The Lyf So Short

Checkerbird Finish

I was feeling the need to work on something small and "completable" (yes, I know that's not technically a real word, but needs must, as they say), so I dug out this old kit that's been sitting in a plastic tub in my craft room since before the flood.  It's by Heart in Hand and it's called "Checkerbird"; the kit came with the chart, fabric and the pillow form. I started it a couple nights ago and voila!

I simply can't resist anything with pumpkins on it.

The pattern called for Gentle Art Sampler Threads in some of my favorite colors--the bird's body is Nutmeg, the black is Black Crow, and the green is Dried Thyme. The colors match the pillow form exactly.

An aside: I'd like to send a "shout out" to Gentle Art. They have been so supportive of my fledgling cross stitch design company. They have been generous with samples of their latest threads and have always responded promptly to my emails. No wonder they have such loyal followers in the stitching biz.

Anyway, now that I've got this quick and easy pattern out of my system, I can go back to work on the Celtic Band Sampler and some knitting. If any readers out there care to comment, I'd really be interested to know how you decide which projects to do next. Do you like to mix small projects with larger, longer projects? Or do you work one project until it's finished and then, and only then, proceed to the next one?

The End of a Long March

Well, it's the last day of March and here's what I've accomplished stitching-wise:

1. "Everything Bag" from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. "Breast Cancer Ribbin' Scarf," my design (k)
3. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c)
4. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c)
5. "Cardigan for Arwen" by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k)
6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd's amazing book (k)
7. "Ewe & Eye Needlecase" by Heart's Content (xs)
8. "Corinthian Ribbed Blanket," my "design" (a simple ribbed blanket) (k)
9. "Drizzle" by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. "Ballerina Top" from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k)
11. "Aran Wrap," my design (k)
12. "Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover," my design (k)
13. Jord (that's the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k)
14. Chair cushion cover, from Suss Home Knits (k)
15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)

Although it looks like a lot of projects have been crossed off, I was miffed to discover that my percentage is only 73%--a lousy "C." And here I am feeling like I killed myself to get this much done!

I've decided to put the Ballerina Top on hold for now since the "baby" it was intended for is now a toddler and, frankly, I just can't stand to look at it anymore. I've also decided to end the blue basketweave scarf where it is--it became slightly felted when I washed it, and I've decided that it's good enough as is. I'm following the old motto "There are no mistakes, only design choices" (sometimes "design elements," but you get the idea) and accept what I've got.

The Breast Cancer Ribbin' Scarf  and the Sashiko Chessboard Cover will be finished soon. Really. The Ewe and Eye Needlecase may take a bit longer--I spent quite a few hours on it this month and here's a photo of my disappointing level of progress so far (to check on my previous progress, go here):

And here is a picture of my brand new Everything Bag in all its glory:

While I more or less followed Suss Cousins's pattern, I made up my own mixture of yarns. The original pattern called for Suss Charm, which is a mixture of three different yarns, including Trendsetter Flora. I used one strand of chocolate Suss Bomull (2 skeins total), one of sand Suss Twisted (3 skeins total), one of ivory Suss Perle Cotton (2 balls), one of mushroom Suss Perle Cotton (2 balls), one of Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool in a kind of brick red (2 skeins), and one of "olive medley" Trendsetter Charm (4 balls total). Phew! Can you spot all the different yarns?

It's like a yarn version of Where's Waldo?! The lining is a groovy mod design from IKEA in ivory, brick red and beige--very cheap and very sturdy. I made some interior pockets, but I'm not entirely happy with the final size--a little too narrow and too deep to be truly useful (something to keep in mind in the future). However, considering my extremely limited sewing skills and fear of the sewing machine, I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I'm in bag love!

March 2008 goals, three weeks later

In terms of actually being able to cross things off my list, I haven't made as much progress this week as last, although I have made significant progress on several projects and I've managed to finish the Drizzle Scarf at least (pictured to the right). Mmmmm... so soft and purple....

