Pat's Cross-Stitch Corner

Spring ABC’s by Little House Needleworks

July 2, 2018 By patgeary

Spring ABC’s is another of the long skinny samplers by Little House Needleworks. One of the reasons I love this series is because they can be finished to fit into small spaces on my wall. I stitched Autumn ABC’s earlier but have not made it into a bellpull it as yet.

Spring ABC’s by Little House Needleworks.

The recommended fabric is 32ct Vintage Examplar from Lakeside Linens. Since I cannot see to stitch on fabric with that small a count, I chose to use 16ct Regency by Picture This Plus. I also did not have all of the recommended floss by Classic Colorworks so will be using a floss collection from VIctorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, Tribute to Sisters.

Recommended Floss/Colors I used

CC LaTierra/VMSS Walnut Bark
CC Eggshell/VMSS Hopscotch (for flowers) VMS Mocha Cream
CC Old Marigold/VMSS Dried Peaches
CC Stormy Night/VMSS Chiming Bells (from Rocky Mountain Wildflower Collection)
CC Sugared Violets/VMSS Easter Bonnets
CC Weeping Willow/VMSS Stitching Together
CC Wagon Wheel/VMSS Primitive Taupe Brown

Spring ABC’s Progress

Spring ABC’s Halfway point

And the finished piece.

Spring ABC’s by Little House Needleworks.

First Winds of Autumn by Blackbird Designs

June 11, 2018 By patgeary

The First Winds of Autumn by Blackbird Designs is the 2nd offering in 2018 for the Ladies Prim Society. It is available only to members of the Club. It MAY be released to the general public but not for at least a year.

First Winds of Autumn Kit Contents.

The kit comes complete with everything needed to complete the project, chart, linen, floss, and Lady Dot velveteen. The linen included is 36ct Vintage Beeswax by R & R Reproductions. 36ct is much too small for me to stitch on even with a magnifier so I am using 16ct Wren by Picture This Plus. The project is shown finished as a strawberry (large) but mine will be even larger so I plan on finishing it as a drum or have it finished.

Started Stitching: June 9, 2018
Finished Stitching: June 24, 2018

First Winds of Autumn Stitching Progress.

First Winds of Autumn – Body of the Drum.

Since I intend to finish this as a drum, I stitched some butterflies for the top.

Top of Drum

Now to send it off to the Twisted Stitcher Vonna Pfeiffer for finishing.

Autumn ABC’s by Little House Needleworks

June 5, 2018 By patgeary

I LOVE this series and one of the main reasons is because each of them is L O N G and S K I N N Y! This will allow me to finish them using bellpull hardware and they won’t take up much in the way of wall space which is in short supply in my house.

Autumn ABC’s by Little House Needleworks

Stitch Count: 39w x 311h
Recommended Fabric: 32ct Winter’s Brew by R & R Reproductions
Recommended Floss: Classic Colorworks

Pumpkin Harvest
Caterpillar
Eggshell/VMSS Country Tan
Sunkissed
Fallen Leaves
Roasted Chestnut/ VMSS Gathered Chestnuts
Weeping Willow/VMSS Spring Ivy
Blue Corn/ VMSS Bear’s Paw
Ye Olde Gold

I had a piece of 16ct Aida hand dyed by Nancy Turner for her Fabric of the Month Club that I decided to use instead of what was recommended. I really don’t like stitching on linen and 32ct is a little hard on my eyes. I also substituted some of Nancy’s Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads for some of those recommended. I have noted them in the thread listing.

Started Stitching: May 16, 2018
Finished Stitching: June 5, 2018

Autumn ABC’s finished stitching piece

Autumn ABC’s Top

Autumn ABC’s Middle

Autumn ABC’s Bottom

Joyeux Noel by the Drawn Thread

May 31, 2018 By patgeary

This little beauty has been sitting in the drawer for 15 years as it is now 2018 and I stitched it in 2003. I could not even remember the designer of the chart. When looking over what to send off to be finished, I decided this one deserved it. So off to The Twisted Stitcher it went. I love what she did with it.

Joyeux Noel by The Drawn Thread finished by The Twisted Stitcher

The design is 63 x 63 stitches and the suggested fabric was 36 Count Summer Khaki Edinburgh linen. I do not stitch on linen but not sure what fabric I used. It looks like either 28 or 32ct lambswool of some kind. The suggested floss was Threadworx and DMC floss and Kreinik blending filament. I can tell I used the Kreinik for the small start at the top of the tree an the rest was probably DMC as that was all I used at the time. Not sure which embellishments came with the kit but the package says: Embellished with beads, jade gemstone hearts and 6mm black buttons. Chart Pack includes chart and embellishments. I see the hearts and black buttons on mine but not the others. I wish I knew what I did with the chart so I could stitch it again.

