Here's a sweet little white pumpkin freebie, available here. Mine is stitched with GAST Oatmeal, and DMC 642, 3033, 3052. The beads are Mill Hill 02093. The fabric is 32 ct. Petit Point Raw/White Belfast linen.
31 October 2016
Happy Halloween!
Here's a sweet little white pumpkin freebie, available here. Mine is stitched with GAST Oatmeal, and DMC 642, 3033, 3052. The beads are Mill Hill 02093. The fabric is 32 ct. Petit Point Raw/White Belfast linen.
28 October 2016
The Fabric Hoard Grows
Just got my fabric from the big Picture This Plus Christmas in July sale! Yes, it took this long. Yes, it's totally worth it. Beautiful fabric and a very nice 25% discount; I look forward to it every summer.
All 28 ct. Cashel linen, from top to bottom: Tycho, Rosewood, Storm, Loch.
This is the design that I'll eventually stitch on Loch. It's not the recommended fabric, but I wanted something just a smidge more subdued. I like it. Bold color, but not too dark or overwhelming.
And here's a Sleeping Fox update: he has a nose!
All 28 ct. Cashel linen, from top to bottom: Tycho, Rosewood, Storm, Loch.
This is the design that I'll eventually stitch on Loch. It's not the recommended fabric, but I wanted something just a smidge more subdued. I like it. Bold color, but not too dark or overwhelming.
And here's a Sleeping Fox update: he has a nose!
25 October 2016
Winter is coming...
The leaves are flying. Turned on the heater last night for the first time since spring (I love that smell... the heater kicking on for the first time). Frost Advisory for tonight. My feet and my nose are cold. Tiger Lily has made her winter migration to her cozy basket, and her "donut" (a blanket formed in a circle).
Winter is coming. I find this time of year invigorating. I scurry around, getting things ready as if there will be a blizzard next week. There won't be, of course, but my homemaker brain responds to changes in the weather as if I were a little animal out in the woods. Gather supplies. Make the nest cozy.
My stitcher brain responds, too. Something about cold weather puts my stitching motivation into overdrive. Here's the latest installment in my Keeping Christmas Project. This is from The Joys of Christmas by The Drawn Thread. The designer calls for GAST Cucumber and Weathered Barn, but I'm using GAST Bayberry and Pomegranate for this set of six ornaments. I did the first one last year.
Of course, I had to make another Christmas-y needle minder. This is made from a glass bead from Hobby Lobby. I am about all things peppermint at this time of year.
And here are the supplies for my next Keeping Christmas Project ornament. Lots of sparkle and non-traditional Christmas colors.
I have five more projects to frame, and I have a bunch of tea box bookmarks to make, so come back and visit often to see what I'm up to. The little basket of joy is ready!
Winter is coming. I find this time of year invigorating. I scurry around, getting things ready as if there will be a blizzard next week. There won't be, of course, but my homemaker brain responds to changes in the weather as if I were a little animal out in the woods. Gather supplies. Make the nest cozy.
My stitcher brain responds, too. Something about cold weather puts my stitching motivation into overdrive. Here's the latest installment in my Keeping Christmas Project. This is from The Joys of Christmas by The Drawn Thread. The designer calls for GAST Cucumber and Weathered Barn, but I'm using GAST Bayberry and Pomegranate for this set of six ornaments. I did the first one last year.
Of course, I had to make another Christmas-y needle minder. This is made from a glass bead from Hobby Lobby. I am about all things peppermint at this time of year.
And here are the supplies for my next Keeping Christmas Project ornament. Lots of sparkle and non-traditional Christmas colors.
I have five more projects to frame, and I have a bunch of tea box bookmarks to make, so come back and visit often to see what I'm up to. The little basket of joy is ready!
24 October 2016
They're After Me!
I rarely buy cross stitch magazines. I always get the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue, but apart from that, I might only buy one or two other issues a year. For me to buy it, a magazine has to have at least three designs in it I would stitch--or one good fox! Magazines can pile up so quickly, and that's my way of keeping my collection under control.
Well.
Cross Stitch Crazy, November issue:
The World of Cross Stitching, issue #247, free gift calendar with magazine:
Just Cross Stitch, December issue:
*sigh*
Well.
