Halloween, Birthday and Get Well cards

Time for an end of fall stitching summary.  I forget about this blog since I post my finishes on IG, but the Thanksgiving holiday gave me some time to think about it!

First up is  "Checkers the Pumpkin"  an old  Pam Kellogg freebie from Kreinik  that you can still get here.  I stitched it all in DMC, no beads, on 36 ct linen 2 over 2.  He's a jolly little guy and I don't know why it took so many years for me to get around to stitching him.

I love the new little bowl top designs by Heart in Hand.  This is "Hocus Pocus Halloween", used for a card, not a bowl, but it works well for this purpose.  I like the addition of funky stitckers to the funky pumpkin.  

Although I tend to shy away from heavy back-stitching, I coudn't resist this Durene Jones freebie, "Happy Harvest".   It's done on 32 ct Lugana.  I sent it out somewhat before Halloween since it's more a fall design than a Halloween one.

The design is on FB and I don't think you need to be a member to access this link:
Free Chart

Here's another pattern that's been on my to-do list for years and I think it's ideal for a birthday card.  It's by Veronique Enginger from "Mode d'Hier et D'aujourd'hui au Point de Croix"  and stitched on light blue 36 ct linen.  Of course I wrote "Happy Birthday and all that jazz" as the inside sentiment.   The recipient loved it as I suspected she would.  It's a very clever design, don't you think?

A friend of mine took a fall recently and it ended in a very bad broken wrist.  I had this design stitched up and waiting for the right time to use it.  It became a get well card in a wink. The pattern is from "Douce Méditerranée"  and is a freebie on the Art du Fil FB page.  You can get it here.

Birthday and Get Well cards and a Coin Purse

I just noticed that this draft post had been sitting around waiting to be published.   The two cards I stitched recently both went to the same person.    He had some health problems so I made him a get well card.  He's doing much better now, but I don't think my card was the reason.  And then his birthday came along shortly afterward.

For the get well card, I used a design I had waiting in the wings that I had stitched a while ago just because I liked the design.  I figured it would come in handy at some point.  This was one of the blocks from the 2014 Sampler Life SAL.  The original artist is Raquel Blasco of Maggi Co's Village.  I think the cross stitch adaptation might be by Nathalie Cichon of "Jardin Privé".

You can still get the blocks for this sampler on the FB group "The Sampler Life".   Each block is by a different designer.

I did this over-one on Monaco, so it's especially cute in that tiny format.  My over-one stitching days are pretty much behind me.  I don't know what possessed me to do this.  But I find that it is easier on Monaco than on any other fabric.

I may decide to stitch more of Raquel Blasco's designs.   I'm drawn to that style.

I always take a look at the latest CrossStitcher magazine because it's one that I can check out from our local library as an e-magazine.  I rarely find anything that grabs me though.  But the August, 2018 issue had a set of four ice cream sundaes that immediately caught my eye.  I stitched up my favorite of the set and I think it made a pretty cute birthday card.  The colors, especially on the dish, worked up somewhat different from the photo in the mag, but I do like the way they pop on that 36 count "Dirty" linen.

I stitched up a little coin purse for a friend who has done some favors for me recently.  This is a section of Little House Needleworks "Liberty Belles" on  36 ct  linen.  I re-worked the placement of the motifs to make it fit the space.  The threads are all DMC.   I'm still working on the best way to do those top zippers.   I've read a billion tutorials and watched tons of videos, but it's like looking for the perfect taco in Tom Robbins' "Jitterbug Perfume".    This one didn't come out too bad though.  Reducing bulk in the corners is the tricky part.   I added a zipper pull from a  Moonraker Lampwerks bead to jazz it up a bit.. 

Fun little projects

So, I always stuff my small pillow-type finishes with orts (i.e. thread clippings).  Takes a long time to accumulate enough of them for even a tiny piece.  They pack down so much!  But I had a nice little bag of them save up,  I decided to make a little pin cushion from this old Prairie Schooler  freebie, "Stick it Here".  It's stitched on 28 ct over 2  on Cashel linen.   The trim came from my friend Hetti, who graciously sent me a bag of stitchy goodies.  Such a funny little design!