Because I like longer scarves than most designers seem to think appropriate, I doubled the called-for length of each of the light purple and beige stripes on the ends of the scarf and lengthened the solid purple middle section too. The fuzzy effect is created by mixing Rowan Yorkshire Tweed (sadly discontinued now) with one strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (fast becoming one of my favorite yarns). Here's a detailed close-up of the striped section:

The pattern, in Rowan 38, calls for a bunch of shell buttons to be sewn on the ends of the scarf, but in the interest of getting all of this done for "stitch or cut floss" March, and, more importantly, because I really didn't think they would add much, I decided not to go with the buttons. However, I do want to go on the record as saying that my administration has always had a firm pro-shell button agenda.

Here's how I stand with the list so far:

1. "Everything Bag" from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k)
2. "Breast Cancer Ribbin' Scarf," my design (k)
3. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c)
4. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c)
5. "Cardigan for Arwen" by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k)
6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd's amazing book (k)
7. "Ewe & Eye Needlecase" by Heart's Content (xs)
8. "Corinthian Ribbed Blanket," my "design" (a simple ribbed blanket) (k)
9. "Drizzle" by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k)
10. "Ballerina Top" from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k)
11. "Aran Wrap," my design (k)
12. "Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover," my design (k)
13. Jord (that's the name of the yarn) handbag, my design (k)
14. Chair cushion cover, from Suss Home Knits (k)
15. Blue Basketweave scarf from Vogue Scarves book (k)

As soon as my roommate's midterms are over and she sets up the sewing machine for me, I should be able to finish nos. 1, 10, and 13. #1 needs a lining, #10 needs the pieces sewn together, and #13 needs both.

Here are some pictures of the current state of #6, Aran sweater for SIL (the book that the pattern is taken from, by the way, is the amazingly useful Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd):

And here's a close-up of the sleeve opening and funnel neck (inside-out, of course):

And here's a close-up of the sleeve seams (baskstitched):

And the wrist:

I'm planning on finishing this up in the next couple days, so that should be one more in the "finished" column. Yay! Stay tuned. Same stitch time, same stitch channel. 

March 2008 Goals in more detail

Here is a more detailed explanation of what needs to be done with each of the projects in my "March Goals" list:

1. "Everything Bag" from Suss Cousins, Hollywood Knits Style (k): lining needs to be cut out, sewn and attached to inside of bag, including the two pockets; button and closure needs to be attached; handles need to be attached
2. "Breast Cancer Ribbin' Scarf," my design (k): the two halves of the ribbed portion need to be Kitchenered together--yick!
3. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, navy (k & c): the ends need to be woven in, and the knitted, ribbed portion needs to be sewn to the two granny squares on the ends
4. "Granny Square Scarf" by Suss Cousins, claret (k & c): the ends needs to be woven in; the ribbed portion of the scarf needs to be finished; and the ribbed portion needs to be sewn to the two granny squares on the ends
5. "Cardigan for Arwen" by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 (k): ends need to be woven in and one sleeve needs to be attached
6. Aran Sweater for SIL, from Ann Budd's amazing book (k): shoulder and sleeve seams need to be sewn together; sleeves need to be attached; cabled funnel collar needs to be knitted
7. "Ewe & Eye Needlecase" by Heart's Content (xs): sheep is about halfway done, and none of the needlecase has been assembled together, see earlier entry here
8. "Corinthian Ribbed Blanket," my "design" (a simple ribbed blanket) (k): one last skein of yarn needs to be knitted up; single crochet edging needs to be worked; and tassels attached
9. "Drizzle" by Anna Tillman for Rowan 38 (k): ends need to be woven in; decorative buttons need to be sewn on
10. "Ballerina Top" from Zoe Mellor, Adorable Knits for Tots (k): needs to be blocked, sewn together, and crochet edging needs to be added; I also want to add some embroidered flowers
11. "Aran Wrap," my design (k): the actual knitting is about halfway completed, and then I need to add crochet edging and tie
12. "Felted Sashiko Chessboard Cover," my design (k): knitting is about three-quarters completed; then needs to be felted, sewn together and decorative embroidery added

Well, that should keep me off the streets for a while! The most time-consuming item is, of course, the sheep needlecase--as God is my witness, I'll never work a 40-count one-over-one design again!!

