Fancy Hearts

Since February is heart month, I decided to round up all the hearts I could find so here goes . . . first up - FANCY HEARTS . . .

Antique Sampler Heart

Pulled Work Heart

Hardanger Heart

Blackwork Heart

Put them all together . . .

and you get Winter Hearts from Shepherd's Bush. Each heart was a joy (and a challenge) to make and could stand alone as a small ornament. Change the colors to suite the seasons, holidays, or just your favorite colors. There’s a little bit of everything here: cross stitch, specialty stitches, pulled work, hardanger, needleweaving.

Surprise!

Calorie-free cholocates!

I had so much fun stitching this - metallics, and beads, and specialty stitches, oh my! Each candy was its own little project stitched one after the other until there was a whole box full of little treats!

Yummy!!! These look good enough to eat – I think I’ll have that one! Which one would you pick?

The chart for this is in the February 1995 Cross Stitch & Country Craft Magazine. I have no idea if it is still available & I can’t remember when I stitched it but I do remember it was one of the ‘funnest” projects I have ever done. I smile every time I open the box.

Here's a Peek

Any ideas?

Heart Box

Now for some fun stuff . What could possibly be in this Valentine box?????

Sewing Heart

A Mon Ami Pierre freebie available on their site. They show it on a heart-shaped thread keeper but it works this way, too. I can imagine this stitching lady on a heart-shaped box, as an ornament, a tuffet – all sorts of ideas. I added a large shell circle (found in the beading section at the craft store) to use as a thread ring. The twisted cording was an after-thought and makes the scissor keeper look more finished. I can even hang it because of the loop.

I was originally going to fold the finished heart in half and snap it shut. The snap would do double duty - to close the scissor keeper and to hold the scissors in place. Instead I added the pocket and used a bead-shell flower-bead contraption to keep the scissors in place.

Tiny Biscornu

I've stitched biscornus before but never one so tiny as this. It's so tiny it can be used as a scissor fob. The graph is a freebie and can be found here at Aurelles site. It's called Mini Biscornu 2.

Another recent finish

Here’s another recent finish - With My Needle by The Goode Huswife. 40 ct Muffin linen and DMC cotton floss were used. I really like the rustic, old, dirty - a better word - antique look of the fabric.

First Project of 2009

On a more cheerful note . . .

This was a special request. Are you familiar with the “Desiderata”? It begins “Go placidly . . .” and ends with “Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.” I believe it was written sometime in the 1920s. I found a couple of cross stitch graphs but chose to stitch this one designed by Lauren Fraser Turner of Lifetime Samplers in Great Britain. I especially liked her borders which reminded me of the illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages which sparkle with glistening golds & silvers.

Last Project of 2008

I thought this project (Houses of Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings) would never end. It seems like I stitched on it forever and ever and ever. Actually it took 4 months of intermittent stitching. I cringe when I think of the hours that went into this – but it is truly impressive! I used the recommended fabric & DMC cotton floss.