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!

Winter Love

How appropriate that I finished “Winter Love” by SamSarah Design Studio from the JCS 2007 Christmas Ornament issue just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Actually, I stitched this as part of my 10 Ornies in 500 Days Challenge. This will be turned into a Christmas Ornament for a member of my family. At the moment, I think it will more than likely be for my step-mom, but I haven’t decided for sure so I haven’t personalized it yet.

I envision it as a simple pillow-style ornament, though I am hoping to make it a tuck-pillow ornament. I would like to finish it into the ornament sometime soon, but it will really depend if I can find some appropriate fabric.

There isn’t much of a fabric selection out here in West Texas Town, so I am considering looking to see if I can find some sort of fabric shop online. I figure that with all the quilters out there, there are just as likely to be OQSs as there are ONSs, right?

And with this finish, I am afraid I can put it off no longer… “Above the Clouds” must be next in my rotation.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

26 Complete Projects

Today I stitched “Britty Christmas Kitty” over one on 28 count Lambswool Joblean from the 2005 JCS Ornament issue and with it I have completed my 26 Projects Challenge. I started with the 25 Project Challenge some time in December of last year, but upped the number of finishes by one in order to correct myself for purchasing a chart that I “accidentally” won on eBay.

I am very pleased that I took on the challenge not only because it achieved its original goal of making me stitch patterns in my stash, but also because it helped me to control my cross stitch purchases when I didn’t have a lot of money. In fact, I enjoyed the challenge so much that I am trying to figure out a way to continue it and still be able to purchase some stash. I may do something where I must complete X amount (5?) projects before I can purchase stash or where I limit the amount of charts, but not necessarily fabric, floss, or embellishments.

The only moan I have is that I had hoped that more of my large WIPs would end up on the list than actually did. However this is not the fault of the Project Challenge, rather my own sometimes erratic stitching behavior. Nevertheless, I enjoyed stitching the small and medium sized charts too and either way unstitched charts were eliminated from my stash.

Of course, now that I am gainfully employed and have successfully completed my Project Challenge, I plan to reward myself with a little SEX. I am not going to go overboard; in fact I think 1 chart for every 5 that I completed on the Project Challenge will be the rule and I will carefully consider what I buy because I don’t want to add a lot of charts to my stash that will not get stitched.

Woodland Joy

In an attempt to finish my 26 Project Challenge before the end of the year I decided to whip up this little freebie from Something in Common. Aren’t the little owls so cute? Stitched over one on 28 count Lambswool Joblean, “Woodland Joy” is about an inch and a half by an inch and a half. I plan to finish it as a fob, but not quite yet.

Now, let’s see what else I can do before the end of the year…

Winter Finish

Today with the finish of the winter cat from the Margaret Sherry patterns in the December 2007 issue of The Cross Stitcher, I have a semi-happy dance. Since these patterns easily stand alone, I could count today’s finish as 25 of my 26 Project Challenge. I decided to stitch all four cats together on the same fabric though so I am not counting this as a happy dance until I stitch all four. Nevertheless, here is the first one out of the four.

In addition to working a little bit on “Fairy Flora,” I now am completely finished with Outi’s belated birthday present. However, I am not mailing it until after I return to Texas because I am waiting on a little extra for her package. I am quite pleased with the way her present turned out. I just hope she likes it.