Gold & Hardanger
I have always admired the series of three designs from Victoria Sampler called Gifts of the Magi. I just finished “Gold”. I love it!
Back in November/December I noticed that Nordic Needle was doing a Hardanger of the Month club. I jumped all over that. Each month I’ll get a design, window card and fancy fibres to do a small design that is meant to go into a window card. Here is January’s design…I can hardly wait for February.
First Finish of the New Year
My coworker is having a baby next month and tomorrow is her last day before materntiy leave. She found out that it is going to be a girl in October and that really helped with my selection of a pattern. I leafed through the magazines that I have and found one that I thought would be perfect. It is called “Garden fairies” by Andrée Langhorn. It was published in the CrossStitcher July 2008.
Here are the pictures of the Christmas ornaments that I made.
Chocoholic Ornament - Margaret Sherry 2008Angel - Marilyn Leavitt ImblumAngel - Marilyn Leavitt Imblum
Angel - Marilyn Leavitt Imblum
Angel - Marilyn Leavitt Imblum
Two Christmas Trees
For my Mother and Grandmother I stitched the tree at the top of Heirloom Christmas by Victoria Sampler. I got them framed last night.
The tree with the red matt is for my Grandmother.
The one without the matt is for my Mother.
Christmas Present Previews
I keep thinking that I should post some pictures of what I am working on…but I am working on Christmas presents for friends and family so I can’t post them until the New Year. I am enjoying making them into ornaments more than I thought I would.
I’m going to show some of the edges on my ornaments. I’m particularly happy with the red and green ribbon trim.
It’ll be a Margaret Sherry Christmas
I prefer to make Christmas presents for my family. I’ve stitched two Leavitt-Imblum free angels, one Nora Corbet free cherub, a Martina Webber freebie and a Passione Ricamo freebie. I went through the magazines that I have and found a bunch of Margaret Sherry designs that will make really cute ornaments. So far I’ve gotten two done.
Magaret Sherry 2009 Calendar
Chocoholic stitched up very quickly. I stitched it on 22 count aida and had to convert anchor to dmc. I am going to try getting some pink maribu trim for the edging.
Cool Cats designed by Margaret Sherry, December 2007, Cross Stitcher Magazine
This winter design took longer than it needed to. I frogged the scarf and the head a couple of times. Silly counting mistakes. I’ll have to wash this one out, the floss I had to frog left behind a shadow. They are small, only 3.5 inches around at most. I am going to stitch a few of the designs from the 2009 Calendar. I want to give a couple of them to co-workers this Christmas.
HWS HD!!
Here are a few pictures. The blue colour matches the wedding colour.
Victoria Sampler Heirloom Wedding Sampler - with changes
Reading
I read alot. I came across murder mysteries by Monic Ferris. Her main character, Betsy, solves crimes and owns a needlwork store called Crewel World (also the title of the first book in the series). The mysteries naturally revolve around, or stem from, hinge upon, stitching related topics. Reading her books reminds me of the sense of companionship that having a conversation about needlework with other like-minded people makes you feel. It’s relatable. Anyway, I’ve decided to read all of them and have been borrowing them from the library. I didn’t read the first one but have read the second one, Framed in Lace, and am currently reading A Stitch In Time. It’s fun and panders to my hobby.
A Stitch In Time by Monica Ferris c.2000
I guess I’ll start mentioning what I am reading. Some books I save for reading while on the way to and from work, or for reading a half hour each night before bedtime…meaning they don’t get in the way of my stitching. Other books consume my attention until the book is done and I get don’t stitch much or at all.
Always stitching
Melissa's Lobster 2009
Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum is one of my favourite designers. I love her free angel designs. Over the summer I stitched her 1997 and 2005 Angels.
1997 and 2005 Angel - Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum
Kathy's Violets - Martina Webber / Chatelaine c.2002
The 2006 Cherub - Mirabilia
Been stitching :)
I’ve been busy stitching since I finished Mystique. While I was in Kingston, ON for EAC Seminar I bought a kit for Bargello Jewells (pattern, materials and canvas) from Northern Pine Designs – Linda Lachance. I love the colours. It was the first time I did a beaded bezel and I don’t think it’s perfect but it does what it’s supposed to 
Bargello Jewells - Northern Pine Designs (Linda Lachance)
I attended the wedding of my cousin Chelsea in July and while I have started her wedding gift I didn’t have it finished in time. I am going to visit the family after Christmas and will bring it over with me then. It contains some hardanger on the bottom and that is the part I am working on now. I’ll be finished the whole thing within the next six weeks. Since I’ve seen her wedding colours I am now going to incorporate them into the gift.
I’ve stitched two Lavendar & Lace free patterns (two complementary angels) and have no idea who I am going to give them to. I think it would make a striking gift if I framed them in a double window frame. They are done on the same fabric so I might do that yet. I like having small stitched gifts ready to give for Christmas presents.
I bought the Gold (Gifts of the Magi #2) pattern and Accessory Pack from Victoria Sampler a few months ago, and I recently purchased the remaining materials for it. It’s nearly entirely beads, but I have seen it in the Trunk show and love it.
This past year I haven’t been focusing on cross stitch much, and I kinda miss it. I am going to do a few more of the Lavendar & Lace and Mirabilia freebies as Christmas presents and then I’ll concentrate on compeleting things I’ve had around for a while. I want to get back to Watergarden (Chatelaine), Fire in the Soul (HAED), and Peace Angel (L&L).
Mystique
I finished the Carolyn Mitchell design, “Mystique”. Here are some pictures from start to finish. I love it!!
