Christmas Eve

I always like to stitch something seasonal at Christmastime. So, this will be my third in-progress project until I can gather all the stuff I need to start doing the Prairie Schooler ABCs. I'm working it on 10 count Country Mocha Tula by Wichelt using Caron Watercolors substitutions. Can't wait to show my progress!

Christmas Rag Wreath

I saw the directions for this on the Moda Bake Shop Blog. Had all the materials, so decided to make one in red and green. I love it; and love the idea. I do have a few modifications to the instructions though. The MBS instructions say to cut the strips 5-1/2 inches long. I disagree. It took me four hours to make the wreath and I think that may have been cut down if the strips had just been a little longer. So I'd say cut them 6" and then you won't be fumbling (or maybe it was just my fat fingers?) with the fabric when you tie it. And a note on tying it - it's a one over knot, not a tie and then tie again into a real "knotty knot". Also, I recommend that if you're going to do this with two colors like I did, make a color pattern and then vary it from one ring to the next. Like my pattern was 3 green, 3 red, 2 green, 2 red, 1 green, 1 red, then repeat all the way around the ring. The next ring would go backwards - that way I didn't end up with all the same colors next to each other. As to materials, they suggest a "honey bun". Well, I've got a huge stash of fabric. I layers 13 green fat quarters and 13 red ones, cut the strips from half of each and had enough to do the SMALL wire frame - whether that was 12 inches or not, I don't know. And I really think that the BAKE shop needs to put a baking time on these projects. I really do like my wreath and would make another one, just not right away - I'm a little tied up right now.

More Old Stuff - Good St. Nick

Prairie Schooler is my favorite designer. And I can say that I know this piece in and out since I stitched it twice. The first time was on sand colored linen - 28 count. I liked it alot and had it framed similar to the frame you see in this picture. At the time I was working in a LNS. The shop had a sale and preparatory to the sale, I was asked to organize the linen. While doing that, I discovered Tula. It is a larger weave, like a giant Aida. Ten count - that's ten stitches to the inch. Well, you might think that's for amateurs. Oh, contrare! You see, there was a fiber in the shop that I'd been dying to stitch with, but it was too big; meant really for needlepointers. It was Caron's Watercolors - overdyed cotton - luscious colors. And a sheen a lot like pearl cotton. It's three stranded. Well, I discovered if I took one strand and cross stitched on Tula, I got the same look as on a higher count of fabric. So, I decided to do Good St. Nick again. This time on sand colored Tula with the Watercolors. It came out a little more than twice the size of the previous one. I still have the first one - haven't decided which of my children are inheriting it yet. But it's the piece I stitched on Tula that gets hung up at Christmastime!

Old Stuff out for the Holidays Again

Pulling things out of the basement this weekend to decorate for the holidays, I realized there are still some things I haven't posted to the blog yet. Like this Victoria Sampler piece - Christmas Tree Farm. I think I did this two years ago. I really enjoyed the challenge of this sampler. There were some stitches I'd never done, some that I hadn't done in a long time, and still others that I don't like to do (Queen Stitch anyone?). I can say that the booklets for all the Victoria Sampler items I've done (which admittedly are few just because Victorian isn't my style) have been clear, concise, and extremely helpful in completing the projects. I'm looking forward to getting the booklet for Thea's new Gingerbread House and then being able to afford all the triffles I'll need to put it together.

The Gift of Stitching Creative Cross Stitch Challenge #1

I have completed my entry into The Gift of Stitching Creative Cross Stitch Challenge #1. I'm calling it "Patriot's Pincushion". I've been trying to put together a Christmas gift for a friend who is a Patriot (not a Pinhead!). It wasn't until I decided to enter the challenge though that the idea for what to do came to me like a flash! My interpretation of the motif is on 28 count "French Blue" linen by Wichelt. I particularly like this linen color because it seems very denim-looking to me; especially when juxtaposed with red. I used DMC 336 (navy) and B5400 (snow white) as well as Color Variations 4210 (red) for the stitches. Stitches used are cross, satin and whipped stem stitch as well as a little star that I just finagled. And the stitching was FAST 100% - I did it all in three days (i.e., three evenings); took a half hour on the fourth day to finish it.