June Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Pattern!

June brings tulips, lilies, roses.

Fills the children's hands with posies.

Summer is here, the cricket Test Matches have started, and the flowers are really beginning to show themselves. I'm very fond of flowers, coming from a family of keen gardeners. Living in a flat, I don't have a garden of my own, but we're lucky to have some communal gardens which have plenty of trees and shrubs. It  lacks the loving touch though! I remember as a child being taken to some amazing National Trust and National Trust for Scotland gardens - and being embarassed by my granny snapping off "cuttings" and putting them in a plastic baggie in her pocket :o)

I also have many happy memories of summers spent in a field of roses - my mum had a summer job working for a rose nursery and my sister and I would be welcome to go along, and help weed and dead head. I even learned all about grafting hybrid roses onto stronger root stock too. The scent of the field was fantastic in high summer, and I frequently wear rose perfume now - which is a little incongruous, as I'm not a flowery girly girl at all!

The chart follows my usual format of using only three colours so it should be quick and easy to stitch. I think it would look nice on almost any coloured fabric - and would look very striking on a dark colour!

The scissor fob can be personalised with your own initial as I've included a full alphabet

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make a donation by clicking here. You have raised £85 so far with your kind donations - let's see if we can make it a nice, round £100!

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

Wuthering Heights - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

You had a temper, like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me?
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you, I loved you too...

I designed this initially as a gift for my tutor, as she taught this novel on a course I did, and then had a flash of inspiration, and made her a similar design featuring the "lost Gothic" novel she edited and is a world expert on. I won't be sharing that chart, as it is very personal to Karen, but I'm happy to share this one - and I think more people will have heard of this book rather than The Mysterious Warning (unless they have memorised Northanger Abbey) :o) Hopefully, stitching this won't have the same effect as my gift did for the good doctor - I made her cry ... she'd taught me for the last four years, and I was hoping she'd be my dissertation supervisor, but there have been cutbacks at the University, and non-tenured staff have been shafted had their hours cut.

I have a very ambiguous relationship Wuthering Heights. It seems to turn up on a regular basis in my studies, and I find it very interesting, but just not very likeable. And those people who think it's a wonderful love story ... *cough*. I've been to Haworth a number of times, as my friend lives nearby, and you can see samplers stitched by Emily, Charlotte and Anne in the Parsonage Museum. The borders to this piece are from Emily's sampler, as are her initials, but the main lettering is from other sources. Although she was referred to in the family as "Emily Jane" I've used EB because Wuthering Heights was published under the nom de plume Ellis Bell. 1847 refers to the date of publication of the novel. Poor Emily died the following year.

Moira Blackburn has done a reproduction of Emily's sampler and also ones by Charlotte and Anne Bronte. Emily's was stitched when she was only ten years old, Charlotte's when she was  just six - amazingly, both were done over one linen thread!

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make a donation by clicking here. You have raised £83 so far with your kind donations - let's see if we can make it a nice, round £100!

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

May Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

May brings flocks of pretty lambs

Skipping by their fleecy dams

As a knitter, how could I not have sheep and lambs on the May biscornu? I love how frisky and frolicking lambs become very sedate sheep ... although not always very bright, it has to be said!

A lot of the wealth of England in the Middle Ages and Tudor period came from sheep. It's why, in tiny villages there are huge churches - built on the wealth accumulated from these most humble of animals.

The chart follows my usual format of using only three colours so it should be quick and easy to stitch. I think it will look best on a pastel coloured fabric or natural linen. It might look cute to make one of the sheep black...

The scissor fob can be personalised with your own initials as I've included a full alphabet

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make a donation by clicking here. You have raised £83 so far with your kind donations - let's see if we can make it a nice, round £100!

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

April Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 April brings the primrose sweet, 

Scatters daisies at our feet.

We have been having a lovely sunny Spring here, and it's been most welcome after the cold and snowy winter! It's not been amazingly warm, due to the Northerly breeze that also brought all the volcanic ash, but leaves are budding, flowers are blooming and the birds are singing!

My niece is loving all the flowers - she is very much a child of nature and adores animals of all kinds, as well as flowers. She is getting good at identifying flowers now, having mastered animal names - which isn't bad when you're not quite four!

We went for the day to Hardwick Hall last weekend, and although she did enjoy visiting the house - especially the four poster beds, and finding all the animal imagery in the paintings, tapestries and furniture, the favourite part of the day for her was picking the daisies in the lawn... Her handbag made a convenient receptacle for them, and I'm sure the plastic shark that was already in there enjoyed being garlanded with flowers!

