Wild Flower Guide

Wild Garden was a limited edition  kit packed in a small cellophane bag which was tucked into a 3.5" x 5" x 1.75" silver-color metal box.  The kit (2012) is no longer in production. The kit contained 30-count tan linen, floss, vintage Czech glass bead, and the pattern. 

Wild Garden Kit

 

The chart which has been renamed, Wild Flower Guide, is included in the new book, A Heart Remembers. While the stitch count remains the same, the fabric and floss colors have been updated.

I chose to stitch this one on a piece of 18ct Platinum aida I had in my stash. I used the suggested floss but changed a few of the colors. Color changes are shown in parenthesis.

• GA Adobe (GA Brandy)
• GA Antique Rose
• GA Country Redwood (Olde Red Paint)
• GA Endive (DMC 3011)
• WDW Lily Pad (DMC 3012)
• GA Picnic Basket (DMC 869)
•  CC Ye Olde Gold

The frame was from a giveaway I won in one of my stitching groups on Facebook. I love how the entire project turned out.

 

Waiting for the Harvest

 Waiting for the Harvest by Blackbird Designs is included in the book, Winds of Autumn. The theme for October in the Blackbird Academy SAL is pumpkins and this chart has three.

 I selected a piece of 16ct aida that was a pretty mottled orange that I had in my stash. The floss was some of Vikki Clayton's hand dyed silk floss. Quarrelsome Creatures, Quick Vinegar, A coos Sticks are the three oranges (dark to light), Coffee Bitters is the color for the birds and Labyrinth is the black. The leaves are Nocturnal Concert.

I decided that I did not want to use my initials on the top left and right top corners. Mini pumpkins were perfect. Now to decide how to fully finish this one. I've had this finishing board from Homestead Needleworkes in my stash for a few years now and it turned out to be the perfect size. The pumpkin patch buttons are from DressItUp 

 

Midnight Ride by Blackbird Designs

 Midnight Ride by Blackbird Designs is the project I chose to stitch for the Blackbird Academy SAL. The theme for September is Birds and this one has a big bird as the main part of the project.

Blackbird Designs Midnight Ride supplies 

I chose a piece of 16ct Murmer by Picture This Plus and the silk conversion by Vikkie Clayton for the floss. I had never stitched with her floss before and it was a dream to work with. 

Fragrant Cloves – A Coo Sticks
Garden Gate – Coffee Bitters
Onyx – Labyrinth 

I love Fall and it is my favorite time of the year but I am not a big fan of Halloween. BUT, I had seen this piece stitched and I wanted to give it a try. 

I decided I wanted to finish this by mounting it to a board. BUT I only had a 6" board or an 8" one which was a bit to big. So I ordered a 7" one. I decided to add some rickrack and lace it to the 6" circle so that it would ready once the board was delivered.

 

I painted the board black and mounted the stitch piece on it and added a small wooden leaf on the handle. 

 

 

Clara Ellen

I recently lost my "little" brother to cancer. I wanted to stitch a memorial piece to give as a gift to my "little" sister. Both of them are younger than me BUT our last name is Little, or was until we married. 

Clara Ellen is #8 in the Anniversaries of the Heart series by Blackbird Designs and the design I chose to use.

 

Since some of the personalization was stitched over one, I chose a piece of 25ct Natural Lugana as the fabric and used the called for floss. I did change the inside of the windows to Onion Skin as the Olive Branch was a bit to dark for me.

 

The eyelet stitch has now joined the lazy daisy and backstitch as my least favorite stitches.

 I just placed an order for a frame from The Rusty Roof on Etsy. One of my favorite source for frames.

 

Little Red Hen

 Little Red Hen by Blackbird Designs is in the quilt book, Country Inn. I chose it as the August project for a new Facebook group Blackbird Academy SAL. The group was set up by Holly Jones and Leah Bloom. Each month their is a theme and you can pick any Blackbird Designs chart that goes with that theme. August was Alphabets.

I selected a piece of 16ct Platinum aida I had in my stash and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss Warm Berries. When I started stitching with it, I decided it was to brown so switched to DMC 3859 which was the recommended floss.

Not exactly sure how I am going to finish this one but it is done.

 

Basket of Memories

 On June 15th, our family had to say goodby to my "little" brother, Leonard Eugene Little after a very short battle with cancer. He left behind four daughters, two sisters, seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

I wanted to stitch something for his three New Zealand daughters who came to this country to be his primary caregivers. The three girls are amazing young women. 

I chose Basket of Memories by Blackbird Designs which I had stitched in the past for Barb Adams who was one half of the Blackbird Designs team. 

 I chose a piece of 14 count Vintage Oat aida by Zweigart and three different colors of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss to use for each small pillow. On the back, I will add my brother's name and his birth and death year. 

