Fall Harvest

New version of an old design I did back in 2001.

Hummingbird Biscornu & Needle Case

Here are the biscornu and needle case charts to complete the Hummingbird Set.

"Guiltless" Dragonfly Biscornu and Needlecase

I thought I would round out the "Guiltless" Dragonfly set with a biscornu and needlecase. I guess I need to do the same for the Hummingbird set!

I am always amazed at how much difference a few stitches can make. I changed the corners slightly for these charts but if you already stitched the fob and want the outline corners to match it, here is the corner variation.

Guiltless Dragonfly Photos from Brenda K

Brenda K from England has kindly shared photos of her finished scissors case and fob set! I just love how it turned out and am so pleased that she sent the photos - it is really nice to see the finished projects. Please visit her Cyberstitchers' Gallery for more of her beautiful finishes - and there are many to see! She is amazing! Thank you, so much, Brenda, for stitching the set and sharing your photos!

Guiltless Dragonfly Scissors Pocket & Fob

I'm not crazy about expensive "limited edition" kits and designs. I don't like the pressure it brings on the buyer to hurry up and get something "right now" when it may cause a financial hardship on them or a big disappointment if they decide they really can't afford to splurge. This is not the same as "shop exclusives" which may only be available from one source but are available for a long time, giving plenty of opportunity to obtain it. There are some gorgeous designs that have appeared as limited edition kits that I would like to have had but just couldn't afford when they were available so I just missed out. Recently, Just Nan came out with the limited edition "Gilded Dragonfly" kit which was limited to 1000 kits. Wow, think how many stitchers there are that would have loved to have had that beautiful kit, but only 1000....? So I asked myself, "What is it about this design that I really like? Is it the flowers? No, not really. Is it the specialty stitches? No, not really. Is it the dragonfly? Hmm, yes, I really like the beautiful dragonfly charm (which I was able to find online here). But what is it I like the most about it? THE COLORS!!! I love the colors and the fact that it is a scissor case and fob set!!! So I decided to design my own set using the features I liked the most - similar colors and a scissors case finish with a dragonfly of some kind. It had to be an original design - I wanted to be sure it would be completely different than Nan's design so there would be no question of copyright infringement. I hope I have achieved that. The first step was to design a suitable dragonfly - I originally called the design the "Poor Stitcher's Dragonfly Scissor Pocket" because it was designed to be stitched with DMC instead of silks and had a stitched dragonfly instead of an embellishment one. I decided on the new name because a stitcher wouldn't need to feel guilty about the cost of stitching this one! I know you will recognize the chart as being the same as the Hummingbird Scissors Pocket and Fob. That's because although I designed the Dragonfly Pocket first, I actually like hummingbirds better so I adapted the design and decided to stitch it that way instead. "Guiltless" Dragonfly comes in two color schemes - a light and a darker one - depending on the fabric you choose to use. The opalescent fabric I like to use needs the darker color scheme to show up on it but I love the lighter color one which was actually the original design choice. A gold dragonfly or a silver one, metallic blue or metallic green, with French knots or with beads - lots of opportunity here to customize the design and make each one unique. I'm including some more fob variations that will match both the Dragonfly and the Hummingbird set. Happy stitching!!

Click on images for larger views

Hummingbird Triangle Scissors Case

This is another version of the Hummingbird Scissors Case. This one is designed for the folded, lined square assembly method that results in a triangular case. Linda of Litla Skvís has a great tutorial for this finishing technique on her blog. The dotted lines are not stitched - they just indicate where the flap will lay when closed although it won't be exact. The dashed lines are also not stitched - they are to show the approximate fold lines. The design features a second hummingbird stitched 1 over 1. Don't want to stitch over one? Replace with a charm or button (hummingbird, butterfly, dragonfly, etc.) or leave it off entirely. Have fun with the design - use beads for the flowers and eyes, change the colors, etc., etc. I used the same alphabet to personalize this version as I did for the first.

Here is a close-up detail of the 1 over 1 part of the chart:

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek at what I've been working on. Charts and more pictures tomorrow.

Garden Chart

Today's chart is an old one out of the archives on my computer. It is one of my early, early charts that I wasn't quite satisfied with but set aside to refine someday when I had time. Hmmm....it's still waiting. I'm posting it anyway, maybe that will push me to play around with it and make some adjustments. Any suggestions would be welcome. It is typical of me though - no fractional stitches, no backstitching and only one French knot (which I would probably replace with a bead). I think it lends itself well to customizing with buttons and charms and whatnot. I can't wait to see what you do with it!

Scarecrow Stand-Up

©2007 xstitchhappy.blogspot.com

I had fun with this chart - using a variety of fibers and stitched on linen burlap over two. I used turkey work for the "straw" hair, hands and feet and the little tufts of "straw' sticking out through his clothing. One of these days he'll be a "real" stand-up guy!

Three Flowers Chart

Wow! Where does the time go?!? I can't believe it's already the 4th of April! I've been working on some new charts and I didn't realize how many days have passed since I posted last. So, here is a new little spring/summer design. Use whatever colors you like, I think I'll only post color keys if it's really important to the design.

©2007 Click image for larger view.