unfilled. For now... I may decide to do them in a paler colour later, I think I need to ponder on this a bit more.

I've counted all the grids on the charts, and I think for this section all are 70 wide, and there's only one that isn't 100 stitches high. I'm leaving 5 threads between each design to allow for 'leakage'.

My goal is to stitch this before the end of the month, and then to stitch one piece a month. But you know what they say about best laid plans...

Christmas ABC Part 13 - Y*Z* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

This is the last part of the series - and I'm really sad that it's finishing. It's been a lot of hard work, both the designing and the blogging my memories, but I've actually really enjoyed it. I will be producing another series of ornaments, but I will be doing one per month over 2010 to produce a collection of 'Bride's Tree' ornaments - I hope you will join me for that!

I have to say, I've never seen a real Yule log being burnt. My Yule logs tend to look like chocolate Swiss rolls with a little holly or robin on top, and delicious they are too! I love how this season combines pre-Christian and Christian rituals so that none are forgotten ... it shows the importance of hope and light in the dark season of the year.

And of course, after all this running about and making merry, it's important to rest and revitalise! Santa here is having a snooze, and as I write this, The Hermit is snoring gently in the next room having finished work until the New Year! The Hermit has a severe sleep disorder, so hearing him snore is actually a good thing, not the annoyance it could be under other circumstances!

And finally, I would like to wish you all Joy, Love and Peace for Christmas 2009 and beyond.

Merry Christmas!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 12 - W*X* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

I think I mentioned (way back on H for Holly) that my mum used to make wreaths for a florist each Christmas. A little extra money to help the family budget as she was normally a stay at home mum. Joan, the florist, had a little shop attached to her home, and after school and on those last few days before Christmas when school was closed, we'd be welcome to go and 'help' - or at least, not hinder! It was there where I learned how wonderful Aga stoves were - you can made toast on the hotplate - and I leanred also how to cut flowers to make them last longer. But it is the smell I still remember. First of all the slightly musty and autumnal scents of the bracken used for the bases, echoed in the smell of the jute twine used to bind them. And then the crisp green smell of the cypress and pine boughs. And all this mixed with the shop scents - chrysanthemums and forced hyacinths...

Christmas pudding was never really big in our household growing up. My mum didn't - doesn't - like it and neither my sister nor I were really given the chance to get to know it! Trifle was the Christmas dessert in our house - and it still is now, with leftovers for Boxing Day breakfast :o) However, my dad is quite fond of Christmas pud, and especially of the rum sauce that goes with it LOL. So, he would often get a little individual shop bought pudding of his own which could be left to steam away quietly. Dinner would generally be about 2 or 3 o'clock, after my dad had had his post night shift sleep, and sometimes at this point, my mum would be a trifle merry after visiting our neighbours for a drink or too at earlier. One year, I think they'd been on the homemade wine, which was always inordinately strong, so dinner was a little more slapdash than usual ... Ma goes "oh, the pudding! It isn't in the pan" - and picks it up and drops it from a great height, going "whhhheeeeeee!" as she does so ... causing all the water to leap out of the pan, extinguishing the gas flames. Let's just say, my sister and I took over at that point, and Ma had to go and have a little lie down...;o)

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 11 - U*V* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

Unwrapping presents has to be the best thing. I'm really terrible about waiting - I'll prod, poke and sometimes even piggle the paper and peek :o) I always maintain it's not impatience - it's my curiosity and the need to know! Of course, not all good presents need unwrapping - one year, we got a puppy the week before Christmas - who got lost under the wrapping paper because he fell asleep when the excitement got too much. And seven years ago, we got the message that paperwork enabling The Hermit to move to the UK with a British passport had been found :o)

It mustn't be forgotten that Christmas is above all a Christian festival. And of course, God's representatives on earth are the clergy. In the Church of England, the person in charge of a parish is usually the vicar. My gran was a member of the Church of Scotland, which is a similar episcopal denomination. She had been ill one time, and so the vicar popped round to see how she was doing. It was a Tuesday afternoon, her regular meet up with her sister, mother and another friend. How pleasant, you might think. Until you realised it was the usual Tuesday card school (gin rummy, for money) and that as well as tea and biscuits on offer, there was a bottle of Scotch whisky on the table!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust


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

Christmas ABC Part 10 - S*T* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