Cross Stitch Crazy, November issue:
The World of Cross Stitching, issue #247, free gift calendar with magazine:
Just Cross Stitch, December issue:
*sigh*
20 October 2016
14 October 2016
Do-It-Yourself Framing
If y'all have been with me a while, you know I'm a do-it-yourself kinda girl. I always try to encourage my fellow stitchers to learn to finish and frame their own work, mainly because the stories of beautiful needlework--unfinished or unframed--languishing in a drawer, never seeing the light of day, never being enjoyed, just makes me sad. To me, it's like painting a beautiful picture and then sticking it in the closet.
There are lots of reasons stitchers have for not framing their work. Sometimes pieces are too large to do at home, or they're an odd shape that can't be accommodated by a standard store-bought frame. Sometimes they're just really, really special pieces and you want to splurge and have them professionally framed. My wedding sampler is like that. But the two most common reasons I see for not framing things are 1) professional framing is expensive (it is!), and 2) framing it yourself is hard (it's not!) and you have to have special tools (you don't!). I've got some framing to do over the next few days, and I'll be posting about my projects, so stick around and see how easy it is.
Here's what I did today. This is Mitten Games, by Crossed Wing Collection, stitched on their fabric Snow Squall. The frame was picked up on clearance, just like all the other frames I'll be showing.
Here's what you need, which you can get at any craft store with a framing department:
*frame
*foam core
*craft knife
*batting
*lotsa pins
*glazier points
*flat head screwdriver
*hammer
Disassemble your frame and use the glass as a template to cut out the foam core.
Cut out the foam core, cutting just inside the marked line, about 1/8". This is an allowance for the fabric and pins that will be along the edges of the foam core, so that it will fit nicely into the frame. It's only necessary to do this on two perpendicular sides.
Using the glass as a template, cut out the batting and stick it to the foam core with some double-sided tape. This gives your framed piece a little body, so that it doesn't look completely flat in the frame. If you like the flat look, just leave it off. Just a thought, though. If you have any knots or oopsies on the back of your piece, the cushion of the batting will help keep the bumps from showing on the front.
Here you can see how the foam core fits into the frame, leaving just enough space around the edges to accommodate the fabric and pins. And those are glazier points, in case you're not familiar with them. More on them in a bit.
Position your piece on the padded foam core and give it a test run in the frame, making adjustments as necessary. Ordinarily I would center the design, but for this one I wanted as much of the snowy fabric to show as possible, so the design is lower in the frame. For my tip on using a light box to position needlework, click here.
Pin the piece to the foam core (leaving the pins sticking out a bit), making sure it's straight and centered. This is the most fiddly part of finishing and framing, but the more you do it, the better you'll get at it. You will have to unpin, reposition, repin, etc. It's not a fast process, so just be patient, breathe, and take the time to get it right. I can't speak about Aida because I don't stitch on it, but linen is very forgiving during the pinning process. You have a built-in grid in the horizontal and vertical threads, and you can easily see when an area is "off". It also lends itself to very slight adjustments. A tiny pull on one side can straighten an entire section of fabric.
When you think you have it like you want it, see how it looks in the frame. If it's good to go, push in the pins.
If there's any excess fabric, trim it off and put on the back of the frame. Unless you have a pretty deep frame, the back will not fit into the inside groove of the frame all the way around. That's where glazier points come in. Wherever you need them, hammer them in. If you don't know how to use glazier points, here's a quick lesson on Youtube.
And that's it!
More on the way!
There are lots of reasons stitchers have for not framing their work. Sometimes pieces are too large to do at home, or they're an odd shape that can't be accommodated by a standard store-bought frame. Sometimes they're just really, really special pieces and you want to splurge and have them professionally framed. My wedding sampler is like that. But the two most common reasons I see for not framing things are 1) professional framing is expensive (it is!), and 2) framing it yourself is hard (it's not!) and you have to have special tools (you don't!). I've got some framing to do over the next few days, and I'll be posting about my projects, so stick around and see how easy it is.
Here's what I did today. This is Mitten Games, by Crossed Wing Collection, stitched on their fabric Snow Squall. The frame was picked up on clearance, just like all the other frames I'll be showing.
Here's what you need, which you can get at any craft store with a framing department:
*frame
*foam core
*craft knife
*batting
*lotsa pins
*glazier points
*flat head screwdriver
*hammer
Disassemble your frame and use the glass as a template to cut out the foam core.
Cut out the foam core, cutting just inside the marked line, about 1/8". This is an allowance for the fabric and pins that will be along the edges of the foam core, so that it will fit nicely into the frame. It's only necessary to do this on two perpendicular sides.
