Birthday box

I bought this Sudberry box for a different project. When it arrived, I found that the display area was too small, so I bought another box and used this box as the basis of another gift, a birthday gift. I think the seascape I did for the other box works better with that one and would have overwhelmed this box. Not so the piece I chose to stitch for the insert here.

I think this will be a better fit -- with some adjustments of course. The fabric I got was twice the size of the fabric shown and this is with 3 inch borders on all sides (obviously more than 3 inches on the bottom and right, but that will be shortened when I'm done).

This is the close up of the design. No, the middle candle is not finished. I made a mistake when ordering and deleted one of the colors I didn't have. That will arrive on Monday with the fabric for my Celtic Seasons. There is a small heart button that goes on the center candle. I did discover something while stitching. I think it's a lovely design by Samsarah Design Studio, although I would have preferred an alphabet to go with it for personalizing. I'll make do with the alphabets I've already collected.

Since this is hand dyed floss and has several shades, stitching across gives the candles a banded appearance. Stitching up and down gives the candle a vertical striped look. I'm not sure which one I like better. The up and down is subtler. I'll decide when I finish this one. I will add the birth date with this year's date (in keeping with the year I sign all my projects with) and will line the inside with some velvet. I think dark blue or perhaps green would give a nice rich appearance, although the recipient would likely prefer pink. I'll have to see what I can find before I decide. I'm not sure whether or not to add the name, but I'm sure the gift card will let them know who it is for, not to mention being addressed to her.

I thought I'd also give an update on the Japanese Maiden since she has been languishing while I finished the stocking. I have made some progress, but I tend to lose my place in the chart. That's why I use Frixion erasable highlighters to mark the chart. Saves me from losing my place and having to rip out large sections.

This is the part I love the most when the picture emerges from the stitches I don't even want to think about the back stitching ahead of me, but there will be lots. Probably take me as long as the stitching.

Close up, it doesn't look all that impressive, but there is a lot of work in there and a lot of headway. Flowers, background, and the other half of the kimono yet to go. Work proceeds apace.

It is often difficult to see more than a suggestion of the finished design until the back stitching goes in, which is why I put up with it. That is when everything comes into focus, not that I don't enjoy (and often prefer) the impressionistic look. I do. But not everything is all water lilies and light. Definition has its place. Especially here.

Happy stitching.