New Chart: Primitive Christmas

It's so much fun to be back designing -- this is one I finished this weekend, and am in the process of printing today.  It's called "Primitive Christmas" and is stitched in Weeks Dye Works over-dyed threads (Bark, Blue Spruce, Crimson, Gold, Guacamole, Kohl, Merlot, Mocha, Peach Fuzz, Rose Quartz, Whitewash ... yes, I did provide a DMC conversion as well.)  I used 36 count Natural Edinburgh linen by Zweigart.  The stitch count is 101 by 105.  You can purchase the chart through my Etsy site, or ask your local needlework shop to get it from Hoffman Distributing or Norden Crafts.

I finished mine as a box top lid using a $4.29 paper mache box from Hobby Lobby.  Three colors of paint, some basic crafting supplies, et voila!  An inexpensive finishing technique.  I have included finishing instructions in with the pattern, for those of you who are feeling craft.  It probably took me 90 minutes to paint the box and do all of the finishing.

The bad news for me that came along with stitching this piece is that I've had to upgrade to 2.0+ cheater glasses to see the linen.  I went at least 5 months without stitching one X this year, and I feel like the time away from making my eyes work really hard has left them weakened.  Yes, I will probably need to go see the optometrist.  Drat!

This is the only decent picture I could get of Pom Pom before I had to take her back to the shelter yesterday.  Yes, she's gorgeous.  She had ringworm on the top of her head a few weeks ago, and I knew I had to take her home to get her better.  She is probably the, um, daftest kitten we've ever hosted, but also one of the very sweetest.  Lots and lots of kisses, a very swishy tail, and oh, so bumbling.  She never could jump onto something without either falling off of it or having to scratch and claw her way up after a less-than-ideal attempt.  But she never lets that stop her -- she purrs all of the time, loves people, loves other cats, and really, has just the most endearing (simple) personality.

In fact, I'd put her in the same intelligence category as our dear Zero (this is Zero when he was about the same age as Pom Pom.)  Not a lot going on upstairs ... but we love him to pieces.

Now that it's finally December, I'm getting into the mood for Christmas decorating.  And as I was sitting here, I looked up and to the right and saw my Jane Pattison reproduction.  It's one of those samplers that doesn't scream Christmas, but with the colors and pine bough border, it is one that you could definitely hang this time of year (or all year!)

To me, this area of the sampler really has a "Blackbird Designs" feel to it, don't you think?  I think it's those partially-finished bird, and the wonkiness of the motifs (I love things that aren't centered and perfect.)

You can purchase this chart on my Etsy site, Letters Great and Small at https://www.etsy.com/listing/166269419/jane-pattison-cross-stitch-sampler for just $15.00 plus shipping.

Keep watching my blog and Etsy site -- I am going to be releasing pieces with greater frequency, and I could not be happier about that.