The 2014 issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments is here! The price is $9.99 and it can be purchased from crossstitchers.com.
Happy Christmas stitching!
XXX
Carrie
Category Archives: Random Thoughts
I have a hard time turning my brain off. Here is where I can let my thoughts out…
Summer Ball Corrections
Posted on
On gathering my materials for A Summer Ball by Sandy Littlejohns and Debra Lester, I noticed a few typos.
On the Pattern Information page, Anchor 177/DMC 3087 Dk Cornflower Blue should actually be listed as Anchor 177/DMC 792.
Anchor 236/DMC 3779 V Dk Pewter Gray should actually be listed as Anchor 236/DMC 3799.
The numbers are listed correctly on the Color Key. If I find any other mistakes while I am stitching, I will of course list them here.
The chart can be purchased here.
XXX
Carrie
Framing Time
Posted onThis weekend our local Boy Scouts had their annual Labor Day yard sale. We were at the gates, waiting for it to open at 8:00 a.m.! As soon as they let us in I made a beeline for the picture frames, as I am still on the lookout for more square frames. I made out with over a dozen great frames, and then hit Hobby Lobby for some foam board. The kids start school on Wednesday, so after a few days of playing catch-up on work, I might have time this weekend to finally get some of my 37 finished projects framed. Yes, you read that right. Thirty-seven unframed, yet completed pieces. Most of the frames I bought second hand will need to be cleaned and then painted, and I am still working on gridding the Summer Ball fabric. And of course, Adrienne’s Christmas stocking is always begging to be worked on. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get all my stitchy stuff done!
XXX
Carrie
Gridding
Posted onHaving just received my spool of Easy Count Guideline which I mentioned in a previous post, I am ready to start gridding the fabric for my Summer Ball project. First, I sewed around the edges of my fabric to stop it from fraying. Then I folded the fabric in half both ways to find the center. I used a scrap of floss to mark the center square in black, as shown here. (You’ll get a larger view if you click on the photos)
I then used the guideline to stitch over 6 squares, under 4, over 6, under 4, etc. I cut a piece of guideline longer than the length of the fabric, and started in the middle. I used the chart to help me place the first stitch. Because of the way this chart is, the black center square is not exactly in the center. The center lines intersect where there isn’t actually a stitch. This happens when you have a chart that is, say, 100 stitches long. 50 stitches would lie on one side of the center line, and 50 on the other. The exact center would be the line, not a stitch. If your chart was 101 stitches, then you would have 50 stitches on either side plus the one extra stitch would be the middle stitch. So I just chose one stitch out of the 4 that surround the center intersecting lines, and used that for my center. I found this square on my chart and colored it in with a yellow colored pencil.
I counted how many stitches I need to go up from the center, and stitched the guideline in until I reached that spot. Then I stopped. I left the excess just hanging there. I then went back to the center and did the same thing from the center toward the bottom. I had begun stitching in the center with the middle of the thread, for this purpose. The photo above shows the finished center line, going vertically.
A close-up of the stitching process, over 6 and under 4:
The reason you go over 6 and under 4 is because you want your grid blocks to be 10×10, to match your chart. 6+4=10. When you start gridding the fabric in the other direction, the lines will intersect exactly in the middle of the long top lines. You will have a perfect cross shape – your top line of 6 stitches will now be split in half, making 3 stitches on all 4 sides.
After stitching the center vertical line, do the center horizontal line. In the photo below, you can see that I have now stitched both the vertical and horizontal center lines. I have also stitched 3 additional vertical lines. Cut your thread so that you get enough for about 3 runs of the fabric, and that way you don’t have to start a new thread for each line. (If your project is small, do even more than 3 runs.) Simply let the thread loop at the top and bottom and count over 10 stitches to begin the next row. If you have counted correctly, you will get a perfect cross when you reach the center, as you can see here. You no longer need to count over 6 and under 4 after you have done a few rows. Your eyes can see where to enter the needle into the fabric. When you do all of the vertical rows on one side of the center, start over again from the center and work in the other direction. When this is complete, do your horizontal rows. The horizontal rows will require even less counting, because you are simply weaving your thread in to complete the crosses.
After you have done all of the rows, it should look something like this:
Don’t worry about all of those “tails” at the ends. We will knot them later so they don’t come undone. Or, just leave them – they will be safe when the fabric is rolled up onto the scroll frame.
Here is what the fabric looks like after all of the rows have been stitched going in one direction, and two rows have been done in the other. (My fabric was actually turned sideways when I took this, as I did all of the vertical rows first, then started on the horizontal. Oops!)
This is a time consuming process. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes me several hours to grid this project. But I think it will save much more time than that in the end. Now, for a break!
