20. Mirabilia Baby Round Robin

This was a top secret project for our dear RR friend Rachel.

She discovered that she was expecting a baby so a group of us decided to stitch a "Mirabilia Baby and Child" themed project for her.

My bubble comes from Fairy Tales, a Mirabilia chart from 1996:

Mirabilia - Fairy Tales

I chose this design because of the book.  The most wonderful thing you can do for a child is to instil a love of books by reading to them.

19. The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day of Trees

Day of Trees

From The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas booklet.

Stitched on 32 count Vintage Grain Linen

18. Maria's Wedding Sampler

Stitched on 32 count white evenweave

This is the sampler I stitched for my friend's wedding last weekend.

The motifs come from various places.  

The hearts are from Carton-Marie (I stitched the whole piece for my cousin's wedding last year).  

"Love" is from Happiness is Cross Stitching.  

M and D (their initials) are from iStitch's Mystery SAL 

and the butterfly is from a random download I've had in the file for ages (sadly no originating website on it).

17. With Thy Needle & Thread April Wordplay

April Wordplay by With Thy Needle & Thread's Brenda Gervais.

Stitched on 32 count lemon yellow fabric, stitched over one.  

I converted the charted GAST to DMC but the colours were rather muddy (unlike the original GAST) so I just made my own colours up instead!  I used some nice 3000 greens for the lettering and a brighter red for the little trailer.  I also changed the word peeps to cheep because we don't have peeps here (I understand they are a type of sweet?).

The fabric isn't striped, they show through from the mount, but it's a good effect I am pleased with.

This is how I mounted the picture for my scrapbook using a nice piece of (recycled) Easter Egg ribbon round the edge:

January can be seen here.

16. Just Nan Band Sampler Round Robin

 Broader bands from Sweet Rememberance and the narrow bands from Cynthia's Sampler.  

The charted colours from Sweet Rememberance worked well with a couple of tweaks.

These are my bands

And a diagonal shot: 

And this is the whole piece, taken in a different light.  It is very hard to get the colours quite accurate.

The fabric is Garden Princess by Sugar Maple Fabrics (in case you were wondering!)

15. The Little Stitcher Alice in Wonderland

Stitched on 19 count Ariosa Antique Rose

using Jodyri Threads ChaChaCha and DMC B5200

This is a freebie available on The Little Stitcher's FB page to promote her new Alice in Wonderland chart.

14. Parrots Bookmark

Close up of the bookmark, I used the leftover threads to make the tassel.

Gwen of Guava Gems left the 5000th comment on my blog.  I wanted to send something suitable so I read through her blog and saw she was taking part in the Snooty Parrots SAL.  I had this little parrot bookmark in my stash, a cover kit from Cross Stitcher magazine.  I used their colours but changed the parrots around a little to make them more colourful.  In the parcel I included a piece of this fabric, I couldn't find any with parrots on but this is very colourful.  I also included a skein of Jodyri's Over The Rainbow thread which includes the same colours as the parrots and a Lucie Heaton booklet of Summer Stitching.

13. The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day of Warmth

Day of Warmth

From The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas booklet.

Stitched on 32 count Vintage Grain Linen

12. Southwest Designs - Kokopelli

Kokopelli

Native American fertility deity also associated with music (hence the pipe) and "an important conveyor of information and trinkets from afar, a Story Teller, par excellence".

Chart from Southwest Designs by Jenny Rasmussen.

I stitched him on 32 count evenweave over 1 using a Jodyri Variegated thread called Peacock Feathers.

There are jellybabies wrapped in the bag.

The backing fabric is a velvet furnishing fabric sample.

11. The Snowflower Diaries Spring Witch

March Choice for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog

I chose the Spring Witch by The Snowflower Diaries

I stitched her on a piece of random 28 count linen I had using the recommended DMC.  

The only change I made was to give the witch green eyes and I used satin stitch for the broom.  I just love the effect I got using that stitch.  

There are three more seasonal witches and I will definitely stitch them all.
  

Here is the full picture mounted:

10. Brooke's Books Vampire

I saw this design in the Just Cross Stitch Hallowe'en Special 2013 and I knew I wanted to stitch her as soon as I saw her.  So when I was planning the themes for Hallowe'en SAL blog I thought "if I choose Vampires I can stitch that 1920s Vampire Lady".  Perfect.

Then, along comes February, I dig out the magazine and realise that Brooke Nolan had designed her as a Bat Witch!  I decided to leave off the witchy accessories (broom, hat and bat) and add some little fangs so she looks like the Vampire I envisioned.

I stitched her on 32 count lilac evenweave using the recommended DMC and Mill Hill beads.  I subbed the Kreinik for DMC Metallic because they are a fraction of the price and go much further being a stranded thread.

09. Just Nan Band Sampler Round Robin

Bands taken from Just Nan NeedleStory

Stitched for Measi's Bold Band Sampler

I used the colours she provided plus some additional lilacs and beads.



The whole piece so far:

08. Somebunny to Love Bathtime Bunny

Cover Gift with WOCS magazine issue 213

Stitched on 14 count aida

Given to my friend as a Birth Card for her fourth child.

07. The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day of Gifts

Day of Gifts

From The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas booklet.

Stitched on 32 count Vintage Grain Linen

06. Scarlet Letter - Elizabeth Burrows

Scarlet Letter - Elizabeth Burrows 1725

Stitched on 35 count SL linen

Using Olde Willow and DMC

This sampler was stitched as part of the Scarlet Letter Year challenge to celebrate Nicola Parkman's 50th Birthday in 2013

05. Nicola's Birthday card

A freebie from this French website Broderie.  

Stitched over 1 on 32 count evenweave.

04. The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day of Ice and Snow

Day of Ice and Snow

From The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas booklet.

Stitched on 32 count Vintage Grain Linen

03. Just Nan M is for Mouse

Just Nan - M is for Mouse

Stitched on 28 count Tan Jobelan using DMC and the supplied mouse charm.

Made into a little bag for Mouse's Birthday

02. Just Nan's Batty Jack

Just Nan Batty Jack from Just Cross Stitch magazine Sep/Oct 2008

Stitched on 28 count lilac Belfast linen using DMC.

Added spider charm and made into a little bag as part of the Hallowe'en Blog Hop prize.

Backing fabric shown below:

01. Just Nan Lady Scarlet's Christmas

Stitched on 28 count platinum linen using the recommended threads except for the blue stockings and the reds in the lettering, the berries and the ladybirds.  

I also stitched the mice and the ladybirds over 1.  And I made the Gingerbread Men smile.