Pat's Cross-Stitch Corner

Echoing Evergreens by Tempting Tangles Designs

September 8, 2019 By patgeary

Echoing Evergreens is another of the beautiful designs offered by Deborah Dick who is Tempting Tangles Designs as a SAL. I had already stitched three of her other designs:

and I knew I wanted to add this one to my collection. Her SAL’s are only $5 for the chart presented in 16 parts. I faithfully downloaded each piece of the project as offered but never really got the chance to start it although I had figured out the fabric and perhaps floss I wanted to use.

The design size of the entire project is 124 x 124 and the recommended fabric was Wichelt 28ct Jobelan Queen Anne’s Lace which is a mottled white and pale green. I knew I would never be able to see well enough to grid the fabric so chose a light green 14ct Aida I had in my stash.

The project calls for Dinky Dyes thread but I wanted to try some of the Valdani 3ply floss. Another stitcher sent me some to try out. It is beautiful but was a bit to thick for my fabric and kept knotting so I decided to switch it out for my favorite floss by Nancy Turner of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I love her floss and have used it on many projects now. The colors I selected were:

Mountain Pines (very dark green)
In My Garden (lighter green)
Kansas Cone Flower (orange/brown/gold color)

I started stitching on September 4, 2019.

Echoing Evergreens by Tempting Tangle Designs.

Finished Stitching: September 16, 2019

Echoing Evergreens parts 1-16. — Echoing Evergreens parts 1-16

July 2022 – Echoing Evergreens has been freed from the “prison drawer” and framed.

Come Into My Garden by Blackbird Designs

August 15, 2019 By patgeary

Come Into My Garden was introduced at the Summer Stitch Camp held at the Country Sampler in Spring Green WI in June 2019. It is available exclusively from that shop as a kit. Please note, the sampler in the picture is not finished as Barb ran out of time but the full chart is included.

I wanted to stitch this piece but did not want to purchase it as a kit as it came with 36ct linen which I cannot see to stitch on and I wanted to change out much of the floss for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss. I was luck enough to find another stitcher who was willing to let me borrow her chart.

I ordered a piece of 16ct Wren by Picture This Plus and selected the floss I wanted to use. On 16ct, the design size is larger measuring 15 3/8 by 15 5/8.

The recommended colors with my changes are listed below:

WDW adobe/VMSS Rust
WDW Bee’s Knees/VMSS Barnwood Tan
WDW Caper/VMSS Mountain Laurel
WDW Chickpea/VMSS Spiced Cider
WDW Cinnabar 10 yards (I need more since I am stitching with 2 strands
WDW Confederate Gray/VMSS Frog Prince
WDW Deep Sea
WDW Dirt Road/VMSS 1840 Brass
WDW Dolphin/VMSS Twitterpated
WDW Oscar 10 yrds/VMSS Rosebud Leaves and VMSS Hollyhock Leaves. I used Rosebud Leaves for the border and Hollyhock Leaves for all the plant stems and leaves to make sure I had enough. The two colors are almost identical.
WDW Pelican Gray/VMSS Toad Spell
WDW Sandcastle/VMSS Desert Grass
WDW Schneckly/VMSS Memory Quilt
WDW Sanguine
WDW Straw/VMSS Golden Sand

I started stitching this on August 14, 2019.

I finished stitching this piece on August 31, 2019 with the exception of adding my mother’s name. Trying to decide on Mom’s Garden, Marge Little, or Mrs. L which was my father’s nickname for her.

Come Into My Garden in memory of my Mom.

And here it is October 27, 2019 and the project is now pinned and laced and in the frame. This is one of my favorite framed I have ordered and used in the past. Unfortunately, I think it is being discontinued.

The Quaker Four Corners Sampler

July 29, 2019 By patgeary

I recently saw a project posted in one of the cross stitch Facebook groups I am a member of and fell in love with it.

It had no information as to who the designer was so I posted and asked if anyone could identify it. The answer came quickly. The designer was Anne Brown, The Goode Huswife and it was called The Quaker Four Corners Sampler. And, of course, it was Out of Print.

A stitching friend contact me off list and offered to loan it to me. I quickly accepted. I already had the perfect piece of fabric and floss I wanted to use.

The fabric was a piece of 16ct Aida I had purchased from To Dye For Fabrics pictured below. The floss was Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Ginger Dark from Nancy Turner.

The chart arrived and I was ready to begin.

The Quaker Four Corners Sampler supplies.

Started: July 26, 2019
Finished: July 29, 2019

I stitched this piece in memory of my Mom, Marjorie Little. I plan to add a small charm at the bottom of the V and finish it either as a small pillow or the same as the original one I first saw.

And I plan on hanging the finished piece on the door to my china cupboard where I can enjoy it every day. Thank you Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher.

We Live in Hope by Blackbird Designs

May 13, 2019 By patgeary

We Live in Hope was one of the projects at the Blackbird Designs Retreat held in Virginia Beach at Dyeing to Stitch. The chart itself was based on an antique sampler shared by Barb and Alma.

