Christmas Round of the Fair and Square exchange

The final Fair and Square exchange round for 2010 was the Christmas round, and I was paired up with Melissa P from Massachusetts. These are the squares that Melissa stitched for me:

Christmas Round 2010 from Melissa P
Windows of Faith, Hope and Peace by Primrose Needleworks
JCS 2010 Ornament Issue

Isn't her signature square so clever? It took me a minute to figure it out, but I finally got it. 2010 in the four corners, and her initials and state in the middle. Very cool.

I had originally considered stitching these for her as well, though I am sure my signature square wouldn't have been quite as clever. At the last minute, I changed my mind and went with a different design. How funny would it have been if we stitched the same ones for each other? (And yes, I would have gone with the blue as well.)

This is what I DID stitch for Melissa:

All Hearts Come Home for Christmas
by The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio
JCS 2010 Ornament Issue

NOTE: There are two small errors in the chart. I noticed them when I was stitching and they were fairly easy to correct. You can see the correction here.

Melissa's likes were wide open, so I went with this design. I've always liked the "All hearts come home for Christmas" sentiment and I thought this was a pretty rendition of it. I didn't have the called for colors and didn't like the DMC alternatives that were given, so I dove into my stash and came up with my own color selections. I used DMC 815 for the red, 783 for the gold and 904 for the green. I think they look very pretty against the antique white fabric.

I can't wait to see how Melissa finishes it. The finish in the magazine is a pinkeep, but I think this design lends itself nicely to a biscornu as well.