When I was a little girl, we didn't have stockings. No, don't feel too sad for us, we used pillowcases instead! My dad* was a policeman for many years, and it always seemed** he was on night shift on Christmas Eve - hence him decorating the panda (squad) car with tinsel round the aerial and a "Merry Christmas to all our Customers" sign in the back window. Ahem. His shift would finish at 6.00am, and we would be up waiting for him to get back. And then we could open our presents ... and play with them while my dad went off to get some sleep! Schoolfriends were always envious of the early start we could have, and we loved it too, but it was a purely pragmatic decision on the part of my parents :o)

 

One of Eddie Izzard's funniest routines is about tangerines (or satsumas). I love Eddie Izzard, but I missed out his last tour, as he was playing Sheffield Arena and tickets were £37 ... eeek! He was also in the middle of running something crazy - 43 MARATHONS in 51 days - you've got to admire him for that, he was a bit of a podgy couch potato before taking this on for Sport Relief. I bet his feet didn't fit into his heels after that effort ... This anecdote is getting a little Eddie like - rambling and off the point. Just not as funny. And not wearing nail varnish. Can you tell I don't have much to say about a citrus fruit? :o)

* yay! a story about my dad. At last!

** my dad worked Christmas for 25 of his 27 years in the force. Technically, only one third of those should have been nights, but it didn't seem like it!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 9 - Q*R* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

I love quilts. I remember having my first duvet after years of blankets - it was bliss! I also like - in theory - making quilts, but I haven't yet managed to complete my first one! I'm piecing it by hand, because I find using a sewing machine stressful, and it's taking ages!

My favourite quilt is one my mum made. It's made in a traditional hexagon pattern, hand pieced, and the fabrics are offcuts from fabrics my mum made clothes for us from and pieces from other members of the family. It is full of sentimental memories - I bet I could look at that quilt now and tell you every outfit I was made from those fabrics! This quilt will pretty much be indestructable - it was pieced in the late Seventies, so all the fabrics are manmade!

I had a meeting at the University on Monday - I do a little part time work for the Student Union there - and outside the meeting room there was more noise than usual. So, I looked out the window and there were a pair of reindeer, come to publicise the Union bar in this last week of the semester. They were still there when we adjourned for a drink, so of course we had to pop out and say hello to them. They were smaller than I expected. My friend Chloe thought they were rather smelly, but I thought they had the usual ruminant smell, a bit like cow!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 8 - O*P* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

I've always thought my parents to be the unsentimental types, but that is given the lie by their Christmas tree. I think I was in my early twenties before the first ornament I made eventually was retired - a star covered in blue glitter which I made when I was four or five. I think I was the one who insisted it needed to go! Since then, I've made many ornaments for their tree, some knitted but most of them stitched, and its part of our tradition. I also make an ornament each year for my niece. So many of the ornaments I've made have been given away, but I'm lucky in that I've also been given some beauties!

I love poinsettias, they look so cheery, but I'm not very good with houseplants, so apart from a couple of years, I've not had them - they look so bad by the time I've finished with them, I either under water or over water them and ... well, let's just say at least this stitched one will always look great!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 
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

Christmas ABC Part 7 - M*N* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

As a knitter, I couldn't really *not* have 'M is for mitten', could I? Again, I have to thank my mum* for teaching me to knit. I must have been four or five at the time, and one cold and wet day, she cast on some dishcloth cotton yarn on a pair of UK7 needles and showed me how to knit. My tension wasn't great, and there were a few dropped stitches, but it was the start of a lifelong pleasure. I knit a heap of fingerless mittens for my family last year. Although the weather drops below freezing here, it's not really cold enough (for me) to need all my fingers covered, and gloves and full mittens make me feel so clumsy. I wrote up the pattern and they can be found here

I can't wait for my niece to start school and to be in a nativity play. She's already a bit of a drama queen, and we have fun devising puppet shows and make believe. I can see her wanting to be producer, director and star! I was once an angel in my Sunday School nativity play - but becoming an atheist at seven meant I stopped going and never got to one of the star parts :o) At primary school our teachers tried to do something different each year, and when I was nine or ten, I was given the part of the main 'newsreader' telling the Christmas story, and linking with 'reporters' who introduced all the different parts of the story, which were acted out by the younger children. I think I would have liked to have been a newsreader...

* One day, I will tell stories about my dad. Honest.

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 6 - K*L* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

I've always found the conflation between 'king' and 'wise man' confusing. I guess it just goes to show the limitations of translation ... even before Babelfish!

