the day after Friday

I changed my Friday night stitching this week from `Church Doll Sampler` to a gift I`m making for a friend. So no picture yet. Instead I`ll show some of my framed work.

I was part of a challenge at a group that I used to belong to.We were given some patterns which we were to use parts of to design our own piece. The piece was to be stitched in the cross stitch family of stitches. I used  Sampler threads `Cherry Bark` for my thread and looked in Donna Kooler`s `encyclopedia of needlework` for my inspiration to stitch the different stitches making my village scene. The church front has `closed herringbone` stiched vertical. One of the house walls is `long upright cross`and another `rice stitch`,a few examples.Then back stitched the letters and numbers for a border. Then at our exhibition we had them hung up for viewers choice. Mine wasn`t the winner.

In 2004 I was blessed with a trip to visit my penfriend in USA. We had been writing to each other since we were 8 years old by snail mail. She had visited me in my home but this was a first for me. We went to 25 States while I was there. I brought this patten in Charleston after a buggy ride round the streets and had seen these houses. The first three were stitched during my visit with her. When I came home I finished and framed it myself. I`ve lovely memories to remember and hope to visit her again in the next few years.

One of my finished `Drawn Thread` framed stitcheries. A friend painted an buffed up the frame for me. It looks so lovely hanging on the wall.

For a speacial Birthday two of my friends got together to make ourselves this ` Stitchery basket and accessories` #123 Bareroots pattern by Barri Sue Gaudet. It makes a lovely display when not in use. I have an on going project which we use to stitch when we got together but recently due to one working and family things this hasn`t happened for quite sometime. To complete this I may need to carry on as could become another UFO.

A closeup of my scissors case. I use DMC silver thread for the blades and a black colonial knot in the centre.Of course to match the set the handles are pink.

This has pockets inside for my threads. I used  six strands of DMC floss and with one strand  I couched the thread down as I place the thread like floss tucking under small pieces of ribbon to make the bands. It makes it look so real.

Well time for me to go.

Happy Stitching and please feel welcome to visit another time.

Clare.