Happy Dance! - February Block Flip It

Design: February Block Flip It

Designer: Lizzie*Kate

Threads: DMC conversion as charted, with one change

Fabric: 28 count jobelan, cream

I told the sad tale of this piece in my Finish or Fling? post and I am pleased to say this was completed without further mishap or thread loss! I really enjoyed stitching this, although filling in that pink background seemed to take a while, but that's possibly because I was so anxious to get it done! The only change I made was to the pale green - the charted conversion didn't show up very well.

This joins the January piece. I don't know how I'm going to finish these, whether to frame them or to make them into some kind of wallhanging or quilt - well, whenever I get round to stitching the rest of the series. Which means I can put off the decision for a while yet!

Finish or Fling? - Bee Merry, Bee Joyful

I stitched these after a spell of not stitching for a very long time. And then didn't add the charms! These are part of a set of six designs by Thea Dueck of The Victoria Sampler, and the other four designs are all finished and mounted in the cute cards that came with the kit.

Pros:

• Only need the charms adding
• Have  four others in the set completed

Cons:

• Can't think of any - even the frames should be fairly cheap as they are a standard size.

Finish or fling?



Verdict: Finish

Antique Hearts Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush

Design: Antique Hearts Needleroll

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Threads: DMC - mostly as charted, beads, lace, ribbon and charm from stash

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, bone

I really like the Shepherd's Bush needlerolls  - and if anyone has charts from these needing a new home, I might be interested in buying or trading! I find them a good way to explore specialty stitches without getting too bogged down in a big project - and they do look attractive in a basket with other smalls.

This was a bit of a 'stash buster' project, as I used decorative pieces from my hoards of such things. I do seem to acquire pretties, and then not use them...

The big task with these needlerolls is the construction - I use a French seam, and I stitch and hem all by hand, it seems to take almost as long as the embroidery itself!

Quaker Strawberry - Blackbird Designs

Design: Quaker Strawberry

Designer: Blackbird Designs - taken from the JCS Ornament Issue 2006

Threads: DMC115

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, antique white

I stitched this design for the Hooked on Exchanges Christmas in July Exchange (which shows how far behind I am with my blog posting!). The stitching itself was fairly straightforward, but the finishing was a trifle fiddly.

I followed the instructions for the body of the strawberry itself, although I also backed the piece with iron on interfacing. My fabric was a little small, so it was a question of crossing my fingers and hoping that it didn't fray too much when I gathered the top... The leaves I did differently to the instructions in the magazine, as they are just interfacing backed fabric, no wires. The ornament will hang, but Stacy, the recipient tells me it is going on display as it is.

Here is a little snap of the goodies I added:

Sheep in the Meadow - Shepherd's Bush

Design: Sheep in the Meadow (freebie)
Designer: Shepherd's Bush
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, unknown colour

I stitched this for the Hooked on Exchanges bookmark exchange. It's a design I've stitched before - and lost, the Round Robin I did it for never returned home - and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I didn't have the called for buttons and charm, but found substitutes in my stash.

And here's a picture of the entire exchange I sent to Maria:

Trick or Treat - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Trick or Treat from the Hallowe'en Sampler Leaflet
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

Another 2008 finish. It's still waiting to be made up into something, but I should be able to get it made up this autumn - I have a lot of suitable backing fabrics in my stash, given my fondness for autumnal colours! The colours in this photo don't really show up the background fabric very well, it's a bit more yellow. It's rather an odd fabric, I don't know where I acquired it from - possibly a trade or an exchange - as it's rougher than normal evenweave. I like it though - it gives the piece a rustic homespun appearance.

Winter - Trail Creek Farm

Design: Winter (freebie available here)
Designer: Trail Creek Farm
Threads: DMC, own choice
Fabric: 28 count linen oddment

I stitched this in 2008 and haven't blogged about it. I know I made it for the HoE Christmas Exchange, and then realised that as my partner was in the southern hemisphere, where it was summer, it perhaps wasn't appropriate!

I will be making this up into a scissor fob, hopefully for this winter!

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!