9/5/14 UPDATE: I have finally finished this, after putting if off for several days. Here is what the back looks like:
Here is the picture of the completed piece, with a close-up of some of the 10×10 areas.
XXX
Carrie
A Nice Find
Posted on
Today our church was having a yard sale and I found what I have been looking for for months: square picture frames. There was a set of 4 wooden frames, painted brown, all with some pretty old needlework pieces inside. The yarn in hues of oranges, yellows, and greens make me think they were circa 1960. The needlepoint was actually coming undone from the frames, because they had been attached with masking tape, which had long since lost its stick.
- The ugly stitched pieces
I will be throwing away the stitched pieces (sorry, whomever stitched these!) and repainting the frames. I got out my box of finished pieces and found 6 items that all needed a square frame of this exact same size. So I picked out 4 of them and can’t wait to get painting and framing! 3 of the pieces are Halloween themed, and the other is a pink heart. I think I might paint the Halloween frames all the same, even though the patterns are all from different designers and the fabrics are different colors. I better get going on that, since September is just around the corner!
XXX
Carrie
Halloween 2014
Posted on
The annual Halloween special of Just Cross Stitch is here! This issue has 115 pages and features 47 projects. Here are some of my favorites:
Halloween will be here before we know it! Better get cracking on some of these projects. This issue retails for $9.99 and can be purchased in my store.
XXX
Carrie
Annie’s DVD Collection
Posted on
I have been anticipating this moment for months. I have finally received copies of the DVDs put out by Annie’s, featuring back issues of Just Cross Stitch and Sampler & Antique Needlework magazines. There are 4 DVD collections in all: Just Cross Stitch Collection 1991-2000; Just Cross Stitch Collection 2001-2010; Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments Collection 1997-2013; and Sampler & Antique Needlework Quartlery Collection 2001-2010. The price of the SAN collection is $59.95, while the two JCS collections are each $49.95. The ornaments collection is only $29.95. I now have all of these DVDs available in my store at www.crossstitchers.com
The DVDs all feature every page from every issue of the magazines. So you will get the cover, letter from the editor, all charts including their color photography, and yes, the advertisements. Of course, many of the ads will no longer be valid. Discount codes for websites will long be expired, and many of the companies listed will be out of business by now. Most likely, you won’t be able to purchase any of the materials packs from the back of the issues. But it’s fun to watch the ads evolve. In the early 90s issues no listings had website addresses. In the late 90s they started appearing more frequently but they were not your typical .com addresses of today. Remember things like http://www.geocities.com/something/somethingelse/yetanothersomething.html? And of course the latest ads nearly all feature the .com addresses we are used to.
In order to view the files on the DVDs you need to have Adobe Reader on your computer. This is available for free download if you don’t have it, but most computers will already have it installed. The files are all .pdf format. The charts are mostly in black and white, which is great for those who only have a black and white printer. In the later years, a few charts here and there do have backstitch lines in colors such as blue and red. But I noticed that not all charts have this. And I did not notice any charts on the 1991-2000 disc having color lines. Printing charts is easy. Just click the print button and choose which page(s) you want to print. Careful, if you don’t specify a page to print it will start printing the entire magazine, which is around 70 pages.
If you have an older, slower computer you might find that the DVDs take a while to start running and then to turn each page. But any of the newer systems will not have any problem at all reading the issues. With Adobe Reader you can view each page as large as you need to, making it possible to read the articles right on your computer without printing them out. Remember, you have to have the DVD in the drive in order to read the issues. Take it out and you can longer access the content. Unless you copy the issues to your computer, that is. And doing so may speed up the process of reading compared to trying to read off of the DVD. Because I live in a household where electronics often get ruined (the kids have so far managed to kill two laptops and a backup drive) I will make a backup of the DVDs “just in case” on my cloud storage. I know that no matter how hard I try to protect these discs, they WILL eventually get stepped on, scratched up, or just plain lost. So no matter what my little terrors do to my computer, the data on these discs will be safe.
I have included a few snapshots from the magazines. Of course, for copyright reasons, I cannot include actual charts or articles. But you can see that the covers as well as the individual project photos are in full color. The table of contents for most issues give you an idea of what’s inside that issue. And the charts are in black and white with symbols, which are easy to print. The earlier magazines are all scanned in. You can tell because often times you can see writing “through” the pages. In other words, when looking at a photograph you might be able to faintly see some type coming through from the other side of the page. It appears that the later issues are digital copies. The pages are probably the same as what the layout editors created on the computer initially. Sometimes when loading a page, you first see the background, then the “layers” all start to fall into place. This is different from just taking a back issue of the magazine and scanning it in, which would make each image “flat”. So the later the issues get, the better the quality should be. But even the issues from 1991 are plenty good enough to read and print.
