The End At Last

It took me about 6 months to finish this project and it is finally done. I will add that I didn't work on it every day of the past 6 months, sometimes setting it aside to work on other projects, sometimes a month at a time, but I did start about 6 months ago.

The best part about this is that it turned out good . . . even if I did have to rip out several sections because I mistook the color for one symbol for another (the symbols were very much alike) and because I got off count a time or 500 (okay, not really 500 times, but it seemed like it at times). It is finally done and I am quite proud of it.

The finished piece is hanging on the back of my rather large desk chair and needs to be washed, ironed (on the back only and with a pressing cloth), mounted, and framed. I'd say it's about 18 x 26 or possibly 30 inches in size.

Voila!

The finished swan. You can almost see the Joadoor signature at the bottom.




 As always, click on the pictures to get the full view. I'll post more pictures when it is framed and ready to hang . . . and maybe after it is hung. 

A better idea of the size. That is part of the window in the background, as well as my desk, and the chair. The swan is quite large.

Now what I need to do is design a black swan facing this swan in the same size as a match.

The triangles inside the rectangle is the signature of Joadoor, who is actually two Dutch artists whose names combined become Joadoor. I did a leopard/cheetah seen a year or so ago on this blog (search back through the archives), which was my introduction to Joadoor's art work. I do enjoy the style and the workmanship, and especially the backgrounds for each piece of Joadoor's work.



At any rate, I am done with this one, except for the necessary steps to frame it and hang it on the living room wall. There's something about swans that has always pleased me. Maybe it was Hans Christian Anderson's story, The Ugly Duckling, or maybe it is the supreme calm and grace of the birds when flying or gliding on water that speaks to me. Whatever it is, this is one piece I will look forward to seeing whenever I go into the living room.

If not a black swan, maybe a crane about the same size as a companion piece. I wonder....

That is all. Disperse.

It arrived!

I did something different with one of my cross stitch projects. I ordered a frame and mats cut to exact size online. I knew I'd have to put the frame together, but how hard could it be if my Middle Eastern beauty had the right look on the wall?

The disassembled frame arrived yesterday evening and I set about reading directions, getting my handy dandy screwdrivers, and put it together. It was a puzzle with all the parts and pieces, and there was still the finished cross stitch to get ready for framing. It was quite the ordeal, but once I figured out how the frame went together, the rest was a matter of carefully stretching the fabric across the acid-free foam core and lashing it into place so that the face at the center of the fabric would center perfectly beneath the mats, mats that were cut to my specifications.

It worked.

I chose a brushed metal silver frame and 2 mats: Caribbean blue and silver foil. I can't stop looking at it as it hangs on the wall beside my bed. It's beautiful and the mats set off the cross stitch so well.

 This is what I began with, minus my signature, which is the year in which it was finished. I stitched that just before framing with the dark blue-green and a twist of silver metallic thread in the corner.

 This is what I ended up with. Isn't she beautiful?

The only backstitching here was putting lashes around the expressive eyes and the pearls that hang over her forehead. Those were a real challenge to stitch too. Not because there was so much but because of all the changes and colors that make up the jewels. It was worth the effort.

I remember when Beanie would finish the stitching on one of her cross stitch projects and she'd come to me to do the backstitching. She hated the fussy, and often tedious, backstitching. As I stitched I explained that the backstitching, as onerous as it can be, brings the work to life.  Since I've moved away she has had to do her own backstitching, but she does see what I meant all those years ago.

Hoity-Toity never frames her cross stitch, but she does cross stitch. She has a thing for women in hats, something she may have gotten from me since I used to have a collection of paintings, prints, and posters of women in hats, often with their faces hidden by the hats. I even found a silhouette of a turn of the century woman in a hat I found at a barn sale and Mom bought me a ceramic mask of a Victorian woman in a hat looking over her gaudily clad shoulder out into the room. It hangs in my living room now next to the bookcase by the doors onto the back deck. It just seemed right to hang there. I also have ceramic masks of all kinds hanging in my room and the hallway, and soon in the laundry room. There is one mask Mom sent me that is kind of creepy. That's why it's going in the laundry room where it can scare spiders and intruders coming through the laundry room door.

