A new Blogger on the Scene

Carolyn, the lovely woman who owns my LNS, has started up her own blog - Just Cross Stitch in Limerick. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

I'll have a hard time parting with this one

I really, really, really like how it came out.

Blue Ribbon Designs - A Christmas Wish of Health and Happiness (2007)
stitched over 2 on 32 ct. evenweave with DMC threads
Freebie Design available here

This is another for the set of Bride's Tree ornaments I'm stitching and finishing for my husband's cousin, who was married in August. We gave them the first one with the promise of the rest to follow, but it's taking a little longer than I expected. Oh well, I TECHNICALLY have a year to get them done.

I am really pleased with how this one came out, and it will be hard to part with it. I modified the bottom from "Health and Happiness" to "Hope and Peace" because that's what the rabbit symbolizes for the Bride's Tree Ornaments. And it's a little hard to tell, but it does say 2008 on there as well. It's been stitched up, I just only finished it into an ornament.

I did the finishing the same way I've done others - laced onto cardboard, stitched together, then trimmed with glued on cording. Here's a tip for you - hang onto the cardboard that Joann's wraps their Quarter Flats around - it's perfect for ornaments since it's on the thinner side. When you put two pieces together (one for each side), it ends up being the perfect weight and stiffness for an ornament.

New Home Ornament

Since DH and I bought our first house in June, I wanted to make a special ornament for our tree, and this is what I came up with:

JCS 2007 Ornament Issue - Deck the Halls by Julia Lucas Designs
stitched over 2 on 32 ct. fabric with DMC and specialty threads

I know - it barely looks like the version in the magazine, which is very nice, but I really wanted to personalize this piece. The most obvious change is changing the door from green to red, and yes, I really did take my DMC color card to my front door so I could get an exact color match. Same goes for the bricks. God only knows what the neighbors thought about the crazy lady holding stuff up to various areas of her house. I also added a brass kickplate and house numbers and left off the wreath treasure.

Oh, and the bushes are a little bigger because I screwed up a little and started them higher than they should have been, so I had to make some adjustments. (Not to mention there are no bushes beside our actual front door, but I consider it creative license). And while I was at it, I changed the Welcome to our name (blurred for privacy), and added our new town and the date at the bottom. Then I laced it and a pretty piece of red fabric with gold swirls onto pieces of cardboard, stitched the two halves together, and gussied the whole thing up with some lovely store bought cording.

And as long as I am on the subject, I'd like to address Julia Lucas Design's contribution to this year's Ornament Issue. At first glance, I thought it was a misprint and they put last year's ornament in again, but upon closer inspection, I discovered that this year's ornament was a window, not a door. Which looks an awful lot like the door from the 2007 issue. I'm just sayin....

Another contribution to the Bride's Tree

Okay, okay, so I stitched this piece about 4 years ago, but I only just got around to finishing it. I always knew I wanted to make it into an ornament, but sometimes the best laid plans....

Victoria Sampler Hearts of America - Hawaii
stitched over 2 on 25 ct. evenweave fabric with DMC and specialty threads

I stitched this as a gift for my best friend and her husband who were married in Hawaii, and I thought, what better way to incorporate the "heart" into their collection than to commemorate their wedding day on a heart shaped ornament?

I used the same fabric on the back and stitched their names and the date, laced both pieces on heart shaped pieces of cardboard (what a pain! but surprisingly easier than gluing once you get the hang of it, especially for non-heart shaped pieces!). Then I stitched the two halves together, and finished the edge with some fancy gold cording (that I bought. AND attached with hot glue. The horror!)

I know it's a little after Christmas, but the recipient is my best friend, and also still has her tree up, so there's a good chance that this will be hanging on her tree in Virginia by the weekend. Woo hoo!!! And only 10 more in their set to go!!

Ornament Finishing Binge

So I've been on an ornament finishing binge, and yes, my tree is still up, though I am forbidden to light it because it's in the front window and my DH doesn't want the neighbors to think we're weirdos. The reason I am leaving it up because nobody has ever really seen our tree. DH and I travel to the family - nobody comes here over the holidays, and so nobody has been able to enjoy our tree but us. I have a friend coming to visit (it was supposed to be this upcoming weekend, but we moved it to the following weekend), so we agreed to leave the tree up so that at least someone else could admire it.

Back to the ornaments I have been finishing. First up is the ornament I made from the squares that Claire G. sent me for the Christmas Round of the F&S Exchange.


I am not sure who the designer is - you'll have to check with Claire (and it's a good excuse to go over and visit her blog!) I originally bought a finishing form for it, but it ended up being smaller than I wanted, so I did it my own way, whipstitching the edges together with beads, and using a piece of cardboard on the inside to give it a little weight. I think it's just adorable, and while you can't see it in this picture, the sparkle of the beads around the edges really sets it off. (Photo is partially blurred for privacy)

And this little snowman is joined by two buddies on an ornament I stitched up in 2007 and just got around to finishing up this past weekend. (I know, I know)

JCS 2007 Ornament Issue
Winter Love by Sam Sarah Designs
stitched over 2 on 25 ct. linen with DMC threads

I used the same finishing technique as I did on the one above - whipstitching and cardboard. I originally intended to make a little pillow like they did in the magazine, but I thought it looked nicer a little flatter. On the back, I used the same fabric and stitched our name and 2007 in red thread, and used red seed beads for the edges. I also didn't use the recommended buttons - stitching in the hearts instead and skipping the cardinal button altogether. This was my first JCS ornament finish, and pretty much the reason I picked up the magazine in the first place.

And the cute little snowflake? One of many crocheted by DH's grandma. Our tree is covered in them, and it actually looks bare without them.

I finally finished them up!

I finished stitching these two ornaments for my niece and nephew right around Christmas, but just got around to finishing them into actual ornaments this week. A little after the holidays, but it's the thought that counts, right? Besides, they LOVE getting stuff in the mail, so I'll send them off to them this week for a nice little surprise.

This one is for my niece, Elizabeth. She is such a little girly girl, after my own heart. She loves princesses and has decided that we, along with our cousin Kerri, are all princesses. Naturally, she had to have a Princess Ornament to match mine. (I did hers in girly pink and green though)

It's a freebie from Cyberstitchers, available here. I used some small sequins and matching beads to fancy it up a little. Now I just have to finish stitching up Kerri's!

And this one is for my nephew, who is as enamored of knights as his sister is of princesses. He has quite a collection of play swords and shields, and I thought he'd love this. He actually helped me stitch on it a little over Christmas. I'd put the needle in the right hole and he'd pull it through. I was amazed that he sat still for as long as he did and took as much interest - he's only four. But red is one of his favorite colors and knights are his favorite thing, so that could have something to do with it! (Not to mention the boy LOVES to get presents, and I'm pretty sure he wanted me to stitch it faster.)


This is a freebie from Tantes Zolder, available here.