Heirloom Tree Skirt Revisited

Since finding and finishing (well, supervising the finishing...) of the "Heirloom Tree Skirt" pattern felt kind of like a trip through time—an archeological dig into the deep, dark history of cross stitch design, as it were—I thought now would be a good time to point out some of the changes in cross stitch designs that this pattern highlights.

There are so many more colors of DMC floss now, not to mention all the overdyed flosses and silks and rayons –oh my! The color palette of this pattern is extremely limited, even for its time. For example, follow the use of that obnoxious orange used for the wagon wheel in "Santa with bag of toys on back" and again for the doll's hair in "Santa with Christmas tree over shoulder." This orange was also supposed to be used for the hobby horse head in "Santa with bag of toys open as if to offer toys to little children" but I couldn't stand it so I frogged it and changed it to a rusty brown before I'd "allow" my roommate to sew the lining and fringe on. Nowadays, most designers, I believe, would go ahead and call for three different colors for these three objects, and none of them would be that obnoxious orange.

And, for a naturalistic piece (one that was attempting to make the Santas look realistic) the juxtaposition of the colors, including shading, is so much more crude than it probably would be today.

In my own growth as a stitcher, I realize that nowadays I would have known right-away that I was never going to sew all of the skirt fringe and the backing together. If I bought this pattern today, I would go ahead and buy the pre-made Tilla Christmas Tree Skirt. I think it was $40 fifteen years ago, which seemed at the time to be an exhorbitant amount. Nowadays, I wouldn’t even think twice. I can’t tell if that’s progress or not. You tell me.

Heirloom Santa Tree Skirt Finished!

About fifteen years ago (I’m guessing by the date of the copyright on the cross stitch pattern), I gave my mother a Christmas present of a tree skirt I had cross stitched. Let me be more specific—I gave my mother most of the makings of a tree skirt (cross stitched fabric and fringed trim) and promised faithfully to finish it for her by the next Christmas. Finishing would have involved buying some appropriately Christmas-themed fabric, sewing the fabric backing to the cross stitch fabric, shaping a hole in the middle of the cross stitch fabric, and attaching the fringed trim.

Needless to say, my anti-finishing bias held sway and my mother never got her completed Christmas tree skirt, in spite of a couple of oblique (and not so oblique) hints thrown my way. My mother passed away in 1997 of breast cancer, and while, fortunately, I don’t feel as if there was much left unspoken between us, that tree skirt has haunted me ever since, especially around this time of year.

But no more! Thanks to a trip to the JoAnn’s in Porter Ranch (mmmmmmm…..so suburban……) and to the sewing skills of my roommate, the tree skirt is done!

Here's a couple of detail shots--I will try to have a complete picture tomorrow, with a look at the backing. First we have a close-up of "Santa with bag of toys on back":

Followed by "Santa with bag of toys open as if to offer toys to little children":

And, for the grand finale, we have "Santa with Christmas tree over shoulder":

 

Work in Progress: Ewe & Eye Needlecase

Several years ago, I bought this Heart's Content kit called "Ewe & Eye Needlecase" at the big spring sale at Needles & Niceties in Upland, CA. I have a weakness both for sheep designs and one-over-one stitching. I started this project right away, but was soon overwhelmed by the difficulty of doing one-over-one stitching on 36-count with a beige linen background with one strand of light beige DMC embroidery floss.

My eyes have yet to hit middle age, but after about a half-hour of stitching under these conditions, I felt like they had. I made a decision to work on this project only in the middle of the day and only under direct sunlight. Needless to say, that somewhat limits one's stitching opportunities. My progress on the needlecase slowed to a crawl and eventually stopped altogether.