I'm not a huge fan of Royalty (typical British understatement here) but I have seen members of our Royal family. When they holidayed at Balmoral, they used to pass the top of the road 200 yards from my grandmother's place, where we were having our own - somewhat less grand - holidays so we would sometimes go and watch them wizz by - my sister was quite the little Royalist, and is still fascinated by all Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren. My dad - a policeman - used to be on duty for Royal visits to our home county. Charles and Diana visited Chesterfield in the first year of their marriage, so there was quite a crowd to see them. My dad said Diana had amazing blue eyes ... I don't think he was struck by our future king, though!

Gosh, deciding to write a little story or holiday memory about every design - what have  I done?Well, that was my first thought. And my second. And then the old grey cells got to work, and dredged up from the back of my memory the reason why this little lantern looked familiar. I remember my mum making one like this, with orange cellophane on the windows. I can't have been older than seven or eight so it was many years ago now! My mum is probably the main reason I craft, because I saw her do it. It's nice to have something to share. I'm hopefully now passing some of the skills I have down to my niece - my sister gardens and makes fabulous cards, but is not a needlewoman. Odd how the genes work...

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 5 - I*J* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

Ivy has long been an important decoration at this season as it is an evergreen climbing plant. I see Wikipedia classes it as a  invasive weed in North America but over here it is common in woodland (and is usually seen as a signifier of old woodland), gardens and as a houseplant. I like ivy for its tenaciousness, and for the fact it flowers in the autumn, where it is an important source of food for bees.

Of course, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Although I'm an atheist of long standing, and my personal celebration of Christmas is cultural and secular, I still think that some of the lessons and examples Jesus gave are worth celebrating. For those of faith, of course, he is the 'reason for the season'. And so, he's in this alphabet.

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 4 - G*H* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat ... Goose was the traditional Christmas dinner in times gone by. Geese would be driven in flocks to the nearest market, where they would be sold live. I'm not sure I'd want to have been a goose girl, geese are quite stubborn. They make very good guardians to a property too.Nottingham (UK) still has an annual Goose Fair, although I'm not sure you could pick up your Christmas dinner there any longer!

 

Holly is traditionally used in Christmas wreaths. My mum used to work for a florist and rose grower at peak seasons - midsummer and Christmas - and would make these, binding dried bracken to a cricular or cross shaped form, and then inserting sprigs of holly which had been wired up, before adding flowers and ribbon bows. Sometimes, the holly didn't have 'enough' berries, so fake ones were added. One year, I was with my mum as she worked one Saturday, and I started to wire up some berries. I did so many that they were still using these ones five years later (and still pulling my leg about it!)

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 3 - E*F* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

How do you describe a rich elf?

Welfy!

If athletes get athlete's foot, what do elves get?

Mistle-toes!

What is a female elf called?

A shelf!

 Groan! I hope you think this little chart is better than those jokes ...

I love the smell of real Christmas trees, but I hate finding the needles in my feet ... I never was one for wearing slippers! Unfortunately, I live in a very small apartment, so a large Christmas tree - well, almost any Christmas tree - is out of the question. I shall have to make do with this little stitched one, and keep my ornaments on display in baskets.

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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

Christmas ABC Part 2 - C*D* - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

Edited to add: As of Twelfth Night (6 January 2010) this chart is no longer available as a freebie. It may return at some point as a chart for sale to raise money for the MS Trust

 

I love candles, especially scented candles. My cousin, who is based in the US, was working at Yankee Candle this summer, so when my sister visited, she was able to bring me back a haul at factory shop prices :o) I love the gentle light and delicate scent of candles - although I'm not sure I would have enjoyed working by the light - and smell - of tallow candles in days gone by!

I haven't always liked candles. Back in the Seventies, when I was very little, Britain was struck by a rash of strikes, which lead to the Three Day Week and many power failures. Our house was heated by a solitary coal fire, so we were better off than some. Candles in particular were in short supply. So my sister and I came down one morning to find that my mum had melted down all our crayons to make candles ... it's fair to say that we felt colouring in was more important than candles! :o)

I love donkeys. Yes, they can be stubborn (can't we all be?) but they are loving and gentle, and will keep going forever. I was lucky enough to take a donkey trek in Egypt, from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, as the sun rose over the Nile and illuminated the cliffs and temples in that area. It was stunning! It was also quite scary in places, as the path was precipitous, and the donkeys inclined to jostle ... but they are surefooted little beasties, and as long as you have confidence in them and relax, they will see you to your destination!

If you would like copies of the charts, please comment below with your email address and I'll get them sent out to you. If you do stitch either of these designs, I'd love to see a picture - and there will be a prize for each one I show on my blog!

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

 

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