Using the glass as a template, cut out the batting and stick it to the foam core with some double-sided tape. This gives your framed piece a little body, so that it doesn't look completely flat in the frame. If you like the flat look, just leave it off. Just a thought, though. If you have any knots or oopsies on the back of your piece, the cushion of the batting will help keep the bumps from showing on the front.
Here you can see how the foam core fits into the frame, leaving just enough space around the edges to accommodate the fabric and pins. And those are glazier points, in case you're not familiar with them. More on them in a bit.
Position your piece on the padded foam core and give it a test run in the frame, making adjustments as necessary. Ordinarily I would center the design, but for this one I wanted as much of the snowy fabric to show as possible, so the design is lower in the frame. For my tip on using a light box to position needlework, click here.
Pin the piece to the foam core (leaving the pins sticking out a bit), making sure it's straight and centered. This is the most fiddly part of finishing and framing, but the more you do it, the better you'll get at it. You will have to unpin, reposition, repin, etc. It's not a fast process, so just be patient, breathe, and take the time to get it right. I can't speak about Aida because I don't stitch on it, but linen is very forgiving during the pinning process. You have a built-in grid in the horizontal and vertical threads, and you can easily see when an area is "off". It also lends itself to very slight adjustments. A tiny pull on one side can straighten an entire section of fabric.
When you think you have it like you want it, see how it looks in the frame. If it's good to go, push in the pins.
And that's it!
More on the way!
13 October 2016
11 October 2016
New Project: Sleeping Fox
Here's my next big project, Sleeping Fox by LeafBlown Designs, available here.
Pretty neat, huh? Since foxes have become trendy, there are lots of fox designs out there, but I don't try to buy them all just because I love foxes; I'm fairly selective. This one really caught my eye, and as soon as I saw it I had to have it. I love the modern design and the unusual colors.
The fabric is yummy. This is Bittersweet Lite hand-dyed Jobelan, available from 123Stitch. It's a soft, creamy orange. I've never stitched on fabric even remotely close to this color, but when I was visualizing the design on different colors, none of them were working for me, except this very pale, mottled orange.
I may not be posting many progress pictures, since it's just going to look like blobs of color until I get the head done. It should be a fun stitch... no counting issues or fiddling with a stitch in this color here, a stitch in that color there... just nice fat blocks of color. It should go fairly quickly, but I've learned that best-laid plans usually end in a spectacular explosion and burn to the ground. We'll see. Thinking of starting my Christmas ornament for this year today, too (also a fox!). Stay tuned.
Pretty neat, huh? Since foxes have become trendy, there are lots of fox designs out there, but I don't try to buy them all just because I love foxes; I'm fairly selective. This one really caught my eye, and as soon as I saw it I had to have it. I love the modern design and the unusual colors.
The fabric is yummy. This is Bittersweet Lite hand-dyed Jobelan, available from 123Stitch. It's a soft, creamy orange. I've never stitched on fabric even remotely close to this color, but when I was visualizing the design on different colors, none of them were working for me, except this very pale, mottled orange.
I may not be posting many progress pictures, since it's just going to look like blobs of color until I get the head done. It should be a fun stitch... no counting issues or fiddling with a stitch in this color here, a stitch in that color there... just nice fat blocks of color. It should go fairly quickly, but I've learned that best-laid plans usually end in a spectacular explosion and burn to the ground. We'll see. Thinking of starting my Christmas ornament for this year today, too (also a fox!). Stay tuned.
07 October 2016
Russian stash!
Waited two months for these kits, but it was worth it! These are kits from a Russian company called Panna, available from ABC Stitch Therapy.
A winter matryoshka.
A Russian domestic scene (probably my favorite... so unusual).
And of course...
A winter matryoshka.
A Russian domestic scene (probably my favorite... so unusual).
And of course...
04 October 2016
Halloween House (Purple Conversion) Finish!
Judith Kirby's Victorian House #9, aka Halloween House, with my own purple house conversion.
Stitched with DMC on 28 ct. Storm from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. My purple house conversion info is here. In addition to the changes I listed in that post, I also interpreted the knots on the tree as holes and filled them with 310 instead of the lighter color, to give the tree a darker look, and I stitched the cobweb in 646 instead of 310 to give it a more wispy appearance.
This one has been in the to-do pile for a long, long time and it's nice to have it finished.