I have to finish the backstitching on the 5 x 7 Japanese geisha I finished in January (yes, I sometimes put off the backstitching too), buy the perfect frame and maybe even mat it, and it will hang in the Jack bedroom. For some reason I see that room as my Japanese/Oreintal/Asian room with fabric floor and table lamps and black lacquered furniture. It's still in my head right now because the room is still filled with boxes of cross stitch supplies, stationery, and books, as well as framed pictures. It is emptier by about 5 framed pictures, awards, and my Extra Class amateur radio operator license. I brought them into my bedroom to hang on the walls here.

Now all I need to do is find the right pieces to stitch and hang on the wall over my bed. I see a huge painted paper fan flanked by women with fans, Asian and Spanish and Moorish and whatever. Still haven't figured our where to hang the Indian beauties since the Jill bedroom will have princesses and fairy tale characters in cross stitch on the walls. That is where my grandchildren (mostly the granddaughters) will sleep when they visit. There is still a very long -- and bare -- hallway to populate with pictures of family and friends and maybe the odd cross stitch pieces framed by me. I can handle assembling the frames and choosing the mats. After all, the $50 that went for my Middle Eastern lady was money well spent, and a whole lot cheaper than the often $200 or more I spent for framing other, and often larger, cross stitch pieces. Live and learn -- and, in my case, spend a little less to get wonderful results.

That is all. Disperse. Go stitch your own masterpiece -- and don't forget the backstitching.

Returning to the Past

I was so busy working on other projects, I only managed a couple of days on the Needle Treasures Winter White Tree Skirt, which I've had for a couple of years. Last night I took it out of the package and worked on it as I have off and on for a week in January. I'm pleased with the results since I am done with one full section, minus the silver braid which I won't add until all the other stitching is done. Makes the fabric too stiff to work with. I had the same problem with the Winter White Xmas stockings I did for my granddaughters. Live and learn.

This is the finished tree skirt. Looks lovely. A quilted deep blue background with gold stars would be appropriate, if I can find one. Alternatively, I'll buy the right fabric and quilt it myself when I finish the skirt.

The work in the middle section is one sheet of the pattern. There are a couple of stitches missing, but I'll fill in those as I work on section C of the pattern. It's even pretty with just this much done, and the magnolias have not even been back stitched.

Not too shabby for so little time. I might even finish it this year. Pick up a project you've put aside for a while and work on that this year. I've no more stockings to make for grandchildren, so I have lots of time to work on this. There is still the Japanese Maiden to finish, but I need a break from all the back stitching, of which there is still a ton to do.

I also made two birthday cards, or rather stitched the inserts for 2 birthday cards. When the rest of the elements get here, I'll put the last flourishes on the last card and send it off in time for the birthday celebration. One thing I didn't realize is how far I've tripped over into card making, which is an offshoot of scrapbooking. My goodness, but what a lot of equipment and dies and templates and flourishes and embellishments and, well, cost, involved. It took me over 20 years to amass my cross stitch stash. Scrapbooking would be too much for my meager budget. As Little Orphan Annie would say, "Gloriosky!"

In the meantime, happy stitching.

Remembering Santa

This morning, my aunt sent me a photo of the Santa Claus they have hung on the wall for over 40 years as part of their annual decorations. The Santa was rescued from the trash bin at my mothers, to whom I had originally given it. My aunt and uncle rescued it and my aunt had it cleaned, framed and matted, and has hung it proudly every year since then. I did a lot of Santas over 20 years ago when I began cross stitching and I wasn't sure which one it was. I still can't believe it was in the trash, but I'm sure a lot of things went into the trash that were gifts from me. I'm not upset at all; my mother also gave away a Gutenberg Bible, and original Gutenberg Bible worth millions of dollars, but then she wasn't knowledgeable about such things.

So, here we are this morning and I look for the first time on the piece I stitched more than 2 decades ago and I begin to remember. I remember it was in a magazine and said everything I wanted to say about Xmas and Santa Claus -- and it is beautiful (even if I did stitch it).

 I think he's beautiful and I'm glad he has a home where he is loved and appreciated. 

My aunt also sent me a photo of the anniversary sampler's new home among a photo of their extensive family and their 3 youngest grandchildren. She said it was the sampler's permanent home and I'm pleased it has what my uncle told me is a place of honor.

Not a bad beginning to the morning or the first working day of the week. When it all comes down to it, where a gift ends up, preferably where someone loves and appreciates the gift, is where it belongs. I'm thankful for my aunt and uncle rescuing Santa and sharing him with me and everyone who visits their home during the holidays.

