This week issue 144 of Cross Stitch Gold is out in the UK shops and I was pleased to see my cute little baby lambs on the cover. π
This design by Clare Buswell was such a joy to stitch - I mean, just look at those faces! π Plus, I love daffodils - luckily for me, there are millions around where I live so from February to April, there`s a sea of cheerful yellow flowers near our house. I also loved the subtle shading of all those lovely greens - some of them were cross stitched in 1 strand for a lighter effect. The project took 53 hours to finish and I only took a few progress pics because there wasn`t such a great big difference between the stages.
And here they are, nicely framed in the mag: I think this nice, crisp white frame is ideal for an image that`s so quintessentially "Spring", and the pale yellow mount accentuates the daffodils splendidly:
Also, this was the first time I used Madeira Lana thread; it reminded me a little of the threads that were in that Riolis kit of a Dachshund that I stitched for my uncle a few years ago. The lambs got fluffed up (?!?) in-house, so I was very curious to see the end result... OK, if I`m honest, I can`t tell the difference between my pics and those in the magazine but to be fair (both to the thread and to the person who "attacked" my lambs with a brush), I was expecting a more radical change, something that would transform my little white cross stitches into this:
So compared to my expectations, the end result is not that spectacular but it`s undeniable that one can tell the difference, i.e. that these are not cross stitches in mere white stranded cotton. I took a couple of close-ups of those areas, hope you can see them OK and until next time, happy stitching!
sono bellissimi
ReplyDeleteGrazie! π
DeleteI'm always amazed at how quickly you can stitch these models......how on earth do you do it?!!!! This would take me months and months. You model stitchers always amaze me, you are all so wonderful. I've never used the Lana thread either and was curious to just how fluffy it can become. Beautiful design and wonderful stitching.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, Rhona! π Luckily for me (and not so luckily for my bum size), I can sit and stitch 4-5 hours a day - or 8-10 just days before a deadline π - so in theory, I can finish a 53-hour project like this in 10 days. On the other hand, it`d probably take me half a year to design one, so I`m equally amazed at you guys, I have the utmost respect for cross stitch designers because the way I see it, my job`s the easier one, I just have to follow the pattern that you guys dreamt up and then painstakingly translated into a chart - that creative process never ceases to amaze me! π
DeleteWhat a cheery design! I’ve never used the Lana either and had similar expectations to you! Thanks for the close ups, you can see a difference but it’s definitely not as pronounced as I had thought. Do you think it’s worth it? I’m in awe with every post how speedily you stitch! Have a lovely weekend,
ReplyDeleteHelen
Thank you, Helen, same to you too! π I think in this particular case, I`d be tempted to use just plain ole` Blanc because the difference in texture doesn`t really show up - maybe it`d be different if it was a cushion that you`d stroke occasionally...? But then how long would it stay white? π But if I`d already bought a spool of it (and it`s not exactly cheap, either), I think I`d use it for smaller areas, like those nursery samplers with coin-sized sheep standing on monochrome green hill under monochrome blue sky, I think some fluffy white patches would pop a lot more against such a background. Or I could imagine a Fathers` Day card with a pint of beer and the froth would be with Lana...? π
DeleteUpdate: I`ve just seen this free chart on Durene`s FB page - this is the type of design I meant as "ideal for Lana" ;)
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/DureneJonesCrossStitch/photos/a.1543275219258820.1073741828.1542440619342280/2021884034731267/?type=3&theater