I know, it`s been a while AGAIN, but I haven`t had any magazine pictures to share lately, and the only `private` stitching I`d done* was a secret until last Sunday. But now the recipient, my Gran, has been presented with it for her 81st birthday, so I can show it y`all; moreover, I can even report that she loved it.
It`s a lovely little cottage, designed by Michael Powell, from issue 234 of Cross Stitch Collection. The design measures 9x9 cm on 28 ct evenweave and originally uses Anchor threads but I substituted them for DMC, because I have more of those. I took 3 photos of the finished picture: one after all the cross stitch was done, and one with all the backstitch - if it`s true that the backstitch makes a design really come to life, I think it`s doubly true to Michael Powell`s creations. And the third picture is of my finish: I bought this mini easel off Ebay, it`s about 12 cm tall and the actual frame I stretched my canvas (!) over is about 10x10 cm. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the back, so you can`t see how neatly it`s stapled and covered with brown paper - very professional looking, even if I say so myself, lol!
If I don`t see you before then, HAPPY EASTER, everyone - and now back to my snowman (yep, I`m already stitching for Christmas... in April). Is it me or are the years getting shorter??
* apart from a couple of heart-shaped fridge magnets I made for `the girls` for Mothers` Day, of which I forgot to take a photo, and now they`re away, my Mum took them home and she and my Gran are not supposed to open their cards until the first Sunday in May.
It's so beautiful
ReplyDeleteWell done dear x
Thank you, Cucki, I`m glad you like it :) xx
DeleteWhat a wonderful project! Reminds me of the line "we all live together in a little crooked house." And your finishing looks professional, even though we can't see the back, but it is amazing. Thank you for sharing! Now I want one just like it. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katya, I`m quite chuffed with it - partly because I managed to conquer it, lol, despite the many obstacles I had to overcome. First, the size was a bit of a disappointment (when I saw it on the cover, I thought it`d be at least A5, not card sized), then the threads: I have a measly collection of Anchor (crazy, since they`re made in Hungary!), so I only had about 3 or 4 of the 20-odd colours I needed, and not even all the DMCs suggested by the conversion chart, so for about a third of them I had to go by eye. Finally, just when I thought that the small size at least gives me the advantage of a quick finish, I found that it took me a good 5 days to stitch it - although I don`t know if the stitching was fiddly or by that time I was distracted by my Mommy being here! :)
DeleteI love that cute little cottage! Great stitching!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb, it reminded me of our little house in the country - I hope it`ll remind my Gran too :)
DeleteI love Michael Powell's designs, but haven't yet stitched one! Crazy, I know!
ReplyDeleteI also love the little easel you have used to display this piece, a lucky buy. I'm sure your Gran will love this.
Thanks, Jo - this was my first Michael Powell too, which is quite surprising considering how long he`s been around. But I seem to have this weird routine going on where 1. I see one of his designs in a mag, 2. I scream, `I want to stitch this!` (esp. that vase of flowers chart that was a freebie about a year ago...?), 3. start to wonder, `But would I hang this on the wall?`, 4. conclude `Probably not` and decide it`s waaaay too fiddly technically to work on a pic that, ultimately, I don`t want to hang on my wall. Tbh, I had a vague idea of `easing myself into` his style with this small project, but I`m afraid the 1-4. routine hasn`t really changed (my loss, not MP`s, obviously). Happy Easter! :)
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