September Sampler Accent - Periwinkle Promises

Design: September Sampler Accent
Designer: Periwinkle Promises
Threads: Silks as charted (provided in kit)
Fabric: 28 count Glenshee linen

This was a quick construction to make the sampler accent into a little mini pillow to co-ordinate the others I have made from this designer. I didn't make the little tassels for the corners as I think the design is busy enough as it is!

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Lizzie*Kate

Design: How Does Your Garden Grow? (old freebie, not available online)
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC conversions, mainly as charted
Fabric: Zweigart 32 count Belfast linen, vintage

I stitched this for my partner Chris in the HoE Lizzie*Kate exchange. Having sneakily snooped around her blog, I knew that Chris's other passion was gardening, so I though it was appropriate!

I made the finished item up into a small pillow using some vintage fabric I found in my stash. I think the fabric came from my gran's, but I'm not sure. It was quite lightweight, so I stiffened it a little with some iron on interfacing, to give it a similar 'body' to the linen and to improve wear - I consider my pieces items to be used :o) The backing is some coordinating felt.

And this is whole exchange - as my partner was in the UK, there was no problem adding seeds to the package, and I added some matching threads and ribbon too. Chris tells me she's very happy with the exchange, which is nice to hear!

Crewel Vase - DMC

Design: Crewel Vase
Designer: DMC
Threads: DMC Crewel Yarn
Fabric: Pre-printed linen

This was a kit I acquired off eBay, and I quite liked it when I started it. Then I went off it, and finished it through gritted teeth and now that I've made it into a mini pillow, I quite like it again - I think!

I used slightly different stitches and fewer strands than the design called for and overall I think it's okay. My trouble with freestyle embroidery with wool is that it can look scruffy (that might just be me) and I like the regularly of cross stitch and counted thread work. When I'm normally not the world's tidiest person, it soothes me that my stitching can be very neat :o)

December Sampler Accent - Periwinkle Promises

Design: December Sampler Accent
Designer: Periwinkle Promises
Threads: Silks as per kit
Fabric: 28 count raw linen

This will be added to my basket of smalls come December, despite The Hermit's dislike of all things Christmas :o) I have most of the monthly sampler accents, and I'm finishing them all as mini pillows, without tassels. The fabric you can see in the second picture is the fabric I chose for the backing.

Another Bloom - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Bloom - freebie available here
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed

This was my first version of Bloom and I made it into a little softie for a softie exchange. The front and back are made from felt - just the ordinary store bought stuff, not felt I've made myself! - the back is a peachy colour to match the tulip. The buttons came from my stash - the ladybug is hiding a little wrinkle where I stitched the flower closed after stuffing :o)

I was pretty taken with this finish, it was hard to part with it!

The White Cat - Bent Creek

I'm not sure why I like this, but I do :o) I'm really one of the least cat loving personI know, although my partner is fond of them, and would love for us to have one!

I think it's the expression on the cat's face that I love. This mouldered for a while in my finishing pile, but I got the motivation to finish it up when I got my wonderful packet of mini buttons which I've often mentioned before! I wanted a simple finish, so I just made it into a mini pillow/pin cushion. The back is a very small beige country floral print, which echoes the flowers on the front.

Snow - Gail Bussi

This design comes from the JCS Ornament Issue 2002, and was stitched as part of the Chartswappers SAL. I finally made it up into a mini-pillow in December! I stitched the circle in full, then slit the back to put the stuffing in, mattress stitched it and hid the stitching with a ribbon.

Christmas Rose - Elizabeth's Designs

Ummm... the picture is a bit blurry, but never mind - the light quality today isn't great, I think snow is forecast!

This was another finish from the Chartswappers stitch along back in 2003. I was never particularly keen on this, but now it's made up I quite like it! I think the fabric I've chosen really sets it off.

I don't remember much about what I used to stitch it with, apart from the fact I dyed the fabric with strong coffee, and that it took several washes to get rid of the smell!

EduCATed - Bent Creek - Exchange to Karen

Now I know that she's received it, I can post about my return exchange to Karen from CrazyExchange! In fact, I've used her picture as it's so much better than mine :o)

Karen said she liked Bent Creek, so I made up EduCATed into a little pillow for her. He's not sitting on as many books as the chart says, but I wanted to keep a pillow like proportion. The postcard in the picture is of the Botanical Gardens in Sheffield, and I also added some threads, buttons and a fridge magnet.

