Alphabet Sampler - Long Pillow Finish

This little piece of stitching came from a free cover kit from Needlecraft magazine, sometime in the late 1990s. I think - as was almost ubiquitious with these kits - it was made up into a card. I stitched it and gave it to my gran one birthday. As with everything I stitched for her, she kept it, and when she died five years ago, all these little pieces came back to me. Unfortunately, the card had been damaged, so I carefully took it off the mount - the margins were teeny tiny, as you can see - and kept it in my finishing box.

I didn't really know what to do with it - it wouldn't have made a pinkeep, for example - and the usual "four borders of fabric" pincushion seemed a little, well dull. And then, I remembered all those long pinpillows I'd seen on other people's blogs, and I knew that it would be a perfect finish for this! So off to my fabric stash I went...

I am not exaggerating when I say it probably took me as long to choose a fabric as it did to make the pillow - and I stitch everything by hand! Part of the problem is that rusts, purples and plums are my favourite colours. So I have a lot of fabric in those particular shades. And I really did want to use something from my stash - the reason why I was making this up was because I was snowed in, and couldn't get to the quilt shop which is normally only a 20 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride away down the hill. The hill being the problem...

In the end, I settled on this slightly distressed looking check, which reminded me a lot of a pinafore dress I used to have as a child.

The ribbon also came from my stash, and was originally a charity shop find. Again, it took a while to go through my box of trims to find something I was really happy with. Fortunately, when I showed it to The Hermit, his first comment was about how the ribbon sets it all off nicely so it's probably okay ;o)

This was the first of the finishing I need to do for The Year of the UFO, but I will have to stop for a few days as I have a heap of Uni work to do!

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!

Neat Country Stuff - Homespun Elegance

Design: Neat Country Stuff (plus a bit of inspiration from the Sheep Button Sampler)

Designer: Homespun Elegance

Threads: DMC as charted

Embellishments: vintage button and snap from stash

Fabric: 28 count natural linen

This project, because of the colours used, got subtitled 'The Sludge Monster', although my darling Ma used another word beginning with 'S' to describe the colours! I love my Ma,  but she is a bit of a one woman crusade for 'keeping your feet on the ground'...

I started this last year, and really tried to finish it, but there was always something more exciting going on. So, when my Stitch n Bitch group went away for the weekend in August, I packed this with the firm intention of getting it complete! And it worked - my motivation came back, and I only had the last square to do when we returned.I've left the start date on it though, I couldn't face the idea of frogging and restitching!

I love that this sampler contains two of my favourite motifs - beehives and sheep - as well as bunnies and blackbirds, of which I'm also rather fond!

The last square was always going to be more work. I really disliked the charted sheep in the original - I thought it looked more like a pig, so wanted to replace it with something else. The designer had produced a Sheep Sampler, but that sheep was too big for the space... so, out came the graph paper and pencils, and I shrank a sheep, kept the bird from the original, and now I know I genuinely have a unique sampler!

The button used is a vintage one from my tin - it may have come from my gran, but I think it's more likely from a charity shop or car boot sale. The big black snap I used (in place of the four small buttons the chart called for) on the other hand did come from my gran's stash, which I was given when she died. I rather like the idea of having something of hers in a piece that I've worked, as she did treasure the stitching I made for her.

The finished piece is framed now- I found a suitable frame in a charity shop, and my friendly framers stretched the piece and cut a mount to fit at a very reasonable rate. I'll try and remember to take a photo of that one day...

Holly Berry Sampler - Bent Creek

Design: Holly Berry Sampler
Designer: Bent Creek
Threads: DMC conversion with red substituted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, unknown colour

This is the Holly Berry Sampler without the berries - I have buttons to add, b ut I appear to have misplaced them!

This stitched up pretty quickly and completes the set of three - I've already stitched Plum Berry Sampler and Pumpkin Flower Sampler.

So - two posts, two Christmas trees! :o)

O Christmas Tree - Prairie Schooler

Design: O Christmas Tree from the out of print Christmas Samplers chart
Designer: Prairie Schooler
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, unknown colour

I finished this back in January, but it looks like I didn't blog about it!

This had been a UFO for a couple of years, but when I set to, it didn't actually take a huge amount of time to finish - or at least, it didn't feel like that, because like most Prairie Schooler designs, it was a joy to stitch.

