A Special friend (cross stitch)

A Special Friend cross stitch)

This is the first cross-stitch gift from my BFF as she started to explore the craft.  The top white section is her own design worked out on graph paper.

It was originally in the frame on is own attached to some purple material (also her first go at framing) 

Now my friend knows me well and understands me better.  I meddle with stuff, I like to tweak things and in this instance she gave me her full permission to do just that with my gift.  

I liked the colour of the frame  and wanted to keep that and the main focus on my friends work. I too got out the graph paper and made a design with something to reflect each of us, dragons for me and a rainbow for her.  I had a bit of 18 count navy blue which was just the right size.  

A small bit of mount board and my hand cutter and there it was, well with the date and our initials embossed, not sure you can make that out here.

Oh and the purple material, it went into a Bits-a-quilt, well what else did you expect me to do with it. 

Noah's Arc, quilt and cross-stitch

I did not make a birth sampler for my BFF's son as by that point she too was cross-stitching and her mother-in-law was also a cross stitcher.

I had quilted a  pre printed panel baby quilt ( my friend picked and purchased the panel for that) which was a Noah's Arc so I cross-stitched a "nursery" picture instead of a birth sampler to go with it.

Noah's Arc cross stitch

The rainbow is one of my BFF's favourite things so it was most appropriate and this a very colourful version.

The red of the Arc picked up the red in  edge of the panel quilt. 

However, after finishing the hippo's, giraffes and flamingos, I spotted a mistake.

I will give you a moment to look at it, enlarge it even, can you see it?

The pale green section of the arc.

Yup it is a couple of stitches higher on the right than on the left.

Oh I was miffed with myself, how could I make such a mistake and as the adjoining animals had been counted out from there they would be wrong too.  I looked closely at my stitching and then at the pattern and realised that my mistake was following the pattern exactly, the mistake was in the pattern itself.  Had I spotted it before sewing it perhaps I could have made an adjustment however, unpicking and redoing was not an option so I left it in as a talking point, or an observational test.

Here is a sadly blurry blow up to help you see it.

Noah quilt

Oh and a picture of the quilt it went with.

Something for my Dad (cross stitch)

After several things made for my mother I wanted to make a cross stitch for my father.

It needed to be something suitably masculine. The Cross my Heart Inc's Artistic Landscapes set of patterns offered up a beautiful landscape. The Black in the foreground is three strands, in the background two.  The sky is completed in half stitch, this was the first time I had any large area of a design that was just half stitch.  

I started in the bottom right corner and worked lots of black, lots and lots of black.  It was a pleasure to move on to the colours.

I had the little brass frames for some time with no idea what to put in them.  The idea of leaves to reflect the colours of the sunset popped into my head and then into the frames.  I rather like the way they go together. The leaves are from Sam Hawkins Cross Stitch Seasons, Autumn's Riches.

Yes, you can just see a reflection of me in the glass taking the picture of this.  Reflections are a tricky thing.

Silhouette

Leaf

Leaf

My Dad liked his cross stitch, and occasionally compliments me by forgetting that is what it is and thinking I bought him a painting.

(addition 2025 of a link to some suitable music)

Some time ago (cross-stitch)

I said there would be more bookmarks as I either made them or found them. These two were both made for my mother, and unearthed as we have been doing a bit of sorting.  If you have been joining me for awhile you will know why the cross stitch parts of each are appropriate.

You may also note another appearance of the skirt linen, it won't be the last. I do like using up all the bits of material I have.  At the moment I am working on a very long term project alluded to in several previous posts and a teaser of which is in "eyes of Green" and I am making a push to get it done, or at least the stage that I can work on whilst looking after/keeping company with my mother.

Owl bookmark

Full view owl bookmark

Initial V bookmark

Da Vinci's La Sacpigliata via Maria Diaz and me.

