Monday, January 25, 2010

SANTA CLAUS IN GILDED CART

HO HO HO !!
The ole CROSS STITCH WOMAN is soooooo slow !!
But what do you know ...
Santa Claus has arrived !!

Yes, Santa Claus in his gilded cart is here, finished & framed.
I finished backstitching Santa about ten days ago and was trying to figure which frame was right for him. I had a red frame but I kept thinking the antique looking frame went better with the color of cloth. I don't know the name of the cloth, only that it is 14ct and I liked the antique look.

Santa Claus In Gilded Cart is from The Schiffer Collection by designer Donna Gallagher. The title is " FATHER CHRISTMAS III ". I bought this pattern booklet on Ebay and it is a retired booklet.

I have a love for folkart, antique and old world Santa's. I feel this pattern fit into the antique look of Santa's. I must say, I enjoyed stitching this pattern but the backstitching seemed endless. The copyright was 1990 and I can sure say today's patterns are much easier to follow. Overall, I am happy I stitched ole Santa Claus in gilded cart as he makes a nice addition to my Christmas collection.

I am ready to move on to a newer project and thinking of doing one last Christmas pattern by BLACKBIRD DESIGNS. "MERRY CHRISTMAS" from the JOYEUX NOEL Booklet. I will be making a change on my cross stitch of this pattern. I will replace the snowflakes with the holly/berries. I feel this will give a little more color to pattern.

Until We Meet Again.
HAPPY CROSS STITCHING !!!
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

Monday, January 11, 2010

SNOW AND STITCHING

We still have snow and cold weather. We are to have a warm up this week, in the 30's but still flurries. It has been so cold out that you just want to stay home.

It has been nice to stay home and do my backstitching in the evenings. I am hoping to be finished soon. I never realized how much backstitching this pattern has. It now has me looking at other patterns and thinking to myself... how much backstitching does this pattern might have. Ha! Looking each pattern over very closely.

I really want to finish this pattern of Santa and his gilded cart so I can move on to a few ornaments. When spring arrives, so does my seasonal spirit getting with the new season. I normally don't want to be cross stitching Christmas when it is Easter.
That is just me and that seasonal spirit again.

Have any of you noticed BLACKBIRD DESIGNS has announced the next and last two stocking booklets. Those being November and December. Very pretty !! The gals are asking for suggestions for upcoming patterns. Boy did I have a few suggestions. I suggested quick ornaments such as vintage Santas, snowmen and Christmas trees.
I also suggested witches as I am a witch collector. I know they have done two Halloween booklets but there is always room for more. I would love to see finishing instructions.
I don't know about anyone else but I love to see tutorials on finishing, they can be so educational. Any tutorial dealing with cross stitch I welcome.

Better get back to my backstitching !

Until we meet again...
Happy Cross Stitching !
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

Monday, January 4, 2010

NEW BEGINNINGS

New Year has come & started with a blast of freezing weather and snow. It is in the teens tonight and was 2 degrees last night. We have another winter storm heading our way on Thursday. The weatherman won't give an estimate of how much snow we are to receive but says an accumulation.
Of course the ole saying in Indiana is...just wait five minutes and the weather will change. So, we will wait and see !

New Years Day our family got together for an evening dinner at our home with the daughter-in-laws pitching in. It was a nice quiet dinner. Then arriving was the freezing weather.

Normally on New Years Day, I always take down our Christmas tree but this year it had to wait a couple more days. So, today... down came the Christmas tree and all the decorations. Funny how the house looks a little bare without all the bright red colors. I was told once that people feel depressed after Christmas and all the color "red" is gone in a home. The color "red" brightens a home and feelings.

Today, I feel like I have a new beginning with the Christmas decorations down, put away and now I can get back to some normalcy in my life.
With that said, comes... time for cross stitch !

I have started back cross stitching on my Antique Santa In Gilded Cart. I am going crazy doing all the backstitching. I do have plans of finishing Santa before the month ends. I am looking forward to starting a new cross stitch pattern. I had another Christmas pattern from Blackbird Designs picked out but thinking maybe doing some quick ornaments.

In todays mail I received a package of very old CROSS STITCH MAGAZINES. I am talking over 20 years old. This might sound odd, but I feel they are better magazines than some of todays on the market. I have been looking at some ornaments that look inviting and perhaps quick to do.

So, I am looking ahead in this New Year of 2010 to doing some of my own coffee/tea dyeing cloth and hoping to stitch a few ornaments. I love the antique look.

As I finish Santa & his cart I will be posting a picture. I had better get busy cross stitching !! Please check back soon for Santa's picture.

Until we meet again...
Happy Cross Stitching !
CROSS STITCH WOMAN