Wednesday 12 September 2018

cosy autumn sampler - Cross Stitcher 336

This week the latest issue of Cross Stitcher is out in the UK, and in it is this gorgeous design by Rebecca Spencer that collects all the things we love about autumn in one curl-up-on-the-sofa-under-a-blanket-and-revel-in-the-cosy-feeling sampler. 


While you try to make up your mind whether the teddy is your favourite or that mug of hot chocolate, may I just point out that there`s a sewing machine there too? *squeals excitedly* 😉 And talking about sewing: it`s too late now but I wish I had taken photos before adding the backstitch - as it is, you`ll just have to take my word for it that I had that deeply satisfying feeling you get when after a few well-placed stitches, a splodge of reds and oranges turns into a basket of apples, or a rectangle of blue into the padded back of an armchair. #clever
I have a few close(r)-ups for this project, here they are:






Hmm, that last one`s a bit flash-bleached... anyway, you get the idea. 😉 In other news: some of the DMC projects I stitched a few months ago have been launched now so I can add them to my photo album here. This pair of love birds was a sweet little exercise as the fabric is pre-printed so I only had to stitch the birds themselves and the background is already done. #noice




And around the same time, I stitched these gorgeous flowers too - I`m glad to see the kit is available to buy now. Thank you for scrolling through all these pics, happy stitching!






Monday 3 September 2018

Christmas crackers, baubles and Russian dolls

Another month, another post. (By the way, how can it be September already?!?). This week, there are a couple of new magazine issues out - first up, Crazy 247, with which the free gift is a set of two cute Russian doll felties, designed by Cheryl McKinnon. I`ve always loved matryoshka dolls, ever since I was a child, so I had great fun stitching this pair:


Issue 273 of The World of Cross Stitching is about to hit the UK shops too, so I can finally share pics of the gorgeous Christmas crackers that Fiona Baker designed. I enjoyed this little detour from the "stitch it, frame it, hang it on the wall" routine: while I usually like to work on big pictures, from time to time it`s nice to make something that shows a different way of displaying one`s stitching. And this project ticked all those boxes: novelty element? Check. Christmas stitching? Check. Traditional Christmas colours of red, green and gold? Check. Something that not only looks like a Christmas cracker (i.e. already a winner) but recycles loo rolls? Say no more. 😄



There`s a handy tutorial in the magazine that shows the process of turning these festive napkins into awesome crackers:


...so that one could decorate the Christmas table like this:


Awesomeness! 😃 In other news, we just spent our first weekend away in the new (i.e. new to us) camper van - talk about awesomeness! Of course, I couldn`t just leave the house for two whole days without any stitching - so I took a piece of aida with me and some variegated thread, and I made a bauble for Mr X Stitch`s Christmas tree at Standen House (if you`d like to find out more about the project and/or download the free bauble patterns, you can do so here). And even though it looks more like a strange planet than a bauble, I hope it`ll fit in with the rest of the hoops on that beautiful stitchy tree this Christmas. 😊