Floss: VMSS Ocean Coral

  

Floss: VMSS Santa Fe

Floss: VMSS Old World Patina

 

After adding some ruched ribbon trim to each of the small pillows. I love how they turned out. And after mailing to my nieces in New Zealand, I got a note that they had just arrived.

 

Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave was designed by Barb Adams of Blackbird Designs and published in 2002. Jean Lea of The Attic in Mesa Arizona released an alternate version as a remembrance of September 11, 2001.I chose to stitch it as originally charted by Barb.

 I chose to use a piece of 16ct Moonstone aida by Fiber on a Whim and a selection of my Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss colors that I used in stitching this one:

• Grand Old Flag (red)
• Indigo (blue)
• Frog Prince (house)
• Plantation Brown (flag pole/tree trunk)
• River Bank (leaves and grass)
• Golden Weave (alphabet)
• Weathered Barnwood (house roof)
• Dried Hay (house shutters and door)
• Anchor White 

Now I need to decide how I want to finish this one. I decided on a simple wood frame from Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Jubilee

Summer Jubilee by Blackbird Designs was first published in the July/Aug 2003 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I was included in the book Souvenirs of Summer published in 2004. It had never appealed to me because it was stitched on a darker fabric (18th Century Blackbird linen by R& R Reproductions).

I decided I wanted to stitch something in celebration of the 250th birthday of our country so chose this one but decided to use a lighter fabric. I had a piece of 16ct Stone by Fabric Flair in my stash and most of the called for colors. Changes are shown in parentheses.

• GA Grecian Gold
• GA Pomegranate
• GA Butternut Squash (DMC 3822)
• GA Chamomile (DMC 372)
• WDW Hibiscus (DMC 760)
• GA Woodrose (DMC 3722)
• GA Sasparilla
• GA Old Blue Paint (DMC 926)
• GA Flax
• GA Old Brick
• GA Berry Cobbler (DMC 3736)

I changed the numbers in the original design to the dates 1776-2025. I also left off the date and one set of initials. 

 Now I just need to decide how to frame it. I bought a 14x7 inch frame from Amazon. The left side of the frame is more like the actual color. Now to decide where to hang it.

 

 

 

Morning Star

Morning Star by Blackbird Designs is copyright 2011 and is now Out of Print. I have had it kitted up with fabric and floss for some time. The original design calls for 30ct French Vanilla by R & R Reproductions and floss by Classic Colorworks (Barn Door, Calico Kitty, Cocoa Bean, and Country Lane.)

I decided after looking at the cover photo that I would rather use Autumn colors to stitch this one. I already has a piece of cream aida kitted up and went to my collection of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss to pick some colors. I decided on:

• Rustic Charm (darkest rust)
• Fireside Glow (dark orange)
• Gray’s Lily (light orange)
• Ripe Avocado (dark olive green)

 

I decided I wanted to add some kind of trim to this one but could not find enough of what I wanted to use so online to Etsy I went. In the past, I had ordered some hand-torn cotton frayed edges ribbons from LinenLark to use for ruched ribbon finishes. I had ordered Terracotta in the past and knew it would be perfect.

 

 

 

 

Truly Thine

 Truly Thine by Blackbird Designs was released in 2004 and has been Out of Print for some time now. I had really never wanted to stitch it because the fabric color suggested was too dark for my eyes. But then I saw a post with it stitched on a lighter fabric with different colors. 

The stitch count for the sampler is 69w x 93h. I chose a piece of 14ct pink aida I had in my stash and for floss the Color and Cotton Princess gradient set with C&C Aloe Vera for the green. 

I love how it turned out. Now to decide how to finish it.
 

 

 

Love and Friendship

 Love and Friendship is one of the five projects included in the book, The Walker Sisters by Blackbird Designs. The book was first released in 2024 at a retreat at Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach.

The book was sent to me as a gift with floss and fabric for some of the projects. It has since been released to everyone.

I decided to stitch one of the smaller project to start with and chose Love and Friendship. Since the verse, initials, and date were all stitched over one, I chose a piece of 28ct white Lugana to stitch it on. 

  I decided to add my initials and the initials of my very best friend to this special piece. I will probably frame it rather than finishing as a small pillow.

I ordered a frame from The Rusty Roof on Etsy, Distressed Cimarron Picture Frame with Toffee stain.

 

Christmas Ornament 2004

 Christmas Ornament 2004 by Blackbird Designs appeared in the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue 2004.  The stitch count is 60x60. I chose a piece of 18ct Opalescent white aida to stitch mine on (what was I thinking?). I used some of the called for colors and changed a few.

• GA Black Crow/GA Black Licorice
• GA Soot
  
• GA Dried Thyme
• GA Avocado
• GA Rhubarb/VMSS Bright Candy Pink
• GA Straw Bonnet/DMC 727

 

 

 

Not sure how I will finish this one, a small pillow or a flat ornament.