Poinsettia #2

Here is my second poinsettia, this one is by Brittercup Designs and appeared in the 2007 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special Issue. I drastically changed the colorway on this one, while trying to stay true to the design. I used Ozark Sampler fibers, which I love because they are so much softer than GAST or Weeks. Of the two that I've stitched so far, this one is my favorite. There are still 4 or 5 more to go, but I think in the long run, this one will retain it favored status.

marisa

Poinsettias!

You can never have too many poinsettia's at Christmas time, don't you think? I just love them all, red ones, green ones, pink ones, white ones . . .I'm not picky! But since I have pets, I don't keep the real thing in the house. So, the next best thing I guess is to stitch a bunch of ornaments, and hang them on a wooden stick Christmas tree, right? That's the theory I'm laboring under! I've scoured all my JCS Ornament Special Issues for charts and have stitched up the first one. Once I've done those, I'll go back through my regular issues of the stitching magazines I "collect" (DH has a different word . . . horde) and look for more. I'm sure I have a leaflet or two laying around that just might have a poinsettia charted in it as well. And I haven't even touched on future stash purchsases! I DO have a trip to KY coming up really soon and my favorite LNS is there! Here is Poinsettia Pocket Ornament by Samplers and Such, which appeared in the 2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special Issue.

marisa

Time To Catch Up!

Well it's been a time of transition. I bought a new computer, and in the mix of getting things from the old computer onto the new one, and just life in general, I've been without scanning ability for a little while. Which, it seems, has offered a chance to 1) stitch more and 2) do some much needed finishing. This is one piece that I have recently finished, just tonight in fact. It's called ABC Small Sampler. I found it as a freebie on the internet and cannot recall the designer. Hubby wants it finished into a pillow, but I don't think it's big enough to make a nice looking pillow.

Here is another internet freebie, this one came un-named, or perhaps it was simply in a different language, I can't really remember. Anyway, I thought they were a cute couple, so I stitched them right up. They will be made into a round ornament, I think. Just need to find a nice ribbon to use as a hanger!

And finally, Spring Bluebird by Waxing Moon Designs. I changed the colors, I'm not a big fan of pink in my decorating so the flowers in the corners are yellow and red. I like this design quite a bit, although I may end up giving it to my mom. She loves to sit on her front porch and watch the birdies congregate around the feeder in her yard.

I've stitched a few more pieces and done a TON of finishing, which I will photograph with the digi camera and then post instead of scanning individually. I'm now the proud displayer of two small baskets of small ornament sized finishes and I'm quite pleased with myself!

A Few Leaves, A Few Beads

Some backstitching and it's done. I think I may even have the beads I intend to use for the centers of the white flowers. Another hobby of mine is making beaded jewelry so I do have a small stash of supplies available. Also, I have a cut of complimentary fabric on the way for the companion piece to go with this one, so far I'm right on track to give these two pieces to mom for Mother's Day, then she can see her birdies no matter what the weather is. I'm such a good daughter, LOL.

marisa

Update

Here's an update on the piece I'm working on for my mom. I did fill in the emply spots in the one completed bird and the blue flowers, the yellow blob will be another bird and the starfish looking piece is actually the inside of a morning glory. LOL I'm really liking how this piece is turning out, however I REFUSE to hijack it for myself like I did with Pedigree of Honey years ago. It hangs safely in my bedroom now, LOL. This is Oriole and Chickadee by Barbara Sestok.

marisa

Spring Stitchin'

Instead of going back to the piece I'm working on for my mom after I completed the UFO listed below, I dug around in my stash bin and found this little gem: Spring Forget Me Nots by Patricia Ann Designs. I found the leaflet in a clearance bin for $.34! The fabric I no doubt received from a grab bag of different cuts from a supplier in Arkansas, she knows I like colorful fabrics and will find a design that fits a fabric instead of the other way around. This design only took a few days to finish up, slightly interupted by a trip to Tucson where I acquired the fibers I was missing for the bird piece for my mother, so it's back to that WIP now.

marisa

Flu Finish

What do you do when you have the flu and you are ticked because the project you are working on for your sainted mother is missing fibers, and you can't go out and pick them up because: 1) the aforementioned flu has you housebound, and 2) you have zero local access to even DMC fibers? You go digging through your UFO pile and pull out something that just needs a few stitches to complete. So that's what I did while I had the flu. Well, to be completely honest, the first couple of days I just slept. But after a while you realize there is only so much sleeping you can do, even though you feel like crud. All this piece lacked was 3 of the corner butterfly motifs and the outside border. And voila! A finish AND a reduction in my UFO pile! Yea me!! This is Spring Finesse by Anne Stanton, and appeared in the March, 1999 issue of For the Love of Cross Stitch. That's about how long it had been in that sad state of oh-so-close to finished, too. Is FTLOCS even being PRINTED anymore??!
marisa