Updates and Beginnings

I've been busy with other projects, but did want to update the illuminated manuscript from the original Cross Stitch & Country Crafts Sep/Oct 1991 issue. It took some research and hunting to find this particular issue.

The pattern calls for 15 x 19 Cream Lugana (25-ct). The pattern includes colors for Anchor and DMC (3 strands) with Kreinik Balger 002 blending filament. The first design was in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts Jan/Feb 1990 issue.

A close-up of the new work shows where the blending filament takes center stage even on the borders.

I've also included the Winter White tree skirt I am making for myself. I don't know if I"ll get done by Xmas, but I'm going to give it my best efforts.

The tree skirt comes as a kit, but I have worked this particular pattern on 2 Xmas stockings for my grandchildren. I am familiar with the design and the materials, which makes the whole process a little easier.

 

 It doesn't look like much, but there are a lot of stitches in what is here. Already I can see it coming together, Xmas bulbs, ribbon, and tree branches. I bought the backing fabric last year and now I've decided to put aside my fears of beginning such  large project and just do it. I think it will turn out beautifully -- and it is the first tree skirt I've ever owned. My parents used a sheet and so did I over the years. Hopefully, this Yule I will have a brand new cross stitched tree skirt for my tree worthy of my collection of ornaments. I'll add a few new ornaments this year that I've cross stitched as well.

This one is a Mill Hill Bead kit and it turned out quite nicely. It won't go on my tree because I gave it to one of my granddaughters to go with her stocking last year. This ornament is stitched on perforated paper and takes very little time at all.

This is one of 12 ornaments from Sweetheart Tree depicting the 12 Days of Christmas. This is obviously 4 calling birds. I don't have all the patterns yet, but I'm working on finding them all. The pattern comes with little tiny flower embellishments to which You add Mill Hill beads, of course. Those are the little red dots.

Although it is nearly September, in some way it is always Xmas/Yule in this house since I began cross stitching again and making gifts for family and friends.

I've set myself a new task that will require some designing on my own. Two Xmas stockings with a rather gory theme -- zombies, skeletons, and all things horrific. The boys who will likely end up with these stockings are big gore fans and the traditional Xmas themes just will not work for them, hence the need to design what I need. I think I have the problem whipped, so we'll see what comes.

Happy stitching.

Quickies

Whenever I get frustrated with a project or just need a change of pace, I turn to quick little projects to ease the tension. Since I'm working on Xmas projects right now, I thought it would be the best use of my time to work on the grandkids' ornaments and part of an ornament set I'm giving as a gift. So, without further ado, the pictures.

Snowflake ornament by Mill Hill Beads

Closeup of the bead work. Really need a star filter and special lighting for this one. The project is done on perforated paper. 

Four calling birds ... From the Sweetheart Tree Teenie collection. This is one of 12 ornaments and I chose to do the banner version. I can get 8 of these on one piece of gold linen by Wichelt and it does look pretty.

Closeup view of the work. It's hanging wrong. The stitches are even and the work is not at all uneven. It will be much prettier when I get the backing and green floss hanger made, but I'm waiting until I get all of the ornaments done to do the finishing work.

I'm working on Five Golden Rings, although I always thought the song lyrics were Five Gooooold Rings. I could be wrong. The colors are simple and the have an old-fashioned feel to them, and the beads are actually not too difficult to put on, even with the three treasures that form the petals of the flowers. Each pattern comes with the treasures and the beads are bought separately.

I'm sure there will be other quickie projects between now and when I wrap and send off my Xmas gifts, but there is something satisfying about making ornaments and stockings and even afghans. It reminds me of making ornaments for Xmas trees when we were growing up. We made lots of them, like the styrofoam angels to which we added glitter and hangers or the handpainted stained glass ornaments done on clear plastic. There's something special about a tree decorated with homemade ornaments, even if the ornaments are cross-stitched.

