Bee pincushion

The weather is finally getting better here in Finland. It isn't all that dark and gloomy anymore and most of the days the sun is shining, though it is still cold and we have a lot of snow.

I have been stitching a lot this month and a really wish I could show you some of my finished stitching. However, they are all mend for exchanges and gifts. It kind of frustrates me, that I have nothing to show.

But I dug out another project from last year. I finished this bee pincushion just before Christmas, but the light was so bad that I couldn't take any good pictures. Today I remembered that I haven't shown this project yet, so here it is: my bee pincushion.

The pompom ribbon is unraveling a lot and I had quite some trouble with it. By far it doesn't look perfect but it is fine for me. After all, this pincushion is not for decoration, I am using it almost daily and it will wear out eventually anyways.

The bee design is from Tantes Zolder and I stitched it with my own hand-over-dyed thread on 25ct evenweave one over one.

something a little older

It's the second last day of the month and to my shame I have to say, that I did not finish the Biedermeier sampler. I haven't even continued stitching on it.  

It just happened that I got surprisingly involved in a few act-of-kindness-projects. As well there is the Fair & Square exchange and some other small gifts that have to be stitched and finished.

As it usually goes with this kind of projects, I cannot show any pictures until the lucky ladies have received their gifts. And that may take a few more month.

However, I do have one project to show that I stitched sometime during last autumn. 

I stitched this apple sampler for an autumn exchange and was kind of in a hurry to get it all ready. It finished the sampler into the lid of a round black painted box. As it happens so often, it completely slipped my mind to take a picture of the finished box.

I really loved how the box turned out. It was so much my own style. I was very much tempted to keep it myself. I think I will stitch it someday again and finish it just the way I did for the exchange.

Christmas ornament exchange

This year I participated in a private Christmas ornament exchange with two other stitcher from Finland and I would like to show you the beautiful ornaments I got.

First one is from Virpi. 

Besides the beautiful ornament the package included lots of other goodies. Virpi really spoiled me this year with this amazing Christmas gifts.

The other ornament is from Kaisa.

Kaisa knows that I love primitive designs and she really nailed it with the "I believe in Santa" ornament. The colors are quite bright in the picture but in real life they are beautifully aged.

Now, here are the two ornaments that I stitched.

Virpi mentioned that she likes trees, so I picked this sampler tree by Little House Needleworks. It is stitched 1 over 1 and finished it into a tree shape. 

Kaisa said she likes primitive designs just like me. So I picked one of my favorites from The Primitive Hare. Also stitched 1 over 1 and finished with red lace into a big bauble.

Of course I also included little extra goodies with both ornament, but I missed taking a picture of it. 

Cow project bag

While browsing files on my computer I came across some pictures of a stitched gift that I made in early October. It was the gift for Outi the hostess of our Autumn stitching meeting. She loves cows, so I just had to stitch something that included cows. 

I stitched the cows on a linen band and then later sewed it into a project bag.

It was my first time sewing a project bag and I had a little trouble adding the ribbon for closure. But in the end I figured it out.

for my little sister

Do you remember? A few months back I told you about a stitching project that was going to be a present for my little sister. I intended to send the gift by mail a long time ago, but never managed. During our holidays in Germany I finally presented my sister with her stitched gift. 

Now, I have to say my little sister isn't too found of my cross stitching obsession. I am fine with that, people have different hobbies and my sister's taste is very different from mine.

But when I saw this design by Emily Peacock in one of the Cross Stitcher magazines, I knew I had to stitch it for her. And to make it useful I finished it into a little pouch, that she could use for her knick-knack.

I love the way how fabric, ribbon and stitching fits together. And also my sister loves it very much. 

Something finished....

I have been struggling lately with my stitching progresses. It seems like I lost all my motivation and many days pass by without placing a single stitch. I am not found by this at all. I have a big pile of UFOs and an even bigger one of projects that are close to become UFOs if I am not getting back into stitching. 

So this morning I worked a little on my Alphabet 1900 and I intend to work on it a few more hours during the day. So therefore there is no picture of this one yet.

But I took a few pictures of projects that I finished a little while ago and just haven't had the change of taking good shots of them.

At first there is BOO! I truly love this design. It was so much fun to stitch and I think I will stitch it a few more times on different kind of fabrics.

Design: BOO!

Designer: The Stitcherhood

Fabric: some orange 29ct. 