The chart follows my usual format of using only three colours so it should be quick and easy to stitch. I think it will look best on a pastel coloured fabric or natural linen.

The scissor fob can be personalised with your own initials as I've included a full alphabet

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make a donation by clicking here

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

Irene's February Biscornu

Design: February Biscornu and Fob - freebie available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs

Stitcher: Irene

I first "met" Irene when I stitched a scissor fob for her on an exchange blog we both belong to, and I've been reading her blog ever since. So I'm honoured that she's chosen to stitch several of my designs - and hasn't she made a lovely job of this? Irene's chosen an antique white evenweave in 28 count to stitch this on.

Irene will be receiving a little prize in the post from me for sharing her finish. If you've stitched anything I've designed, please let me have pictures and I'll be happy to share them on my blog and you too could get a little goodie in your mail.

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the pattern post and I will get it out to you!

Kathy's Valentine Fob

Design: Valentine Fob - freebie available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs

Stitcher: Kathy

Kathy took my Valentine's fob and stitched it all in red. I wish I'd thought of that! LOL. Kathy writes a great blog, full of stitching and adventures with her Irish Setter, Rory - if you love pictures of cute dogs, get yourself over there now if you aren't already a reader!

Kathy will be getting a little something in the post from me and if anybody else out there has stitched a design of mine and will let me post a picture on my blog, you could win a small prize too!

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the pattern post and I will get it out to you!

Irene's Shamrock Biscornu and Fob

Design: Shamrock Biscornu and Fob - freebie available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs

Stitcher: Irene

Irene is a lovely stitching friend from Canada who has been enthusiastic and supportive of my designing from the beginning - thank you for that, Irene. I'm so pleased that you enjoy stitching my designs, and I love how you've adapted them to make them truly unique! Irene has gone with a variant on the "bright" colour scheme I suggested, and has also altered the designs on the reverse - I think they look great, and I'm sure they also made them quicker to stitch up - never a bad thing if you are working to a short deadline! I'm quite jealous I didn't think of using the knot device as the reverse of the fob myself - only joking! LOL

Irene will be receiving a little prize in the post from me for sharing her finish. If you've stitched anything I've designed, please let me have pictures and I'll be happy to share them on my blog and you too could get a little goodie in your mail.

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the pattern post and I will get it out to you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

March Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

 

 

Design: March Biscornu and Fob - freebie available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs

Stitcher: Tina

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 14 count aida, antique white

Tina was another kind volunteer who offered to help me with the stitching of my models, and I'm so pleased she managed to do so, as I know she's had family stuff going on. She's done a great job, and I think she liked stitching it, because she tells me she's at work on another two but with slight variations in the colours, including a pink one! I hope she will also share those, but these ones were stitched in the charted colours. I especially like the braided cord for the fob, it's a great idea to get the perfect match.

Tina, thank you so much for doing this!

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the pattern post and I will get it out to you!

Shamrock Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Pattern!

Design: Shamrock Biscornu and Fob - freebie available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs

Stitcher: Sheila

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count Monaco, tea dyed

Sheila kindly offered to stitch this for me, as I've been pushed for time lately, and hasn't she done a great job?! She chose the "antique" colourway on the chart, and stitched it on 28 count Monaco in the tea dyed colourway. I'm always amazed when something takes shape in reality from a thought in my head ...

Sheila, thank you so much for doing this, I hope you enjoyed it!

Another reader of my blog, Irene, has also finished her biscornu already, but I will save that post for later as these ladies each deserve a turn in the spotlight!

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the pattern post and I will get it out to you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

March brings breezes loud and shrill,

Stirs the dancing daffodil.

We're having a nice bright March here, but because of the snow earlier this year, our daffodils will be later than usual - it's looking like it will almost be April before we get a show! I love daffodils, they are so bright and cheery. The Hermit gets them confused with dandelions ...no, don't ask me how! He just has no interest in flowers, bless!

Another "D" who deserves celebrating is my gran, Donaldina Mitchell McLeod. It would have been her 87th birthday today. She loved flowers and was a super gardener - her soft fruits and fresh vegetables were high spots in our summer holidays! Her son, my Uncle Rod, shares her birthday (although not her green thumb) and he is 60 today! I can't believe that my cool, trendy Uncle Roddie would be eligible for his bus pass if he was still in the UK ...

Anyway, enough family stuff! The chart uses only three shades of DMC- I've chosen quite muted shades, but I think this would look good in a bright colourway too!

There's a matching fob with this design too, included in the chart pack!

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, a donation to the MS Trust for this chart would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make a donation by clicking here

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

Shamrock Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Pattern!

