A Finish

 Hey Everyone!

I totally forgot to post about a small band sampler I finished back on June 8th.  This one is How Do I Love Thee from The Sweetheart Tree.

I have a bunch of their small patterns and this one was the one my randomizer app picked for me to do.  It only took a few days (maybe 3?) to do.  I framed it in a standard 5” x 7” picture frame.

I just got beads and a specialty thread yesterday so that I can start another one of their patterns, Shamrock Heart.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Quick finish

 Hey!

I had a very quick finish!  I completed this sampler, Secret Garden, from Lesa Steele Designs last night.  I did change the style of the Hardanger wraps as I didn’t care for the way it was in the pattern.

That freed up my 14” scroll frame and my randomizer app chose PTP Hummingbirds from HAED as the next project for that frame.  I’ve pulled the threads, printed the color key and first page, and verified that I have the fabric I’ll need for it…eventually.

The randomizer chose the next project that I’ll work on as one called Chelsea from an old issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.  I got started on it today.  It’s another small/quick project.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Answer #1 - Cutting in Hardanger

Carla asked:
"I will be doing some fancy stitching on TW's "Tea Scene" that requires some cutting, I would really like to see how you have figured this out please."


Carla,

Hopefully, the pattern has lines indicating where you should cut the threads.  For the actual cutting, you'll want some small, sharp scissors that will fit easily in the holes of the fabric.  I think the scissors that I use are manicure scissors.  If there is a lot of cutting, like on the photo below, you will need to take a break because your hands will probably start to ache.  Well, at least my hands did.  I have fairly large hands and those are such tiny scissors, my hands hurt from holding the scissors rather than the actual cutting.

For a good tutorial on Hardanger, you can go here.  There is a great diagram showing where the cutting lines should be. 

Here is one of my completed projects that has quite a bit of cutting in it:

This pattern is from the booked Stitched Elegance: Enhanced with Hardanger from Stoney Creek.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Other stitches

Hi All!

If you're like me, your obsession passion for cross stitch has lead you to attempt stitches other than the basic X.  For me, it's because I've developed an addiction fondness for band samplers.  Some of these stitches seem may seem too difficult to even contemplate attempting.  Believe me, they're not!  Here are some of them that I've heard complaints about:

• French Knots.  This has to be the one I see the most complaints about.  They're not really that difficult.  I can do them just fine but I don't.  Why?  Because I've found the colonial knot to be even easier and it produces more uniform results.  Here's a YouTube video on the colonial knot.
• Lazy Daisies.  These are actually rather fun to do and look so cool.  Here's a great video on the lazy daisy.
• Backstitch.  I'm sorry, this one is easy but so tedious.  The finished effort does make it worth doing (sigh).
• Hardanger.  This is more of an embroidery style than a single stitch.  What really intimidates people with this is cutting the fabric.  Yes, making that first cut is scary!  I follow the rule of quadruple-check where you are supposed to cut before you actually do!  Once you've made the first cut, I'd love to say that it's easy going.  It's not, depending on the pattern.  The ones that I've done have required a lot of cutting.  The where becomes second nature.  The doing it becomes really tiring on the hands.

I hope this post helps with some of the non-X stitches.  If you have a stitch you don't like or are afraid to attempt, post it in the comments and I'll see about doing an expanded post.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy