I can’t believe how quickly this little project stitched up!
Now I just need to figure out how to finish this off. I’m looking forward to doing more Bent Creek patterns in the future. I really enjoyed using pearl cotton, although I wasn’t sure at first how I would like it.
XXX
Carrie
Tonight I finished up Autumn Flowers, and then had to decide if I wanted to rip out the two small flowers and redo them, or just leave it as it was. Here is the finished project along with the picture of how it should have looked.
In the end, I had plenty of floss left and there was enough time to rip out and restitch the two flowers tonight. I felt that if I didn’t redo it, I would forever look at it and wonder why I had left it. I am so glad I decided to frog the orange flowers and make them yellow.
Frogging is a term cross stitchers use when they make a mistake and have to rip out stitches. “Rip it, rip it” sounds like a frog saying ribbit, ribbit. Get it? Generally, I don’t make mistakes when I cross stitch. I am a slow stitcher, and stop every few stitches to cross off what I have done on my chart. On large pieces, I grid. And I am always double checking to make sure I am doing the right thing. So I rarely ever have to frog my work. But on this project, I wasn’t even looking at the key. I knew I was to use two colors of variegated threads, yellow and orange. And since I had done the first flower with the orange on the outside, I just assumed I was supposed to do the small flowers the same way. Oops! But it wasn’t much work to rip out my mistakes and start over. And I am so pleased with the end result! So often I get caught up in large projects that take months to finish, and my stitching time is so limited. So I am glad I was able to get a quick finish done.
XXX
Carrie
Last night my daughter wanted to read her new Owl Diaries book aloud to me. We sat on her bed and she read while I stitched. Occasionally, she would show me a funny picture from her story. I didn’t get a whole lot of stitching done (reading, although something she excels at, is not her favorite pastime) but I’m glad to have three flowers done as well as the start of the basket.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying very close attention to the pattern, and apparently the two small outside flowers are the reverse of the larger central one. The outside was supposed to be yellow, with the orange for the inside. Oops! Now I have to decide if I want to keep it as is, or rip out the two small flowers and start over. I definitely won’t do anything about it now, I will wait until it is completed to see how it looks, as well as see how much floss I have left over.
XXX
Carrie
One little flower peeking through after a nice and relaxing stitching session!
I ended up choosing 32 count linen, three shades of Weeks Dye Works floss, and one shade of DMC Color Variations (for the orange). I just didn’t have a suitable orange color in my stash of Weeks, and I wasn’t happy with any of my silk choices. I had the right shades, but none of them were variegated, they were all solid. I really wanted the orange to have the variations in it like the stitched sample had.
XXX
Carrie
I have decided that my next project will be from the latest issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, October 2017. Featured on page 15 is this lovely piece called Autumn Flowers, designed by Ladonna Snellbaker of Black Branch Needlework. I am about to raid my stash for the appropriate supplies, but I am guessing that I won’t have all the threads called for, as they are Needlepoint Inc Silks (one color) and Gloriana hand dyed silk floss (three colors). Actually, I doubt I have any of those! But no worries, I should be able to find something that matches closely, and most likely silk. Or, maybe I will find overdyed cotton floss to use. The 32 count linen might be a challenge to my eyes, as I am used to working on 28 count linen. But this chart isn’t very large and features only whole stitches (yay!) so it should work up quickly.
I can’t wait to get started!
XXX
Carrie
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