summer cushion - Cross Stitcher 332

On Tuesday, issue 332 of Cross Stitcher hit the UK shops, with my summer animal cushion on the cover - but before I show you piccies of that, first here are two cards that I made (I`m actually so excited that I stitched something just on a whim that I have to start with these):

The first one was the free gift with the latest WOCS (269) and the AOY card I found in my stash. I have a big bag where I chuck in the cover kits and the other day, I suddenly decided I`d do one card a day (after I`d claimed in my last post that I never do cards). Predictably, my determination lasted 2 whole evenings, so I`ve got these two cards to show for it, but that`s me covered for all the birthdays in the family for the next 2 years (usually, I settle for a phone call or a Facebook message).

Anyway, the summer animal cushion. I have to say, I`m rubbish at flora & fauna, so I`d sooner associate ducks and squirrels with autumn but the flowers might be summery...? And the strawberries definitely are. 😉

Designed by Rebecca Spencer, this small cushion (26x26 cm) took 34 hours to stitch and I thoroughly enjoyed how quickly it grew - as daunting as the amount of backstitch might seem, it actually sped things up that I could finish each mini motif (or, more like, 3-4 of them at a time) before moving on to the next group. I think it boosts "stitchy morale" when you know you don`t have to return to a certain bit ever again because it`s done and dusted.

That`s a photo about halfway through the project, and here it is completely finished:

Although I don`t often take a pic of the back of my work, I did with this one because I liked the effect of the black "dotted lines". 😊

And here is the finished cushion, complete with summery props - hope you like it, happy stitching!

The World Of Cross Stitching 269

This week the latest issue of WOCS is out and in it there are 2 (very different!) projects that I stitched. Fiona Baker`s under the sea motif library was a treat, like something sweet after a meal; I was working on a big project at the time... I think it was the tiger...? Yes, it was, because I remember thinking these small pieces of powder blue aida were such a relief to my wonky eyes after each session on the black evenweave. 😊 So I stitched one every evening after I finished for the day with the tiger; they were funny, fun and varied too - one on plastic canvas, the other on aida band, etc.

And the finished results ended up being just as varied: from cards to key rings, from pencil cases to bookmarks. And I loooove the mini canvas on the easel - I actually have some of these in my stash so I might need to make one for myself someone. 😉

The other project in the same issue is this romantic wedding wreath by Shannon Wasilieff. When I was stitching it, there had been no mention of a royal wedding yet, so originally it was finished for an imaginary couple:

But then the wedding date of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was announced and the quick-thinking team at the magazine re-stitched the two names and modified the date - it would have been a sin to miss such an opportunity, this wreath could have been tailor-made for the royal wedding and has been published at the perfect time too to commemorate the big day this weekend. But there is an alphabet with which readers can personalise the design to suit the couple they wish to stitch it for, and it does look stunning framed in a hoop. It took 35 hours (I don`t know why the magazine says 38 - sounds better? *shrugs*), 9 of which were taken up by adding the 1042 beads - yes, I counted them. I`m that anal. *shrugs again* I can also imagine a card with just one of those roses on it...? So all in all, a very good issue of WOCS, full of versatile, usable charts - I`ve already put Amanda Gregory`s blackwork flowery cards on my to-do list, all six as a sampler (as I don`t really do cards). So one day, when I have loooooads of time... 😉🤣😂

tiger - Cross Stitch Gold 147

Finally! I was soooo looking forward to seeing this in print! And considering I stitched it around Christmas last year, it`s been a long, very long wait. 😉

Peekaboo...

Marilyn Barkhouse`s artwork, titled `Emerald Regard`, was expertly converted into a cross stitch chart by Fiona Baker, and the clever sewing team turned it into a stunning cushion:

I won`t lie: it wasn`t my easiest piece ever... but probably one of the most rewarding. Think of your idea of an `easy stitch` - and then take the opposite of everything that`d entail. 😂 Aida? Nah, let`s go for evenweave. White? Nooo, black, so that the holes are harder to see! Two strands? Meh, the loop start is overrated anyway - let`s go with 3 strands; that way, at least there`s more chance of the threads twisting and making bulky stitches...? Sure, and what about backstitch? Keep it to the minimum? No way! Let`s stitch every single hair on that tiger`s neck individually - some with 1 strand and some with 2, just to keep it interesting! 😂

But. If you`re the kind of stitcher who likes to be kept on their toes and/or wouldn`t mind to put some hard work in for a stunning result, then this is the project for you. And it takes less time than you`d think: 70 hours for the cross stitch and another 8 for the backstitch, so even if you can only do an hour a day, you`d have a cushion like this in about 3 months...? I`d say: yes, please! 😉

I`ve got a few progress pics for this project - random photos this time, because instead of taking one every 5 hours, I only stopped at `major points`, mostly when I started a new patch or group of colours. Oh, and while looking through my pics, I came across one with my high-tech bandage solution: working with 3 strands took its toll on my poor fingers so I devised this impromptu shield out of a Juicy Fruit packet and some sellotape (don`t worry, it was a temporary measure until I got some proper plasters and since then I`ve even invested in some silicone finger cones). So I thought I`d include that pic as well, hope you`ll enjoy the slideshow (since I can`t make mini-movies anymore 😔), happy stitching!

5 hours - first go at black on black, just to see if I can see 😂

25 hours - getting the hang of this 3 strands on black caper 😉

40 hours - elation as the bottom right corner is completed 🤜🤛

45 hours - Houston, we have a nose!

62 hours - YAAASSSSS! Finally got to the eyes!!

70 hours - XS done. Not bad, but just look at what a difference adding the BS makes! 👇

78 hours - FINISHED! All the fur, whiskers, everything`s in place! #bestfeeling

Rofl @ this casualty of war 😂