Author Archives: alisonshirley

About alisonshirley

My true love is cross stitch, but I also dabble in a few other needlearts and love to quilt and craft in general.

Hope and Peace ornament update

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I have made little progress on the Hope and Peace ornament.

After I finished stitching the dove I REALLY didn’t feel like stitching the other one.  Stitching with one thread over one on 32-count is HARD and not made any easier by using a light thread that is hard to see on the fabric.  So I did what any sensible woman would do – I put off what I don’t want to do hoping it will fix itself.  I started on the lettering instead.  Now that the top lettering is done and the dove has not magically stitched itself (I can’t believe it), I have to bite the bullet and “git er done.”

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After the dove is finished, I just have the lettering on the bottom and some Smyrna stitches to finish.  YAY!!

Winter Fun Snowmen Ornaments – Rallie

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Ornament fever continues!  I have enjoyed working on these small projects and thought I would continue with them.  It is nice to complete a project and experience that joy that comes with finishing something (however small it may be).

There are 5 charts in this series.   They are stitched on 14-count perforated plastic and will be backed with black felt.  They appeared in the December 2006 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.

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I wanted to start with Rallie because I liked his hat.

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Here is my progress after a few days.

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Side note: I started this project because I liked his hat, then I went and stitched it in the wrong color!   What a dumbass!  The pattern calls for stitching it in a beautiful blue color (DMC# 311) but, for some reason, when I looked at the chart I saw DMC# 310 (black).  I didn’t realize my mistake until the whole thing was stitched!  But, to be fair, top hats are usually black and it didn’t appear weird to me at the time that I was stitching a black hat.  Oh well, I think it turned out okay.   I may end of gifting this one and restitching it in the correct color for my tree.  But, shhhhhh – don’t tell anyone.

 

April TUSAL

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I’m a sooooo late this month with my TUSAL  post.  Life seems to be getting in the way of my blogging and, more importantly, my stitching.  BOO!!!  Anyhoo, here is my ORT jar progress.

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There are a lot of different projects represented in that little jar!

See ya next month!

April YOTA

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It’s YOTA time again!  What the heck is YOTA, you ask?  Find out here.

I did VERY LITTLE stitching on my Home Sweet Home project during March.  I just wanted to stitch on ANYTHING but this!  I think it is because I actually have to think about this chart as I am stitching because I have to alter the vines in the pattern.  Usually stitching is mindless work simply following the pattern, but with this one I have to use brain power – NOT what I want to do after a full day of work.

But, I did rally at the very end (today) and started stitching on it.  I did make a very teeny tiny eensy weensy bit of progress.  About 50 stitches.

Here are my before and after shots.

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It may be slow going, but progress is progress.  Since I didn’t get much accomplished on this piece I think I will continue with this project through April.

See ya next month!

Hope & Peace Ornament

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I have spent some time stitching on the “A Wish for Hope and Peace” ornament.  The weird blue blob between the trees is supposed to be a dove.  I had to pull out my magnifiers to stitch that little gem.  The light blue thread stitching over one has been troublesome.  But after the doves, all I have left is the lettering and some smyrna stitches in the large tree and then it is done!

I haven’t decided yet, but I am thinking about adding some beading somewhere.  Maybe the trees or along the outside finished edge?

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