30 November 2018

The Joys of Perforated Paper


It's been forever since I stitched a Brooke Nolan angel, but I finally got one finished! Every time I stitch one of these beauties I think, "I should do more of these!" They are really fun to stitch and the finish is just eye-popping. This one is Spirit of Christmas Stitching and it's available in her Etsy shop as either a PDF download or a hard copy. Most of her "dollies" (as I like to call them) have wings, and sometimes I stitch them and sometimes I don't. This time I left them off, and I also didn't stitch a few of the items that are supposed to be gathered around her skirt. I think the patchwork is so pretty and I wanted an unobstructed view of it. Another change I almost always make is to change the eye color from light to dark.  

Now, let's talk about the joys of perforated paper. Perforated paper is, in a word, wonderful. There are several very good reasons for its wonderfulness.

1) It's very easy to stitch on. The holes are gigantic, so if your eyesight is not what it used to be, or if your eyes are just tired at the end of a long day, it's just the thing. Also, because the holes are gigantic, you get to use a fat needle and three strands of floss and there are no fractional stitches. It's the stitching equivalent of getting out your box of crayons and leisurely coloring a picture of a lady in a pretty dress. Like we all did when we were little. It's super relaxing.

2) It's sturdy. In every conversation about perforated paper I've been a part of, there is always at least one stitcher (and usually more than one) who expresses fear of tearing the paper. You will not tear the paper. It's not like printer paper. It's more like card stock. I've been stitching on it for years and years and have never torn it. Okay, I suppose if you're working out some anxiety and you're really yanking your thread, you might tear it, but if you're in that shape, you should probably be taking a walk or having a cookie or something. (Definitely cookies.)

3) It's easy to finish. The question of finishing always comes up, too. Several years ago I did a couple of posts on the subject. This one is how I do it, and this one shows an idea for using old Christmas cards to finish ornaments. My Stitching Dolly is finished with this pretty dark green card stock.




The thin, wired cord I used is (I think) from Michael's, but Jo Ann Fabrics also has it seasonally (red/white at Christmas, pink/white at Valentine's, pink/green at Easter, etc.). For other angels I've finished, I've used 1/8" ribbon, or you could use the Kreinik or the floss from the design.

If you haven't played with perforated paper and want to just dip in your toe, you could experiment with one of those small Mill Hill ornament kits and see how you like it before plunging in on one of these large pieces. Brooke also has a number of smaller dollies in her shop that are only about 5" high (the large ones like this Spirit of Christmas Stitching are about 7.5" high).

One of these days I'm going to get out all the Brooke Nolan dollies I've stitched and post pictures of them all together. 

And I'm going to stitch Mr. & Mrs. Claus.

And the Stitching (color conversion!), Knitting, Crocheting, and Quilting angels.

And the Woodland Santa series.

And Gretel. And Annie...

And Spirit of Mistletoe (another color conversion!)...

And Spirit of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (yet another color conversion!)...

And, and...

...I'm going to need more time.

(Caution: More Enabling! I would be failing y'all if I didn't also point you to Brooke's collection of gorgeous freebies, in case you've overlooked them. I also need to stitch these. Really, what am I doing with my time?

Freebies on Craftsy Y'all, that seasonal house series. And the monthly birthday cakes.

Freebies on her website The Stitcher's Alphabet, y'all.

I ask again, "What am I doing with my time?!")


8 comments:

  1. Oh Honeybee, she is simply stunning. I totally enjoyed seeing her (and her lovely quilt skirt inlay) and also reading your take on the joys of perforated paper. I hope you will gather all the dollies you have stitched and give them a photo shoot. Enjoy your Friday and the weekend!

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  2. She is gorgeous! Congrats on the finish!

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  3. She's beautiful!
    I like her better without the wings too.
    We can't wait to see your display of ll that you've stitched!
    Marilyn

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  4. I love this. I have not stitched on paper before but now I'm very tempted. RJ

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  5. She is beautiful! I'd love to see all the ones you've stitched. I recently bought some perforated paper, so this really inspires me to give it a whirl! Do you put something on the back as a stand when you display them? Thank you for the other links, too - so many wonderful patterns!

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    1. I don't, but I've been kicking around some ideas for stands and maybe I'll come up with something to display them. Hope you enjoy the freebies!

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  6. Honeybee, could you please tell me how big the angel is? I went to her site and saw the other pieces included and love the section with the cardinal. I was thinking for my first one I could just make small ornaments out of it and then later attempt the whole thing. Could you tell me how big just that part is? I have alot of questions, don't I? Thanks, RJ

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