Cross Stitch Collection

Sometimes a pattern catches the eye and cries out to be sewn. I saw this pattern on the front cover of Cross Stitch Collection, as you can see it invites you to stitch your own masterpiece.  I liked the idea and the other patterns also looked like ones I might use, so I bought it.  However, once I took a good look at Maria Diaz's pattern on 14 count (or over two on 28) I was surprised at how big it would be finished and framed. The design area was 9.5 by 9.25 with a stitch count of 132 by 130.

Destined for me, not as a gift for someone else, the size was an issue. that required some consideration.

Then I remembered the skirt linen (small-owls 18.01.2015) and wondered if it would be possible to use that.  That posed it's own issues of size and colour.  The skirt having been made in panels and a fairly beige shade.  

First I got out all nine of the sepia shades that made up the pattern and laid them out on the fabric.  Conclusion, it was too dark, there was not enough contrast between the thread and the material.  I was momentarily disappointed however I was also determined.  So, I bleached it just a bit, just enough.  I think it was at this point I had either a moment of genius or insanity as I decided to stitch the pattern not over two on my skirt linen as previously for the owls, but over one.

I normally just hold projects in my hand but in this case a hoop was a must to hold the threads open. Cross stitch needles were too big so I used small quilting needles.  I had enough needles to thread up with one strand of each colour which made it much easier than constantly re-threading and in some areas I used parking threads for the first time.

La Scapigliata fresh off the hoop

There was an amazing three D effect when working this which is difficult to see in pictures. It is particularly pronounced when viewed from a slight angle.  You may get a hint of it when viewing the last picture on this post if you turn the screen at an angle  Here she is just off the hoop and with a twenty pence as an example of the scale.

I think it worked out at about forty five stitches to the inch.  There is a tiny bit of backstitch on the original Maria Diaz design however, once I had the cross stitches finished I felt she was complete without it.

I had one problem with the pattern, which was a colour pattern, the problem, the print started to rub off as I picked it up so much whilst sewing.  With a black and white pattern I make a copy so I don't wear the pattern out before I finish it. (I destroy the copy afterwards) with the colour that was not an option.

I entered her in the local craft competition, for once I had some high expectations that my little masterpiece would be a winner, even of the overall prize and not just the cross stitch class.  My expectations were sadly dashed and she did not place at all.  Now you may find this odd, I know I did, but I felt rather badly for my version of La Scapigliata being passed by for recognition.  Her serene expression took on melancholy overtones.

Fame at last

That was redressed when I sent a picture into the magazine which was published on the letters page the title "Art in miniature". I had taken the picture with a penny for size, and as the colour went well with the sepia tones, it was edited out for publication and although the title of the article alluded to the reduction in size from the original it did not actually mention either the finished size or the estimated stitch count.  All the same, honour and serenity restored with world wide fame.

I had in mind an old style ornate frame, you know the kind all gilt and squiggles, something to reflect the style in fashion from the time da Vinci originally sketched this pleasing visage. 

I still sort of have that in mind and think of the frame it is in as temporary until I find the right one.  It has been in its temporary home and happily on my wall for several years now, it may never have a different frame.

I am still chuffed to bits with my very own Da Vinci on the wall, so happy with it am I that it will be familiar in this format to anyone who knows me from Facebook as I use it for my profile picture.

La Scapigliata on linen 

    So happy anniversary of the artists birth and all the beautiful things he created and inspired.  

                                                                                                                                                                 

V for very (cross-stitch)

I have been quiet here for a bit as the patchwork of my life has had a scary and unexpected deviation. That deviation has changed my focus and as any of you who will have experianced a similar situation (for all are different) you will understand.

My mother has and continues to be unwell starting from 6 March and ongoing.

V is my mothers initial.  My very special wonderful mother. A lot of what I make is with my mother in mind. V is one of those letters less common on things with initials.  I made this key ring fob for my mother, it is on 18 count and reversable with the letter in green and scroll in red on one side and the colour reversed on the other.  Each initial is also embelished with blending filament.  

