Silent Night

I have had Silent Night by Country Cottage Needleworks in my stash for some time. It is copyright 2012.

 

Stitch Count: 119w by 119h. Fabric: Zweigart's 32 count Pearl Grey Linen. Threads: DMC. Sampler Threads' Chives and Wood Trail. Weeks' White Lightning and Cocoa. Frame: The Family Tree by Crescent Colours. 

I found a piece of 16ct grayish blue aida I had in my stash to use along with all the called for colors. I have to say, I really do not like stitching snowflakes but love the way this one turned out. Now to get a frame for it.

 I decided to order a frame from The Rusty Roof for this one. And I will get a white easel to display it on.

 

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.

 

Sip and Stitch - Autumn Theme

What is Sip and Stitch you ask? Sip and Stitch is a Mystery Cross Stitch Box curated by the ladies at Primrose Cottage. It is usually offered three times during a year. The last Sip and Stitch for 2025 was offered with an Autumn Theme. The box included three charts, a finishing kit, floss, a drinking tumbler  and more goodies. 

Stitching fabric is never included since we all stitch on different counts and types of fabric. I stitched all three of the charts as shown below. The one in the lower left corner was the Free Stitch Friday pattern for October.

All of them were stitched on 16ct aida Platinum I believe. 

The felt heart on the back covers the hole that I use for stuffing the pillow. I am going to mount the larger of the designs on a paper mache box after painting it with acrylic paint.

 

 

 

Snowman 2023

 Lindsey Weight of Primrose Cottage released the first of her Snowman series in 2023. Meet Top Hat Henri!

 

The stitch count is 57w x 61h and the called for fabric is 28ct Light Taupe. I selected a piece of 14ct aida I had in my stash that was a mottled tan and blue/gray. Instead of using all the called for DMC, I chose to use some of the Color and Cotton floss and some Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

• DMC 676
• DMC 3362/Tree Lot
• DMC680
• DMC 3776
• DMC 839
• DMC 3777
• DMC 844/CMSS Winter Coal
• DMC B5200/DMC 3865
• DMC 3052/Aloe Vera

I wanted to mount his one on the same kind of board I did the later ones but could not find the right size. So this is what I came up with.

 

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. 

A Grateful Heart

 A Grateful Heart by The Scarlett House was an exclusive kit offered in the Homespun Needlework (Cross Stitch and Samplers) Facebook group a few months ago. I received it as a gift.

The kit was offered with various counts and kinds of Hawthorne fabric  by Needle and Flax, with hand dyed floss or silk floss and some extra goodies. I chose the 16ct ct aida Hawthorne and the Weeks Dye Works floss. The fabric is a beautiful mottled light taupe color with slightly darker areas. The chart pack includes the big sampler as well as a small pin pillow.

 

 

 The verse on the sampler is what sold me on stitching this one. 

Each dawn brings a new day
For us to do whatever we may
Choose to be happy with a grateful (heart motif)
For we have been given a brand new start  

Rather than stitch the rabbit that was the critter on the the far right, I changed it to another dog as we have two dogs. The black dog represents Shadow and the reddish brown one is Sheila. I took the final stitches on the sampler today. Now all I need to do is decide on a frame.

Since I had a gift card to Hobby Lobby, I decided to try out their framing department. This is the one I selected and the rabbet is deep enough to hold the glass, spacers, stitched piece mounted on foam core and another piece of foam core as backing. Now all I have to do is decide where to hang it.

 

Sounding Joy

 Sounding Joy by Heartstring Samplery is intended as a companion piece for her previously released “Love & Joy” and “Joyous All Together” pin cushions, this design features lyrics from the dearly beloved “Joy To The World”.   

The Stitch Count: 121 x 63
Needle Bling Designs: Shrekie’s Tan, 36 count
Gloriana Silk Thread: Sassy Green

I chose a piece of 16ct Platinum aida and for floss Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Dried Ferns.

I will be finishing it as a small pillow. Now to find the perfect backing fabric. I decided to use a piece of Blackbird Designs fabric I had in my stash as it was the perfect color. The felt heart on the back covers the hole I used for stuffing.