Pat's Cross-Stitch Corner

A Place to Share a Craft I Love

Thy Love More Strong

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Thy Love More Strong by Blackbird Designs was one of the retreat projects at the 2022 Shepherd’s Bush Retreat.

The called for fabric is 36ct Veldt by Picture This Plus. I had some 18ct Veldt but decided to use a piece of 16ct mystery fabric that I had in my stash. I just thought it would be an easier stitch. I am using all of the called for floss.

It’s a finish, Thy Love More Strong stitched in honor of my great-great-grandmother, Melissa Phillips (1841-1924. Added her husband’s initials GBS (Guy Bayington Sherman) and her daughter’s initials AES (Addie Ellen Sherman) who was my great-grandmother. Stitched on 16ct mystery aida with called for floss. Melissa is pictured on the far right. Addie is in the single photo. I will be adding to the back all of the info on the family and the two photos.

Cuckoo Bird Sampler

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Cuckoo Bird Sampler is the latest in this series by Heart in Hand. The model was stitched on 36ct Antique Lace linen using Weeks Dye Works Bark floss.

Cuckoo Bird Sampler cover.

I had already picked out a piece of backing fabric, so I selected a different color scheme. I chose a piece of 16ct aida from my stash and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss Chestnuts and Bronze Dahlia. The tiny beads used on the branch came with the chart. This will join the other small pillows in one of my dough bowls once I finish it.

After I finished this one as a smallish pin pillow, I decided to add some rusched ribbon following Vonna Pfeiffer’s wonderful tutorial.

On the Alder Bough

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On the Alder Bough by Blackbird Designs was one of the projects at the 2022 Shepherd’s Bush Retreat.

The recommended fabric is 36ct Veldt by Picture This Plus. I chose to use 25ct white Lugana. I used the recommended floss 3 over 2. The finished size is a bit under 5″x 5″.

Started Stitching: May 11, 2023
Finished Stitching: May 19, 2023

I added the initials of my maternal grandmother Ruby McLaughlin Tucker who was born May 20, 1895. She lived to be exactly 84 years old and died on May 20, 1979.

The frame is from therustyroof.

Tiny Pumpkin

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Tiny Pumpkin by Blackbird Designs is from the book, When the Leaves Fall.

The project was meant to be stitched on Moda toweling fabric with black banding (19 inches per stitch wide x 21 stitches per inch high). I chose to stitch it on what I had in my stash which was 16ct aida with the called or colors.

I was not really sure how I was going to finish this one but decided on a long, skinny pillow. I did add some rickrack to each end and the back is just the same fabric. I just folded it over and made the seam in the middle of the back. It joins some of the others in the dough bowl.

2023 Collector’s Heart

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I love red and projects stitched in red. When I first saw the 2023 Collector’s Heart by Heart In Hand Needleart, I wanted to stitch it but it was only offered as a kit which came with linen as the fabric. I saw the chart only offered for sale on one of the stash selling sites and I grabbed it.

2023 Collector's Heart cover.

I chose a piece of 16ct white aida and DMC 115 which is variegated garnet.

Once I finished stitching it, I decided to mount it on a reddish color board I had in my stash. I laced the stitched piece to a piece of matboad.

The first image shows the stitched piece with a guideline added for lining up the stitched piece to the matboard. The 2nd Image shows the stitched piece laced to the matboard. And the last image shows the finished piece mounted to the board.

Sky Full of Birds

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Sky Full of Birds is one of the designs included in the Blackbird Designs book When the Leaves Fall. I wanted something small so that I could mount it on the top of one of the playing card boxes I bought some time ago. I stitched this one on 25ct Lugana 3 over 2. The border was supposed to have eyelet stitches as part of it, but 3 strands made them look messy to I did smyrna crosses. For the five eyelet stitches within the design, I used two strands of floss. The three birds across the top are also stitched using only 2 strands. Now to paint the box and finish the inside and outside.

I painted the box a deep, dark green. The hardest part was trying to put the hardware back onto the box after painting. I had a hard time seeing the holes and the screws are really tiny.

The inside of the box has four compartments. For two of them I used some Blackbird Designs fabric I had and covered two pieces of chipboard with batting on top. I also stitched two pieces for the Blackbird Designs book, A Stitcher’s Journey which is out of print now. Tulip Pincushion is the one with the rick rack and botton. The other one is Birds and Berries Pinkeep. The pins are Lady Dot’s Sunflowers for Ukraine pins and the charm is something I had in my stash.

Happiness is Homemade 2022

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Happiness is Homemade is the 2022 Nashville Needlework Cookbook and is filled with your favorite designers’ recipes and cross stitch charts.

The first one I stitched is on Page 5 by Blackbird Designs. The design has no name. Since the design is small (57wx50h) I decided to use 25ct white lugana over 2. I did not have all of the called for floss so I just selected some from my stash. It was a quick stitch.

Not sure yet how I will finish it. Perhaps on the top of a box or a small pillow.

Mr. Green Thumb

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Mr. Green Thumb is one of the newer designs offered in the Nature section of Pigeon Coop Designs. I knew I wanted to stitch this one as soon as I saw it. While the chart recommends 14ct aida, it contains quite a few fractional stitches which are NOT easy to do on aida. I chose to use 28ct Monaco. The design uses all DMC floss. The finished size is 4 3/8 x 4 3/4. Not sure how I am going to finish it was yet.

Mr. Green Thumb

Mr. Green Thumb will join the three other Pigeon Coop Designs I have stitched – Festive Cardinal, Three Pines, and Northern Forests. Next up is Lush Valley to join the latter two I have finished to display as a trio.

And here he is, all ready to display.

Can Do Attitude

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Can Do Attitude by Silver Creek Samplers is a free chart offered by the designer on her website.

On 16ct which is what I chose to stitch it on, the design measures 2 1/4 x 4 1/4. I decided to stitch it as a small pin pillow using the called for colors – Gentle Arts Peacock, Tropical Ocean, Sea Spray and Olde Red Paint. I had already decided on the backing fabric which was perfect for this small project. It was a beautiful batik I got from my quilting friend.

Once I finished sewing it together and stuffing it, I wanted to use ruched ribbon for the trim. I found a green that looked good and added it. Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher has a wonderful tutorial on creating ruched ribbon. The small pillow joins the others in the dough bowl.

Fall House by The Tiny Modernist

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Recently I visited a friend of mine to raid her quilting fabric stash. I wanted some pieces of fabric to use as backing fabric for small pin pillows. I found a beautiful blue one and went in search of a small design to stitch. Fall House by The Tiny Modernist has been in my stash for some time.

Fall House

I picked a piece of white 14ct aida and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Delft Blue floss.

Fall House with backing fabric.