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, and I thought a little design to celebrate would be in order. This co-ordinates with the Thistle Stitching Accessories set I made for St. Andrew's day, but I have restrained myself and kept it to just the biscornu and fob this time - at least for this freebie!

I've chosen both a subdued "antique" and a "bright" colourway for this design. It is currently being model stitched by a very kind volunteer, so I don't have pictures yet. Like most of my biscornu designs, it only uses three colours, which makes coming up with your own colour scheme really easy :o)

There are two alternatives for the back of the design - one for Ireland, and one for Luck!

There's a matching fob with this design too, included in the chart pack!

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, 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

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

Stitcher's Heart - A Mon Ami Pierre

 

Design: Stitcher's Heart (freebie available here)

Designer: A Mon Ami Pierre

Threads: DMC 75

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

I stitched this lovely freebie for the Stitch Red for Your Heart Exchange over on Hooked on Exchanges. My partner was Marie, and she tells me that due to all the bad weather she has been having, it was one of only two valentines she received this year - I'm glad it cheered you up!

The theme was dear to me, as it is to Jill, the exchange organiser. My dad was taken ill in November last year - frighteningly so. Tests have shown that although he is basically very fit, with low cholesterol and such, his blood pressure is way too high and his heart isn't pumping as efficiently as it should be. He has mild Left Ventricular Dysfunction, and possibly has had it since he was a child, when he had rheumatic fever. The good news is that he's reached 68 without it being a problem before - and he was a coal miner when he left school, and then was a builder's mate and spent 27 years in the police force, all fairly hard on one's heart in various ways. The bad news is that he's going to be on medication for life now, and there is a chance of reduced life expectancy. It's been a bit of a shock, but I think we're all getting adjusted now. My ma's biggest complaint about the situation at the moment is that she had to spend a day phoning round and internet searching because their insurer wanted to triple their holiday insurance premiums! (She's found a company that will cover them for pretty much the original premium, so it pays to shop around!)

Anyway, back to stitching! This freebie was a joy to stitch, and I used a discontinued DMC thread (75) to work it. Actually, I think the thread may only be discontinued in the UK ... although 115 is a close substitute. I traced the heart freehand using the chart as a guide - and it doesn't look as uneven as the picture. I used some vintage Laura Ashley fabric to back it, and some bought cord to trim.

The observant among you will have noticed that the fabric has changed colour between the photos. This is because when I mounted the stitching on the board, I used an aerosol glue, and there was a little seepage in one spot. Using solvent didn't remove it, and the Hermit suggested coffee dying the piece! As I couldn't dismantle the piece, I brewed some strong coffee and dabbed it on with a cotton wool ball, so that I wouldn't soak the card - and then used a hairdryer to "set" the dye and to stop any potential buckling... so, if things do go wrong, all I can say is don't panic and think laterally!

February Biscornu - Linden Bee Designs

 

 

Design: February Biscornu - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades

Fabric: 14 count aida, white

The pictures are not of the best, because although it isn't raining or snowing here, the day is very grey and foggy! In your mental picture viewer, brighten the design until the aida is white and you'll get a better idea!

I've stuffed this quite lightly - what's your preferred way? I like a little body, but equally, I want to be able to sew through the middle easily to make the dimple...

This is another of my freebies, and I'm hoping to raise money for the MS Trust through donations. This month has been a little slow - only £4.00 so far, although every little helps and I'm amazingly grateful that people like my patterns enough to make donations! However, I'd love to see that amount increase ;o)

February Scissor Fob - Linden Bee Designs

 

 

 

Design: February Scissor Fob - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades

Fabric: 14 count aida

 

 

February brings the rain,

Thaws the frozen lake again.

The second in my monthly series. To be honest, I associate February more with snow, as it's my birthday this month, and it always snows on or around my birthday - which is Saturday, for people in the UK who want to be prepared! I was even born in a bad snow storm. Ma had gone into the hospital on the morning of the 19th and the midwives thought it was a false alarm, but because the weather had closed in even more after rounds had been done and ma was technically discharged, they kept her in overnight - which was a good job, as I arrived in time for breakfast! Of course, dads were not encouraged to stay and he'd been sent home earlier, which meant he'd to walk back in. Sixteen inches fell on the 19-20 February, and my parents lived ten miles from the hospital. Dad still says it was worth it! Love you too, dad! (Hmm, never asked my ma if she thought it was worth it... LOL!)

Anyway, to get back to my stitching - this design came out of my Valentine's design, and I wanted something less pink and which reflected the month as a whole. It stitched up pretty quickly, and looked a lot less grey than the colour scheme on the charting software seemed to make it - the blue is actually blue!