Even if you have the print issues already, these DVD collections make a great addition to your stitching library. They make printing out charts a snap, if you’re the type of stitcher who likes to photocopy the charts prior to stitching so that the magazine stays in pristine condition. I am that type of stitcher! The other day while flipping through some back issues of Just Cross Stitch, I found a chart I wanted to stitch. Instead of scanning in the chart and then printing it, I simply put in my DVD and found that issue. I printed out the chart and key and I was ready to go.
I am delighted with these DVDs and can’t wait for more to come out. It would be wonderful to get older issues of both Just Cross Stitch and Sampler & Antique Needlework. Of course, these DVDs were probably a time consuming project and I would assume the publishers want to see how well these sell before going back even further.
You can purchase all 4 DVDs here: http://www.crossstitchers.com/shop/textsearch.php?term=dvd
XXX
Carrie
***Please note that this review was my own opinion. Annie’s did not ask me to review these DVDs or send me free copies. I purchased the DVDs directly from Annie’s with my wholesale account in order to sell them in my cross stitch store. My review is based upon my own personal purchase of these products***
A New Product to Try
Posted on
I am excited about a new product that I will be trying with my large Summer Ball project. It is called Easy-Count Guideline and it is manufactured by R&S Designs Inc. This is a product I will also be offering in my store. It is a red nylon thread that you use to weave a grid into your cross stitch fabric. The grid helps you stitch faster and without mistakes because you are able to follow the chart more easily. Most charts already have thicker grid lines every 10 stitches, and this method allows you to stitch each 10×10 grid at a time. When you are done stitching, the red line gets pulled out. There are other methods of gridding fabric, but this product is supposed to be superior. You do not have to worry about invisible ink all of a sudden showing up again, and using regular sewing thread to grid can cause problems when the needle pierces the thread, making it difficult to remove. The nylon thread cannot be pierced, so it cannot be sewn through. This makes it easier to remove in the end. I am excited to try this product in my next large project!
XXX
Carrie
New on my “Must Stitch” List
Posted onThe other day while looking at another stitcher’s blog, I found a project that I instantly knew I had to stitch. It is called Summer Ball and was designed by Sandy Littlejohns and Deborah Lester. This chart was originally a 3-part series in Cross Stitch Collection (British) magazine. Although I have many old copies of that magazine, I did not have those particular issues. A quick search online took me to stitcherydoodahs.co.uk, which is Sandy and Deborah’s website. Luckily, they had the chart for sale as an instant download, so I purchased it. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice, you will know why I just have to stitch this!
I can just imagine the dancers in the center as being Elizabeth and Darcy. Since I am still on vacation, I can’t get started on this yet. And I think I will force myself to finish the Heavenly Herald Angel Stocking first. But I think this will be a fun (and huge) project to work on this winter. I think I will do two things I have never done before – gridding and parking. I have done a tiny bit of parking on the angel stocking, but only in the border which had many colors all intertwined. I want to grid the entire piece of fabric and then work one page at a time, doing one block of 10×10 stitches at a time. I think it will be like learning a foreign language since I have cross stitched every project the same way that I learned when I started 30+ years ago. But I am always up for a challenge!
XXX
Carrie
Lost my itch
Posted onFor the last couple of weeks I seem to have lost the cross stitch bug. I haven’t picked up a needle since I finished the teachers’ gifts. I know this will pass, and I have been doing other things instead, like reading and beading. Hopefully the entire summer won’t pass without stitching something – I really need to get that 1800s sampler done, and then start up again on Adrienne’s stocking. It MUST be done for Christmas! But stitching when you’re forced to isn’t any fun, so I think I will just let it go for now and hope the “itch to stitch” comes back on its own.
XXX
Carrie
New from Kreinik
Posted on
Kreinik has announced six new metallic thread colors. From left to right: 9132 Lemon Grass, 9732 Blue Grass, 5805 Golden Pimento, 5815 Golden Chardonnay, 5835 Golden Olive, 5845 Golden Cabernet. These are available in Very Fine #4, Fine #8 and Tapestry #12 Braids, and I believe two of the colors are also available as blending filament. We will be getting these into the shop soon.
XXX
Carrie
Jane Austen Inspired Samplers
Posted onLately I have been spending my evenings watching episodes of Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice on Netflix. Today I was curious whether there were any cross stitch samplers devoted to these two books, and I found a website for The Stitching Parlor Inc, which designs antique-looking samplers. There are quite a few that are based on Jane Austen novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion. I know I wouldn’t have time to complete even one of these immense samplers right now, but as one of my suppliers distributes charts from The Stitching Parlor, I think they may be next on my list to order for the shop.
