Blackbird Peace

I've been working on a design that is driving me crazy with confetti stitching, so I took a break to make a little holiday card. This is the Blackbird Designs ornament from the 2009 JCS Ornament issue, the first I've stitched from this issue. The design is in the same style as the Blackbird ornie from the Halloween issue, and I really liked the concept. I replaced the date with a little birdie since I never know when I might use the card. Otherwise, I used the DMC colors provided as the alternative to the hand-dyed fibers. The fabric is tea-dyed Monaco.

The crocheted snowflakes come from this pattern for earrings.

The bunny's job was to hold the card down while I took the photo.



And now it's back to final third of the squint-inducing design!

Even more Halloween tags

I think this will be the last of the trick or treat bag tags for the third graders. I still might stitch another Halloween design or two, but this will close out the set to send off. I did have a lot of fun with this and now I have to replenish my floss supply with all those fall colors.



Clockwise from the top left:

"Happy Jack" from Knotted Tree Needlearts, JCS Oct, 2009 issue, stitched on antique white Monaco


"Boo House" by Helga Mandl stitched on 32 count parchment Jobelan


"Autumn Stars" by Blackbird Designs, JCS Oct, 2009 issue, stitched on antique white Monaco. A few modifications to suit my tastes.


"Halloween House" (sans house!) by Drawn Thread stitched on 35 count linen from Vikki Clayton

Snow Bunnies

My partner, Janeth in Missouri, has received the winter ornament I made for her in the 123 Stitch exchange, so I can present the photo of it here. This design by Little House Needleworks is from the JCS 2007 ornament issue. It had been on my to-do list for some time, and since Janeth likes to decorate for winter and not for just the holiday season, it seemed very appropriate. I even sprung for the 36-ct Rue Green Edinburgh linen. No other color in my stash seemed right.

The crocheted snowflakes were my own design. I used modified versions of simple flower and star designs to get something resembling the snow motifs in the tree foliage.

More Halloween tags..

I've been making trick or treat bag tags out of all my saved small Halloween designs. I'm planning to give them to a friend to use as prizes for the kids in her third grade class. Here's the latest collection:



Clockwise from top left we have:
- Just Nan's Fraidy Frog, JCS Oct, 2009
- Cat's Whiskers' Halloween Kitty
- Barbara Ana's Boo
- Bent Creek's Blackbird house

I'll make a few more until I OD on Halloween and then send them on their way. It's fun to do the little designs, and I love all the opportunities for designer creativity with so many Halloween symbols available.