Pat's Cross-Stitch Corner

Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs

February 20, 2021 By patgeary

Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs was first published in 2005. It had been Out of Print for quite some time. In July 2019, it was reprinted and released to the delight of many stitchers. The Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook group will be started an Easter Parade SAL (Stitch-a-Long) in March 2021. Come join us! If you are not already a member of the group, when you try and join you MUST SNSWER ALL THREE QUESTIONS to be approved.

I have had this piece kitted up for some time and just needed an excuse to start it.

Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs supplies

The fabric is 16ct Melody aida from Fabrics by Stephanie. The floss is a mixture of what is recommended and my substitutes:

Border: GA Berry Cobbler/ Cosmos Seasons 8063
GA Cidermill Brown
GA Grasshopper
GA Chamomile
GA Antique Rose/VMSS Concord Grape
GA Brandy
GA Butternut Squash/ VMSS Western Wallflower
WDW Cocoa/VMSS Faded Barnwood

Started Stitching: 2/20/2021
Finished Stitching: 3/12/2021

I have decided to finish this as a mounted piece I can display on a small easel and perhaps switch it out depending on the season. Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher has an excellent tutorial on how to do this. See Mounted Flat Ornament

Pictured below is the stitched piece mounted on the backing board and the fabric I will use behind it.

Unfortunately I had to order some bigger pieces of backing board so the final finish will have to wait until it is delivered.

Backing board and fabric delivered. Finishing as a mounted flat piece was a learning experience but I am happy with the finished piece.

What Remains is Love by Blackbird Designs

February 16, 2021 By patgeary

Traditional Stitches, a Canadian shop located in Calgary is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. As part of the celebration, they are offering an exclusive design by Blackbird Designs What Remains is Love.

What Remains is Love by Blackbird Designs. — What Remains is Love by Blackbird Designs

The chart and kit can ONLY be pre-ordered through Traditional Stitches which will begin shipping sometime in March.

You can order the chart only or the chart plus fabric and threads. There is even a silk conversion being offered. Please note that all prices are in Canadian Funds.

What Remains is Love from Blackbird Designs ~ Traditional Stitches Exclusive Design

PS – I ordered mine last night!!!

April 2021– My chart arrived in the mail and I could not wait to get started stitching it. I chose a piece of 16ct Parchment aida from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe to stitch mine on. While I am using some of the recommended colors, I am switching some of the colors out for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss I have in my stash.

CC Cinnamon Toast
GA Lexington Green
GA Mountains Mist
WDW Oilcloth/VMSS Moss & Ivy
WDW Oscar/VMSS Mountain Laurel
GA Rose Garden/VMSS Heirloom Red Cherry
WDW Schneckley
WDW Tarragon (DMC 3787) I used DMC since I ran out of Tarragon
CC Used Brick
VMSS Forever In My Heart

Started Stitching: April 24, 2021
Finished Stitching: May 21, 2021

I stitched this in memory of my son who died 10 days after his 50th birthday and my husband who died at the age of 102. Loved every minute of this one. Now to order a frame for it.

A Sister’s Love by Blackbird Designs

February 4, 2021 By patgeary

A Sister’s Love is one of the samplers included in the newest book by Blackbird Designs, Winds of Autumn Since I have both a brother and a sister, I am renaming it A Sibling’s Love.

A Sister's Love by Blackbird Designs. — A Sister’s Love by Blackbird Designs

The recommended fabric is 36ct Straw by Weeks Dye Works but I chose a piece of 16ct Stone aida by Fabric Flair I had in my stash. It has a mottled antique look which I liked. It is stitched with only four colors of Weeks Dye Works but I am going to switch out some of the floss for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

Started stitching: February 2, 2021
Finished Stitching: February 14, 2021

WDW Blue Jeans/VMSS Forever Blue
WDW Charcoal/VMSS Victorian Pine
WDW Hazelnut
WDW Pecan

A Sister's Love progress 2/4/2021. — A Sister’s Love progress 2/4/2021

A word of warning when stitching the border, don’t get too cocky as there are additional stitches in a couple of places.

