Ben and Sara's Wedding Sampler

Christmas Is Forever

Christmas if Forever is the 2008 Special Edition from Lizzie Kate. I’m not a big fan of kits. The main reason being is that normally the fabric piece is not large enough for my taste AND I already have all of the DMC colors. The charts by Lizzie Kate [...]]]>  

Christmas Is Forever

Christmas if Forever is the 2008 Special Edition from Lizzie Kate. I’m not a big fan of kits. The main reason being is that normally the fabric piece is not large enough for my taste AND I already have all of the DMC colors. The charts by Lizzie Kate are some of my favorites to stitch and this particular one was available only as a kit. This kit came complete with the chart,  28ct Cashel linen fabric, 5 skeins of Crescent Colours floss, and the 2 DMC colors. I ordered extra of the Crescent Colours floss and two pieces of  Laguana fabric in the same color as the linen. I prefer Laguana to linen for stitching. The piece is stitched in traditional Christmas colors with a few punches of pink and chartreuse for extra holiday spirit! The finished size  of the stitched piece is 4 1/2″ x 7″.

Now, who to give it to for Christmas.

I just ordered Poinsettia House by Little House Needleworks from my favorite on-line cross-stitch shop, 123Stitch along with a new kind of floss (new for me that is), Crescent Colours.  The pattern is described as “Soft colors, a snow hill and the flowers of the season. . . . . .poinsettias!”

Crescent Colours [...]]]>

I just ordered Poinsettia House by Little House Needleworks from my favorite on-line cross-stitch shop, 123Stitch along with a new kind of floss (new for me that is), Crescent Colours.  The pattern is described as “Soft colors, a snow hill and the flowers of the season. . . . . .poinsettias!”

Crescent Colours used include:  Roasted Chestnut, Timber, Clay Pot, Weeping Willow and Wild Berries. The remaining thread is DMC.  Can’t wait for it to arrive so I can start work on it.

I am stitching the one that shows on the bottom left at the tip of the V but as a framed [...]]]> Poppies & Polka Dots by Ursula Michael is one of the design booklets by Jeanette Crews Designs. The various charts feature realistic poppies in shades of red complemented by soft yellow polka-dots.

I am stitching the one that shows on the bottom left at the tip of the V but as a framed picture or pillow rather than the table runner that is shown. I am using 14ct antique white Aida.

Colors of the midday sun and the evening sunset radiate from the petals of these flowers bursting with joie de vivre. Counted cross-stitch kit, designed [...]]]> A couple of days ago, I received an email newsletter from Keepsake Needlearts with information and a picture of one of their newest offerings, Sunshine Sunflowers. The description read:

Colors of the midday sun and the evening sunset radiate from the petals of these flowers bursting with joie de vivre. Counted cross-stitch kit, designed by Nel Whatmore, includes 16-ct cream Aida cloth, carded cotton floss, needle, chart and directions.

The fact that it was available only as a kit turned me off as I already have all of the DMC colors and drawers of cross stitch fabric. BUT the picture was so beautiful, I just kept going back and looking and thinking: “Should I or shouldn’t I?”  The finished piece is 14″ x 14″ worked on 16ct Aida. The price tag is a hefty $68.99 which does include the fabric and all of the floss. I searched first to see if it might be available as just a pattern but alas no.  So I went in search to see if it might be available anywhere at a lesser price. Slightly, but not much.

The piece is based on the art of Nel Whatmore, a British Artist. I will have to give this some serious thought.

Found it on sale for $50. with free shipping so ordered it today (10/20/2010). Can’t wait for it to arrive.

Package arrived today (10-23-2010) with some bonus goodies included: a nice canvas bag I can keep the project in and an added chart for The Pack which should be fun stitching after I finish the Sunshine Sunflowers project.

November 15, 2010 – Fabric has been stitched around the edges and put on a stitching frame. Started working on it today. I finally had to enlarge the chart so I could see what I was doing. Looking good so far. Will take some pictures as I go along.

The visible design area is 7½x7½ and the box itself measures 9½x9½x2 3/4 and has a mahogany finish and is fully lined in black velvet.  The design area is covered with glass.

UPDATE  May 2009: Finished stitching the piece from Woodland Flowes [...]]]>
This is my current project for my granddaughter’s high school graduation.

The visible design area is 7½x7½ and the box itself measures 9½x9½x2 3/4 and has a mahogany finish and is fully lined in black velvet.  The design area is covered with glass.

UPDATE  May 2009: Finished stitching the piece from Woodland Flowes by Astor Place for the top of the box. Please with how it turned out.

The piece was stitched on 14ct Aida using DMC floss which measures 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″. After cleaning and pressing the piece, it was stretched over a very think piece of foam board that came with the box and inserted under glass with a picture frame type backing that also came with the box.

If you were using needlepoint canvas or a thicker piece of fabric, you might have to forgo the glass or the foam board. My stitched piece fit perfectly even after stretching on the board and lacing the back.

My newest work in progress is Lizzie Kate Friendship. I’m stitching the design on 14 count Antique White Aida using DMC floss. I’m not sure whether they will be finished as small pillows or framed.

December 2009:  Finished stitching two of these and I decided to frame these with the Mill Hill Blue [...]]]>

My newest work in progress is Lizzie Kate Friendship. I’m stitching the design on 14 count Antique White Aida using DMC floss. I’m not sure whether they will be finished as small pillows or framed.

December 2009:  Finished stitching two of these and I decided to frame these with the Mill Hill Blue 6×6 inch frame in the Blue Matte Finish as seen above. Below you can see the detail on the flower and the Bee button.

A Band sampler is a long narrow sampler, where designs are stitched in rows or bands across the width of the fabric. This type of sampler was popular in the 17th century.  Some of my favorites to stitch are those done by Prairie [...]]]> What is a band sampler?

Summer Sampler from Prairie Schooler

A Band sampler is a long narrow sampler, where designs are stitched in rows or bands across the width of the fabric. This type of sampler was popular in the 17th century.  Some of my favorites to stitch are those done by Prairie Schooler. This particular sampler hangs in our kitchen. It is from the Summer Samplers Book 77. All of them were worked on 14 cont Fiddlers Lite and use the brass bell pull hardware available from Nordic Needle.

I’ve woeked a number of these as gifts for family and friends but failed to take pictures of them which is my loss. The ones I have stitched include :

• Band Samplers – Book 40
• Garden Samplers – Book 45
• Garden Verses – Book 49
• Spring Samplers – Book 60
• Christmas Samplers – Book 63
• Summer Samplers – Book 77

Little House Needleworks has a collection called Simple Samplers which are small projects that do not take forever to complete.  I’m working the Music and Books design on 28 count khaki Jobelan. The finished piece measures 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″  I’ve finished one and started on the 2nd one.  You can view [...]]]>

Little House Needleworks has a collection called Simple Samplers which are small projects that do not take forever to complete.  I’m working the Music and Books design on 28 count khaki Jobelan. The finished piece measures 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″  I’ve finished one and started on the 2nd one.  You can view and purchase any of the Little House Needlework designs from 123Stitch.

Enlarged area of Books & Music.