'Tis the Gift is Finished!

I finished it up last night.

It was stitched on 32 count lambswool using Sampler Threads Sable, Grape Leaf, Antique Rose, Grecian Gold, and Clover (instead of Parchment).

I stitched the little gold bits of pollen as French knots. It is hard to tell in the photo, but I think it gives it a dimensional aspect.

I will have to search for a frame. I will try the attic first of course. It is a small piece so it might be easier to find something suitable.

Now I will go back to The Red Thread. The next (9th) square is County Fair.

I have four more squares to go to finish it, but I am losing patience working on it one month at a time. I may just work all the way through it to complete it.

Yucky Weather and some Progress

We have been putting up with this heat wave for about a week now!

With mid 90's and high humidity, Autumn cannot arrive too soon for me!

In spite of the weather, we tried to get out for a little bit on Saturday.

We went to Pomptom Lakes, NJ where they were having their annual town-wide yard sale.
Not too much success. I did pick up some cheap frames (of course none of them are the sizes that I currently need)! I also found an interesting antique mirror.

We must have gone to about 50 sales. Most of them were junky, but you never know when you will find something good. By the time we worked our way to the older section where most of the antiques were, the weather had done us in!

The heat was so oppressive that every movement was an effort!

Oh well! Hopefully next weekend will be better.

I did make more progress on 'Tis the Gift.

One of the things I changed was the pollen. (I think that is what the little gold specks are). Instead of individual cross stitches, I am making them French knots. It is slower because of that, but I think it gives it a dimensional effect.

Hopefully I will finish it up in a few days.

Stitching Progress

I have finished stitching the Christmas Chick!

Now for the hard part, finishing him as an ornament!

I have determined that he needs to be finshed as a rectangle. Originally I wanted to turn him into a circle or an oval but that will not work. His little hat throws the dimensions off too much.

Hopefully I can get that done soon. I like to finish an ornament and then put it away until the holidays so it seems fresh.

My next project, (besides my braided rug) will be 'Tis the Gift from La-D-Da.

It is a small design and should stitch up quickly.

I am stitching it on 32 count Lambswool, using Sampler Threads.

I am a little concerned about the Sable (brown). Most of the color is a nice mellow brown, but at the end it goes to a blackish color. I really don't think this looks too good in the border and in the letters. It is just too much of a change in color.

This is the problem I have with the hand-dyed threads. I think they need to be more subtle in the color changes. I was considering ripping it out, but I guess I will let it go and see how it looks.

I have made a small start.