Watch out for the ones that have four stitches rather than three.

A Sister’s/Sibling’s Love by Blackbird Designs

Now that it is finished, I am going to wait until the place I order my frames from offers flat rate shipping as I now have four projects I want to frame.

And here it is framed ready for spacers and glass.

A Study in Blue by Sue Hillis

January 17, 2021 By patgeary

I bought the booklet, A Study in Blue by Sue Hillis once it was released to the general public. It had first been offered as part of a class taught by Sue. The booklet includes the charts for all of the projects pictured and detailed instructions for finishing.

A Study in Blue booklet cover. — A Study in Blue booklet

While Sue used a paper mache box for her project, I thought about using one of the LeHay Shaker boxes in blue. Later someone in one of the groups posted a box she had gotten from Ikea and I decided to order that and use it for mounting this project.

The Mallgroda Box with lid has an ash veneer and measures 9 ¾x4 inches. The cost is $19.99. It may or may not be available for shipping in your area.

I decided to stitch the project on 28ct Monaco with Gentle Arts Black Raspberry Jam floss.

A Study in Blue supplies. — A Study in Blue

I have not yet decided whether I am going to stitch the side band for the box or not. If I do, it will be necessary to make some adjustments as the box I am using is bigger than what the project is designed for.

Sue Hillis graciously gave us the following information for making adjustments.

Here’s the math when using the charts in my Study in Blue book. The designs were originally charted for the 7.25 paper mache round box. The chart for the box top is 109 stitches x 110 stitches. For the Ikea wood box, it makes the most sense to stitch it on 14/28 count so it fits better on the larger IKEA box.

14 /28 count—7.86”
16 /32 count—6.87”
18/36 count—6.11”

The strip that goes around the side of the box will need to have additional motifs added to the length to fit the IKEA box. The strip in the leaflet is 367 stitches long x 36 stitches high. The extra height required could easily be attained by adding a border above and/or below the alphabet to achieve the correct height.

14/28 count: 2.57”
16/32 count: 2.25”
18/36: 2”

It’s now July 2021 and I finally got around to adding the top stitched piece to the box. Trying to cut the matboard into a circle that would site in the top was a challenge. Not perfect but I am happy with the end result. If I can manage to cut a smaller circle to fit the inside of the box, I will line it. I also like the natural color of the box so am going to leave it.

Spoiled Dog by Stoney Creek

January 14, 2021 By patgeary

Spoiled Dog is in included in the leaflet Dog Bone Wisdom by Stoney Creek. It shows in the leaflet (lower right corner) as a repeating border on a towel. I knew I wanted to stitch it as a small wall hanging or mounted piece I could use on our front door.

Since the chart has fractional stitches, I chose 28ct Monaco and used as assortment of the called for colors and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss for those colors I did not have in my stash. I cannot say this was a fun stitch with all the backstitching and fractional stitches but I did get it done.

Now to finish it. I already have the fabric that I used on a previous piece, A Dog’s Last Will and Testament.

I asked for some suggestions in how to finish this one as I wanted to use it on our front door as a small wall hanging. A stitching friend suggested I use the triangle corner method for the back which I did. My son cut a thin board to use as a dowel and it is hanging on the door with alien tape.

Two Spoiled Dogs hanging on the front door

The Raven by Blackbird Designs

January 7, 2021 By patgeary

Great news for Blackbird Design quilters, The Raven has been reprinted. The Raven, is inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s poem. Each block’s name is taken from a bit of Poe’s poetry.

Cover of The Raven quilt book by Blackbird Designs

The finished size of the quilt is 68″ x 68″.

Mighty Acorn sampler

January 2, 2021 By patgeary

Wild is the music of the autumnal winds amongst the faded woods.
~ William Wordsworth ~

Mighty Acorn is one of the samplers included in the new book by Blackbird Designs called Winds of Autumn. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the cover photo. Once I received the book, I cut some fabric for two of the included samplers and pulled the floss.

