Finished Halloween Biscornu Freebie

I just discovered a Korean website that has posted several photos of my Halloween Biscornu design along with the chart, but thankfully giving me credit and a link back.  I've never seen it stitched and it's REALLY CUTE (giving self pat on back!)  You can visit the page here.  I translated the page, but I never did see a "contact" link so I could ask permission to use a couple of the photos. If you find one, please let me know! Also, if anyone is interested, I can change the year to 2015. :D

Current WIP and A Finish

 Deer in Trees

Permin Freebie

Fabric: 18-Ct White Aida

Size:  30w x 40h (1-11/16" x 2-1/4")

Floss: DMC as charted / 1 strand

 Prairie Schooler - Bk 164 - OCTOBER

Fabric: 16ct White Aida

Size: 4-7/8" x 5"

Floss: DMC as charted / 2 strands

Stitching Complete: May, 2014

So far every time I scan PS Rabbit Run and Where There are Bees, my scanner automatically converts them into a .pdf document instead of a .jpg even though I've changed those settings several times. Any ideas? I've got a Cannon MX452. Thanks!

Wichelt freebies / More Printer Woes

Just a reminder that Wichelt and many of the other designers listed on the Freebie page put out new charts on a regular basis.  Wichelt's July free graph is a patriotic bird house.

Had lunch with my Dad and sister at Jason's Deli on the anniversary of my Mother's death last week. From there I had to return last year's new printer to Frye's for repair or replacement. This makes 3 returned printers in 3 years! I intended to change brands (again) and thinking laser jet but instead came home with a newer model of returned Canon printer, in part because I had just recently replaced the expensive cartridge of black ink and could use it with this one, and in part because I was told it had a $50 rebate.  But NOOOO! When I got home and had the opportunity to read the rebate slip, only available at check out, turns out one had to buy a refurbished something else AND the printer at the same time to get the rebate.  Because the cost of last printer was just over what they could do an even swap for, they gave me a credit slip for whatever I wanted to get (NEW PRINTER!!) and allowed me to take out another extended warranty for $20.  At this rate I've really only been paying for that extended warranty each return, plus maybe $5 or $10 more for each brand new printer.  AND, I get new ink with each printer, the cost of which exceeds the cost of the printer, of course.  I saved the new black cartridge for later.

What I really want is for my decade plus year old HPLaserJet6L to work again!! Which after many years of reliable printing -and well out of warranty - quit working, of course, right after I bought a new cartridge for it. : (

Another Finish from Years Past

Probably from CS&CC.
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The fabric is actually that nice soft 14ct Aida baby blue - likely Charles Craft. My DD's favorite colors were peach and blue. She was already in college at this point.

I LOVED these type of rubbery / stretchy frames that didn't require anything more than just enough fabric to gather and baste on the reverse so it would hang flat against a wall.  I haven't seen any in a very long time.
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Long Ago Stitching - Zodiac Mug Insert

A year or 2 or 3 after I opened my law practice in 1981, I spotted a chart of well-designed Zodiac signs. I have no particular interest in astrology but was drawn to the Scales of Justice - Libra. I'm Sagittarius. I'd already hung some small cross stitch florals on my office walls and had been looking for something lawyerish to stitch. A bin of stitchable-insert coffee mugs was next to the chart rack. Light bulb moment! Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought the chart. I changed "Libra" to "Law," created a more formal font, stitched the letters in green to go with the gold scales (green & gold = Baylor) and changed 2 or 3 things about the scales as well. Sagittarius is as charted - though later I wished I'd changed the purple to gold and the aqua to blue, or vice versa. Next time.

I'd never stitched on plastic canvas before. I HATE stitching on plastic canvas !!! Consequently starting over a couple of days later, these are stitched with 3 strands of DMC on 14 count white Aida, treated with Fray Check, trimmed very close to the edges, then tacked to the plastic with a single thread and a bare minimum of stitches. Once sealed between the clear exterior and inner lining they have been perfectly protected from wear and tear and are as bright and colorful today as they were almost 30 years ago.  I fully intended this to be my coffee mug, but it was immediately apparent I was allergic to the plastic! Burning rash on lips and around mouth is not a pretty sight. It's been a pen / pencil / marker / ruler / scissors / etc holder ever since.

1989 PS Santa Finished - Next in Line

Stitching finished. Because the white is difficult to see as any shade different than the Fiddler's lite fabric, I substituted gold for Santa's tassel and the ribbon on the wreath.

Next project will be an Ellen Maurer-Stroh complimentary Christmas design from years ago that I've always wanted to stitch. I've always called it the "BerryBall," but EMS' name is "Christmas Greetings." Probably also to be stitched on the 28ct white opalescent.

Actually Stitching!!

Finished the Bastin piece in 4 days (I went back and added an extra 1/2 cross to the flower colors to make them stand out better!), then partially designed, stitched and finished a calendar cover insert between Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Love the result! The center Eiffel Tower design I thought I had found on a French site. Wish I could remember where so I could give due credit! The rest is me filling in the rest of the space. I'm hoping the words translate as: Things to Do. It's stitched on 14ct Ivory Aida. I sealed the cut edges with Fray Check. Nothing lasts forever anyway. Here's hoping it's appreciated by a 14-year old!

A big THANK YOU to Mylene for correctly identifying the Eiffel Tower as being from a freebie offered by Blackbird Designs!! Here's the link: Souvenir de France

Freebies: Patriotic

Variations on a theme. The dark blue on the BW charts will print black. Downloading subject to Copyright Information on the right. Happy patriotic stitching!!

I will be posting other patriotic freebies in the coming days/weeks. Check back often.

Recent Finishes

My Mother's Day project, started in September and only recently finished. The one with the daisy was made for a friend. Stiched on 32ct linen. I never could get 2 threads to lay right, so both of these are stitched using just 1 thread. I really like the more delicate look. In person, these look wonderful. Not so sure about the digital close-ups, however. The colors in the top picture are closer to the actual DMC colors. My photography assistant:

Yes, she really is that deep, vibrant henna/cinnamony color, hence her name. She has an amazing amount of loose skin, and she's got more thick, dense fur than any cat needs. I could crochet a sweater out of the undercoat she sheds every spring. She's a low energy cat with 2 speeds: mosey & amble, which match my energy level perfectly! My neighbor's daughter found her as a tiny kitten, inside a microwave at a party. Henna will be 13 in July.