The Drawn Thread Exchange

Design: Spring Keeper
Designer: The Drawn Thread (freebie available here)
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count jobelan, antique white

I stitched these for Marie for an exchange on the Friends Through Threads exchange board (where there are better pictures, Marie is a better photographer than I!) I did most of the stitching on a lovely spring weekend I spent in York.

I made one into a scissor fob, and then using the same method, made the other into a floss ring.

Marie was also my sender, and she took my breath away with this piece - it has been beautifully mounted onto a photo album which co-ordinates perfectly! The design is taken from Brown Ranch Sampler chart. Marie also kindly included a Prairie Schooler chart, thread, fabric, buttons, tassels ... lots of goodies in my favourite colours - there's a good photo on her blog of everything, and a better photo of the album!

This was a fun exchange - thank you Marie!

Winter Quaker Exchange

Designs: Quaker Needlework Accessories
Designer: With My Needle (Ellen Chester)
Source: Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issues
Threads: House of Embroidery, Touch of Grey (27A and 27C)
Fabric: 28 count jobelan, antique white

I stitched these for Laurie for the Hooked on Exchanges Winter Quaker Exchange. I thought using the designs from the Christmas Ornament issues would be appropriate, but I wanted to make the designs wintery, and not Christmassy, and the House of Embroidery threads seemed to talk to me of grey and icy winter days! House of Embroidery threads are lovely to work with and the colours are gorgeous!

I finished the swan as a pincushion (I think the original called for a needlebook) and beaded the edge with one of my last purchases from my now-closed LNS.

The reverse has mine and Laurie's initials stitched over one in a fairly random placement, using the alphabet from another design in the series. I like to think of the flowers as snowdrops, carrying on the winter theme.

The scissor fob was tiny - just over an inch square - and manipulating the fabric to bead the edges was tricky! I think it was worth it, though!

This time, I just put Laurie's initials on the reverse.

One day, I will stitch the entire series for myself ...

And I'm so pleased my new camera takes decent pictures :o)

Bloom Where You Are Planted - The Victoria Sampler

Design: Bloom Where You Are Planted (freebie available here)
Designer: Thea Dueck, The Victoria Sampler
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

My partner in the HoE Biscornu Exchange was Gabi, and having looked at her blog, I thought that she might like a design from The Victoria Sampler, so I chose one of the freebies and set to work.

I also liked Just Nan's way of using two different fabric colours for a biscornu. Isn't it amazing though just how different a design can look on a different background?

I used DMC threads through out, and I personalised the back with our locations and the blog name - our names were a bit too small to fill the space :o) I used beads to fill in the corners.

This was taken with my old camera, so it's not a very good picture of the top - the flash has washed out a lot of the detail, but the none-flash photos were too blurry to use!

Here is a close up of the back. For some reason, this photo came out fine!

And this is the full package I sent to Gabi - I went for nice flowery things to complement the stitched piece.

I do enjoy making biscornu, and receiving them too - my next post will show the one I received!

Spring - Prairie Schooler

Design: From Spring Samplers (out of print)
Designer: Prairie Schooler
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count jobelan, antique white

I stitched this for the Year Round Prairie Schooler Exchange. My recipient was a very special blogger, and I wanted to make a special piece for her. I'm glad to say Barbara seems to have liked it!

The piece is from an old out of print chart, and I stitched a section of one of the samplers. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to stitch it for myself - the colours blend beautifully, and the motto reminds us all that in every life, pleasure always comes - even if we have to go through bad stuff first!

I did alter it very slightly - I changed the quilt block section for another from the chart, and I added my initials in the alphabet section. Barbara's were already there :o)

I used the country style fabric you can see here to back the piece and I made it into quite a large pinkeep.

I'm sitting out of the current round of exchanges, but I'm looking forward to joining in again when I get a little more time.

Heart Throb - The Drawn Thread

Design: Heart Throb - freebie available here
Designer: The Drawn Thread
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

I love The Drawn Thread designs, and whilst I was looking through my charts for ideas for the HoE Valentine's Exchange, couldn't resist stitching this up for myself!