Happy stitching.

Britty Kitty and Puppy Stitching Done

The last stitch was put in my granddaughter's Britty Kitty stocking yesterday and I feel a little at loose ends. I'll go back and finish the zombie Xmas stockings and have them done in plenty of time. Since I made some changes to the original design of the Britty Kitty stocking by using different threads (Flower thread, Rainbow Gallery white Wisper, and Kreinik blending filament and #4 braid), I feel much more confident in changing more of the design to include zombie head ornaments with the puppies. It will be a challenge, but it's one I now feel more equal to accomplishing.

The kitties are stitched and the ornaments look so pretty sparkling in the light shining on the Kreinik blending filament and braid.

The puppies were finished last week and they're ready to be attached to the backing and lining and will soon be ready to hang at the fireplace full of goodies and presents. I've already sent 6 beginning cross-stitch ornaments for the girls to try, hoping they will learn from the stockings that beauty is possible with needle and thread.

I need to find the perfect backing, but the sewing will be quick and easy. I recommend both designs for stockings for your favorite kids. They can be ready in a week or two, even if you have someone else put them together for you.

Happy stitching.

FInding zombies for Xmas

I've been working on the stocking with the ornaments that I plan to use for zombies. I don't like the zombie I'm working on because it seems too cartoonish and doesn't fit the style of the background. The other stocking will be easier since I have an idea that will work. Different pattern but a marriage made in zombie hell for sure. That will work. This one, not so much, but I may have an idea of how to fix the problem -- at least the problem in my estimation.

Here we go: 

Here's what I have so far with one of the ornaments partially filled in.

This is Miss Zombie 2013. I'm adapting a pattern I already had and I'm not sure whether I like it or not.

Ornament #2 is ready for its zombie, but I think that one will be better. I have an idea that just might work. I'm waiting on the specialty floss to make it happen.

 Ornament #3 and it's the biggest one of all. This one will have to be special. I do love the overall design. I'm just not sure about the zombies.

HalloXmas Stocking

I pondered this idea for a while before I finally came up with a way to make it work. That is making a Xmas stocking with a zombie theme. I wanted something that was still Christmasy and adding zombie elements.

This is the first stocking and the way I worked around the problem. Xmas tree with large ornaments depicting acts of zombie horror. What could be better? I hope.

 I've begun the outside elements. More branches and ornament hangers will be added. Snowflakes will be stitched on and inside each lovely looking ornament will be some sort of zombie horror. The perfect marriage of horror and sweet. Don't you think?

I used one of Dimension Gold's stocking patterns for the basis of my Xmas theme. It's coming along nicely. I have deleted some of the elements obviously, like the inside of the ornaments, which were holiday scenes, and will add the scenes -- or decomposing body parts -- of my design. This was actually fun.

Still haven't decided which one of my evil ideas I'll use for the other HalloXmas stocking, but I'm getting there. I haven't drawn anything in years and I've never designed a cross stitch pattern from scratch. I'm doing it in stages so I don't get design lash. Like whiplash only messier.

Happy stitching.

Moving Along with the Maiden

It has been a while since I posted anything, but especially since I updated my Japanese Maiden. Not here though because I've been stitching (and frogging) away. I'm amazed at how well it is coming, although I worry I won't have enough thread to finish, which is why I prefer buying patterns and using my own thread. DMC of course.

 

About 3/4 finished right now, not including back stitching, which will take a while since there are a lot of elements to outline. I am always surprised when the amorphous look of some elements become clearer and more beautiful as a simple dark thread is added around the outside and inside to create such pretty effects. 

That is all for today. I decided to leave details to the last. This is my last unfinished project waiting to be finished, but I have started another. Baba Yaga on her pestle in front of her house with its chicken legs with her broom and cat, although I always thought she used a mortar to drive herself along while she sat in her pestle. Details, details. 

Happy stitching. 

Anniversaries

This is the first time I have stitched a project for an anniversary or wedding. Mother's Day, Xmas, Easter, even birthdays, I've done, but never an anniversary.

The hardest part hasn't been the stitching, although I've had my share of problems. I usually do with repetitious patterns. I stitch a different section than I'm on and end up having to tear it out and restitch it the right way. I usually use a highlighting marker for this (erasable of course), but decided to forego it. Maybe I shouldn't have.