I really enjoyed this exchange, and I'm looking forward to many more!

When This You See - Cathy Bussi

This was probably the oldest thing in my "to make up" pile - if you look closely, you can see that the date on it is 1996! LOL!

The design was in an old edition of Cross Stitch Collection, but I changed all the colours - the original was either yellow and green, or pink and purple, I can't remember which!

Robin on Egg - Bent Creek

This is an old Bent Creek freebie which was stitched for me in a Round Robin. I wasn't terribly excited at the time, and it languished on the fabric for a while - I'd hoped the designs would make a cushion, but they didn't really work together, so I cut it into the constituent pieces.

Since making this up into a little pillow, I've grown very fond of this perky chap, and I'm glad he isn't too Christmassy, so I can display him all year round!

Groundhog Day - Bent Creek

I had a bit of a making up spree last weekend as I recovered from a nasty stomach virus, and this is one of my mini pillows I made - I restricted myself to pillows and needlerolls as I though cutting board for pinkeeps would take too much space on my bed! :o)

I think the groundhog looks sweet - it reminds me of my guinea pigs :o)

Strawberries Pincushion - Historic Needlework Guild

I found the "charm" I used to finish this off on a Sheffield street - it was a lost earring - a small gold heart studded with sparklies - I think it suits the piece very well!

This is a basic pincushion/mini pillow - the fabric backing is a floral print in matching colours which has been in my stash for years and years, as not only am I not buying more embroidery stash, I'm not buying fabrics and finishing items either until I'm back in employment!

Harvest Time - Elizabeth's Designs

This design is from the booklet "A Stitcher's Year", however the colours are my own choices, and the fabric a little Silkweaver oddment.

I've finished this as a mini pillow, and it's backed with cream moire satin and trimmed with purchased cording.

I'm not entirely happy with how the stuffing looks, but overall I'm pleased with it, as the colours co-ordinate nicely with my living room!

The Rabbit - Bent Creek

This was a joy to stitch - even the swirls weren't as difficult as they looked! There is a mistake in the upper body of the rabbit, but unless you peer very closely at the chart and compare it to the finished piece, you can't tell!

The expression on the rabbit's face reminds me of my guinea pigs :o)

This was another eBay purchase, and the kit came complete with a mini pillow and buttons for finishing, so that's what I used, and I'm very pleased with the result:



The carrot buttons are so cute, and each one is different!

Design Details

Fabric: 32 count linen, Iced Cappuccino
Threads: DMC stranded cotton
Designer: Bent Creek
Kit Details: The Rabbit, Bent Creek (now out of print)
Stitch Count: 43H x 74V as charted
Stitches Used: Cross Stitch, Long Stitch, Satin Stitch
Threads Used: DMC 3799, 611, 612, 3021, 3768, 3051, 3052. Cross stitch in two strands.
Embellishments: Gold plated charms - 1 x star.
Modifications Made: Long stitches on patch and tail stitched in two strands, not one.

Sewing - Penelope

I know I said I was planning to finish this as a pincushion, but I loved the fabric so much I though it would be a shame to only have a small border ... so I made a mini pillow (it's about 9"/22cm) square.

I bought the fabric years ago in Hobbycraft - it's a Mary Engelbreit print, and it was on sale for something like £4 a metre, which seems well worth it now!

The backing fabric is black felt, which helps give some structure to the piece. I've made a teeny matching pin cushion too.

Love - NMI

This was a kit I bought on a whim from eBay, as I'd never tried candlewicking before. I'm not sure I would try it again, as it appears to be French knots worked in coton a broder on calico - so it's a bit of a struggle to pull threads through, and repetitive too!

This has been languishing in my "to make up" pile for several years, so I finally made it into a little padded heart. I think the original instructions called for lace to go round the edges, but as you've already gathered, I'm not the girly frou frou type, so I used some plain-ish braid to hide the little marks left by the transfer round the edges.

Bumble Bee - Penelope

I changed my mind about framing this, and made it into a mini pillow with some of the lovely bee print fabric that's been sitting my stash! I hate cutting into a new piece of fabric, but really, what's the point in having it if I don't use it? This was finished as part of my finishing frenzy yesterday - I sat and stuffed it watching The Remains of the Day on DVD :o)