12 Days - Complete

I actually finished the stitching for this project back around Thanksgiving. However, I wanted it to be "finished" as a wall hanging before making the announcement.

I apologize for the plastic, but wrapping it up again would have been a pain.

As you can still see, however, the lady who completed the project did an absolutely fantastic job of it! And the recipient, of course, was very pleased as well.

12 Days - Update 21

Just around the corner. Literally. Then the beads and to have it finished.

12 Days - Update 20

The 12 days part of 12 Days has been backstitched! I still have to do the rest of the red robe, but at least you can tell what each of the days are now. The cow was a little lost, and the goose just looked like a smudge on leaves (maybe leaves).

The gold trim outside of the purple border is proceeding. After that, beads!

12 Days - Update 19

The filling in is complete for the 12 days, and I am working on the pattern outside the purple border and will start completing the backstitching.

12 Days - Update 18

The 8 maids are finished - now to finish the 6 Geese.

12 Days - Update 17

Well, I took the cow by the, uh, horns, and the 8 Maids are almost complete - just a matter of filling in with white and then backstitch, of course. Started on the leaves for the 6 Geese.

12 Days - Update 16

Productive weekend. Even did some stitching outside. Stitched to football games, while my daughter played in the treehouse at my place, and even while trick-or-treaters knocked during a Mel Brooks marathon at Lexy's house on Halloween. And all to absolutely gorgeous weather.

SO here we are. Two turtle doves, 6 geese a-laying, and 8 maids a-milking left to go. I finished the Space Invader Flowers on the bottom. I may leave the robe for last - those swirling reds are really annoying.

12 Days - Update 15

Working on the remaining border. The blue should be finished tonight. The purple should be finished tomorrow. Then probably the rest of the flowers and then the robe. Then the maid a-Milking and the Geese a-Laying.

Of course, I would not post this without a full shot of the project without the q-snap.

12 Days - Update 14

I had an unexpected pattern interruption, but I still managed to get most of the remaining backstitching completed for this section of the pattern.

Wedding Announcement - Heart Swirls

So, late Monday night we got word that one of Dorissa's cousins got married, and that a gathering was going to be in two weeks to celebrate it. Dorissa said it would be nice if we could whip up an announcement as a gift. So, after going through the patterns I had on hand as well as scouring the internet for a quick, yet nice, announcement pattern, we found an item in the just Cross Stitch magazine from January/February 2013 (Heart Swirls by Sharon Pope). The pattern is a lot larger and quite ornate than the finished product. However, this is the center of a much larger heart, and seems to have been included as a smaller variation of the pattern. Interestingly, the example of the pattern included the smaller version, framed, done with DMC 127.

I had DMC 127. I also had plenty of white Aida to choose from. So I went with 18 count. I finished the letters with DMC 823.

Here is the finished product. I will take it with me Friday evening to pick out a frame at The Crafty Framer.

12 Days - Update 13

Backstitching the bottom right of the pattern. Seems a lot more intricate than the top was, even with Santa's face - lots more going on. But it is coming along nicely. Maybe by the end of the week I will be able to shift the fabric again and start on the bottom left corner.

Also, while backstitching the flowers on the bottom, they started to look like something else.

Innocent flowers (St Francis of Assisi would approve)

OR

SPACE INVADERS (St. Francis has the high score)

12 Days - Update 12

I got a LOT of stitching done Saturday, but not so much Sunday, but in all it was a good weekend. Of course, in packing for work this morning I left my needles and floss for 12 Days at the house, so no stitching at work today. I did bring the supplies for an upcoming project with me, so maybe I will cut down the fabric in preparation for that instead of stitching today.

However, here is a pic of the progress. it goes slower now that I have to change colors every dozen stitches or so.

12 Days - Update 11

More background, and starting in on this side of the robe. I was hoping to be finished by Halloween, but I am starting to doubt that. Maybe Thanksgiving.

12 Days - Update 10

I am working my way through the background color where the rest of the 12 Days will go. Lots of color changes in the 12 Days, so I am getting the background outlines finished so the boundaries will be easier to discern.

12 Days - Update 9

I am ready to move to the bottom two pages. There is still more to be done on the top, but it can wait. I am still not sure if I am going to be doing the background pattern on the outside of the purple border. That will depend on what the recipient wants.

Here it is, out of the q-snap.

12 Days - Update 8

The blue background pattern for the upper pages is complete. I may have mis-measured the starting point - I am not sure how the gold/beige background will look, or even if it will fit. I may leave it off entirely, and this may not be a bad thing.

I have started on the back stitching, as you can see, it is written all over his face...

12 Days - Update 7

The background stitching is coming along nicely. I love single color repeating patterns - I fly through them.

12 Days - Update 6

The bag are packed. but he isn't ready to go just yet. I want to get the design patterns in around the torso before I begin backstitching, since I don't want to possibly go over the backstitching with more stitches. Guess I will do that while the game is on tonight.

12 Days - Update 5

Well, the Halloween Skull is complete, time to get back on this WIP. Not too much to report, but the Santa on the top 2 pages is nearly complete - just his bag of toys to go and then I can get to the bottom 2 pages. I will fill in the pattern around him, at least the blue design, after I get Santa complete, including backstitching.

Halloween Skull - Complete

I put the finishing stitches into this Saturday evening while watching, I think, Georgia and South Carolina. I will make a second one, but first I want to get back into 12 Days. I also have Ornaments to make for my office. Last year they got the Partridge in the Pear Tree. This year - Two Turtle Doves.