Cross Stitch was slow this week. I just didn’t seem to find time. I had to work on Saturday…I work a few Saturday mornings to cover the maternity leave of a coworker. It’s all good. I want to be a team player and by working two Saturdays each month, that’s what I can do. I go to bed earlier on work nights so that translates into less cross-stitch time.
I spent a lot of time of my Red Pears. I stitched on them for 2 1/2 nights. Here is where I was last week.
I finished the one I had started. Looking at the pattern, it was the one on the right. I kept at it and stitched the middle ABC one. I had previously finished the one on the left.
So here all three of them are…ready to be finished.
If you look at the alphabet one, you’ll notice I did something different with it. Sadly…and frustratingly the ABC chart didn’t have the letter “J”. That’s super annoying if your name is Jo. I vaguely remembered someone saying something about it but didn’t realize it was this chart they were talking about. Gannon and Carver, my grandsons, were at my house when they noticed there was no “J”. Of course, I had already stitched past where the “J” should have been. I ended up taking out the do-dad at the bottom and stitched a one-over-one “J”. I thought it was okay and a way of personalizing it.
My next plan is to watch this Vonna Pfeiffer video on how to finish pears. I’ll likely watch it a couple of times before I get brave enough to actually cut into them and finish them. What can I say?? I’m a chicken.
True confession here…I picked the Red Pear pattern as a stitch along so all of you would keep me accountable. If you don’t see these as a finish by Thanksgiving, please start bugging me about it.
The next thing that was close to a finish was my Maker and Mender pieces from With Thy Needle and Thread. I love this. It’s stitched on 40 count Alcott from Needle and Flax. I REALLY want to find another piece of this. So far, no luck. UGH.
My hope was to finish it this week. I came really close. I have it all done except for the personalization. I actually started that. You can see by the star, on the chart, letters go there. I’m stitching this for my mom. I was stitching one over one and I stitched her first letter where the last letter should go. I ended up ripping it all out. UGH. Then I was frustrated for the night and just stitched on something else.
I’m getting close though. I did go pull a frame for this and have it cut down already. I need a piece of glass for it. Once I am done with the stitching, the finishing should go faster.
The 25th of the month landed during this week and I had plans. On the 25th of every month, I work on a Winter or Christmas piece. During 2023 I think I’ve finished three Christmas smalls just by stitching on the 25th of every month. Occasionally I’ve added in an extra day but for the most part, I haven’t stitched many extra days. Being I didn’t have anything kitted up to start, I thought I would pull by Christmas Garden piece by Blackbird Designs. I’ve had this started but I continue to stall out because I don’t know if I want to put the words Christmas Garden on it. Well, I thought maybe this should be my 25th stitch piece. Here’s where I am and here’s the book you can find the pattern in.
Well, I couldn’t find the project anywhere. I spent 15 minutes looking and decided I was wasting precious stitching time. I decided to heck with the 25th stitching for that day. I was just going to start something different that I did have kitted.
I started Leona’s Sewing Box by Blackbird Designs. Blog reader, Barb, gave me this chart. I just love it. She finished it on a box and I want to too. I am stitching it on 40-count Boston from Seraphim. I only stitched one night and have half of the top row stitched. I love it. I might have to darken the blue of the bird a bit because it is pretty light for my fabric and I want the bird to show up.
I am stitching this in memory of my mom. Her birthday was November 16th. I’ve been thinking of her a lot lately. I’m going to work on this with the hope I might finish it around her birthday time. We’ll see. I don’t want to rush it but I really love it. My mom is the one who taught me to sew. I plan to finish it on a box and am really excited about it. Thanks for the chart, Barb!!
My inability to find Christmas Garden was okay in the end because it got me stitching on the Sewing Box chart instead. It’s all good.
I did end up finding the Christmas Garden chart. It was on my bed. I had taken it upstairs one night to look at it before bed and then forgot it was there.
I pulled a couple of other patterns thinking I should get them kitted. I had wanted to stitch Harvest Blessings but didn’t get to it this Fall. I had wanted to stitch Joy & Good Cheer as a 25th-day stitch but now am trying to decide if I should go with Christmas Garden and just stitch this one now.
