Cross Stitch - Edition Two

 Cathy from HANDS ON is one of the most prolific designers in the industry. She works very hard at it and was a shop owner at one time, doing her own finishing and that of her customers. I am going to try to get her to come out here for a class.
MY STITCHER'S HEART is the first offering. This piece was the subject of her first Floss Tube video, and apparently the whole production was fraught with little disasters. There is a larger hexagonal design with several ideas to take smaller motives out to use in faster gratification pieces.$14.50

WELL ROUNDED is a clever presentation of the four seasons, each season presented in three designs in three different sizes. You could make a club out of it for yourself and stitch one a month. I think I would like to do a bell pull with the 4 designs, the only dilemma being which size to choose. Why are these decisions so difficult? Okay - I think I like the top row! I stopped working on my HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW because I have a boo boo so it is in time out until the urge to start another BAP arises, and then I will finish HEIOTS. Since stopping that, I have completed two small pieces and now I am doing beads.Chart is $23.

 This is an adaptation of artist Annie Quigley. I can almost remember the scent of the dried laundry when my mother would bring it in the house and I am getting the same sensation from this. The model was stitched with Sulky 12 but she does give you DMC conversions. In a later edition, I talk about Summer House's "Liberty Hill Farm". These two designers got together and mutually chose colors and the packet that comes with LBH has sufficient thread kitted to do that one and stitch this one TOO!  $10.25

 Ort tray, scissor fob and one of Cathy's pincushions with a stitched gusset! These are small enough projects to have time to do all three and with a summer theme! $12.25

HEART IN HAND is one of my steadiest sellers. I don't sell a lot of them, but we eventually sell through the designs. Some of them are so classic that I am surprised that we don't sell more. This Christmas Square Dance is a continuation of the series of the months of the years and I feel that those who bought the earlier part of the series will also buy this one that contains three projects, each one 40x40. $13.50





 You need to stitch a monochromatic and these two are ideal. If you haven't experienced it, you will find that the project flies faster because you are not having to stop to thread your needle with yet another color. Doing it in a  hand dyed thread is even more fun because you get to watch the color ebb and surge as you go along. The bluebird is 118 by 40 .and the redbird is 100 by 40. They are each $12.50

Unfortunately I didn't stitch one of the above but I chose this. When I read what it said, I was done for! It was 80 by 84 and started center and worked up from the center to do the top left quadrant which is really weird for me. I didn't have the thread for the turtle so I counted over and did the teddy. I should have done the scallops across the top ALL THE WAY, but, no! That would have been too much of a good thing, and I really put the teddy in the wrong place, so we had a bit of ripping. Loved the little house, heart and flower that came with the chart. I did it for little Finn, but Grandma is keeping it at the store for a while, or at least as soon as I get a frame made.
$14.50.

I got one of these because it has an Adam and Eve, speaking of which ...one of my breaks from HIS EYE...was a little A and E from  With They Needle and Thread but because she is so hard to deal with, I may not hang it in the store. She doesn't keep her distributors stocked.  In any case, these are all small: A&E - 73x63, Deer - 103 x 83, Dear Sister - 81 x 60, Love the Giver - 81 x 70 and Tiny Token - 38 x 56. These are great for using up your remnants. $12.50

This is the companion to HIS EYE... and when I heard she was working on this, I thought I had better get going on the prequel! I adore this. IT is in brighter colors than the one I am doing and this will be the next BAP I work on. Size is 435 by 363, $25.

 Judy Whitman is one of the most elegant people I know, and she's one that has been around a long time. I used to buy her counted needlepoint designs before I ever moved to MA in 1983. Her personal elegance is examplified in her designs. She did one of the nicest things for us and she is going to do it again. Many of her little Christmas ornament designs have gone out of print and she brought them all back in one little spiral bound book. It is so nice to have them all in one place. $18.50

GREEN GABLES will take you back to a time when you read of Anne's adventures. $10.50

RABBITS IN THE ROUND was sure to be a hit for Easter in my book. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to be together before Easter. I will stitch it in navy blue for my DIL for next year, navy being her color of choice. $10.50.

FRENCH COUNTRY SWANS was picked up by a few who were in the shop for that week and a half period before people began to refrain from going out. $10.50

SEASIDE SERIES VI will outsell all the others in this series, just because there is a mermaid on it.

 Kathy Barrick has reproduced a small, simple Quaker sampler that is 147 by 187. This is very achievable and you could have fun, if you are not a purist, choosing a color that goes out on a limb in a nonconventional way.
AH to EE is $12.25.

 SARAH HUGHES, 1821
Had to buy it as there is an Adam and Eve, and look - there are two ships. I like sailing ships. You'd think I would detest them, as a yacht figured prominently in my divorce. This is a long, tall one - 180 by 415, but there is lots of empty fabric!
$18.50.

I'm partial to horses, too, particularly black ones. My Billy was a little black Welsh pony. A VISIT FROM SPOT is 119 by 116. I'd consider doing this for my sister as she was horse-crazy and now is a professionally horse-crazy woman. $12.25

B.R.'s MOTH  - She reproduced a moth last year too, but I think this one is prettier. I will leave this for someone else to stitch. As a teacher, there were many names that I wouldn't consider when it was time to name my son. As a middle school biology teacher for the first ten years that I taught, each student had to present me with insects representing 10 different orders of insects. I'm done with insects! $12.25.

Designers whose names begin with L will be next, but first I am taking a break from this. 

A sunny afternoon is calling my name!