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.

Prairie Schooler Band Samplers Book 40

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I have always been a fan of the Prairie Schooler Band Samplers and stitched many of them when I first started cross stitching. I wanted to stitch something special for my grandson and his wife for Christmas this year. When I saw the Tall Oaks one from Book 40, I knew I had found the perfect one.

Cover

Rather than just stitch the boy’s initials, I wanted to use their full name and birth year. Since the only way I could do it would be to use 28ct and stitch their names over one, I chose a piece of 28ct cream Monaco with pretty much the called for colors of floss.

Tall Oaks framed

I chose one of my favorite frame moldings (Rustic Wood Sandstone) to use for the frame. Luckily it was on sale with free shipping.

Package has been mailed and my grandson (like his father) opened it before Christmas.

Lydia R. Cohagan by Blackbird Designs

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Lydia R. Cohagan by Blackbird Designs was part of the Country Sampler’s 2022 Schoolgirl Sampler “Threads of History” club. I am not a member, but they also offered the kit at a non-member price. Since Blackbird Designs is my very favorite designer, I bought the kit which included the chart, linen and floss. Since I do not stitch on linen, I switched the linen out for 16ct Regency aida by Picture This Plus. The included fabric was 36ct Oatmeal by Fiber on a Whim.

Lydia Cohagan Supplies

I plan on stitching this one in honor of my paternal grandmother, Sammie Bayless Little who was born in 1890.

The photo is of my paternal grandmother, Sammie Bayless Little and me. She died when I was eleven. I was her first grandchild. The sampler is in her honor. Now to decide on a frame.

Thankful Sampler by Lizzie Kate

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A few days ago, I was going through some boxes looking for some aperture cards for a friend. I did not find them, but I did come across a project my mom had stitched sometime before she died in 1999. The chart with the embellishments was also in the box.

Thankful Sampler cover

My mom was my stitching buddy. I taught her to cross stitch after I learned, and she loved it as much as I did. I decided to go ahead and add the embellishments and frame this in her memory. The stitched piece fit into a 6×8 frame but had too much space on the sides compared to the top. I added a piece of complementary fabric and rick rack to the side and am happy with the finished piece. It reminds me of her and her love of a hobby we shared. I did flip the apple charm on the pie before adding the glass.

Union Forever

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Union Forever was designed by Maggie Bonanomi for Blackbird Designs. In the past, I had never really had any desire to stitch this particular design. Then a number of stitchers shared their finished projects, and it grew on me. When the chart was donated as a giveaway, I decided to stitch it first.

Union Forever cover

I selected a piece of 16ct aida I had in my Stash. I’m not sure of the color but it is a mottled tan. I used mostly the recommended floss with a couple of changes.

  • WDW Havana
  • GA Gold Leaf
  • WDW Bark/DMC 3781
  • GA Tin Bucket
  • GA Raspberry Parfait/DMC 3721
  • GA Barn Gray/VMSS Bedazzled
  • GA Chamomile
  • WDW Swamp Water
  • GA Cidermill Brown

I started stitching on July 15, 2022

Finished Stitching: July 29, 2022

I decided to finish this one as a drum. Finally using all the crushed walnut shells, I bought a couple of years ago. I followed Vonna Epperson Pfeiffer’s drum making tutorial in the Summer 2022 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine. Only thing I did different is to use a circle of foam core rather than all matboard so my pins would actually stick into something while I stitched the top and bottom to the drum tube. Vonna also has a video tutorial on finishing as a drum. I followed her tutorial for making the twisted cording. Next time I will use more strands to make it thicker. The little stuffed heart was from the Summer Sweets kit.

Union Forever by Blackbird Designs

Swan Lake Bonus Chart

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Swan Lake by Blackbird Designs is #7 in the Anniversaries of the Heart series. I recently saw the bonus chart stitched and decided it was a small sampler that was calling my name.

Swan Lake Bonus Chart

I had recently purchased five spools of Anchor floss in various shades of purple from dark to light. I decided to use three of the shades for the letters and numbers in the sampler.

Anchor 0873 – 0871- 0870

I chose two shades of green from my collection of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss. I thought I was stitching this on 16ct cream but it appears to be 14ct.

  • Anchor 0873
  • Anchor 0871
  • Anchor 0870
  • VMSS Dried Ferns
  • VMSS Lamb’s Ears
  • VMSS Butter Pecan

Now to see if I can find a 6″x8″ frame and the perfect fabric to use on the bottom.

Swan Lake Framed.

I used a piece of Blackbird Design fabric with a bit of lace for the trim and framed it with a white frame that I may paint with cream paint at a later date.

Bluebird Sampler by Heart in Hand

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The Bluebird Sampler by Cecelia Turner of Heart in Hand Needleart is the 2nd one in this series.

Chart Cover

I selected a piece of 16ct mystery aida I had in my stash that was a mottled tan and blue. I am stitching with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Delft Blue floss. The stitch count is 118×40 with a finished size of 7.35″ x 2.5″. The beads were included with the chart.

Bluebird Sampler with finishing fabric

Now I just need to get busy and fully finish this one. I had already stitched the Redbird Sampler back in 2019. And I have the Hummingbird Sampler on order.

Bluebird Sampler as a small pillow

I used the same backing fabric as used for the trim on the bottom.

Special Delivery A Girls Birth Sampler

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This beautiful design by Barb Adams of Blackbird Designs is copyright 2003 and is now Out of Print.

Special Delivery Supplies

I selected a piece of pale pink 16ct aida and Victorian Motto Sampler floss to stitch this one. Colors used:

  • Calico Pink
  • Dried Rose Petals
  • 1820 Sampler Blue
  • 17th Century Starlight

Finished Stitching: April 10, 2022

I chose a narrow cherry wood frame to finish this one off.

A Heart Remembers

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A Heart Remembers is one of the newest releases by Blackbird Designs. The 52-page book contains some of the older OOP charts and some new ones. And some of the last designs by Barb Adams.

One of the older series of OOP charts included is the Loose Feathers Mystery Sampler, a collection of 5 charts. I stitched it back in 2014.

The first one I am stitching is A Heart Remembers. I chose a piece of 16ct Wren aida by Picture This Plus with the called for colors.

I decided to stitch the entire border first to make sure I had enough of the floss – Classic Colorworks Stormy Nights and Carolina Cecil.

A Heart Remembers progress 4/15/2022

And the border meets, and I did not run out of floss. Used DMC for the house since I was not sure I had enough of the Uniform Blue. And I added my parent’s initials and the year they were married. Now to order a frame for it.

A Heart Remembers

I decided to use a simple black frame I ordered from Amazon. This one has a deeper rabbet than the ones I usually get from them. I wish it had come in other colors but am happy with how it looks. Now where to hang it.