Stitched with DMC on 28 ct. Storm from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. My purple house conversion info is here. In addition to the changes I listed in that post, I also interpreted the knots on the tree as holes and filled them with 310 instead of the lighter color, to give the tree a darker look, and I stitched the cobweb in 646 instead of 310 to give it a more wispy appearance.
This one has been in the to-do pile for a long, long time and it's nice to have it finished.
01 October 2016
25 September 2016
It's the Bride of Frankenstein, y'all.
Made a few more needle minders. This one just kills me. It's a teeny weeny Bride of Frankenstein.
So adorable, right? And because I'm never not in need of a reminder to be joyful, here's a little cutie for my Keeping Christmas Project ornament stitching. Sparkly, of course.
And here's a winter one. She cracks me up. I can just imagine her mother saying, "Why didn't you think of that before I got you all bundled up?"
All of these are made from buttons from those small decorative button packs. I found them at various craft stores, but this is a good online source for a very wide selection. All the buttons I've shown in this post are available from this source. I have ordered from them and had good service.
So adorable, right? And because I'm never not in need of a reminder to be joyful, here's a little cutie for my Keeping Christmas Project ornament stitching. Sparkly, of course.
And here's a winter one. She cracks me up. I can just imagine her mother saying, "Why didn't you think of that before I got you all bundled up?"
All of these are made from buttons from those small decorative button packs. I found them at various craft stores, but this is a good online source for a very wide selection. All the buttons I've shown in this post are available from this source. I have ordered from them and had good service.
23 September 2016
BREAKING NEWS!
BREAKING NEWS: There are still really, really nice people in the world.
With all the negative things happening around us, sometimes it's hard to remember that fact, but it's pretty essential for our mental health that we endeavor to do so. Yesterday's mail was my reminder for this week.
First, a surprise from fellow stitcher Kari in Wisconsin. She had very sweetly offered to send me a magazine she had that had a gorgeous fox design in it she would never stitch. It arrived yesterday. Beautiful, right? Just look at the happy little face on the baby in the background!
She also snuck this precious needle minder into the magazine! He has a sparkly tummy, y'all. I'm crazy about it. Thank you, Kari!
Second, fellow stitcher Lois in New York offered for sale an out-of-print Prairie Schooler design I've been looking for for some time. Of course, just as we were about to conduct our transaction, I got a fraud alert on the card I use for online purchases, and the card had to be cancelled. Lois very patiently waited a few days for me to get the issue resolved, and was very understanding in our email exchanges. Thank you, Lois, for being a bright spot in a frustrating week!
And finally, a WIP update. I have been really off my stitching game for quite a while so I haven't made nearly as much progress on the two projects I have going right now as I should have. Haunted House should have been done a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't touched my Christmas ornament in weeks--probably due to the fact that I'm facing over-one stitching, which I don't care for. So, here's half a tree.
The tree and the border are all that's left. One would think I could just sit down and whip them out, but no...
Anyway, don't forget: there are still really nice people in the world. Hang on to that and have a great weekend!
With all the negative things happening around us, sometimes it's hard to remember that fact, but it's pretty essential for our mental health that we endeavor to do so. Yesterday's mail was my reminder for this week.
First, a surprise from fellow stitcher Kari in Wisconsin. She had very sweetly offered to send me a magazine she had that had a gorgeous fox design in it she would never stitch. It arrived yesterday. Beautiful, right? Just look at the happy little face on the baby in the background!
She also snuck this precious needle minder into the magazine! He has a sparkly tummy, y'all. I'm crazy about it. Thank you, Kari!
Second, fellow stitcher Lois in New York offered for sale an out-of-print Prairie Schooler design I've been looking for for some time. Of course, just as we were about to conduct our transaction, I got a fraud alert on the card I use for online purchases, and the card had to be cancelled. Lois very patiently waited a few days for me to get the issue resolved, and was very understanding in our email exchanges. Thank you, Lois, for being a bright spot in a frustrating week!
And finally, a WIP update. I have been really off my stitching game for quite a while so I haven't made nearly as much progress on the two projects I have going right now as I should have. Haunted House should have been done a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't touched my Christmas ornament in weeks--probably due to the fact that I'm facing over-one stitching, which I don't care for. So, here's half a tree.
The tree and the border are all that's left. One would think I could just sit down and whip them out, but no...
Anyway, don't forget: there are still really nice people in the world. Hang on to that and have a great weekend!