Catch the Wind Mystery SAL by Tempting Tangle Designs

May 13, 2018 By patgeary

Catch the Wind with Quaker motifs/whimsical sea creatures/sailing boats/fish/loch ness monster/whale/cross stitch/counted thread.

The description of the Catch the Wind Mystery SAL by Tempting Tangle Designs intrigued me so I decided to join in this one too. The price is right too since the three that I had joined were only $5. each. Again, the project is 16 parts with one part released about every two weeks.

Specifics on Catch the Wind

Design Size: 168w x 168h
Recommended Fabric: Wichelt 36ct Jobelan Lambswool

Recommended Floss: Ship’s Manor cotton floss (conversions for DMC and Gentle Arts are suggested. The colors I chose are listed.

Sugar Plum 1 skein/GAST Claret
Witches Knickers 2 skeins/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Concord Grape
Cleopatra 2 skeins/GAST Verdigris
Autumn Sunset 1 skein/GAST Copper
Neverland 2 skeins/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Into the Blue

I chose to us 16ct Regency Aida by Picture This Plus

Started Stitching: May 1, 2018

Supplies for Catch the Wind by Tempting Tangle Designs

Catch the Wind Parts 1-4

Catch the Wind Parts 1-6

Beware of the horrifying, cannibalistic Humboldt Red Squid (pictured below) – the Red Devil of the Seas. Here in “Catch the Wind SAL”, this monster is a more manageable size.

Humboldt Red Squid from Catch the Wind Mystery Sampler

Catch the Wind – Parts 1-7

Catch the Wind Parts 1 – 10

Swans and Shears Mystery SAL by Tempting Tangles Designs

May 13, 2018 By patgeary

Swans and Shears is another project offered by Tempting Tangles Designs and Deborah Dick. The description was intriguing: This SAL is filled with Quaker medallions and hidden scissors and swans. Since I had enjoyed stitching the earlier one, Wildflower Woodland Quaker, I decided to try this one too.

The entire project is made up of 16 parts released about every two weeks. There is a Facebook group you can also join to share your work and where the files are posted.

Specifics for Swans and Shears are:

Design Size: 176w x 148h
Recommended Fabric: Linen, evenweave, Aida – size and color your choice

Suggested Floss with my substitutions:

DMC 612/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Waves of Grain
DMC 500/Carrie’s Creations Bay Breeze
DMC 936/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Ripe Avocado
DMC 3740/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Purple Splendor
DMC 869/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Basket Weave
DMC3836/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Spring Lilac
DMC 501/Carrie’s Creation Pacific Blue
DMC 3803/Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Cherry Swirl

This design can also be stitched with all one color which will require 6 skeins of the desired color.

I chose a piece of 28ct Monaco I had in my stash to stitch this one one.

Started Stitching: March 17, 2018

Swans and Shears, a start

Swans and Shears Parts 1-5

Swans and Shears, a bit more.

Swans and Shears, Parts 1-9.

Swans and Shears Parts 1-12.

Swans and Shears Parts 1- 14

Rosehips and Ivy by Blackbird Designs

April 25, 2018 By patgeary

Rosehips and Ivy was a release of the Ladies Prim Society towards the end of 2017.

Rosehips and Ivy Kit by Blackbird Designs from Ladies Prim Society

I thought first of stitching it as just a small horizontal picture, then decided to go ahead and stitch it as a drum. The materials that came with the kit included the floss and linen. I chose to use a piece of 16ct Aida I had in my stash.

Recommended Fabric: 36ct Winter’s Brew by R & R Reproductions
Recommended Floss: Weeks Dye Works

Baked Apple
Brick
Caper
Cinnabar
Garrison Green
Mocha
Oscar
Saltwater Taffy

Started Stitching: 12/12/2017
Finished Stitching: 1/5/2018

Rosehips and Ivy Stitched Piece. for body of the drum

Rosehips and Ivy stitched piece for top of the drum

The two pieces of have mailed to Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for finishing as a drum. I’ll post a picture when I get them back.

And here it is, the finished drum. I LOVE it!!

