I finished my May cross-stitch from the Joyful World series ages ago but never got round to making it up. Having stitched my poppies humbug together I decided to keep going in stitching up mode…and stitched up three smalls!
I’m aiming to complete the whole set of Joyful World SAL by Snowflake Diaries, I think they are cute without being too twee. May is definitely cute with a cat and her kitten. This month I just made it into a simple pillow, twisted some cord from two green DMC flosses and hand-stitched it round. I’ve not even started stitching June so that one is going to be running late I think! I hang them in the conservatory just for their month.
The next two smalls you won’t have seen at all, I think I stitched them in the 1980’s and they’ve been sitting ever since in my workbox waiting to be displayed!
The cream cat is stitched in very fine needlepoint, over one thread, I can barely see the stitches now, never mind make them! I think it was a Lanarte kit. It was the second one I did like this and I vowed never again! One reason it was never made up is that it’s shape distorted to a trapezium and refused to realign to a rectangle, as there is a clear outline it stood out a mile if I wanted to frame it. It often is more of a problem with needlepoint rather than cross-stitch as all the stitches (and therefore the tension) go the same way. The other needlepoint miniature framed up beautifully, it’s of two cute kittens. I had two cats at the time so I stitched a few cat embroideries.
Anyway, back to the cream cat. I decided to ignore the fact that the outline wasn’t straight, and just squared it up. I found a pretty quilting cotton which coordinated with it nicely, picking out the soft pink of the pillow the cat is sat on. I cut a strip 1.5″ wide and made a log-cabin border around the edge to frame it and make it a bit bigger. The actual embroidery is only about 2.25″ by 3″
I backed it in the same fabric and stuffed it. To finish it I found some ric-rac in my trimmings box, I think I bought this in Cool Crafting in Skipton, it’s a gentler zigzag than normal and has a sort of feather stitch down the middle. I stitched it over the seam with a soft pink bead on every zig-zag. I really like the effect.
The third one to get finished is also from the 1980’s (yes, it’s probably been in my box about 30 years, all stitched and no where to go!) I stitched a few of these and I seem to think it was from a leaflet, I made the snowdrop one up a couple of months ago…
…I’ve a crab-apple in a cheap frame, earmarked for turning into a mini pillow, and I’m pretty sure I’ve a holly one too amongst my Christmas stuff. This one is a clover,which brings back childhood memories of fields full of clovers, hunting the elusive four-leafed clover.
I decided to make the clover one along the same lines as the snowdrop one, so I stitched a couple of rows of herringbone in two shades of green and added some pretty pink beads. I found a sort of clover pink ric-rack in my trims box which nicely went over the seam. Three little mother of pearl buttons just seemed to finish it nicely.
I’ve now got a few seasonal smalls on display in our dining room, in time I want to make a display box to put them in, but the window sill will suffice for now!
thecraftycreek 
Very Nice – so pretty!
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Thank you 🙂
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I love the way you finish off your small, they always look so dainty. Your cats are just lovely, and how fantastic you’ve finished up something from a previous stitching life!
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Thanks Catherine, I’ve a few things been tucked away for years waiting for their moment!
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Better late than never, and they’re all really pretty, but my faves are the snowdrop and clover.
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I think the snowdrop and the poppies are my favourites…at the moment!
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have you treid wet streching the thing that’s out of shape? sometimes if it’s bad it can take two goes, can’t harm if it’s unuseable anyway?
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I have tried wet stretching with minimal success, I tend to go with the flow and find a way to use it somehow!
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These are all so lovely, Margaret! Your trims really add so much to each design – they all amaze me! Am so grateful you explain how you’ve pulled lovely bits & pieces from your magical storehouse to create each one.
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Thanks Del, now I’m starting to make these smalls I tend to look out for suitable trims and buy them when I see them.
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Ah! Makes perfect sense – thank you!
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They are so sweet…beautiful work
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Thank you, I’m pleased with them 🙂
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Don’t they look so pretty by the window.
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Thanks Cathy, I think so too 🙂
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lots of very pretty finishes!
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Thanks Claire, I’m quite enjoying the finishing off bit now, titivating 🙂
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You saved the cat needlepoint, the Rick rack trim is wonderful, especially with the beads, and I loved the snow drop pillow design, so adding a clover to the group is just perfect! You can have one for each season. 😍
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Thanks Kathy, you’re right, with a snow drop, clover, crab-apple and holly I will have one for each season 🙂
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Great pieces! I love the kittens, they’re adorable.
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Thanks Kate, I love the kittens too, they’re so small too!
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These are really lovely ways to finish off the cross stitches. So pretty!
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