Cross Stitch Update

I’ve been working on my Floral Motif Sampler faithfully and getting a flower done each day. I’m enjoying this and am so glad that I thought to take on this project as a making of my journey tackling my cancer.

There are more than 50 motifs…I think closer to 67 plus the border so what I’m often doing is picking two small flowers and stitching two on one night or I’m stitching on flower and then starting a big flower. I’m doing a little more than one a day but if I only stitch one, that’s okay too. I’ve been giving myself some grace to do what feels good for the day.

I am getting close to a page finish so I’ve made copies of the chart and started taping them together.

This particular chart has four or so spaces that are “grayed” on the adjoining page. Some designers do that to help stitchers move from page to page. I love it when designers do. It’s so much easier for me. I cut the copy at the edge of the design withou the gray squares…

Then I… overlap and tape in place…

Now I can see more easily where to start that little flower along the left border.

After I’m done I fold it to the section I want to stitch and slide it into a bag. I have bought THESE 9 x 12 reclosable bags on Amazon. I put my working chart in these to help it from getting all wrinkled going in and out of the bag.

I also make a copy of the key that tells the color for each of the symbols. I slide that in behind my copied chart. All I have to do is flip the bag around to see the color I need.

I keep my project in a 10 x 14 zippered mesh pouch. I’ve not made myself project bags. I keep telling myself I should make myself some but…I’d rather be stitching or quilting. So these work. You can find them HERE on Amazon. These are also available in colored bags. They are less than $1 each. I find myself using these for other things too.
So onto my progress on my Floral Motif Sampler…

You might remember that I was having trouble trying to figure out what to do with the white that wouldn’t show up on my linen.

I ended up treating each area differently.

For the basket that was supposed to have white in it…I ended up using Gentle Arts Woodsmoke.

For the big white flower, I ended up using Weeks Dye Works Chablis. I will be using this in other sections too. No matter what white or off-white I picked, I didn’t like it so this is a super pale pink. I think it’s a good choice.

In the newly stitched little flower, I used Sanguine by Weeks Dye Works.

Here is a little peek at how I’m doing.

Here it all is out and ironed. I really did about the minimum I could do on this over the week.

The color in the above picture is the actual color. Getting linen colors, when taking pictures, is a HARD challenge.

I had family here with my birthday for two different days and I was trying to catch up on things being I’ve had so much company. It’s all good…besides, I’m pushing for a finish on my other piece.

I’ve been stitching on my Heaven and Nature Sampler in between the Floral Motif Sampler. I was so happy that I finished the row of flowers under the house…(Yes, Rosie always sleeps here when I stitch)

I took my hoop off and darn. Do you see what I see??

I don’t have all the green leaves stitched. In the photo below you can see my finger pointing out one of the areas that needed leaves.

In this next picture, you can see more places that need leaves. Ah. I thought I was done.

About a half-hour more and I really was done with the stitching.

Then I went on and started the Christmas tree. I got a little done one night…

and finished it the next night.

I don’t have a lot left…see??

I am so tempted to just take a day off and stitch as much as I can to see if I could finish it. I’m honestly hoping for a finish by next week. I know that’s a little ambitious with Christmas getting closer and things being busy…I don’t have my Christmas Cards out yet.

I just have this corner to finish…I’d so love to get it done.

Once Heaven and Nature is done, I’m pulling out A Changed World. I’m super excited to work on that too.

I’m happily stitching along. I still haven’t decided for sure what I’ll stitch on for my New Year New Start. Thanks for all of the opinions.

I was watching a Lori Holt youtube and she suggested doing a Christmas start and then stitching it the 25th of each month. I am considering that. That sounds like a great idea. So…what to stitch. UGH. There’s always decisions to make!!

Stop by next week and see is I get this sampler finished.