The Hermit is not a huge Christmas fan, and doesn't like ornaments and such, but I'm afraid I'm just going to have to ignore him and get this framed and displayed prominently this Christmas!

As we don't have room for our own Christmas tree in our flat, I think this is a good substitute, and it can preside over the baskets of ornaments...

Petites Lettres Rouges - Blackbird Designs

Design: Petites Lettres Rouges
Designer: Blackbird Designs - freebie available here
Threads: Stef Francis Fine Mercerised Cotton - Colour 41
Fabric: 28 count evenweave (jobelan) - antique white

I think I ought to rename this Petites Lettres Arcs-en-ciel, because of the rainbow of colours in it :o) They haven't come out very well, as it's a very dull and rainy day here today, and I wanted to email the picture to Alma and Barbara.

I loved stitching this, because using my great grandmother's name triggered many happy memories - she was so much fun, and always full of mischief, even when her health failed and she developed Alzheimer's. I've misplaced a CD of family photos, so I can't share any at the moment, but there is a classic one of granny pinching sweeties ...

My sister has a very strong resemblance to my great grandmother as a young woman. My grandmother too looked very like her mother. And my sister's child, my niece - bizarrely, given that she was born almost twenty years after the death of little great gran - has some of her mannerisms - and way of walking ;o)

I have to say, I look more like my other maternal great grandmother, but in character I think I'm more like my little great gran - I try not to take myself too seriously, certainly!

Update

Well, I seem to have my stitching mojo back, having been immersed in knitting for the past little while. I'm feeling a little blue about my knitting at the moment. Not only have Royal Mail lost a shawl I made for my best friend, my beret fell off on the way to work between getting off the bus and into the office (about 150 yards) and despite searching for it, hasn't appeared :o( I'm beginning to feel that my knitting is jinxed ...

I haven't got an awful lot of finished stitching to show you, as I've been mainly working on exchange pieces, although I will post my Valentine finish shortly.

This is a sneak peek at my first finish - for the Biscornu Exchange over on HoE. I used a design from a designer my partner lists as one of her favourites. Which design? Ha, you'll have to wait and see ... I stitched a variant of the same design for the back on a different colour fabric (a la Just Nan) and personalised it. It was really interesting to see just how much changing the fabric colour made to the design

This is my 'commute' project, although I confess it is slow going - I've decided knitting is definitely easier on the bus than stitching! I can reveal what this one will be - it's Holly Berry Sampler by Bent Creek - and I'm stitching it to finally finish the series. The other two are sitting complete - even with their buttons on - on the same piece of fabric. I'm not sure how I will finish these - possibly a tall and skinny set of pinkeeps.

This is going to be a little gift for a friend of mine who had a baby recently. The pregnancy was a bit of a surprise - my friend didn't realise until two months before the birth that she was expecting!

I think I will frog the yellow lettering - although it is nice and cheerful, I don't think it stands out very well. I think I might replace it with a lilac, as the baby is a little girl. I have a sweet rocking horse button to attach too.

The design is Bless the Baby by Lizzie*Kate

I finished this design for my partner on the Year Round Prairie Schooler Exchange. I wanted to stitch something special for a special blogging friend, and I think (blowing my own trumpet, I know!) I've succeeded. I used a part of a larger sampler, from an out of print chart. Which one? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out :o)

Right, I must get off and get some uni work done... Happy stitching!

Birth Sampler 2 - Helen Philipps

Design: Birth Sampler from The New Cross Stitch Sampler Book
Designer: Helen Philipps
Threads: DMC and DMC Color Variations, Seaside Treasures
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, bone

This was a commission from my sister for her friend, as she loved the sampler I made for her so much!

I altered the layout slightly, to incorporate the birth details, as my sister thought that would be a nice touch - and so did I, I didn't want to make something identical, I like all my pieces to be individual. The colours are used slightly differently too.

Fit Words - The Sewing Circle

Design: Fit Words
Designer: The Sewing Circle
Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads
Fabric: 28 count linen, random hand dyed piece

This is a companion piece to the Alphabet Sampler and was a lovely quick stitch. It will probably get finished as a pinkeep as there isn't a bit border of fabric available for anything else.

