Happy, happy fourth finish for February!

 

Project particulars

Design: Happy Spring designed by Heart in Hand

Link to design: Happy_Spring_Bird_Free_Chart.pdf (shopify.com)

Started: Sunday, February 18, 2024 @ 4:45 p.m.

Finished:  Monday, February 19, 2024 @ 3:45 p.m.

Fabric: R&R Reproductions 28 count hand dyed linen in "Blue Wave"

Fibers: Note: Fibers are no longer available

                        Old Willow: Vampire Kiss and Churned Butter

                        Dye is Cast: Pine cone and Willow

This free design came in the Heart in Hand newsletter 4 days ago and I thought I would stitch it as I have a Nora Corbet design that should be in the mail tomorrow.  I had finished Stitch until your heart is content which was completed yesterday and I wanted to fill the time as I wait for the mail.   I had fun choosing my fibers and fabric for Happy Spring. That is my favorite part of any project.  I love the Old Willow and Dye is Cast fibers and I dearly wish they were still available.  The Vampire Kiss floss is such a delicious red.  It reminds me of a cordial cherry color.  I feel so accomplished with 4 projects being finished this month. Now, what do I want to pick up to keep my hands busy?

What am I stitching on?

 Actually I have been working on stitching free designs.  They are quick and provide the variety I am looking for at the moment.

Meet Yankee Doodle Duckie.  He was designed by Handblessing and honestly I never had seen him until recently when I found a bunch of old newsletters on-line with lots of older free designs in them. I  started him on June 22, 2021 and he was finished June 30, 2021. He is stitched on Zweigart 28 count lugana in white.  I used stashed Six Strand Sweets floss in Mulberry Wine, Patriot Pop, Bluebery Pie (2 different color lots), Toffee and Spiced Orange Cider.  His eyes are black petite beads.  He is so blessed cute and he makes me smile.  The link to Yank is: NewsletterJune_2011.pdf (myfiberworks.com)

This design is called Flag City by La D Da and it was stitched in 2018.  I just fully finished it into a hanging pocket. I hung it on our front door with some red, white and blue flowers which I had.  I love how it turned out. The vintage pillow ticking fabric I had purchased at Hobby Lobby is just perfect for it.  The link to this free design is here: Free charts from La-d-da Cross Stitch Designs

Next in my parade is a Heart in Hand free design from Cecilia Turner called Spooky.  I started this on June 7, 2021 and finished it on June 8, 2021.  I stitched it on a hand dyed fabric from an unknown company however the color was called Over the Hill 27 count linen.  I used Weeks Dyed Works Merlin, the purple black color; Gentle Arts Ruby Slipper for the orange red; Crescent Colors Honeycomb for the gold and DMC white.  The wee ghost's eyes are French knots.  It was a fun little stitch.  Finishing is unknown at this time.  The link to the newsletter the free design was in is: spooky-2.pdf (heartinhand.com)

I love this bookmark, it is perfect in my bible.  This design is called Alleluia and it is designed by Nancy Bandzuch.  I found it on a site called Catholic Sprouts.  I started this design on May 19, 2021 and fully finished on June 20, 2021.  I used a silk floss from Silks 4 You, a maroon to raspberry color PR044 and Rainbow Gallery Fyrewerks Metallic Braid #F3. I  stitched it on Crescent Colors 28 count evenweave in the color Vanilla Bean.  I moved the cross from below the wording to before the wording to make the bookmark longer.  Then I stitched the buttonhole stitch all the way around with DMC perle cotton #12 in white.  This took forever because I kept putting it down.  I fringed the ends and as I said I couldn't love it more. The link to this design is here: Free Alleluia Cross Stitch Pattern for Easter | Catholic Sprouts

This design is from a new designer to me, Pinker 'n Punkin.  I adore her free designs.  This design is called Bee Sampler and I started this on June 9, 2021 and finished it on June 20, 2021.  It is stitched on Weeks Dyed Works 30 count in the color Parchment.  I used Gentle Arts Sampler Thread color Wood Trail for DMC 434.  The rest of the floss was Old Willow Sampler Threads, Quaker Swan for DMC white,  Black Cat for DMC 310, American Quaker Gold for DMC 783 and Chocoholic for DMC 838.  I had so much fun stitching this and plan on stitching many more of Pinker 'n Punkin designs.  The link for this free design is: Pinker n Punkin Quilting & Stitching: A Little Bee Sampler - Freebie

So this free design caught my eye.  It is by Alita Designs and it is called 4th of July Heart.  I really liked the way the stripes flowed.  So I pulled some Valdani floss in Natural, Rich Wine and Sea Deep.  The Valdani floss reminds me of the old flower thread by Ginnie Thompson and DMC.  It has that linen floss look but stitches more nicely.  Remember DMC linen floss, it didn't last on the market very long. It was awful to stitch with.  I chose  a fabric in 28 count, a Country French linen in the color Goldneedle.  I started it on July 1, 2021 and you can see where I am. 

I really like how it looks.  I am thinking I will stitch "1776" instead of "4th of July".  Here is a link to this free design: 4th of July Heart cross stitch pattern (alitadesigns.com)

So you can see, as I now can, that I indeed have been busy.  I was intending on reorganizing my Happy Room this week as hubby is on vacation and prowling the house.  I wanted to let him prowl and I would hide away in here.  Well I have barely started the reorganizing...lol!  I hope your summer is wonderful and your stitching sublime.   Until next time, God Bless!