The hardest part has been finding out when my uncle and aunt's anniversary is. Their side of the family didn't know and neither did my aunt's sister. I thought I knew but it was wrong. My cousin found out the answer by having someone ask at her daughter's housewarming, which was last night. At least that is what I think they were all doing over at the new house Kaley just bought. It makes sense, but few things do make sense. Anyway, I finally have the date. My uncle was wrong, thinking it was before his birthday; it is after his birthday by the same amount of time -- 6 days. When I called to ask my uncle, which was my last resort, he didn't know for sure. He told me he didn't even know my aunt's birthday until they had been married a year (and had a child).

Anyway, here are the pictures I've taken since I began this project on Wednesday last. I put everything else aside to work on it and have spent some time working on it this weekend. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I want to do the outer border or leave it and use a decorative mat. Time will tell.

This is the motif that gave me so much problems. It's a lovely Celtic knot but the design is everywhere. I did the central section in about an hour or so.

I chose this design from My Big Toe Cross-Stitch Designs and used Gentle Art Sampler threads (Mountain Mist & Raven). I could have used DMC, but I like the variable color in the threads recommended for this piece. It was stitched on 32-count cream Belfast linen. 

The central section. Yes, those are my fingers hold the fabric as straight as possible.

Two of the 4 sides done. Looking good, but you cannot imagine how much effort it took to get there. I had to rip out whole sections because I wasn't looking at the right section of the repeating design.

And now there is a date. Names, too.

When in doubt, rip it out and start over. Next time I'll use the highlighter. It's easier keeping track that way. Now I finish a section of the central and outer design, one at a time. It's slow, but so is getting off track, ripping it out, and stitching it all over again the right way.

I may have to put together some wedding and anniversary designs and leave out the names and date just so I won't have to rush when it comes time to send the gift.

Happy stitching.

All In A Day's Work

I did more work on the Illuminated manuscript and decided to post some of the details. Feel free to give it a miss. 

This squirrel is one of the two on the bottom half of the piece. He still need an eye.

Also on the bottom on the left hand side is this little dragonfly. I finished him this evening.

A hawk, but not yet back stitched and he goes on the right hand side of the upper portion.

This moth/butterfly is also on the right hand side at the top. He still needs a couple of stitches and back stitching.

A finished butterfly from the left hand side. I am always amazed how the jumble of stitches comes clearer when the back stitching is added. The blobs are flowers/leaves and still need their vines to attach them to the border.

The snake is one of my favorite and a bird begins to emerge on the left while the snake goes after two birds, probably gulls, taking flight from his venomous bite.

I've added some of the back stitching in the main picture at the top of the piece. She is surrounded by birds and flowers and many little bits of life in the grass and trees.

As you can see, there are still more animals and flowers and leaves to go, but the illuminations are coming along after a couple hours of stitching.

Life -- and art -- are in the details. Nothing is insignificant. A single stitch becomes a note of music or the eye of an animal. A line becomes antenna or a leg or the flickering tongue of a serpent. Everything is important.

Happy stitching 

A Little Progress

I have made some progress on the Illuminated Manuscript. I found that by doing some of the back stitching and putting in the Latin words it helped me to figure out where to the put the notes and some of the flowers.

I know the old stitch, back stitch, add embellishments formula and have followed it forever, at least until I did some Sweetheart Tree teenies. Embellishments, like beads, treasures, etc., were put in while stitching and back stitching was also done during the process. I decided to do that here with some pretty good results and a few changes. So here we go.

 

I've concentrated on doing the bottom half. Lots of gold and all those bits of color here and there are flowers with a few animals thrown in. 

 

I love the little dragonfly on the left hand side, but the bird and squirrel are also adorable.

Don't be afraid to change the routine you use. Shake things up a bit and try new things. It's worth the effort.

Happy stitching.

Nonny's box

The Grape Ice from Weeks Dye Works arrived this morning and I quickly finished the insert for the Sudberry box and added the date (birthday and 2013). The finished piece is lovely.

As I said, quite lovely. Unfortunately, I think it needs something more when put into the frame on the box. Happy birthday, although the date already makes that plain. The name? Happy birthday in several different languages? Or is it fine just the way it is?

The finished piece is temporarily installed in the top of the box. I still need to wash and iron it before the final framing, and there's one small flaw I have to fix. I have 2 months, so I'm not worried, just puzzled if it's too little or just enough. 

