Two weeks in and I’ve got my first finish of 2017! One of my Christmas presents from my in-laws this year was a beautiful embroidery kit from the Cross-Stitch Guild. I started it on Boxing Day when we were staying at their house and I’ve just finished it this week.
I love the colours of this sampler, they’re sort of rich but muted. I also like the way it’s not just cross-stitch, there are buttonhole bars and french knots in the main design and the border includes couching and double cross-stitch, as well as the outer border of a red running stitch woven with a soft gold embroidery thread. The last border made me smile as it did remind me of the binca mats I used to stitch as a child!
By New Years Day I had stitched the top half of the sampler, it looked like this;
It was only when I started to stitch the border I realised the two leaves furthest to the left were going to have to come out as they were in the way of the couched gold thread!
The design has an optional hardanger square in the middle, I chickened out and stitched my initials and the year instead. This was partly because I do like samplers to have the date on them somewhere but also because the instructions for the sampler were somewhat lacking so I didn’t fancy trying something I wasn’t confident with in the first place. I think a lot of people like cross-stitch because you are told exactly where to stitch, what colour, there’s even holes provided in the fabric! So long as you follow the pattern you will end up with a picture like the one on the front of the packet. The chart included all the cross-stitch and the border stitches, but not where to place the maroon buttonhole bars or the french knots in the trees, or indeed the colours for the french knots for either the trees or the little butterflies.
Having said that, I think it’s a gorgeous design and I wouldn’t hesitate buying another of their kits, I’ll just go in with my eyes open! It’s currently down at my picture framers being mounted and framed, ready to hang on a wall.
I’m linking up with Kathy’s Quilts as it’s Slow Stitching Sunday, a weekly celebration of all things hand-stitched. Why not have a look what everyone else has been creating this week.
I love the colours – well done!
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I love the colours, too!
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Stunning – and what a great start to 2017! The initials are a lovely touch!
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That’s lovely, I agree with you on the colours. 😊
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Sounds like an interesting company to work with – lots of personal decisions to really make a project your own. You’ve done a lovely job! Eager to see it framed. xx
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That sampler is so pretty. I think I would have chickened out also. I too like to have my initials and the date on all of my cross-stitch.
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Fantastic cross stitch, you’re right the colours are beautiful!
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Gorgeous! I love the deep wide frame in the first picture. It really sets it off.
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How fabulous to have a finish already!
Thanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!
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Brilliant finish. Your stitching is very even
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Well done! Such a quick finish too! I love your initials and Year that you have stitched in and complete it very well.
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Beautiful! I love cross stitch, especially samplers. You did a lovely job!
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I’d love to see you try the hardanger at some point but this looks wonderful, just the way it is!
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Thanks Kerry, I have done a hardanger sampler by the same designer, I posted about it at https://thecraftycreek.com/2015/03/08/drawn-thread-sampler-3/ Whilst I enjoyed making it, I can’t say it was something I rushed off to do again 🙂
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