Festive Feathers and recent finishes

This is one glorious Sunday!  The view out my Happy Room window is stunning with the bright sunshine, tree leaves appearing, red bud flowers and the most amazing blue sky!  God really know how to treat us right on a blessed Sunday morning.

This morning I have been lurking about the free designs on the internet and posting to my Needle Free For All Facebook group for future posting.  I post two free designs most days and have April almost filled up.  I have to keep track on a calendar page which is also a free calendar at Free Printable.net to try to avoid posting duplicates! (They have free graph paper there too!)  Why buy when you can save money to buy other things with?  

I am always surprised by what free designs elicit  comments.  The designs that I love get no comments and then the ones which aren't appealing to me, do.  That is the beauty of the world, the breadth and width of differences in this universe.

I was not feeling well for the first half of the week so there wasn't any stitching or Skyping with my bestie Leslie on Wednesday.  I did manage some stitching on Friday and Saturday.  I am about half way done with my cardinals breast on Festive Feathers. The color of the fabric is more accurate in today's picture then previous posts. I didn't use a flash when I took it.  I really had fits with it on Saturday as the damn floss kept knotting and I spent half my time picking them out.  It is beyond frustrating.

Last November 2020, Leslie and I talked about just working on holiday designs as a way to assuage the depression that seems to to effect us as the days gets shorter and shorter.  I actually did follow though with that, Leslie didn't 😛 !  Shame on Leslie BIG TIME!  I really enjoyed it!  I chose to stitch free designs I had found and shared on my Needle Free For All.  Here are those finishes.

The top row: Christmas Greetings from iStitch and to the right Village in the Snow from Le Grilles de Maryse.

The second row: Thankful designed by Hands on Designs, Noel 2014 Medallion from Le Grilles de Maryse and the last two are from the Brookes Book's Advent Animal series, Mary Mouse and Duncan Dog.

I was really cuffed with myself getting so many stitched in two months time.  That is not very Sandi Jo'esque!  I will share the particulars of each design next post.

This is my latest free design finish, Shamrocks, by a French designer Brigitte DaDaux.  I stitched it using supplies I had, a piece of white 28 count evenweave and Dye is Cast hand dyed cotton floss in Grace Kelly.  Dye is Cast has been out of business for a decade plus. I really loved Brenda's floss.  I added a small bow from some silk ribbon I had plus a lady bug button.  It is so cute and one day I will fully finish it and share.

I will mention all the free designs I mentioned in this post are still available.  On the left hand side of the blog is a list of sites that offer one or more free designs.  You can find the designs I stitched that way.

I think that is about all for now I will talk with you later in the week.  Enjoy each stitch and God Bless.

Inspired finishing ideas

I discovered the most wonderfully inspiring blog today!  Priscilla's is a blog filled with amazing ideas for finishing cross stitch projects.  Priscilla has worked with Hands On Designs to create Cathy Habermann's chalk board designs.  Her finished pieces are so original and gorgeous.  She thrifts frames and shutters and all other forms of objects to create masterpieces.  I am in love with her talent and eye for design.

Priscilla and her daughter also have a Floss Tube channel which is fun and interesting to watch.  Check out Priscilla and Chelsea Real Housewives of Cross Stitch on You Tube and see if you agree.

Stitchy Happy

We have a finish here in the Lilac Thicket.  I have finished Cottage Garden Samplings "Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven".  This is part of the "My Garden Journal" series.

This was stitched on Zweigart 32count Lugana in the color "Platinum".  It was stitched with the called for fibers from DMC, Weeks Dyed Works and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.  I started it around December 23, 2016.  I finished the design stitching on 1/18/17 and signed it today 1/19/17.

I very much enjoyed stitching this piece, the fabric was lovely to hold in my hand as I stitched.  I particularly like the cardinals in this design.  As I was working the border I realized I had 2 blocks more than I should but it came together and you can't tell.  I did have problems with knotting on the WDW Icicles color which is used for the snowdrop flowers. I straighten my floss with a damp sponge and apply Thread Heaven but still had knotting problems.  I had some issues with my counting as I stitched the last 5 snowflakes and ripped stitches out to my frustration.

Plans have not been made as to how I want to fully finish this.  I am leaning towards a stand up.

This piece reminds my of my little brother Rick who died in May of 2014.  I will forever think of him when snowflakes fall.  He will be sending his kisses to the family that dearly misses him.

My next project is to finish the Mirabilia Holiday Cherub for 2000. It is a complimentary design at: http://www.mirabilia.com/category/free-graphs/ It about half way finished and I would like to finish this before a new project is started. Here is my progress so far:

I have stitched this with 28 count white cashel and the DMC called for except for the blue sky which on the chart says "black" which is 310.  Since I am stitching it for a new baby girl I wanted it to look like a blue sky and I cannot tell you which specialty thread it is.  I stitched it diagonally so it would give the illusion of a mottled sky rather than in horizontal or vertical lines which you get stitching that way.

I washed this and the picture is taken while it is damp.  To the left of the upper wing you may see a yellow stain.  My husband moved this on the table and it was laying on a damp yellow sponge.  That sponge discolored the white fabric.  I should have washed it right then but I didn't and it has been sitting a couple of months.  Some of the stain is gone.  I am going to look to see if I can find a stain remover that may take the rest out.  Lesson learned.

Two different designers are going to be offering series this year that I am interested in.  The first is offered by Little House Needleworks and it is the Early American's Series.  I have signed up through Stitches 'n Things for the auto shipment.  Here is a preview picture of that series.

The second is the 12 Days of Christmas which is being offered by Hands On Designs.  I have ordered the called for floss and fabric.  I am having the auto ship feature through The Silver Needle for this series.  Here is a preview picture of that series:

I did order thru Etsy two of Sandra Sullivan's Homespun Elegance designs.  They have been shipped.

I look forward to receiving these shortly. I have really had my interest peaked in primitive style stitching and we can only blame one person for that.  The Primitive Stitcher on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_zQ6Dh2bWgk7aZB3SjGfw

So for now I am going to wish you stitchy happiness.  Sandi Jo