Snowfire Christmas Update

I set a goal for myself to finish my two main WIPs before I allowed myself any new starts. After finishing Woodland Sampler, I turned my attention to Snowfire Christmas. If you're just joining me, this is a Just Nan sampler that I've changed the fabric and colors on and converted to my wedding sampler. I finished a couple more bands and have started stitching our names and wedding date. I so wish y'all could see this sampler in person.

Robin in Virginia asked a question about how to do the Rice stitch variation (second to last band). I searched for a diagram of this particular variation--there are so many--but I couldn't find one exactly like it. Rather than post a picture of the stitch diagram on the back of the chart (copyright violation?), I just decided to make my own. It's not very sophisticated, but hopefully it gets the information across. I intentionally photographed the stitches in low light because it makes them easier to see. 

To make it easier to follow the progression of the stitch, I drew the various sections on separate stitches... otherwise it would have looked like a blob of pink lines!

From left to right:
1) The first part of the stitch is a large cross stitch, 3 stitches high x 3 stitches wide (when stitching over two). The first leg of the stitch is top left down to bottom right; the second leg of the stitch is top right down to bottom left.
2) The corners are stitched in the order they are shown: top left, bottom left, bottom right, top right. The individual stitches are stitched shortest to longest.
3) The last element of the stitch is the "+" over the center of the large cross stitch. The vertical stitch is done first, top to bottom; the horizontal stitch is done last, left to right.

Clear as mud? It's really not a difficult stitch, just a bit tedious when you're doing a million of them. If my instructions are lacking--and I'm sure they are--I think once you start fiddling with the real thing, as opposed to just reading about it, you'll get it. 

I'm doing our names and wedding date now, and after that all that will be left is another row of big, sparkly snowflakes. So close...