Antique Sampler that inspired We Live in Hope

The kit we received included the chart, fabric 36ct Vintage Honey by R & R Reproductions and the recommended floss.

WDW Beige
WDW Blue Jay
WDW Bright Leaf
WDW Caper
WDW Cocoa
WDW Deep Sea
WDW Garrison Green
WDW Kris’ Bon Bon
WDW Red Pear
WDW Williamsburg

I chose to stitch mine on 16ct Toasted Almond from Fabrics from Stephanie using the recommended floss. If you choose to stitch this one and use two threads rather than one, you will need additional skeins of some of the colors Caper, Cocoa, Garrison Green and Red Pear.

Started Stitching: 5/7/2019
Finished Stitching: 6/2/2019 (with the exception of the bullion stitch which is the door knocker. Need to watch some videos and practice on this one.

e in Hope. — Alphabets finished, now to add the motifs.

The Finished Piece
Ship and Anchor Motif
Some of the baskets
The House
The Anchor

The door knocker using the bullion stitch

Completed piece with my initials and the door knocker added.

Spring 2019 Blackbird Designs Retreat

May 8, 2019 By patgeary

The Spring Blackbird Design Retreat was scheduled for April 26-27, 2019 at Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach. I knew I just had to attend as this might be the last one I would be able to attend. It had been on my bucket list for sometime but because of Jim’s health I could not attend. I joined the All About Berries club so that I would be able to apply for the earlier registration. Registration was to open on Wednesday, January 30th at 10am. I filled out the forms, scanned them, and had them ready to send at 9:59 by email. Yippeee, I was accepted.

2019 Retreat Info

I was up bright and early on Friday, April 26 with the car packed with everything I thought I might need and ready to hit the road by 8:30AM. The weather forecast was NOT promising and it did not take long for the rain to start. Crossing the top of the mountain, was very foggy but that quickly disappeared and the rain continued off and on but got much heavier the closer I got to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area. I had decided to go directly to Dyeing to Stitch first and then head to the hotel. The shop was packed with lots of ladies buying all sorts of things. I registered and got my name tag and retreat information and Fridays project. Barb and Alma were at the back of the shop so I headed back to introduce myself and have a chat. They are both so sweet and friendly and Ann Robbins was in the back so I chatted with all of them and got a picture taken.

Barb Adams, Alma Allen, Ann Robbins and Pat Geary.

[Read more…]

A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles

May 6, 2019 By patgeary

When I first saw A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles, I knew I had to stitch it. Katie, our previous dog, and Shadow, our current dog were/are great pursuers of squirrels. My son knew how much I like it so he gave me the money to order the chart.

A Dog’s Declaration chart

The design size is fairly big 243w x 315h. The recommended fabric is 36ct Tycho by Picture This Plus but I am going to stitch it on 16ct cream Aida as that is easier on my eyes. The recommended thread was 6ply cotton floss by Valdani. While I loved the variegated colors, I did not want to spend that much money on them and I had heard that they shredded easily. So I went with my very favorite floss, Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

P1 Old Brick/VM Burnt Red
P2 Olive Green/VM Dried Clover
P6 Rusted Orange/VM Rust Swirl
P8 Old Rose/VM Rose Plum
JP5 Nantucket Rose/VM Soft Pastel Peach
JP7 Faded Marigold/VM From Me to Thee
JP9 Herb Garden/VM Twitterpated
P10 Antique Violet/VMFrench Lilac
P12 Brown/VM Colonial Chrstnu & Classic Chestnut Blended
H203 Blackened Teal/VM Delphinium Blue
O31 Tealish Blue/VM Nine Patch
O512 Chimney Dust/VM Colonial Lavender
O513 Coffee Roast/VM P27
O518 Dusty Leaves/VM Into a Dragon
O526 Green Pastures/VM Dark Fern
O571 Tea Honey/VM Golden Amber

A Dog’s Declaration 3-4-2019

Finished Stitching: July 16, 2019 (not sure when I started this piece.

And now (April 2020) it is framed and hanging on the wall.

A Dog's Declaration by Ink Circles. — A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

April 18, 2019 By patgeary

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery by Blackbird Designs is #5 in the Loose Feathers series. Behind the blackbird is a rather sparse Christmas tree with a star on top. It is now OOP. It had never really appealed to me in the past but the more I saw the finished stitched pieces, the more I liked it. So I finally decided it was one I had to stitch. Since it is not a chart I own, I borrowed it from a fellow stitcher.

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery chart

The recommended fabric is 28 ct. Cranberry Bog by R & R Reproductions which is no longer available. But I had a piece of 16ct Aida from Nancy Turner. that I thought would work. The closest DMC color looks like 3806.

Fabric and floss for Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

I used the recommended floss: Gentle Art (GA) and DMC

DMC 310
GA Tin Bucket
GA Dried Thyme
GA Harvest Basket
GA Dark Chocolate
GA Flax
GA Cherry Bark
GA Chamomile
GA Sarsaparilla
GA Straw Bonnet
Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads #02045

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery small bird

I will probably finish them as small pillows but for now they reside in the finished projects drawer.