Despite all the speciality stitches - and I even did the dreaded Queen Stitches! - it's a reasonably quick stitch, and the result is so pretty :o) Because Cathy gave me a wonderful Valentine fob (see previous post) this is now hanging from a drawer knob :o)

French Country IV: Pumpkin - JBW Designs

Design: French Country IV: Pumpkin
Designer: JBW Designs
Threads: can't remember, I think it was a GAST
Fabric: 28 count jobelan, off cut (unlabelled) from stash

I realise I haven't posted a lot of cross stitch this week, and that most of my readers are stitchers, not knitters :o)

This stitched up fairly quickly as I recall, and it was a lot of fun, working out each of the little motifs. There's a lot of almost instant gratification with this project, as each of the motifs is so small and work up so quickly!

I've added the other charts in this series to my wishlist, although I'm trying to stay on the no-stash wagon for a while - at least until my birthday next month!

Holly Berries Miniature Biscornu - Cherished Stitches

Design: Holly Berries Miniature Biscornu
Designer: Cherished Stitches from 2008 JCS ornament issue
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream
Threads: DMC 115, Caron Wildflowers Pine

It is also a tradition that I make an ornament for my parent's tree. As this year was the year I learned how to make a biscornu, I thought it appropriate that I stitch one of those for them, and this design was one of my favourites from this year's JCS ornament issue, as it was simple and tasteful. I simplified the reverse to save stitching time, and then used all the time I'd saved beading the seams LOL - this was a first for me, I've normally just whipstitched the edges, but I've long admired the beaded biscornu seen on other blogs. And I have to say, it wasn't as tricky as I'd feared it was going to be.

I think I will have to make myself one of these, it was a wrench to give it away!

PS don't forget to enter my drawing for the Archangel chart below!

Floss Tag Exchange - What I Sent

This is the exchange I made for Ina (no blog) over on the Hooked on Exchanges blog.

The first floss tag is made with motifs from a Brenda Keyes book in my own choice of floss colours. I chose a tulip because Ina lives in Holland :o)

The second tag was also from an alphabet in a Brenda Keyes book, but much more modern in style, and trimmed with buttons.

The goodies included some stitching band, floss bobbins and rings, threads, a homemade card, and some scissors made in Sheffield, my home city. Sheffield is world famous for steel, but these days it is mainly specialist engineering steels that are made here, and very little in the way of cutlery and other blades.

Edited to add: for some reason, Blogger is cutting photos at odd places when I upload them from photobucket. I'm not sure how to fix it!

Mattress Pincushion for Anna

Design: Victorian Pincushion Designer: Brenda Keyes Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream Thread: Stef Francis Fine Mercerised Cotton (hand dyed)

I stitched this for Anna as an exchange on the Hooked on Exchanging blog. This is the first mattress pincushion I have ever made, but thanks to Vonna's great tutorial, it was really pretty straightforward to put together.

The top was the Victorian pincushion design from one of Brenda Keye's books, and I stitched it using a single strand of Stef Francis fine cotton. The motifs from the reverse and for the sides came from my old favourite Bristol sampler by the same designer.



I added some goodies for Anna - some Vikki Clayton silks and a chart from Anna's wishlist, as well as beads, a chart booklet and a chocolate cat.

I really loved putting this exchange together, and learning a new technique!

Spooky - San Man Originals

Design: Spooky (a subscriber freebie)
Designer: SanMan Originals
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, Amsterdam Blue (I think)

This project was my Hallowe'en Exchange piece over on the Hooked on Exchanges blog, and stitched for Olga in Louisiana. Initially, I didn't know what to stitch, as I don't really do a lot of Hallowe'en stitching, and it took me a while to settle on something from the mass of freebies I have in my stash. I'm so glad to hear she likes it!

The original design was a little deeper and made into a candy roll, but I didn't have a huge border left over so I decided to make it squarer and into a patch for a trick or treat bag. The bag is made of felt and hand sewed together. The handles are trimmed with black buttons back and front - pretty but they probably wouldn't hold too many treats LOL



Here is a picture of everything else I added to the exchange - I particularly liked the dancing skeletons fabric!