The Daughters of Longbourn
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy of Pemberly
A Ball at Netherfield
Mr. Collins Abode
Rosings
So maybe you can’t dine at Rosings twice a week like Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, but you can stitch it to hang on your wall. The Stitching Parlor doesn’t seem to have any Bronte-inspired samplers, but I will keep looking!
XXX
Carrie
1884 Flora Dellow Sampler
Posted on
This is the sampler that caught my eye in the current issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. It only contains two colors, cream and red, and is a pretty straightforward project. Something I have always wanted to do was to have a huge stash of stitched reproduction samplers, all with one of my ancestors’ names in place of the original. Each sampler would be stitched on linen, of course, and I would try to “age” it by tea dying and snipping holes in the fabric here and there. I have never had time to actually follow through with this plan, though. And I rarely find a sampler that really speaks to me. Most samplers have motifs of people, trees, birds, and crowns. I actually prefer samplers that contain only alphabets or sayings. This Flora Dellow sampler might be just the project to start on after my current project is finished. I could stitch this on a scroll frame, and at the same time be working on the petal pincushion pieces. I like having different sized projects on the go at the same time.
XXX
Carrie
A Pretty Pincushion
Posted on
I’ve come across another design which I really want to stitch – this gorgeous petal pincushion from Simona Bussiglieri of Mani di Donna. It is featured on the cover of the April 2014 issue of Just Cross Stitch. The panels are stitched on 32 count Belfast linen and are then finished off with rickrack, ribbons, and buttons. There are two different panels, one for the outside and one for the inside of each petal. You stitch each panel four times, so you end up with 8 panel pieces. The inside of the pincushion is a separate, smaller chart.
The last thing I need right now is a new chart. I keep telling myself I HAVE to finish that woodland deer and my daughter’s Christmas stocking. Oh, and the Peacock Tapestry as well. And then there are those embroidered pillowcases I started so many years ago… But for the last two weeks I have kept coming back to this pretty pincushion design, itching to start on it. I guess it couldn’t hurt to gather the materials needed, just in case. It calls for only three colors of floss, but they are Weeks Dye Works and Simply Shaker Sampler Threads. I would be using the DMC alternatives, since I have an almost endless supply of those. The Belfast linen is actually dyed by Lakeside Linens, but as the normal Belfast straight from Zweigart is about $70 per yard, I think I will stick to the good old fashioned stuff. I probably have enough in my stash already (I hope!)
You should currently be able to find this issue on newsstands, as I received my subscription copy about 2 weeks ago.
XXX
Carrie
Posted on
I am about 25% of the way done with the second side of the biscornu chart, and when I am done I will start on the over-one scissors fob. It dawned on me that I don’t have a nice pair of scissors to attach the fob to. The ones I use most often are a cheap plastic pair with blue handles that fold up. I believe they are by Dritz, because they look just like this photo. I think it will be time, once I get the fob stitched and made up, to treat myself to a nice pair of scissors. Maybe that can be my goal, something to look forward to in order to get through stitching a decent sized chart over one on 28 count!
XXX
Carrie
Happy New Year!
Posted onIt’s a whole new year, perfect for stitching resolutions. I don’t normally make New Years resolutions, but I think this year I would like to try a bunch of techniques that I haven’t before: Hardanger, Assisi, and a biscornu. What is your stitchy resolution?
XXX
Carrie
It’s coupon time!
Posted onTo say thank you to everyone who visits my blog, I am offering a special coupon code that you can use at www.crossstitchers.com. This coupon is good for 20% off your next order of $5 or more. Just enter this code at checkout: stitchingcorner
Your discount will be applied after you click the “recalculate” button. Hurry, this offer won’t last long!
Happy stitching,
Carrie
The newest DMC colors have arrived
Posted on
We got our first shipment in of the new DMC colors. They are available here. The color numbers are 3880, 3881, 3882, 3883, 3884, 3885, 3886, 3887, 3888, 3889, 3890, 3891, 3892, 3893, 3894 and 3895. These new colors are available only in this assortment. DMC has not released them for open stock (yet). The pack retails for $11.99. Three free designs are included with the pack.
XXX
Carrie
Just Cross Stitch 2013 Special Christmas Issue
Posted on
The 2013 special issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments is out! I know, it’s only September. But I am excited to get some Christmas stitching done. I would like to stitch an ornament for each of my son’s 4th grade teachers this year (he has two; one for reading and writing and one for math and science). I love the Be Jolly Santa from Angel Stitchin and the Snowman from Needle Bling Designs. Both are featured on the cover. They look like fun and quick projects.