And here it is finished and ready to join the other small pillows in my long basket.

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray by Blackbird Designs

April 12, 2019 By patgeary

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray was first released as a class project at the Shepherd’s Bush 2010 retreat in Utah. It was later included in the book, A Stitcher’s Journey. Both are Out of Print.

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray

Stitch Count: 78w x 78h – The finished design size on 28ct over 2 is 5 5/8 x 5 5/8

Recommended Floss: Silk Floss by The Thread Gatherer. I was not willing to spend the money on ordering the floss so I used what I had in my stash. My changes are includes after the forward slash.

Bark and Branches (DMC 3787)/VMSS Regal Brown
Crimson Wood (DMC 3857)/DMC 3857
Worn Brick Path (DMC 355)/VMSS Hearthside Stitching
Tuscan Olive (DMC 3011)/DMC 3011
Olive Branch (DMC 3012)/DMC 3012
Ethiopian Rocks (DMC 644)/VMSS Sewing Notions
Concrete Meadow ((DMC 3752)/DMC 3752
Toffee Crunch (DMC 945)/VMSS The Dressmaker
Pond Scum (DMC 734)/VMSS Vintage Quaker
Hidden Canyon (DMC 452)/VMSS Mocha Tan

Recommended Fabric: 30ct Espresso by R & R Reproductions. I chose to stitch mine on 28ct Cream Monaco 2 over 2 except for the initials which are stitched over 1. That part was difficult because of my poor eyesight.

Hearts in Bloom Stitched piece

Started Stitching: March 6, 2019
Finished Stitching: April 12, 2019

Heart in Bloom framed with natural oak frame.

The Bells on Christmas Day

March 1, 2019 By patgeary

The Bells on Christmas Day is one of three new samplers released by Blackbird Designs. The other two are Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring and Our Lasting Friendship. The Bells was designed exclusively for Attic Needlework in Mesa Arizona and available only through that shop (888-94-ATTIC or 480-898-1838). We are hoping the chart will be available to all shops at the Nashville Needlework Market the first of March 2019.

The recommended fabric is 36ct Oaken by Picture This Plus. I can’t see to stitch on that count and the color is darker than I like, so I chose a 16ct Ecru by Kimberley Smith of To Dye For Fabrics.

The Bells on Christmas Day chart cover

The recommended floss is a combination of Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colors, and Gentle Arts. I will be using an assortment of threads from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe’s two Victorian Christmas Collections.

WDW Baked Apple (DMC 221)/Victorian Cranberry
WDW Cocoa (DMC 839)/Black Eyed Susan
WDW Dirt Road (DMC 831)/Antique Bronze
WDW Havana (DMC 869)/ Variegated Pine
CC Onion Skin (DMC 3864)/Primitive Tan
WDW Palomino (DMC 3012 & 3011)/Holly Leaves
GA Piney Woods (DMC 3011)/Black Forest
WDW Red Pear (DMC 3722)/Cherry Bush
WDW Sage (DMC 370)/Sagebrush
GA Tarnished Gold (DMC 434)/Victoriana Gold

The Bells on Christmas Day

The Bells on Christmas Day progress

I forgot to note when I started this one but finished stitching it on February 28, 2019.

The Bells on Christmas Day by Blackbird Designs

Updated: July 9, 2021 After a few years of languishing in the drawer of finished projects, I finally ordered a frame for this one. Unfortunately, once it arrived and I tried it with the stitched piece, it was just not a good fit. To “in my face.” How could I tone it down so that I would be happy with it.

Bells on Christmas Day frame BEFORE using Rub and Buff

A search of Google comes up with a product called Rub and Buff. I watched a couple of videos and decided to give it a try. I ordered two tubes, Antique Gold and European Gold. Once it arrived, I gave it a try and liked the end result. So The Bells on Christmas Day is now framed and ready to hang on my Blackbird Design Christmas wall.

The Bells on Christmas Day frame AFTER using Rub and Buff

While it is messy to use, it did the job.

Tiny Tree Tops, Rose or Thyme by Blackbird Designs

January 13, 2019 By patgeary

Barb Adams and Alma Allen introduced Tiny Tree tops, Rose or Thyme at the Shepherd’s Retreat 2016. While I did not attend the retreat, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow the pattern and stitch it. I used the called for threads (week Dye Works) but chose to stitch it on 16ct Doubloon Aida from Picture This Plus rather than the called for 32ct.

Tiny Tree Tops, Rose or Thyme by Blackbird Designs

Started Stitching: January 22, 2017
Finished Stitching: February 22, 2017

Robert Louis Stevenson’s “A Child’s Garden of Verses” contains many poems which describe the world through the eyes of the younger generation. Here is one in which conveys the magic of a flower garden.

The Flowers

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener’s garters, Shepherd’s purse,
Bachelor’s buttons, Lady’s smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames –
These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, roses or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people’s trees,
But the fairest woods are these;
Where if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.

UPDATE: June 2019

Rather than frame this one, I decided to have it finished as a drum. Beautifully finished by The Twisted Stitcher.