Sampler Bird - Brenda Keyes

Design: Sampler Bird
Designer: Brenda Keyes
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

This was my second attempt at a floss tag, and showed my first was beginner's luck - I didn't use interfacing to stiffen it, and my sewing was a little skew-wiff. However, I like the motif, so I will use it :o)

Alphabet Sampler - The Sewing Circle

Design: Alphabet Sampler
Designer: The Sewing Circle
Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads
Fabric: 32 linen, hand dyed

This is a little sweet sampler that had been hanging around my UFO pile for too long! I think it was because I wasn't happy with one of the charted colours, but I hadn't had the 'round tuits' needed to make a decision about swapping it out - and frogging!

This time, when I pulled it out, I quickly made some colour choices which is why my fruit and initials are Cherry Wine rather than Old Brick - I think they lift the design and cheer it up. Grey isn't really my thing - I wonder if that's because of my school uniform being predominantly that colour? :o)

Wooly Zipper - Bent Creek

Design: Wooly Zipper
Designer: Bent Creek
Threads: DMC and Six Strand Sweets Perle 5
Fabric: mystery Tula-type fabric

Years ago, I traded for this chart and now finally, it's been stitched! The picture was taken under artificial light so it's a little 'yellow'. I used threads I already had in my stash as I'm really trying not to buy new stuff so my sheep and flowers look rather different to the designers:

But isn't that the fun of needlework, making your own personal work of art?

Follow Your Heart - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Follow Your Heart
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: GAST
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed by me

Another use for my tea dyed aida, this was a very quick stitch and will be a present for The Hermit, given that his heart led him over the Atlantic Ocean :o) I will finish this as a wall hanging, I have some fabric which co-ordinates nicely.

I changed the main colour from the charted blue to purple as I'm really not a 'blue' person at all! This disappoints The Hermit as it's his favourite colour, but it just doesn't appeal to me!

Happy Bunny Bunny Day - The Trilogy

Design: Happy Bunny Bunny Day
Designer: The Trilogy
Threads: GAST and DMC (own choices)
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed by me

Ooops, I've just noticed I've still not stitched on the pink buttons for 'flowers' ...

This happy little bunny had some modifications made in terms of colours, and I picked out my initials in pink to personalise it - I was pleased with how that looked and I'll probably do something similar with Trilogy/Heart in Hand/Bent Creek charts with alphabets in future :o) The fabric is a 'one off' too - some boring cream aida in my stash got the tea treatment. Unlike others, I don't bake mine in the oven, but I 'set' the colour with a hot iron, and hope that the piece doesn't need washing!

I still haven't decided how to finish this (which is probably part of why the buttons haven't been added!) but I'm leaning towards a pillow, it's a little large for a pin keep :o)

Make Much of Time - Historic Needlework Guild

Design: Make Much of Time
Designer: Historic Needlework Guild
Threads: Silks as charted
Fabric: 28 count linen

I finished the stitching for this early in the year, but it was only during my recent finishing frenzy that I constructed the final item! This was a kit I bought some time ago. The stitching was pretty straightforward, mostly over two with some over one lettering - I love the motto, I think it's one I try to live by :o) The construction was reasonably straightforward - the instructions were clear, but I backed the piece with lightweight iron-on interfacing before cutting, to reduce fraying. I'm glad I did, otherwise the gathering and stitching the strawberry 'hull' would have been trickier and even more messy than it was. I had to start it twice because the first attempt had bits of the stuffing caught in the spider web!

Birth Sampler - Helen Philipps

Design: Birth Sampler from The New Cross Stitch Sampler Book
Designer: Helen Philipps
Threads: DMC and DMC Color Variations
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, blush

I made this sweet little sampler for my sister for her birthday, as I didn't stitch her one when my niece was born - I stitched an afghan instead, and Ma stitched a sampler. However, the sampler has jungle animals, so was more for my niece than my sister, and she'd admired this when looking through my books, so I made this as a surprise!

It was easy enough to stitch, although I had to re-size the name and date blocks. I also modified the back stitch on the border - I wasn't going to do any over-one when I didn't feel it added to the design!

The book I've taken this from is probably the most used in my stash - I love so many of the designs, I'd highly recommend it!

Button Alphabet Sampler - Brenda Keyes

Design: Button Alphabet Sampler

Designer: Brenda Keyes

Threads: Anchor Multicolours

Fabric: 22 count hardanger, antique white (stitched over 2)

This sampler comes from a book by Brenda Keyes - a designer to whom I turn to time and again when I'm looking for something to stitch as a gift. Her designs are timeless and tasteful and enjoyable to stitch, too.