I don’t have this issue in stock yet but it should arrive next week. The price is $9.99 and it features 76 projects, on 115 pages. But for now I have my subscription copy and can get stitching. Well, after the two Halloween projects I have on my to-do list, that is! Tonight the kids will spend the night at grandma’s house which is a treat for them but for me as well. I can go to bed whenever I want, which means I get some STITCHING TIME! I know exactly what I am going to work on – a hedgehog Halloween design by Margaret Sherry. I just can’t get enough of her cute little hedgehogs. The design is from the current issue of World of Cross Stitch.
XXX
Carrie
Halloween Stitching
Posted onThe new Just Cross Stitch Halloween 2013 Special Collector’s Issue is out! This magazine is jam packed full of fun and spooky charts.
Normally I don’t decorate much for Halloween, nor do I do much Halloween stitching. It’s not that I don’t like Halloween, I just don’t have time. Hopefully once the kids get a bit older I will have time to go all out. I do have loads of autumn decorations packed away. I found have several things I really want to stitch from this magazine. I think shipping orders lately has gotten me in the mood for this time of year. Lately I have had to ship a lot of floss orders, and I can kind of guess what projects people have planned based on what they buy. Lately it has been lots of greys, browns, and oranges.
Flipping through this issue, I think it is about time to start a new project that will be really fast to stitch. I never did get to start on my Egyptian project; we were away for 6 weeks this summer and I did not do ANY stitching! Shocking, I know! But the lighting wasn’t the greatest and I didn’t have my stitching “spot” like I do at home. So I did lots of reading instead. I still have the Egyptian project ready to go, but I think for now I will do a few quickies. First up will be Double Double by Lizzie*Kate. I have never stitched a Lizzie*Kate design before (I know, another shocker! Who hasn’t stitched anything Lizzie*Kate before?!) I could actually finish it this weekend if the kids give me some time to myself. There’s also a great Edgar Allen Poe chart that features the verse “Once upon a midnight dreary” and a pictuer of a cemetery complete with Lenore’s grave and, of course, a raven. But it is a huge project so will have to be moved to my “some day” list. I also like Silver Creek Samplers’ Happy Halloween design and a great project from Ink Circles (a mandala design, of course!) Another quickie would be the Goody Trask 1692 design which is sort of a primitve sampler, but pretty simple and fast to stitch. I’ve read The Crucible many times and love anything to do with the Salem Witch Trials. Elizabeth Talledo has a one-color design in the magazine, and I would love to stitch it, as all of her designs are so interesting. And lastly, there is a really neat design that utilizes an Altoids tin to make a little keepsake box. The stitching covers not only the outside but the inside as well. I better get stitching!
XXX
Carrie
New DMC colors announced
Posted onDMC has just announced that they will be introducing 16 new colors in October. 8 of them will be neutral, and 8 will be vibrant. Supposedly the colors will only be available in a pack, and not open stock. We will definitely be adding them to our shop when they come out. Here is the flyer:
Famous!
Posted onMy 15 minutes of fame: being featured in the British magazine Cross Stitch Crazy! It was fun to get an early look at the mag and comment on my favorite projects. This is the page at the front where they introduce us; our comments follow throughout the issue.
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Carrie
How Time Flies!
Posted onI can’t believe how long it has been since my last post. Things have been crazy hectic around here, and I am starting to feel like I will never get caught up with everything I have to do. I’ve done a bit of stitching, but not as much as I would have liked. I will probably post a mystery project update tomorrow. Instead of stitching, I have been reading cross stitch magazines and looking online for free patterns. Not a great idea… if I had 100 projects on my “to do” list before, I surely have 200 now. Most of the projects I am interested in are Egyptian in nature. I have wanted to stitch a picture of King Tut for years, but never had a chart. Egypt must be a pretty popular subject now though, because I am finding so many great patterns in my magazines. I also have this book, Ancient Egyptian Cross Stitch by Barbara Hammet which has a lot of great patterns.
I’m definitely not going to start anything new until I get my mystery project done, and I might not even let myself work on anything else until some other old projects are finished too. Then again, cross stitching isn’t supposed to be a chore, so I don’t know if forcing myself to work on something I don’t enjoy will really work. I guess I will just have to keep looking at these Egyptian patterns and maybe that will give me the motivation to get stitching on my current projects, for I know that they too will be beautiful when completed.
XXX
Carrie
A Bit of Humor
Posted onFound these on Pinterest. Just had to share. I believe the cartoon is “Agnes”.
XXX
Carrie