February Biscornu and Fob - Free Cross Stitch Chart!

February brings the rain,

Thaws the frozen lake again.

 

It's a little odd to be posting this when it's a lovely sunny day here, and when so many people are struggling with so much snow in the USA... although of course, the Canadians are struggling with rain at the Winter Olympics...  anyway, this is the second in my monthly series of biscornu - the Valentine one was by way of a bonus! - and I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did. You can possibly see the genesis of this design if you already have the Valentine one ;o)

The chart uses only three shades of DMC - 451, 452 and 932. I have stitched my own model, and will be posting pictures of it later today or tomorrow - it depends on when I can find my camera cable!

There's a matching fob with this design too, included in the chart pack!

If you would like a copy of the chart, please comment below and leave an email address unless yours is visible in your blog profile. Some people ask for charts but I have no way of getting them to them :o( Charts are sent in PDF format.

If you do stitch this design, I'd love to see the finished article - and there will be a prize for any I show on my blog!

Although there is no charge for this chart, 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

There is no obligation to make a donation - you will be sent the chart whether or not you choose to make a donation, as I appreciate that some people are not in a financial position to do so.

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 2010 N M Wray

Valentine Biscornu - Linden Bee Designs

 

Design: Valentine Biscornu - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades of pink - I've used the "antique" colourway on the chart

Fabric: 16 count aida, grey but overdyed with tea by me.

My design style seems to have settled into incorporating words with little sampler motifs, and the word on this Valentine biscornu is "amour" ... seems a bit more glamorous ;o)

Again, I used some tea dyed aida to give it an antique feel and chose the colours to go with it. I thought about beading the edge, but it seemed a bit too much, as the borders are quite busy.

 

The middle is drawn in with just a single bead, which was quite fiddly!

Valentine Fob - Linden Bee Designs

Design: Valentine Scissor Fob - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades of pink - I've used the "antique" colourway on the chart

Fabric: 16 count aida, grey but overdyed with tea by me.

This little fob is stitched from my own design, and I dyed the fabric too. So perhaps I can be excused my little glow of satisfaction :o)

The fabric was some I got in a grab bag, and it was rather a drab grey/blue colour. So I stewed it in some very strong tea and it came out looking suitably aged. Hence my decision to work the "antique" colourway on this.

I was surprised by how much more delicate the 16 count looks to my previous fobs on 14 count.

 

You can't see it very clearly, but there's a heart shaped charm attached at the top, which says "Made With Love" on it.

Katie's January Biscornu

Katie - find her blog here - has just sent me these pictures of her finished January Biscornu. Hasn't she done a great job?! I love how she's taken some of the design elements and created her own reverse to make it really personal. Katie chose her own colours - DMC 799, 3078, and 3756 - and they work really well together with the navy fabric.


And thank you Katie for your kind words about my blog! I've emailed you to get your address, so look out for a prize coming your way soon ;o)


If you'd like your own copy of the chart, follow the link above and leave a comment. If you already have the chart, you too could receive a prize if you send me a picture of your finished article!

January Biscornu - Linden Bee Designs

Design: January Biscornu - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades of blue

Fabric: 14 count aida

"January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow..."

I've adapted my own design here too - firstly by stitching it on white, and secondly by removing the inner border on the reverse. I just can't leave things alone, can I? But that's what I like about stitching - designs are only suggestions! 

This was quite simply finished with a whipstitch in the medium blue shade, and 4mm white "pearl" beads in the centre, as the design is quite busy as it stands.

If anyone would like a copy of the chart, follow the link above and leave a comment!

January Scissor Fob - Linden Bee Designs

 

 

Design: January Scissor Fob - freebie design available here

Designer: Linden Bee Designs (i.e. me!)

Threads: DMC in three shades of blue

Fabric: 14 count aida

"January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow..."

This design comes from the first of my series of biscornu with matching fobs for 2010 - now there's an ambitious statement - and despite it not being in my favourite colours, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially as it was originally charted for dark blue fabric - as I've previous discussed!

I was thinking of finishing it with a beaded edge, but I didn't have anything suitable in my stash (the horror!) and so it has a basic whipstitched finish. I did find a snowflake charm in my stash though, and used that in place of a tassel.

I love the charms - they come in a set of six, three different designs, and are heavyweight. And cheap! £0.99 from the remaindered bookshop or the 99p store. There's lots of different styles of design too, so I've stocked up, because you never know with 99p stores when things are going to go out of stock...- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

If you would like a copy of the chart, leave a comment on the link page.