This is quite different from her usual style, but I was looking for something suitable for my niece's second birthday.

The original design called for it to be stitched over 2 blocks of aida, and to use shirt buttons, but I wanted to keep to stuff I had in my stash, so I stitched it on hardanger and used a packet of tiny buttons I'd ordered online for another project, but had only needed 6!

I made this up into a wall hanging, with ribbon loops for suspending from dowel, but there is enough fabric hidden so that the piece can be framed at a later date.

It took me two evenings to complete - and that included the making up - I think I will keep this in my repertoire in case any friend decides to have a baby in future.

Sow Kind Seeds - Bent Creek and an update.

Design: Sow Kind Seeds
Designer: Bent Creek
Threads: DMC Perle Cotton 5
Fabric: 10 count Tula

This project came together from a random assortment of bits, really!


The chart was a trade, and originally belonged to a kit. My swapper enclosed the left over threads, which weren't enough to stitch the whole piece again - I used what I could, subbed what I could from my stash, and only ordered one skein - to complete the border. So some of the colours are what the designer wanted - and some aren't :o)


The fabric was an unknown fabric I bought ages ago from a shop in London which is no longer there - a real shame, as it had been on the site for donkey's years, but I guess rents near Oxford Street are too high to support such a specialist retailer. Given the fact that I left living within shopping distance of London nearly ten years ago tells you how long this fabby has been waiting for it's chance to shine - and there was nearly a yard of it! I can't tell you how often I was tempted to eBay it ... but I didn't really know what it was. I've since worked out that if it isn't Tula, it's as near as jazz, and I've kitted several projects with it.


This was a nice quick stitch. All I need to do now is press it and attach a heart shape button to the hand. I'll either frame it or make it into a pillow.


Currently, I'm catching up with Neat Country Stuff. It's the last goal on my list for April, and it would be wonderful to get everything finished, for once :o) I've done nearly six squares out of the nine, so even if I don't finish it, it will be a very close run thing. I'm making life harder for myself by changing one of the squares - the sheep in the bottom right square looks nothing like a sheep to me (or to The Hermit) so I will be charting my own - I'm going to use the sheep from the same designer's Sheep Button Sampler as a starting point, but it needs completely re-sizing, and re-colouring, plus I want to keep the bird from the original chart - so it's get the graph paper out time. I'm a lot more confident that I used to be in changing motifs. I never had trouble changing colours, but I was always scared I'd wreck the balance of a design if I did things to it - now I no longer worry. Partly because I have a reasonable grasp of design concepts so I know I won't make a total hash of it, but partly because I know that as long as I'm happy, it doesn't really matter...


I've already decided on May's goals - I think the subtitle for the month should be "Selfless Stitching" - with the birthdays of two people very dear to me, plus two exchanges, I'm not going to have a lot of time for other things! My sister has said not to put pressure on myself making things for M (The Tot) but I want to - she really loves getting gifties, and I think when she's older, because she's been born into a crafty family, she will really appreciate getting something handmade and personal. And of course, I want to make things for my Dad, too - it's so hard buying gifts for a man, anyway, and my dad especially - if I don't make the effort, he gets the same old thing birthday after birthday. Not that he minds - he's a creature of habit, and receiving a nice bottle of Single Malt Scotch and some nice smellies is fine by him, but it doesn't seem enough for someone so special.

Swirly Sampler Freebie - version 2 - Bent Creek

Design: Swirly Sampler Freebie
Designer: Bent Creek
Fabric: 32 count linen, antique white
Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

This is the second version of the sampler - I used a finer fabric, but the difference in size wasn't as big as I'd hoped. This time, I used GAST to make it a little more subtle. This is my preferred version, so I'll keep this for myself! I may indeed make it into a pinkeep after all - I have some great fabric that will co-ordinate really well with it, plus a mountain of mount board to use up :o)

Swirly Sampler Freebie - version 1 - Bent Creek

Design: Swirly Sampler Freebie
Designer: Bent Creek
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count jobelan, apricot

This was my first attempt at my pinkeep exchange for Hooked on Exchanges - I thought it came out a bit big for a pinkeep, but it's a really nice design! The Hermit likes it a lot, so I will probably frame it for him.