Incoherent Scribblings

Three-Sided Ornament

This week I decided to work on my bi-monthly Christmas Ornament commitment for my 10 Ornies in 500 Days Challenge. After browsing through my magazines and my freebies, I finally settled on “A Colonial Christmas Ornament” by Cherished Stitches from the JCS 2007 Ornament Issue.

I don’t think this ornament was originally on my list of things to stitch from this issue but I am glad I decided on it because it challenged my finishing skills a little bit. I doubt you can tell because I had a hard time getting any pictures that accurately portray how it actually looks, but I finished it as a three-sided whip stitch ornament. A three-sided finish was a first for me and it wasn’t until I started whip stitching the panels together that the directions made sense. Once I got the hang of it though, the ornament went together nicely.

There are a few things about this piece that I should mention: First, instead of beads I chose to do French knots for the holly berries. Why? Because I didn’t have any suitable beads in my stash. (Note to self: Really should work on acquiring adequate bead stash.) Second, the date and the holly on the third panel are stitched over one… on 36 count! Third, I am especially proud of the cording that I made. After two or three years of making my own cording, I finally made a length that has uniform tension!

A Colonial Christmas Ornament
by Cherished Stitches (from the 2007 JCS Ornament Issue)
April 14, 2008-April 17, 2008
36 Count Khaki Edinburgh
DMC Fibers, Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid

P.S. I am not going to say who I originally had in mind when I started this ornament because I like it so much that I just might keep it for myself!

Fun Frogs

Frog and Bee Biscornu
by Casey Buonaugurio (freebie)
March 15, 2008-March 30, 2008
28 Count Hand-Dyed Turquoise and Pink Monaco
DMC Fibers

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In stitching frogs aren’t usually something fun, but I specifically invited these frogs to help me make this springy little biscornu.

Homework Sunday

I have a major assignment due for my novel writing class today so I didn’t get a chance to work on “Harvest Witch” yesterday. However, after class on Monday nights I usually try to relax by stitching for a couple of hours, so I will work on her tonight instead.

In preparation for tonight’s class, I spent most of yesterday afternoon with my nose buried in Madame Bovary. I read an excerpt of this novel in French many years ago when I was studying abroad in Paris, but apparently had either forgotten what I had read or never understood it in the first place because I feel like I am reading everything for the first time.

The translation I am reading is the 1886 translation by Eleanor Marx-Aveling and is not exactly an easy read. However, I am plodding my way through and find that I am actually enjoying myself a wee bit. In my opinion, Madame Bovary is an interesting character who I don’t exactly like, but I can’t help but pity her. Her romantic notions may make her a silly woman, but like many women of her day she is trapped in circumstances that are only partly of her own making.

Once I decided I had had enough of Madame Bovary for the day, I took a crafty break and finished “Winter Love” into a pillow-style ornament. I had originally intended to make this into a tuck-pillow ornament, but after I trimmed my stitching I realized I didn’t really leave enough room for the “border” that characterizes a tuck-pillow so I just fell back on a regular pillow-style ornament instead.

I then settled down to work on my mock proposal to a publisher and except for printing it out, had it ready for class before I fell into bed around 1 a.m.

I “Heart” This Finish!

Behold! My first finish of 2008!

Although this little Quaker design stitched up relatively fast and easy, I ran into a small glitch when I was finished with the front side: I didn’t have enough WDW “Azaleas” to stitch the back side!

Nevertheless, I did not panic. I did some quick color matching and came up with some DMC colors (917 and 3836) that would compliment the remnants of the WDW and stitched the back side.

However, I then had to buy some Polyfil before I could do the finishing and after that I had some minor issues with the WDW that I used to stitch with bleeding onto the linen a wee bit. It was nothing a little cold water soak didn’t cure, but it delayed my finishing by a day or so.

Anyway, I just love the simple but inventive way this is finished! Though I wish the “dip” in the heart was a little better defined, I think this heart-shaped pin cushion did turn out quite nicely… Especially since I had never done a whip stitch finished design in anything but a square before!

Another Fob

I don’t know why, but apparently I have been in a fob-finishing mood lately!

Here is my latest installment: “Ring O’ Roses – simplified” At 25×25 I knew this pattern wasn’t very big to begin with, but when I put it on 36 count, it turned positively tiny!

Truthfully though, I decided to make it into a fob at the last minute because I was afraid it was too tiny to just be a biscornu. At my house without some sort of attachment, this little biscornu would be batted away by little kitten paws in the blink of an eye.

Next up will be “Above the Clouds.” I am pretty confident that I don’t have much more than twenty hours left on this piece so I will probably stick with it until it is done.