If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Happy stitching.

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.

Slowly and surely

I began the odious task of back stitching, which I often call outlining. It's the same thing. Back stitching is the type of stitch used to outline features in cross stitch. As you can see, the cardinals look much more there, even without their French knot eyes.

I began my back stitching with the church, mostly because I wanted to know how it looked with the fence and railings and if it would be more there. The church and surrounding landscape is composed of half cross stitches and it does indeed look very much there.

As I began on the sled, I noticed that the lines would not be straight if I used shorter stitches and the longer stitches would be easier to snag, hence I decided to use long stitches and tack them down in a sort of hybrid couched/back stitched method. There are some unfinished pine branches on the right side of the sled and they look much less defined as the branches on the center of the sled. I'll do the ribbon last as that requires couching of the gold wire. Best to put the other stitches in first. (Click on the pictures to get a closer view.)

In the end -- and it's still a bit away from now since I don't have a lot of time to work on the stocking -- it's all about doing the best job possible. I think this is turning out to be quite pretty. I'm please with it -- so far.

That is all. Disperse.

The story behind the background

I don't think I mentioned before that the background for this blog contains two cross stitch patterns I bought about 20 years ago and stitched. King Tut's death mask was done first and was my first major project. I bought the pattern and the materials and worked with metallic blending floss for the first time. The whole thing from start to back stitching took me 2 weeks and some people consider that astonishing. I wasn't working full time then and put all my attention on cross stitching.

Nefertiti's bust (that's statue of head and shoulders for the guys whose minds went directly THERE) took me a little more time to find. The company that made the pattern was bought out by another company and the pattern redone with different colors. I wanted Nefertiti to match King Tut, so I did my own revision of the colors so it did match. I think Nefertiti was done about 2 years later, but it could be more like 5 years.

My mother instantly fell in love with King Tut and, when I refused to let her have it after it was framed, she threw a fit and threatened to break into my apartment and steal it. Like I wouldn't notice. She also didn't know I had planned to give it to her for Xmas. Everyone was in on that secret and helped me to get it out of the trunk of my car and hang it in the front hallway. Mom must have passed it a dozen times going up and down the stairs past where it hung without seeing it.

My siblings were anxious to go home and stood next to King Tut talking. Twice more Mom passed and didn't see it until Jimmy, my younger brother, asked Mom to settle a mock dispute between he and my sisters as she was going up the stairs yet again. She turned to answer, caught sight of Tut, and nearly fell over the banister trying to get back down the stairs to snatch it off the wall, hold it to her chest, and run through the house screaming, "I got it. I got it. I got it," in her most unholy gleeful voice.

I gave her Nefertiti a few years later, appropriately framed, and she was as tickled with that as she was with Tut, although there was a lot less furor.

Mom didn't like that I had both famed and matted without glass, so she had them framed and matted a second time by the daughter of a friend of hers who offered to do the work for free. I think the daughter wanted to get her hands on Tut and Nefertiti and see what the back was like. I never did mention how much it cost to have both framed and matted or how long I took choosing just the right combination. It wouldn't have mattered to Mom anyway.

When I was home 6 years ago, Mom decided I should take both of the framed pieces home with me. My father was dying of bone cancer metastasized from prostate cancer he thought he had beat 10 years before, and Mom was certain she'd follow Dad soon. Mom lasted until last year, January 13, 2012, Friday the 13th appropriately, and she often told me she wished she had held onto Tut and Nefertiti longer. It was the first place guests to the house were taken once entering the house. They hang on my living room wall now and are about 24 x 36, done on Navy blue 28-ct Lugana with Kreinik metallic blending filaments and DMC floss. I still think they make an appropriate background for this blog as they were my first foray into the world of challenging cross stitch and the beginning of a love of thread art.

King Tut's Death Mask

 Nefertiti

Nefertiti reminds me of Mom: fine small features dressed in jewels and covered in gold. Mom would've liked that -- being covered in gold and studded with jewels. They were her favorite things. 

Happy stitching.

Bringing Evertyhing Up to Date

As I was searching for proof of last year's Xmas stockings for the grandkids, I could not find the photos I took of Elliott and Grady's stocking. Elliott and Grady are Nikki's children and Nikki is Ellen's child. Ellen is my 1st cousin, 1 of 5, and daughter of my mother's brother, Uncle Bob. Suffice it to say, I used Grady and Elliott as an excuse to make the Brittercup Xmas stockings. Well, that and I wanted them to have Xmas stockings too since I was on a roll. I just found the photos.