For some time I had wanted to stitch "Sweeping The Garden" by  Barbara Ana.  This design was in the Fall, 2017 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitching.    I never quite knew what I would do with it, but I fnally thought a little zippered case/coin purse would be just the thing.  This is on 36 ct Edinburgh linen over 2.   I really should have stuck with putting the zipper near the top, on the side.  It's so much easier.  But I like getting things in and out of the case better when the zipper is on top.  This is a little gift for a friend and the mouse design was perfect for her.. an inside joke between the two of us.

I recently noticed an empty mini-box of  Russell Stover Valentine's Day chocolates lying around when I was searching for something completely different.  I had saved it with the intention of doing a heart-shaped stitched box top, but you know how that goes.  Never got around to it.  But I remembered the "Mary Valentine's Handework" designs by  With Thy Needle and Thread and I knew there was a perfect design for this in that set.   This is on 36 ct Summer Khaki Edinburgh.  I used my own color conversions to DMC.  And the mini pom pom trim is again, courtesy of Hetti.  Pretty easy to put together.  I gave this to my cousin who has just opened her own micro-hair salon and recently had an open-house party to celebrate.

Gardener Threadkeep, Coffee Coaster, Uncle Sam

Sometimes a design just calls out to me to be stitched.  This one, Blackbird Designs Garden Club #9, "The Gardener", was one of those.  Maybe it's because BBD does not usually put a human figure in their designs.  I can't think of any other that does, but I'm sure I haven't seen them all.  I decided to turn this into a little thread keep for our blogging friend Carol.  I discovered that JoAnn's sells those plastic rings in a number of sizes which makes it very convenient to select the right thing.   I think this is 32 count Jobelan or Lugana.

Another design that called out my name for some stitch therapy was this cute coffee design from Stone Street Stitchworks called "Coffee Corner".   You can find it in their Etsy shop.  There are two versions on the pattern, one in red with a December holiday theme, and the one I stitched that is kind of  all-season.   Finished into a little mat/coaster because I couldn't think of anything else. This is stitched on 36 ct linen from my seemingly endless pile of HDF linen.

I saw this adorable freebie from Annie Beez Folk Art,  "Uncle Sam Rides a Crow", and I really wanted to stitch up the center motif.  It always makes me a little queasy to see a crow with an Uncle Sam, so I played with the chart to turn the crow into an eagle.  Kind of looks like an odd-colored pigeon now, but in context, I think it passes as an eagle.  I think it makes  a cute July 4th card with the addition of the stickers too.  This is done on another scrap of 36 ct HDF linen.

Next project will be on 28 ct over 2 to give my eyes a rest!

Spring assortment et al.

If you follow me on IG, you will have seen all of this stitching.  But here is a summary of finishes since my last post.

Spring took a long time to show up this year, and we were all happy to see its arrival, wet as it has been.  I stitched this cute Spring welcome card to send in honor of the season change.   It's a freebie by Silver Cute Dwarf and you can get the chart here.   It's on 36 count linen and uses a few beads for the flowers. 

My niece took a vacation to Paris this spring and I stitched this Bon Voyage card for her.   The original design had Notre Dame in the the upper right.  I found a nice little charted Arc De Triomphe online somewhere that I liked better, so I substituted it. Although my niece did not take her dog with her, she does have a little dog like the one in the design.   The design is from the DMC Europe SAL and you can get the chart here.  I used 18 count Aida for this.  Hadn't stitched on Aida is quite some time!

I needed a 'boy' birthday design so I searched for something nautical.   I found this cute ship in a bottle  by La Comtesse et le Point De Croix.    You can get the chart here.  I had planned to use an old vintage world map in the background, but the map I had was too big.  So I just hunted through my folder of stickers for some 'sea' things.  Then I got the bright idea to cut the opening in the shape of the bottle and I think that worked out pretty well. This is on 36 count linen also.  Neither of these two photos shows the real colors, but that's the best I could do.  I incorporated the words 'Smooth Sailing' on the inside greeting after seeing something like that elsewhere on line.

I started Plum Street Samplers "Turkey Bay" about a year ago just for stress relief at the time.  I needed something colorful and easy to stitch.  Didn't care if I ever finished it.  Eventually I did complete the stitching, but only now turned it into a pillow.    It's done on HDF Old Gray Mare 32 count linen.  A simple finish, but I'm very happy with it.

Another design that I stitched a while ago, but just finished is "Honey Bee",  number 3 in the Blackbird Designs Garden Club series.  I'm just using this as a little mat on which to rest my glasses, keys, remote, whatever.  It's on 32 count lambs wool Jobelan if I remember correctly.