09 September 2016
Making (more!) Needle Minders
Needle minders are fun. They're not necessary, but as with most things that aren't necessary, that's part of what makes them fun--they're just special little extras that make life a little brighter. Cookies aren't necessary to survival (they sorta are at my house), but why would you want to live without them if you don't have to? Jewelry for your WIP... why not?!
Happily, they're super easy (and inexpensive) to make yourself, which I discussed here a while back. So you can have a whole bunch of them to fit every whim, every season, every holiday, every project. They're so simple to make they really don't require a tutorial. Basic instruction: Glue one of a pair of magnets to the back of something. Boom. Needle minder. That's it.
However, since I was making a few more today, I decided to snap a few pictures to share ideas for what items you can use to make them, how to make those items usable, and how to store them. Here are the ones I made today, in about 30 minutes (easy!).
You can use all kinds of things to make needle minders. Here we have a kitty charm (Jo-Ann's), a Christmas tree brooch (Hobby Lobby), and some buttons (Hobby Lobby & Jo-Ann's).
Old jewelry from your jewelry box or inexpensive costume jewelry makes great needle minders. Pins can be easily twisted off with a pair of pliers (don't stick yourself!).
When using charms, sometimes you can get the charm loop off cleanly with pliers, but more often than not, trying to remove it will either damage the charm or leave little points of metal behind that are too small to be removed. My solution is to just cover the charm loop with a small crystal. These crystals (Hobby Lobby) came in a package that contains multiple sizes, which is great because you don't have to guess what size you need and only buy one size. I use strong craft glue to attach these, as I've found that the chemicals in super glue eat away the backing on the crystal and leave it dull-looking.
These are the super strong magnets I use (left, 6.3 mm from Michael's; right, 8 mm from Hobby Lobby). I prefer the smaller 6.3 mm size, but either will do. Use caution with these, they are very strong. You can use super glue to attach them, but hot glue usually works just as well for me.
I store my collection in a little metal pencil case. Very compact and tidy.
A combination of purchased and homemade, I've used old jewelry, charms, pendants... even a metal badge from a festival we went to. The little black one with the flowers painted on it is the first needle minder I ever got. I've had it for more than 20 years--way before needle minders became a "thing".
And that's all there is to it. Very easy. Very inexpensive. And they make really cute little gifts for fellow stitchers (Christmas is coming!).
Happily, they're super easy (and inexpensive) to make yourself, which I discussed here a while back. So you can have a whole bunch of them to fit every whim, every season, every holiday, every project. They're so simple to make they really don't require a tutorial. Basic instruction: Glue one of a pair of magnets to the back of something. Boom. Needle minder. That's it.
However, since I was making a few more today, I decided to snap a few pictures to share ideas for what items you can use to make them, how to make those items usable, and how to store them. Here are the ones I made today, in about 30 minutes (easy!).
You can use all kinds of things to make needle minders. Here we have a kitty charm (Jo-Ann's), a Christmas tree brooch (Hobby Lobby), and some buttons (Hobby Lobby & Jo-Ann's).
A button shank remover is a great little tool to have on hand. The curved blades allow a close cut so the back of the button is flat.
Old jewelry from your jewelry box or inexpensive costume jewelry makes great needle minders. Pins can be easily twisted off with a pair of pliers (don't stick yourself!).
When using charms, sometimes you can get the charm loop off cleanly with pliers, but more often than not, trying to remove it will either damage the charm or leave little points of metal behind that are too small to be removed. My solution is to just cover the charm loop with a small crystal. These crystals (Hobby Lobby) came in a package that contains multiple sizes, which is great because you don't have to guess what size you need and only buy one size. I use strong craft glue to attach these, as I've found that the chemicals in super glue eat away the backing on the crystal and leave it dull-looking.
These are the super strong magnets I use (left, 6.3 mm from Michael's; right, 8 mm from Hobby Lobby). I prefer the smaller 6.3 mm size, but either will do. Use caution with these, they are very strong. You can use super glue to attach them, but hot glue usually works just as well for me.
I store my collection in a little metal pencil case. Very compact and tidy.
A combination of purchased and homemade, I've used old jewelry, charms, pendants... even a metal badge from a festival we went to. The little black one with the flowers painted on it is the first needle minder I ever got. I've had it for more than 20 years--way before needle minders became a "thing".
And that's all there is to it. Very easy. Very inexpensive. And they make really cute little gifts for fellow stitchers (Christmas is coming!).
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)