Thread DMC 310

I have also finished the 1999 Christmas Sampler by Carriage House Samplings. I don't know yet how to finish it, but it will be with some shabby dark fabric. It was my first time stitching on black fabric and I really enjoyed it. 

Design: 1999 Christmas Sampler

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Fabric: 18ct black aida

Thread: DMC as recommended

At last I have a little Tantes Zolder design to show you. I have started this one many years ago and just finished it just a few month ago. It is a really small design, just 3.5 x 2 inches big. I have no idea what to use it for. Maybe I'll add some lace and a pale fabric and make a lavender sachet or pincushion out of it.

Tantes Zolder

Fabric: 40 ct. white Newcastle linen

Thread: DMC

I do have one more project that I sewed last night into a cute little pouch, but it is a gift. I will post pictures of it next week after it arrived to it's new home.

A tiny finish

For the last week I have been working almost exclusively on The Good Neighbor and made some very nice progress. But to see pictures, you will have to wait for the next post.

Today I'd like to show you a tiny little finish I made. For quite a while already I wanted to make a floss tag. One of those with the nice metal eyelets. But I haven't had the tools nor the eyelets to finish one, until a week or so ago. A complete eyelet set including all necessary tools was on sale and of course I had to buy it. And today I finished my first floss ring tag. I love it!

Design: October from the heart SAL

Designer: KreuzstitchLiebe

Thread: DMC

Fabric: 35ct. fine Floba

A Quick stitch for Easter

I know I'm a little early with this and maybe I should have saved this post for a later time. But I am so happy to have yet another finished stitching project, I just can't hold it back until Easter.

The last two days, I've been stitching a small freebie from By The Bay Needleart with the intention of finishing it into an Easter Egg decoration.

I am usually not much of a pink lover, but I think in this case it fits perfectly.

The base of this ornament is a Styrofoam egg.

I have stretched and glued the stitched piece and the backing fabric to the egg, secured it with lots of pins and  glued this upholstery ribbon all the way around it and finished it with a pink organza bow.

one down, 14 to go

Just a few moments ago, I finished stitching my first project of the Crazy January Challenge. Hearing from so many other participants how many projects they already finished, I felt already a little discouraged in this Challenge. I also feel, I should have picked much more small projects. The ones I have started are almost all big ones. Anyway, the "Bienen-Emblem" which I started on the 5th day of the Challenge is finally finished. It was always one of my favourites and I am very happy with it's look.

Even thou I am not a big friend of BackStitches I do have to say, that I love the way the honeycomb is set together with BS and full crosses. 

Another Finish - Petit Sampler

I have another finished project to share with you today, and I I thought this one deserves a post on it's own. "Petit Sampler" by gazette94 is finally finished. 

I used "Cherry Cola" by Nina's threads for this one and just love how it turned out. 

At first I planed to finish this one into a box lid. I thought I could use it for storing my special threads. It has never occurred to me actually framing this piece. After all there is a lot of pink in this sampler and the Mr. doesn't like any girly-girl stuff. But when I showed the finished sampler to him he actually suggested that I should frame it.

I think a nice white antique finished frame would be perfect for this piece. 

Fair & Square from Pam and a finish

First of all I have to apologize if I am writing any nonsense in today's post. I came down with a very nasty flue. I am having a runny nose all the time and can barely breath, but luckily I don't have much fever.

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So last Saturday we had another stitching gathering. This time at Mia's place. I made a little something for her as a thank you gift for hosting the meeting.

The box itself if from white painted metal and the design on the lid is from "la forêt des croix contées"

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I have also received the squares Pam stitched for me, during the last Fair & Square exchange. She designed them completely herself. Aren't they lovely? They will make a beautiful addition to my pin cushion basket.

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At last I have one more finished piece to show you. This design is a freebie from Passione Ricamo and is called Violet Garland. I stitched this one as a gift for a dear friend.

A special present for a special person

As I said already in my previous post. I have been really busy assembling  a box for my boss's daughter. She is going to art college and is a very talented painted. I have asked her a few weeks ago if she would like to paint the logo to my own cross stitch design label and she did the most wonderful job on that little cloudberry painting.

As my way of saying than you, I have stitched her initials on coffee dyed and baked fabric and finished it into the lid of a box.

I really love how this box turned out. Especially it is my first box finish ever.