Christmas Gift Stitching

In 2021 we had a new baby addition to our family. Niece Jill her husband adopted a little baby girl that is the half-sister of the baby boy they adopted last year. Her name was just the right size for me to adapt this "Baby's" First Christmas to Aliya's! Her mom loves penguins, so when I saw this in the December 2021 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine, I knew I had to make it for her!

My college roommate likes rabbits. But realistic ones not animated. So, when I saw this year long series for 2018 called Mini Bunnies in Just Cross Stitch Magazine, I thought of her at once. It did not stitch it right away, I wanted to figure out a way to finish it. After some stops and starts I figured it out and stitched it for her Christmas this year. Here are the twelve rabbits. Top photo has Dec, Jan, April, May, Aug & Sept.

This photo shows Feb, March, June, July, Nov and Oct. Oops I photographed them out of order.

I found a shadow box that was just the right size, but I needed it to be kind of a reverse shadow box. So I trimmed the mat so it touched the glass and then there was room for all the monthly rabbits behind!

I cut out a template so I would know the opening. I cut comic book board to match the inside, then marked it with air removable fabric marker (I tested it first to make sure it would go away, and it did)! I used the outer mat as my pattern for the size and placement of the picture. For December, I cut the stitched piece leaving a couple of squares one each side, centered it on the drawn square and sewed it on with my sewing machine. I used a longer stitch than normal so not to perforate the comic book board. I also put my initials on the back and the month it was supposed to be, a couple could go either way! You can see, for the other months I did not cut out the stitched piece, I lined it up with the sqaure I drew on the comic book board and sewed it in place. A little trial and error. While both look good, the later method was easier.

Now all Sandra has to do, is open the back and change out the rabbit each month. Being a shadow box, it has a wide frame and sits on a table on its own.

Happy Stitching!!

&

Merry Christmas!!!!

 

Some Christmas Stitching

 I told you about the ornament I stitched for our tree on the post. Here it is on our tree.

This year I joined the online ANG Chapter of Cyperpointers. The November meeting program was this cute design by Linda Lachance of Northern Pine Designs called Christmas Bell. It was designed to fit into an 8 x 10"-inch frame with a matt. So, I am on the hunt for the right frame. It was quite fun to stitch with different stitches, fun thread and beads. 

That is about all for now, more tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For those of you in the United States, Happy Turkey Day!! 

For everyone else, have a great day!

Pillow is a Pine Mountain Design.

Enjoy the day whatever you may do!

This & That

 I have been busy stitching items to sell at our community Club Expo. It was Nov. 6 and I did quite well selling more than other Expos. Our last Expo was March of 2020 and I think buyers were happy to have then back. 

Quite popular were my Foxwood Crossings sleds :

The Lumenaris wool applique scissor fobs also found good homes. The cat and rooster did not sell, but there is always next time! 

Everything in this photo sold except the golfing Santa. I was a little surprised since we live in a golf community. Again, maybe next sale. The golf is by Hinziet, the Santa's are from 2000 & 2001 Just Cross Stich Christmas Ornament issues both by The Sweetheart Tree. The southwest design is a section of a bell pull kit that I can't find the chart for right now, but I bought it in the late 1990s.

Not expo related is this fun Halloween card I made with a pop up inside.

That about covers it for now!!

What 2020 Meant to Me Display

My quilting club, SCF Quilting bees asked members to create a 9 1/2 inch square quilt block that represented what 2020 meant to us.  Twenty people created blocks and I was one of them. Each block was finished by a Quilting Bees person and then they were hung in our recreation center hallway.

My block is in the center of the bottom row - close up below.

Each block was held to each other with gold safety pins and the upper left pin had a bee bead on it while the upper right pin had 3 crystals in bee colors. The quilt came down last week and they gave us the pins!

My block is full of symbolism: 

• The center is my home with night and day sky in the corners
• The bandana heart represents my hubby since he likes to wear a cowboy hat
• I embroidered and finished a number of samplers
• I read 150 books
• I spent time with our dog
• I made by first lap size quilt
• There is a bit of a "rookie" error in the block, but I left it on since 2020 also meant going with the flow and not being overly critical

It was a lot of fun to make and very exciting to see it hung up in the rec. center! I don't get to Quilting Bees as much as I would like since they meet on Fridays and I have other commitments, but I try to go when I can and participate in some way.

Gifts of Christmas - Joy

I have been going through my stash and organizing it, collecting threads or buttons for projects, etc. In the process I found this fun little shop hop project I purchased at my local needlework shop in Littleton, CO which has sadly, since go out of business. It is called Christmas Gifts - Joy. The shop hop theme that year was Christmas Gifts - I think I only made it to this one shop. It was designed by Nancy Boggio.

I knew when I saw it that it would be perfect for my sister in law in Iowa, since she loves purple and snowmen. The fabric, specialty threads, button and charms came with the kit. The specialty thread is used on the scarf and hat band and is an overdye. I stitched it, as best I could at a diagonal on the hat band to give it the appearance of stripes. 

I finished it as a flat fold.

It is pictured on the fabric I used for the backing. It was fun to make and finish!

Happy Stitching!!

American Needlework Guild 2021 National Seminar

This year, same as last, the American Needlework Guild (ANG) held their 2021 National Seminar virtually. I did not sign up last year, but I did sign up for a class this year!

The class was Santa Gnome by Janet Zickler Casey. We had one zoom meeting near the end of the month, which I could not make. Janet was available via iso groups/email if we had questions.

Below are some progress shots with the finished Santa at the end. We started with the hat then moved to the nose, followed by the beard and the holly leaf.

The holly leaf was worked by blanket stitching a wire around the outline then filling in with long/short stitches. It was then cut off and placed on the hat.

The original has the leaf slanting to the right. We were to make a hold in the canvas large enough for the two wires at the bottom of the leaf. I put the hole a little too far to the right, so if it angled right, it hung over the outline of the hat and I thought this might be problematic for a finisher. I did not want the leaf going straight up, so mine angles to the left. Works for me!!

We received a nice letter in the mail from ANG National before the virtual seminar started. It included a mask and thread holder which is an invitation gift to the 50th Anniversary Seminar next year in Tucson, AZ. Which, I am hoping to attend in person!

Happy Stitching!