I do love the simplicity and color of Brittercup's designs and I wish they would make more and different patterns. I have been stitching, but not posting. I know. Bad Jackie. I did post the photos of finished work elsewhere, just not here. It seemed a bit too much fuss for the results, which is posting in yet another blog. I won't tell you how many of those I have. I also link to a bunch of different search engines and websites so I get the news out (in case anyone care or is paying attention) to as many of the sites where people might actually visit. At least there is an app for that and I use it all the time. Saves me having to juggle HTML and all the other blog features to get it right. I will show a few of the latest projects in the current state. Celtic Summer by Lavender & Lace took me the most time because of the hundreds of beads that had to be applied. Still, it did turn out to be lovely.

I am quite naturally proud of the work - and that I finished the whole thing. A close up is in order.

And now for a closeup of the bottom. I don't know which part (top or bottom) has the most beads. They are everywhere.

Of course, now I will have to do the other four pieces in the set: Autumn, Spring, Winter, and Christmas. I have all the patterns now and most of the beads and fabric, but I still need to get some thread to go with the Rainbow petite braid I bought a few months ago. This one is my favorite current projects, The Japanese Maiden. It is proving to be much bigger than I first thought when I saw it online and in the picture on the package, but still lovely.

I need to get out the camera and show how much more I've finished. I have the bottom quarter done and am working on the top left quarter as of yesterday. I took some time off from Celtic Summer to work on a quick project for a very good friend, a birthday present. Getting the stitching done was a breeze, although I need to work on the heart. It's a new technique for me and I think the right side is a little off. What made the gift late for her birthday was getting the frame; that took much longer. It did turn out lovely, but I didn't get a picture. I have to do better with that in the future -- taking pictures, I mean.

I did a couple more projects from the Adventure Box I bought from The Stitchery. You don't get a choice of what goes into the package and the theme is strictly up to the company. I got a lot of cats. These kittens were just adorable and not too difficult to get right -- once I bought some erasable highlighters and used them on the chart. The highlighter made everything so much easier.

In keeping with the cat theme, the cougar was a bit more challenging. I got off (before I bought the highlighter) and was afraid I'd have to rip out a huge section, so I moved on to another part of the pattern and worked from there. I found out I wasn't so far off and only had to remove and redo a few stitches. I think it turned out quite lovely, although I didn't take a picture of the completed project. This photo is when it was nearly done. Since I still have it, I'll photograph it and add it later, maybe even after I have it framed and ready to send to its new owner. I do think cross stitch makes lovely gifts and you couldn't buy them already made because of the hours of time that go into a good sized project. The cost would be prohibitive. No matter how beautiful the stocking, I doubt many people could afford - or would - pay $250 per stocking, and that is still getting off on the cheap side.

I decided last year that my now 14-year-old grandson Jordan was too mature for a stocking. I was wrong. He wants a Xmas stocking too, and so I am finishing his stocking. I'm much farther along (again, no photos yet) than this picture shows. It's a beautiful piece, but there is a lot of work involved and it is much more complex than the average once a month stitcher -- or even an every day or week stitcher -- usually works on. The highlighters came in handy on this one as well. There are half stitches, blended stitches, fold filament that is pretty stiff, and beads to attach when all the stitching is done. It will be beautiful but it did give me some difficult moments, which is why I've worked on other projects in between. I've found that is the best way to keep from throwing everything in the bin and turning the air blue with cursing.

Here is a picture of the whole stocking. No, I do not use stretcher bars or embroidery hoops. I've found I can keep things in shape by simply rolling the fabric up -- or with Aida, folding the fabric -- from the side and getting my hands in there. No, that has nothing to do with the complexity of the pattern. My finished pieces aren't stretched out or misshapen, but I doubt it's something that every stitcher should consider. It works for me.

Well, that brings almost everything up to date, except for one last little piece, another quickie, that I still need to outline. I think I'll put this one in the lid of a Sudberry House keepsake box. It would look lovely that way. I only wish there was one with shells around the box to go with the sea theme.

Well, that brings me up to date -- mostly. I hope you have enjoyed the show. That is all. Disperse.

And happy stitching.