I found these two charts in the bottom of a bag I hadn’t touched in five years. I had completely forgotten all about them. I think I pulled them and was going to kit them up. At the time, my husband was still living and we were going back and forth to the hospital. I thought both of these would be nice small projects that would be easy to stitch on the go. He passed away and I haven’t touched that bag since. I think I’m going to kit them both up and keep one of them as a project that just stays in the car and I can have it for any time I end up waiting somewhere.
I think I might start with the Seeks Wool pattern. I might even start something on it…like outline her skirt so if I’m on the go, all I would have to do is fill in the rest.
It was surprising to find these. Typically my cross-stitch stuff is pretty organized.
If I get a little bit of time this week, I think I am going to try to finish my Wisdom Berries. They are all stitched…I just need to fully finish them. It seems there are so many projects calling and pulling me it different directions.
What are you stitching on??
Way to solve the missing “J”. Good luck with your pears.
I love your J solution for the alphabet. I had not noticed that was missing either but disappointed when I got to that row. I really like a complete alphabet. I also finished the red pears this week and was waiting to see what you said about finishing. Thanks for the video!
I just finished World so Sweet and made it into a hanging flat for my SIL’s birthday next month. Then started Autumn Bird by Satsuma. The colors are gorgeous, if not my style, but it will be gift for a good friend. Love the variety available to us!
Dear Jo, What am I stitching on? I have been working on Jean Lanning’s “Across America Series” landscapes. I have stitched 3 others. This one is copyrighted 1993. I have been a monogamous stitcher, but I think I will start the “25th” stitching with the Joy to the World stitch piece. I love seeing all your pieces and reading about your process of planning and finishing.
I just watched SewTattered’s Youtube on finishing a cross stitch item and I am hooked (although I haven’t tried it yet, I’ve got the Chenille-It on order). But, in a nutshell, she puts her cross stitch piece and backing, wrong sides together, puts a piece of the Chenille-It between the two layers, along the edges, and sews less than a 1/4″ all around the outer border of the cross stitch. She does the stuffing method where you cut a slit in the backing fabric and cover with a wool patch. There’s no turning! You use a brush to fluff up the Chenille-It product and wah-la! Your piece is finished. Just thought I’d share. It’s definitely how I’m going to finish small items now. ~Mindy from Indy
I finished the anniversary sampler that I started somewhere around 1989/1990. I was doing this for me and my husband but decided to put my son and daughter-in-law names and wedding date on it. It’s at frame shop. I am trying to finished the border of one I started a couple months ago. It says “ sew what?”. The letters are red but border it little do dads that one is red the other black alternating. I’m having to tie off after each piece. I can’t figure out how to carry thread over each other. I have the stitch along on order but think I will start a quilt related piece, stitched on black. That’s going to be interesting because I have never stitched on black and my eyesight is not great.
I once read somewhere that if you lay something white on your lap/table ( depends on your set up) when stitching that it will reflect through the holes in the fabric and make them easier to see. I don’t know if this made, hopefully you get my drift. Worth a try….
Again, even though you didn’t get much stitching time, you made lots of progress, at least in my book. I haven’t taken the time to work on a cross-stitch project but I need to finish one I have started. I always enjoy seeing what you are doing and I like most of the ones you do.
All lovely projects, Jo. I’m currently working on Christmas Ornaments for the family I nanny for. One for each of them so I have four to stitch up. I’m making Mill Hill ornament kits. Two gnomes (one acorn, one evergreen), one Christmas Pickle, and one Paisely-ish Christmas Tree.
How about re-naming Christmas Garden into something like Joy and Good Cheer (taken from your other piece) or Thankful Garden or Joyous Garden, or….. I really like how you’ve put your new antique pieces together. Looks great!
I just tonight put the last stitch into Autumn In New England by Plum Pudding Needleart. It’s supposed to be three pillows but I put three stitches between the charts and made it one piece for framing. Now I have to find a frame and get it fully finished.
I like your idea to work on something Christmas related on the 25th of each month. One could have lots of handmade gifts for everyone by sticking to this plan.
The majority of alphabet patterns from Blackbird Designs are missing the J and sometimes the U and it un-nerves me to death.
The reasoning was that they were not used in the ancient latin alphabet. “I” was used in place of the “J” and “V” was used for the “U” . This stitcher refuses to stitch an incomplete modern alphabet and will always add the letter in their proper place even if it throws off the design somehow.