It lives on my mothers handbag and although small and simple it and its use is and exchange of our affection.

The online craft community have been suportive.

The Cat in the Hat (a quilt) Dr Seuss aniversary.

The third appliqué quilt that I made for a baby was started in anticipation of my niece/nephew to be. By the time I was getting to the end of the project,that I would have a nephew, and his name, had both been confirmed.

My brother and his partner were both fond of being a little bit different.  Each has a passion for cats and I recalled that a childhood delight in the works of Dr Seuss has stayed into adulthood (well him getting older at least) with my brother.

So I looked at various images and settled on one from The Cat in the Hat.

Ran the idea past the parents to be and they thought it "exactly right and just what people would expect of us".

I traced out a line drawing onto acetate, popped it onto an overhead projector and drew around the enlarged outline on paper pinned to the wall.

Cat in the Hat quilt

The body of the Cat in the Hat is white cotton, the white and red on his hat, gloves and bow tie is satin (slippery fraying stuff that is, still it looked right), the hardest material to find was the orange for the gold fish.

You may recall from previous posts my method of appliqué, is to satin stitch in embroidery floss all of the edges. In this case to stay true to the design that had to be in black.

All in BLACK, that was a lot of black, I got a little bored with black however, it was worth it. I hope you agree. There is a little wadding in The Cat in the Hat and his juggled items.

The name of my nephew went on to the book balanced on the Cat's finger.

I kept the quilting simple and followed the soft lines on the blue checked material. Still happy with the result, although I wish I had a better picture of it.

I will admit that this is not my favourite Dr Seuss story, indeed it does not even make it into the top three.  I like the story Green Eggs and Ham (although never having had them I do not know if I would like to eat them, Sam I Am), If I ran the Circus with the ever versatile Mr Sneelock, and yes predictably How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Shortly after I started drafting this post came the amazing news that previously unknown, unpublished Dr Seuss books have been found and "What pet should I Get" will be published  this summer, that's exciting.

Today being the 111th  anniversary of Theodor Geisel (Dr Seuss) birth in 1904 felt like a good day to post the quilt based on his wonderfully zany illustration and an acknowledgement of the lasting delight of his stories.   

A little flutter of wings (cross stitch)

I made this little mouse for my mother, his gleeful attempt to catch butterflies makes me smile.

Unlike  other Country Companion designs this one is actually as small as it looks. It is mounted in a four by six clip frame.  It hangs between the two Chinese paper cut butteries I bought her and which inspired my paper dragon.

The butterflies have faded, red wellies happily have not.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart (blog hop)

Valentines day and Jo from Serendipitous Stitching has delightfully arranged a blog hop in celebration of the craft that has captured our hearts...now if you did not get here from Jo's blog, pop over there (after you have finished here of course) via the link in the right margin of my blog and then hop off viewing sweetheart stitching. 

Each participant has sent out via Jo something on the theme of the day and the hop, these heartfelt offerings have then been redistributed by Jo, so we each have a piece of secretly received stitching to share.

Here is the one I have received from whence I as yet know not.  However, I am hoping the originator of this delightful Assisi heart will make themselves know by leaving a comment ,with their thoughts on their art and the all important pattern details.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

I have myself a confession to make, those that know me will be laughing at me a little with this particular hop.  Why, because I don't do hearts, well hardly at all.  Only if absolutely necessary or it is the recipients hearts desire (pardon the pun) to have one.

I think it s a hold over from my childhood when the "in thing" for girls was to cover everything with "luv hearts" a fad that never caught my fancy.  The exact opposite in fact, so I have been left with the firm conviction the heart motif should only be used when it is truly meant.

Note book cross stitch

This is a small make, a cover gift from a cross stitch magazine.  Pansies are a favourite of my mothers, so this was a perfect gift.  I used a little gold ribbon to make a thin boarder around the  cross stitch design.  It is still getting used so I guess it was a success. 

Pansy cross stitch note book