Stitching with Lizzie Kate

I do not normally stitch samplers, but I changed my mind when I saw the Lizzie Kate 3-part mystery sampler this year. By the time I saw the offer, a 3-part sampler, the Halloween sampler was already 2 months in. I bought the first 2 months and then added the third and began to stitch. I wasn't quite ready for what happened.

I didn't know the 30-ct tin roof linen was cut with 4 inch borders all around. The pattern listed the start at the upper left hand corner. I was off by about 2 inches, but everything fit anyway.

Charms and/or beads were provided with each package and were intriguing. I have worked with beading before, but not with charms and was delighted when I figured out where they fit.

 The first charm, a star-shaped button, was added to the cross-stitched stars on the left. It's that shiny thing beside the owl. Beads were added to the owl's eyes and three more on the tree with the autumn leaves. I was quite charmed by the primitive, almost childlike design. It was sufficiently challenging when I got to the acorn border with the acorn leaves. I hadn't tried that design before.

 The key and star charms were part of the 2nd part of the design and I could hardly wait to get the section stitched so I could add them. No beads in this part.

This is a better shot of the whole panel with 3 different border stitches: the locked square, the leaf and stem border, and the lovely triangular border that repeats at the top and along both sides in each panel. That was a new stitch for me as well. 

 
The third and final pattern had more surprises. The grass, blue and green (cadet and bullfrog -- don't you just love the names they chose for the colors? -- from Weeks Dye Works) are vertical satin stitches, along with the repeated triangular and locked square borders. A star button is added between the bat and the sunflowers and the sunflower centers are beads. I like the candy corn border at the base and the whimsical black cat with carved pumpkin head. 

A closeup of the key and star charms in their rightful places. Working with hand over dyed floss was an experience, especially when I found out each cross must be individually stitched to show the gradations in color to best effect. Live and learn. 

The finished piece, complete with far too much fabric at the right side and bottom. I had to crop the photo somewhere. 

All I need to do now is find a frame that compliments the stitchery and colors. Now I understand why the photo in the final piece of this mystery sampler showed the fabric as blue. It's not. Tin roof looks more like an old tin roof and not a bit blue. Flashes do strange things to the colors of linen. Take my word for it, there's more verdigris than blue in this tin roof.

I may try another sampler, but it will have to be as special as this one I purchased from 1-2-3 Stitch. I like the colors and the whimsy that make this Lizzie Kate design so much fun.

Did I mention that there are still 3 bonus mini samplers waiting for me? They'll have to wait since I need to get back to my grandson's Xmas stocking and finish it before Xmas. It's the last one. I'm adding Mill Hill beaded ornaments to go with each stocking. More new experiences.

Here's hoping you find new ways to keep yourself in stitches.

Five down and one to go

Finally. I'm finished with Savannah's Xmas stocking and have only Jordan's to do. This has been a long and full year so far, not that I haven't done other projects, too, but mostly I've worked on the stockings.

Savannah's has a few different features, but not too many. Little tweaks and tricks that make it unique and I think more effective.

The finished stocking

This is what the stockings looks like finished with the blending filament, silver cording, and beads attached.   Although I dislike back stitching, it does enhance the magnolias nicely and brings out the folds of the big blue bow in the center.

 You can almost see the shimmer of the opalescent blue blending filament in the snowflakes in the center and on the bauble to the left.

The beads on the blue bauble to the right and the silver cording on the bauble to the left are better shown here. 

Although barely visible, I did something different with the silver tops of the ornaments. Instead of the provided silver braid used elsewhere to nice effect, I used some Japan silver from Kreinik I've had for over 20 years. Because the Japan silver has a long, smooth shape, it makes a better ornament top and looks almost like the real thing -- or as real as it gets in x-stitch. You can catch a glimmer of the blending filament, same opalescent bluish lavender used elsewhere on snowflakes and the other ornament, outlining the central band of beading on the right. 

 

When you get right down to it, the Winter White stocking is quite lovely and it is worth all the effort to make it. This turned out better than I had hoped with the changes I made, and it will make a lovely gift come Christmas Eve.