Happy Stitching to all as we head into June!

Tea Keeper, Baby Sampler, Candy Box

So as March winds down, I have three finishes to show.  Cold and windy weather meant more time staying inside I think.  First we have "The Tea Keeper" by Kathy Barrick.  I loved this design from the moment I saw it when it was only available as a club piece, a club for which I am not a member.  But good things come to those who wait and the chart finally became available to the general public.

I love the stern expression on this woman's face.  "Don't mess with my tea", she says.  But I definitely was not in the mood for another alphabet.   Somehow I remembered a Silver Creek Sampler that used a line from the song, "Do Re Mi", and I decided to use that line here where it was very appropriate.  So I stitched "Tea" across the top and "A drink with jam & bread" down the sides.  Bet you wouldn't have noticed if I didn't bring it up.  The fabric is 36 count Summer Khaki Edinburgh linen over 2.  It's all done in DMC with just a few color changes.  I also added the little teapot on the top to fill in the blank space left after my re-working of the pattern.   A pinkeep was the quickest finish for me.  Just added black mini-rick rack anchored with beads and straight pins.    It's happily sitting on the table where I work.

I have a new baby cousin born on Valentine's Day!  What a fun day to celebrate one's birthday every year.  I stitched an old sweet little alphabet freebie by Vavi for him.   You can get it here.  Just scroll down to 'Cocooning' at the bottom of the page.  She charted several variations of this piece.  I modified it to replace the many flowers with animal motifs and one key.   I picked 3 DMC colors in a 'boy' palette. 

Easy door hanger finish with a little batting, backing and rick rack edging.  The back is a darker blue and white polka dot fabric that complements the ribbon hanger.  I forgot to take a photo of the back.    The fabric is 28 count Cashel linen over 2 in some off-whitish color.

Oh yea.. one pink lion charm to cover-up the mistake I made in the rick rack edging. 

I've lately had the honor and stitcher-tunity to make something for a friend who recently got sworn in as a U.S. citizen.  I wanted a patriotic design, but not too patriotic.  I picked "Hat's Off to Uncle Sam" by Blackbird Designs which seemed to fit the bill perfectly.   It is stitched with DMC on 32 count MCG linen over 2.   Once I had stitched it, I scoured the grocery store shelves for a container that would be the right size for me to use as a candy box with the stitching adorning the top.  Trader Joe's to the rescue!  They had the perfect round tin of chocolate wedges.  I'd never done a round box top finish before, but a little running stitch for gathering and clipping the fabric curves made it easy to do correctly.  I love this little finish and I hope my friend does as well.

Valentines and Birthday Card

Time for a Valentine's day post!  Every year I send a Valentine's card to one family I know because they take that day very seriously!  They send out Valentines the way other people send out holiday cards in December.  Plus their cards are all hand designed.  This year I stitched the little roses design, "Petite Coeur" from Atalie.  It's done on 36 ct beige Edinburgh, 2 over 2.  Who knew that I could still see well enough to do that?
 

And here is the cute Valentine I received from my heart-loving friends.  Look at all the cool things she wrote....

Then I accidentally came across a Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery design from their Pen Pals Series.  Just too darn cute and I had to stitch it up!  This is stitched on 18 ct Dusk Aida from Sassy, a small scrap of fabric in my stash from a long time ago.   I sent it to my niece who was very appreciative.

Some time ago, I stitched up Isabelle Vautier's "Pause Cafe" on  36 ct over 2 Dirty Edinburgh linen.  It sat unfinished in a drawer.  But as Valentine's day approached, I felt the need to do something with it.  I made this quilty style mat to use as a big coaster or whatever.  Tricky to get that rick rack sewn correctly, but good enough for me.  Sent that to my  brother and SIL as a little Valentine surprise.

My brother's birthday is a week after Valentine's Day.  This year I made him a nice piece of chocolate cake from Lizzie Kate"s  "Birthday Blessings" on 16 ct caramel evenweave from Sassy.  I think he will like that I didn't try to stitch in all the candles! 

And did you hear that Lizzie Kate is retiring?  I guess she deserves a rest after all the designs she has produced over the years.  She will be missed, but there are plenty of her designs around to remind us of her.

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love an all good things!