... Stitchin N ...

I know I'd shown these pics to you prior, but here they are back from the framer so you can see how I had them finished off. I added a quarter to each design so you could get a better idea of the actual size of the finished piece.

Carriage House Sampling's "Happy Hallow'een"

was stitched on 32ct Black Silk Gauze (which Kreinik is currently having problems getting back into stock). I stitched it with DMC floss and had it mounted on a black Suede Mat board as the backing ... to absorb the look of the gauze and make it look more like fabric. I love the frame .. all crackly, deep browns and golds.

This one is "Picasso's Rooster" from Ladybug Designs. I don't know why this one appealed to me so, but I'd seen it offered as a kit over a few years in catalogs like The Stitchery and have always loved it. But .. I do not care at all for kits (other than those the designers have put together) .. and during the Online Needlework Show saw this designer 'showing' and found you could get the chart only and jumped on it .. for the shop AND for ME! It's on 40ct Silk Gauze, but I had my framer put Spacers between the gauze AND the white mounting board. This way you actually get a bit of 'shadow' from the stitched lines when you look at it from different angels. It was a 'hey let's try it and see what happens' and ... I LOVE the effect!!!

When I wanted to stitch Handblessing's "Hooked On Reading", I didn't have the color fabric in stock that the designer called for, so I pulled the colors used and started laying them out on what I did have in the shop. I decided on hand-dyed Jobelan Blueberry ... loved the look of purples and blues mottled together!

One of the June Freebie Charts Of The Month that we were offering was In A Gentle Spirit's little Norwegian proverb. Since that past month or three have been 'hell', I figured this one HAD to be stitched up by me FOR me! I used "Earthen" from Picture This Plus and since there are only two shades of floss used, chose a coppery-red for the flowers and a deep green for the lettering and vine. Hopefully I'll glance at this one often .. put it where I can see it from my stitching chair .. and remind myself ... as long as I can laugh about it ... I'll survive!!