Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Happy Halloween - Fall & Christmas Finishes

 BBD "Cast A Spell"
32ct Belfast Linen Natural
WDW - Jack-O-Lantern & DMC threads

Hello bloggers! Welcome to all my followers and to my new followers. We have had the most beautiful weather here in Northern California (Bay Area 69 degrees) - all sunshine. Hope all of my blogging friends are safe and warm. I pray for your safety.

After seeing everyone's wonderful Halloween Ornaments I wanted to share my one Halloween project I did with you. Last year I stitched this design from BBD. Now mind you I had no blog last year and had just started cross-stitching again. I choose to randomly place the designs from the booklet with intentions of adding more to it this year. Nope didn't get done. No idea how I am going to finish this. So to the pile to be done with others it goes for now:) 

 Fall SAL - By The Bay
32ct Belfast Linen hand dyed by me - Lt Grey
Used Rhodes stitches for the as suggested by Donna. 

All Finished.

 Someone had taken a photo of their Fall sal project from this view and I thought it showed the specialty stitches really well. So I tried taking a photo from the same angle.


Do you like my silk flowers? Picked them up from Dollar Tree store. The frame I got from our thrift store for 80cents and 35% off (store wide closing sale) that. Unfortunately our Hospice Thrift store is moving to another town. But I sure shopped & stocked up for frames for my cross stitch projects before they closed.
 
 Now to decide where to display? I love that I now have Two completed projects from
By the Bay and framed. So I was experimenting as to where to put it.

 This is where I ended up placing it for now.  I enjoy seeing it in the corner of the kitchen.

 2012 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue
Mosey N' Me - "Santa's Helper" pg 62
32ct Flax Natural Linen 
Threads: All the Gentle Arts Simply Shaker Sampler threads reccomended & WDW

This month I participated in an Holiday Ornament exchange thru Ellen Maurer-Stroh Cross Stitch Forum or as we refer to it as EMS. My partner Alexia has received it and now I can share with you. This design caught my eye from the first time I opened the magazine. When I first started stitching it (the threads & fabric I picked up while at Needle in a Haystack) I hadn't  realized that their were 2 different specialty stitches. Let alone that I had not done these stitches before.  

 Triple Tied cross stitch - Vertical band on sheep 
Mosaic stitch - Horizontal band on sheep

One is called Triple Tied cross stitch and the other is Mosaic Stitch. In the back of the magazine their are Stitch Illustrations........Hump... I really had to study these and of course I Googled the stitches to learn more. Well make a long story short the illustrations provided in the magazine are very good. But still I needed more information or more pictures to go by. What I looked at was here at Arts and Designs.com. I had not seen this website before and I loved the glossary of stitches they provide.
In the Sheeps body I used Gentle Art Simply Wool - Tradewind (Needle In a Haystack didn't have the color Oatmeal). It's a beautiful thin wool for needlework. I was comfortable with these new stitches after I trained my eye to follow the pattern. It went really fast and it turned out to be FUN.

 First time I made a twisted cord of any sort. I know you are thinking "OH THAT'S EASY" - Not for me it was. This was challenging enough. I'm always impressed with how the rest of you make those gorgeous twisted cords.


And finally the finished ornament. Alexia said she likes it and plans to hang it on display in her new house. It was my pleasure Alexia:)) Sorry this photo was taken at night. I had finished sewing it and then wrapped it up and packaged it. Went out in the mail the next morning. If I didn't get it in the mail ASAP I was afraid I wouldn't want to part with it:))) I really love this ornament. I'm sure I will stitch this again for me - sometime....     Hope everyone has safe time tomorrow. I have stocked up on many bags of my favorite candy - Snickers, Reeses Cups, Kit Kats, Baby Ruth Bars, Twix & Milky Ways. I do not want my house Tee Peed the night after Halloween (just kidding). We got over 85 trick or treaters last year. I hope we get more this year.
Always with my Love and Appreciation - Annette

11 comments:

Jackie said...

Hello Annette,
Thank you my dear for stopping by my blog with your kind comment. It's a pleasure to meet you:))
This is my first time by your blog and I have come on to follow also.
Your BBD halloween piece is gorgeous. Very pretty.
I've never seen the By the Bay SAL piece and it too is a beauty with the frame you chose. I love picking up used frames and giving them new life:)
Oh my, I do like the ornie you finished for the exchange and that reminds me, I need to find my magazine as I have not even opened it as yet.
TFS your beautiful work and I look forward to seeing more.
Enjoy your Halloween...Who knows...you may see a little cowgirl galloping over for some of those candies.

Enjoy,
Jackie:))

Lee said...

Hi Happy Halloween dont eat all the candy yourself.
Just loved your Christmas decoration really neat and specially in the soft muted colours.

SoCal Debbie said...

Your finished By the Bay SAL pieces look great in those frames! I stock up on frames from thrift stores, too. The Santa ornie is wonderful. What a nice exchange gift! Thank you for the links to learn more about specialty stitches.

Chris said...

WOW Annette!!
I love your Halloween stitching.
Your By The Bay SAL is perfect. It is so pretty. Maybe I will get mine done this weekend. The next 3 nights I will not have stitching time :(
What a lovely exchange. Your ornament is beautiful.
Have a fun Halloween!

Shirlee said...

I love that ornament design but uh-oh ... specialty stitches. I think I'll pass until my anxiety medication is adjusted up : )

Vickie said...

ooOoo Annette! I could just squeeze Santa's helper. That sheep is so cute. Guess what? I have never made twisted cord!!

Kathy A. said...

Good for you for sticking with those specialty stitches and learning. I ahve faced that challenge myself.
Your Halloween stitch is lovely.
Your By the Bay is sweet and looks great hanging.

McKenna C. said...

Beautiful finishes!

Carol said...

Oh, such pretty finishes today, Annette! My favorite is your little Mosey 'N Me finish--you really did a wonderful job on it!! Love the specialty stitches and the cording...

Our Halloween was postponed due to the storm...it really seemed strange last night not to be handing out treats to little ghosts and goblins!

Brigitte said...

You show some great finishes here. The BBD Halloween piece looks gorgeous. And oh, you have already finished the By the Bay fall SAL. Mine is not yet started but I will soon. Great frame that you found for yours.
I love the little ornament you stitched and finished so beautifully. Such a nice design.

Anne said...

Lovely finishes Annette!! I really love the By the Bay pieces and in those frames. What a great price!! The little Santa's Helper is so beautiful! I love the colours and the leash on the sheep!!