Rosehips and Ivy by Blackbird Designs

Deck the Halls by Blackbird Designs

April 24, 2018 By patgeary

Deck the Halls is one of the newest books by Blackbird Designs released during the Nashville Needlework Market 2018. The book contains six patterns that can be stitched as strawberries OR small charts for finishing as pin pillows or whatever you want. The book also contains finishing instructions for the strawberries.

Deck the Halls by Blackbird Designs

I decided to stitch at least four of them and attempt finishing as strawberries, something I have NEVER done. I was able to purchase the suggested lace trim (#257691) from Hobby Lobby. I could not locate the recommended seam binding ribbon but another stitcher very generously sent me some. It is 1/2″ wide dark olive by Hug Snug.

Christmas Cactus

The first one I selected to stitch is called Christmas Cactus. The recommended fabric is 36ct Sand by Picture This Plus but I cannot see well enough to stitch on the small a count so I chose 16ct pink that I had in my stash. I did use the recommended floss on this one which is all Weeks Dye Works – Aztec Red, Baked Apple, Olive, Oscar, Palomino. One recommended color, Whiskey, I did not have so substituted DMC 680.

Started Stitching: 4/13/2018
Finished: 4/19/2018

Christmas Cactus by Blackbird Designs

Dancing Sugar Plums

The recommended fabric for this one is 36ct Opal by Picture This Plus. I used the same 16ct pink Aida I had in my stash to stitch this one also. I used the recommended floss – Weeks Dye Works – Cranberry Ice, Dolphin, Oscar, Pink Sand, and Palomino. I did not have Cattail so used DMC 543 and for River Rock used DMC 3860.

Started Stitching: 4/23/2018
Finished: 5/13/2018

I did work on some other project during this time so took longer to finish up.

Dancing Sugar Plums from Deck the Halls

Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas Designs

April 3, 2018 By patgeary

When I first saw this chart as one of the sneak peeks from the Nashville Needlework Market in 2017, I knew I wanted to stitch it. I ordered the chart from Crazy Annie’s along with a number of other Nashville releases.

Cover of Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas Designs

Fast forward to 2018 and I decided it was time to stitch this beauty. While the recommended fabric was 36 Ct. Legacy, I chose to us 16ct Legacy by Picture This Plus. I also decided to switch out some of the floss and use one of my favorites Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads.

Stitch Count: 145W x 156H.
Design Size: 9 1/8 x 9 3/4inches
Uses specialty stitches which I made some changes to

Recommended Floss/Substitutes I Used

GA Baby Spinach/VM Spring Grass
GA Copper
GA Dried Thyme/VM Prairie Sage
GA Gold Leaf/VM Gold Rush
GA Honey Dew
GA Loganberry/VM Sweet Violets
GA Maple Syrup/VM Weathered Barnwood
GA Old Purple Paint/VM Jacob’s Ladder
GA Old Red Paint/VM Cherry Bush
GA Pomegranate/VM Be My Valentine
GA Portabella
GA Summer Meadow/VM Prairie Parsley
WDW Cadet
WDW Charcoal
WDW Deep Sea
WDW Kentucky Blue Grass
WDW Lucky
WDW Peacock
WDW Pelican Gray
WDW Tiger Eye
GA Tarnished Gold
GA Tradewind
GA Wood Trail

This was one of a number of projects I was rotating through. I started stitching on February 28, 2018 and put the last stitches in on the night of April 2, 2018. For now it will go into the bottomless drawer of finished pieces.

Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas Designs – Stitch Piece

Wildflower Woodland Quaker by Tempting Tangle Designs

February 24, 2018 By patgeary

I have NEVER been a fan of Mystery Projects. I want to see what the finished project is going to look like BEFORE I order it or start stitching. I belong to a number of Facebook Cross Stitch groups and someone posted a picture of a portion of the Wildflower Woodland Quaker by Tempting Tangle Designs. It was enough to pique my interest so I went exploring.

The project would be released as 16 separate charts spaced about every two weeks apart. The cost was only $5. so I figured I did not have much to lose if I did not like it.

Recommended Fabric: even weave or linen, 32 count;
Design size is 164w X 164h
Finished size on 32 count if worked over 2 = 10-1/4w X 10-1/4h inches
Each of the 16 sections is 41 x 41 stitches

I purchased the chart, signed up for the Facebook SAL group and downloaded all of the available sections. Since 32ct fabric is too hard for me to stitch on because of my eyes, I selected a 16ct cream Aida that I had in my stash. I also changed out some of the called for DMC threads for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads which is some of my favorite floss.