If you’ve been reading the blog you know that I finished this Red Bird Sampler by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread. I started this in August with many of you as a Stitch Along.
I worked on mine with the intention of stitching the bottom row in August, the middle in September, and the top with the birds in October. Admittedly, I had trouble not just stitching the whole thing at once.
I stuck with my goal in August and September but once October hit, I just did all the stitching over the course of a few days.
I stitched mine on 40-count Shrekie’s Tan by Needle Bling Designs. I used the called for colors.
At first, I was really hesitant about the colors but in the end, I really liked them. They had seemed so bright.
This wasn’t the easiest to frame. I had trouble …working and manipulating the piece while I was lacing it as it was hard to keep the bottom row of stitching even.
Then I had a shadow in the linen by the pink flower that I wondered if I had stained the fabric somehow. I ended up taking the already laced piece apart.
This is what a found. The batting scrap I used had a piece of fabric on it. That fabric was showing through the linen. UGH.
So I laced it again. Lacing is my least favorite thing to do in the farming process.
The frame was a thrift store find. I didn’t have to alter the size so I was super happy about that. The previous framed used nails to hold everything in place. The frame isn’t made from wood and when I took the nails out, a bit of the frame cracked off but that didn’t make any difference in my resuing the frame.
Here I am putting in the glazier points to hole everything together.
I put the paper on the back and added a clear photo pocket with an index card. Find them HERE on Amazon.
There it is…all finished!! I’m pleased with it.
The coloring is pretty true in the picture below. I am super happy with the frame. I’m so thankful I had it and was able to use it “as is” without having to cut it down. It was $2 at the thrift store.
I don’t have a permanent place for it yet. I auditioned a few different spots.
My sampler wall is getting full enough that I can’t just put a piece anywhere anymore. That’s okay.
I’ve had several people ask -being my wall is filling, what am I going to do? Well, the answer is easy…find more wall space. HA!! I have some pictures I still like but some of them will go and I’ll replace them with cross stitch. I don’t know which ones yet so in the meantime, this is going in a temporary home.
…maybe here. I’m not sure.
All I know is I’m happy with it and that’s all that matters. I’m so happy to have another cross-stitch finish. I love being able to finish some of these little pieces myself.
Did you stitch along?? How far along are you? It matters not if you’ve just started or finished weeks ago. I’d love to hear about your progress.
What beautiful work!
I did stitch along and love these SAL. I am new to cross stitch, started with Blessed, but don’t have either one fully finished. I need to learn how to FFO. Cannot wait for the next stitch along. Thank you for helping/sharing with us.
Lovely, I think I’ll do it myself. Please let me know where you got the one I think says
“we do what we can, God does the rest”
That is a Lizzie Kate pattern. Check 123Stitch.com
Your cross stitch is truly lovely and the frame is perfect for it. Never thought to get frames at the thrift store . I will have to look next time I am at our local one. Last time I was there I asked if they had any fabric and the sales guy looked at me like I was crazy. I asked again and he said what is fabric? I almost laughed but contained myself after I realized he was serious. Needless to say I didnt find any fabric that day.
Trying to finish my Red Bird Sampler in a couple more
Days. Got sidetracked with another project. By end of October for sure. Looking forward to the next SAL. Thanks for
Organizing these SALs. See much fun.
Jo, I know you were concerned about the brightness of the floss at the beginning but this is a beautiful finish. The colors really make this piece pop!
Love your finish. The colors are beautiful!
Very nice work Jo. I didn’t do this one but yours looks just great!
Your stitching looks great! You had the perfect frame for it and it turned our beautifully!
Love it!
Beautiful! I didn’t do this sal. I wanted to get another cross stitch piece finished and I was able to. Yours is very nice.
I am wondering about your use of the batting. In the lacing photo it looks like you put the batting on the backside. Is that what you did or did you wrap it around to the front too?
Batting goes between the stitched piece and the cardboard.
I’m 2/3 done. I started later than you but will have it finished before Thanksgiving.
You do such nice work. I have the bottom row and middle flower done. I need to figure out what to do with my projects once they are stitched. They are starting to pile up. I just finished a blackbird design.
Do you have glass in this?
Pamela, if you look closely in some of the pictures, there appears to be a small spot of glare from a window…I would say she does have glass on the front of this pretty piece.
I do use glass.
So pretty! Beautiful work! I love it!
I love your beautiful piece, and the frame is perfect for it.
Congratulations! It’s absolutely beautiful!
Beautiful work. What type of thread do you lace with?
Really beautiful. I’m so envious of your perfect tiny stitches on that small count linen! I’ve been stitching for about five years and still am not confident I could stitch on linen. And the frames you find are amazing!! Can’t wait to see what you finish next!
I am loving your finished RBS, Jo! I am on the middle and started there. I am almost finished with the left flower in the finished flower pot. Stems and leaves are also finished along with center motif, P, and H. It is an enjoyable project. No stitching done today, maybe this evening.
Have you done a video or tutorial about how you frame you cross stitch pieces?
Not yet. I’m still learning videos and framing. I’m hoping to build a little more confidence before I give it all a try.
I’m looking for a cross stitch book of the alphabet in different fonts. Do you have anything like that, or know where I can get one?
Another lovely cross stitch, Jo!
Jo, do you use batting on every piece?
Have you thought of doing a video of how to lace your project, or can you recommend
any sites that are helpful for learning how to lace up your work?
Try this video on lacing. https://youtu.be/YUbvC6Lnsd4
Beautiful piece, the frame is a great complement to your stitching. Hope you figure out the right place for it to shine.
This turned out beautifully! I so admire your stitching and framing skills!
Very nice! You do such a terrific job of finishing and displaying your projects. I am stitching along. I started stitching several fall charts that I have finished into bowl fillers. Now I will get back to the sampler. The bottom row is complete and I have started the middle section. I need to get busy! I am looking forward to the next stitch along. Is there a pattern that is leading the choices? Thank you for organizing these SAL!
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Hi Jo, I just recently found you and live your videos. I have a quilt question. In the banner at the top of your page is a snip-it of the white scrappy quilt with the dark blue? And white stars? Is that your pattern? I found it last year on an old quilt magazine I saw in an ad. I tracked it down to Amazon- I placed the order thinking I was going to get That magazine. I never got it. Did this twice- evidently it was an -e copy but I never got a link for it.
Jo if this is yours is there a way I can purchase the pattern from you? I absolutely Love this design.
Thank you
It is mine. It was in American Patchwork and Quilting. It’s called on the bright side. You can read about it HERE https://www.joscountryjunction.com/where-we-are-published-american-patchwork-and-quilting-2/
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