As much as I love this project, I must admit that it's been sitting in my UFO pile for at least three years now. So, now that it's winter and sunlight is a limited commodity, I've decided to pull it out and start working on it again. Logical, eh?

Here's my progress so far--stay tuned for more updates:

Where Have all the Flower Threads Gone? Part II

Picking up where I left off yesterday--my heroic quest for the right color of flower thread. I offer in evidence this detailed photo of the bottom third of the sampler. To my eyes, the lightest green seems disproportionately lighter and mintier (bluer) than the medium and dark green (used for the lettering). What do you all think?

The mintier light green matches the star and hearts charms very well, but I still don't like it. And you can't make me.

The problem is that with the flower threads being discontinued, I have no way of finding out if there's a suitable substitute so I can redo the lightest green (2369). Ginnie Thompson has so far been unresponsive to my requests for a color card or even a conversion chart to DMC flower threads. As I mentioned yesterday, their site offers a conversion chart to DMC embroidery floss, but that's not the same thing, is it? If the DMC flower thread 2369 actually matched the color of the DMC embroidery floss 369, as it's ostensibly supposed to, I wouldn't be unhappy with the color. The embroidery floss color is a little darker and less minty green--just what I want. Sigh.

The closest approximation that I've found is actually this Caron Wildflowers, #5004. I tried DMC Perle Cotton and Medicis Wool, but they either weren't the right color or they weren't the right texture. Although the Wildflowers is a bit grayer than I'd like, and a bit thicker, I might just go with it anyway since it has that matte flower thread cotton feel. What have I got to lose? I'm unhappy with the sampler the way it is, and the situation can only get better, right?

Where Have all the Flower Threads Gone?

So, today I went to the closest local needlework shop (LNS), Sit 'n' Stitch in Toluca Lake, CA, in search of a substitute for the late, lamented DMC Flower Thread.

Many years ago (I'm guessing around 2000, if the stitched date can be trusted), I stitched this La Broderie sampler, "Sew a Fine Seam," using DMC Flower Threads (La Broderie called for Flower Threads for most of their designs--is that why they're not around anymore? sigh!). I have never been happy with the light green that the pattern called for--2369--since, to my eye, it's too light, too "minty," and has too much blue in it compared to the other two greens--2320 and 2890.

As you probably are aware, DMC stopped making Flower Threads in 1999--December 31, 1999 to be exact. It's like DMC decided they couldn't begin the 2000's with any matte cotton flosses in their repertoire. You can still find people selling their stash of DMC Flower Thread on Ebay and, surprisingly, a few needlework sites still have some inventory available, but nowadays the closest substitute is Ginnie Thompson Flower Thread (includes a conversion chart from DMC embroidery floss to Ginnie Thompson Flower Thread).

In case you're interested, here is the link to DMC's suggested conversion chart between the regular ol' six-strand DMC cotton embroidery floss and DMC flower thread. What the asterisks and double asterisks mean is anyone's guess (repeats? approximate substitutions?), so shoot me an email if you figure it out.

Bent Creek Black Kitty

In celebration of Halloween, I've worked up this little design from Bent Creek, "Black Kitty" on 40-count sand linen with two strands of floss over two. I like the nice, thick effect this "overuse" of floss creates.

The cat has been done in DMC 310, classic black, but the rest was worked with Gentle Art Sampler Threads. To create a "halo" effect around the cat, I stitched around the edges of the cat in concentric circles. I don't know if it actually shows in the final product, but I would still do it again to avoid, for this particular design, that horizontally-oriented variegated look.

Because I am making this into an ornament, I "designed" a little matching pattern for the back -- basically the same outline and background as for the "Black Kitty" pattern with the word "Boo!" (on the right). It's a little surprise for anyone who checks out the back of the ornament.

And here they are together side by side:

In the process of assembly:

Now if I could only find my polyfiber fill and twisted cord maker... maybe they're hiding as part of a Halloween prank they're playing on me. Trick or Treat!