Winds of Autumn with fabric and floss for two samplers

Recommended Fabric: 36ct Wren by Picture This Plus. I am stitching this one on 16ct Heartland by Picture This Plus. At least, I think that is what it is.

Recommended Floss and any changes I made cause I did not have the color.

WDW Chickpea
WDW Cognac
WDW Carolina Cecil
WDW Dirt Road
WDW Sage
WDW Oscar/DMC 3011 and VMSS Garden Green
WDW Schneckley
WDW Oilcloth
WDW Pamlico
WDW Havana
WDW Cocoa
WDW Chestnut
WDW Swamp Water

Started Stitching: December 31, 2020
Finished Stitching: January 31, 2021

Winds of Autumn pix and fabric. — Winds of Autumn

Mighty Acorn sampler Progress 1/18/2021. — Mighty Acorn Progress 1/18/2021

And the finish line is in sight. I really am loving this one.

Mighty Acorn progress 1/29/2021. — Mighty Acorn progress 1/29/2021

Mighty Acorn sampler by Blackbird Designs. — Mighty Acorn sampler

I added the initials of my two sons, Frank and Michael to honor them. We lost Frank to cancer in December 2011.

And here it is framed ready for spacers and glass.

Berries in Bloom

December 30, 2020 By patgeary

Berries in Bloom is a free chart offered by Hands on Designs. The stitch count was on 65 x 64 so I figured it would be a pretty quick stitch. I was also looking for a design I could use with some buttons I had purchased for another project I decided NOT to stitch.

The picture above shows the project stitched on 32ct Vintage Tiffany from Fabrics by Stephanie. I chose to use 14ct Friendship Greene also from Fabrics by Stephanie. I switched out quite a few of the recommended threads for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads.

DMC 3831/VMSS Burning Bush
DMC 309/VMSS Nexessaire Red
DMC 501/VMSS Dark Variegated Pine
DMC 469
DMC 367
DMC 610
DMC 3865/DMC 543

The button is merry.go.round (#10196) shown below from Just Another Button Company.

The finished size on 14ct is 4 5/8 by 4 5/8. In hindsight, I probably should have used 16ct. I have three of the buttons so may choose to use the 16ct on the last one as I already have both 14ct piece cut and gridded.

Sampler Stocking Ornaments

December 27, 2020 By patgeary

I have the series of three Sampler Stocking Ornaments by Abby Rose Designs in my stash for a while now. I decided to get an early start on some ornaments for 2021 and pulled these out. They are small and would be a quick stitch.

I used 16ct aida fabric and floss that I had in my stash, some called for and some I used Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads. So far I have finished stitching two of the series.

Sampler Stocking Ornament. — Sampler Stocking Ornament

Sampler Stocking Ornament II. — Sampler Stocking Ornament II

I still need to stitch number 3 and then decide if I will attempt to finish them myself or send them off. And as you can see below, I sent them off the Vonna for finishing.

Winter Cardinal Etching

December 23, 2020 By patgeary

Winter Cardinal Etching was a design by Cecelia Turner that appears in the latest issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine (2020 Christmas/Winter – page 58). The stitch count was only 50×50 so would be small. It also only called for two colors of floss – Classic Colorworks Sticks and Twigs (which I had in my stash) and Cherry Cobbler (which I did not have.)

Winter Cardinal Etching by Cecelia Turner

I chose a piece of 16ct aida I had in my stash, Parchment, I think that was large enough to stitch this design twice. Instead of Cherry Cobbler, I used Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Red Rooster on one and Victorian Motto Victorian Red on the other. I also changed the color for the bird’s beak to black and orange.

Winter Cardinal Etching using VMSS Victorian Red floss

Winter Cardinal Etching using VMSS Red Rooster floss

These are the beginning of my 2021 Christmas presents to be finished as ornaments.