This year I decided to stitch personalized Christmas tree ornaments for my great-nieces. I chose a few cute Lizzie Kate Christmas Club Flip-Its designs from 2006 and had a lot of fun charting out the girls’ names using MacStitch. Here’s a WIP picture of the first design mid-name in my hoop. I am actually working on the third one right now and hope to finish it tonight so that I can assemble all three of them this weekend and (fingers crossed) mail them next week.
Category: WIP
With My Needle
The photo shows the very beginnings of my newest stitch, but this small progress is all my hands would allow for one sitting. At this rate it will take forever, so it’s a good thing I have lots of time for this one.
I stopped at Michael’s Crafts earlier today and picked up a new DMC variegated floss for a different project I’ve long wanted to try, Blackbird Designs’ little freebie sampler chart Petites Lettres Rouges.
I’m looking forward to personalizing the Petites Lettres Rouges design, even though I haven’t quite decided how I want to do that yet. I’ve been collecting little motifs and variations to consider on my Pinterest page, and add interesting ideas whenever I come across them.
Nearing completion
It has been a very long time since I felt like posting about my cross stitching. Real life, work and health issues have been getting in the way of some of my more pleasurable pursuits these last few years. Plus, since my job keeps me at the keyboard all day long, my continuing struggle with CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) often cuts short the hours I can comfortably use my hands after working hours.
That said, a few months ago I was able to take up an old, unfinished Prairie Schooler “Home Sweet Home” cross stitch, and it’s almost done now.
I changed the design slightly, removing the cat figure and adding another bird. Since I took this photo, I’ve almost finished the second tree and have only the sun, some small window details and a little more customization to go. I plan to add a few bees buzzing around. Bees have always been one of my favorite motifs, because my name means “bee.” It amuses me to sneak in a couple on my projects when I can.
This Prairie Schooler chart is the companion piece for another cross stitch in my entrance hallway. I’ve always found “Home Sweet Home” sentiments a little sappy, but the designs match so well that I couldn’t resist stitching both as a set.
First stitching in almost two years
Just had to post this as proof that I’ve actually begun a new project. It’s amazing how time keeps getting away from me. Let’s hope that this very brief beginning is followed by lots and lots of more stitches.
The never-ending story
My progress on the Mary Wigham sampler has been very slow, I just haven’t had much time to stitch, or when I did my hands would not cooperate. Ah, the joys of getting older! I knew that this would be a lengthy on-going project when I started it, but I had no idea that I would still be working it after all these months. Long ago I had to abandon my original (and what I thought quite achievable) goal of stitching just one motif of the chart each weekend, and merely fit in stitching on it when I can. But I decided to no longer obsess over getting this sampler finished by any self-imposed arbitrary deadline. I am still quite appreciative that Needleprint.com offered this chart online for free, I only wish that the time I spend working it could equal their generosity.
Baby steps
Well, I’m sure that all six of you who read my blog will be delighted to know that I am back working on something again. I’m actually only finishing a previously-stitched project as a small pincushion, so nothing major, but hey, that counts, right? It needs to go out in the mail for someone’s birthday soon, so I better get crackin’.
Mary Wigham progress
Not a lot of progress this weekend, but I offer an amusing aside. We are supposed to be recreating this heirloom sampler exactly as it was stitched 220 years ago, flaws and all, yet I find myself fighting an uncontrollable desire to correct the pattern, and losing.
Forgive me, Mary Wigham, but I want your medallions to be as perfect as possible and I can’t control my inner neat freak. Besides, it’s fun seeing if I can get all the various arrangements to fit correctly in the end. I can imagine that adjustments were made by the original stitchers as they went along, so in a sense I feel I am doing the same thing, thus making this sampler a little bit my own as well.
Mary Wigham begins
It’s true I’ve just started stitching on the Mary Wigham sampler – you can see I’ve only completed about an inch square! But I think it will be a fun project for me, I know I will enjoy working the individual medallions in solitary colors. I’ve chosen 40-count Lambswool Linen to stitch on and am using the DMC colors as charted.
Sympathetic Threads 