A Feast of Finishes

Dear friends and fellow bloggers,

I seriously need to catch up with a few finishes, both FFOs and stitching finishes. So you had better grab a cuppa of choice and we will get going.

First today is a FFO that I had stitched back in June. This is Bloom Where You're Planted by Brenda Gervais. Oh it's a beautiful design. I knew how I wanted to finish it, it was just the fact I didn't know where I was going to buy the chenille trim from. I had bought some in the past from the USA and got stung for the customs, so I really wanted some from Europe. I had tried someone but after initially getting back to me saying she would have a look and reply again, I never heard anything. So I had bought from Casa Cenina before and I was looking for a Drawn Thread chart (one of the ONS shops I use doesn't have) so I had a look and then wondered if they did trims. Well of course they do most things. I ordered the chart and a couple of the chenille trims just to see what they were like. They were waiting for stock over various length of days, so I was waiting 21 days, but then they are so quick to despatch and it didn't take long to arrive. I chose a red and a tea-dyed colour. To say I was overjoyed was an understatement. This particular trim is by Dames of the Needle and is a bit thinner than the other USA ones which was Lady Dot. I was jumping for joy with the finish, it's great when things turn out like you imagine them.

Bloom Where You're Planted - With Thy Needle and Thread - Brenda Gervais.

40ct Flax Newcastle Linen.

Used recommended Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and Valdini threads.

 

 

-oOo-

 

Harvest Bird from Plum Street Samplers was an Autumn piece that I showed a few posts ago. I needed to get it complete before Autumn was over! Again trims caused me a few headaches but I finally settled on some ric-rac. I have used this sort of trimming before but I remember couching over it to sew it on. This time I just went through each bump to lay it flat to the piece. Turned out pretty neat.

 

 

Harvest Bird - Goodness & Plenty - A Trio of Stitched Blessings.

Plum Street Samplers.

36ct R&R Stars Hollow.

Used recommended Classic Colorworks or DMC threads.

 

-oOo-

 

On that previous post I did also allude to a Drawn Thread piece that I was working on. I now have a finish and I did change something. The leaves to the right of the robin on the sampler chart where just charted for one colour. That didn't seem to sit right with me as the majority of the other leaves were two colours. On the pocket chart it was charted for two colours so I followed that one for that section. As with most charts with initials I had to juggle things about. Designers ...please not everyone had 3 initials to their name ... put an alternative. I had to add another blue motif to the other side. AT least it works and doesn't look out of place. I hope you can tell that the sheep is stitched in GAST Simply Wool. It does give a lovely texture to the piece. I'm thinking of finishing as a bellpull so that people can see and feel the texture.

 

 

The Pastoral (Sampler) - The Drawn Thread.

32ct Permin/Wichelt Amber Linen.

Used recommended NPI and Dinky Dye Silks.

Sheep stitched in Gentle Arts Sampler Thread - Simply Wool - Oatmeal.

 

-oOo-

 

I'm not really a "I have to have that chart" sort of person. I might think I would really like to stitch that and get it as and when. If it's not available when I can get it then it wasn't meant to be. But, I had to have this chart. When I saw it one of my go to ONS it was out of stock on the 'new' list. So I presumed she was waiting for the new stock. I kept looking and looking and finally it was in stock. It is my first Rosewood Manor chart and some of her charts are beautiful but this one ... it's just stunning to me. I'm looking at next year as it uses overdyed threads so I need to stock up but it is charted for 30ct Parchment Weeks Dye Works linen. I'm not a fan so I'm mulling over various options, I would of course like to use a higher count fabric but that is as far as I have got. Plenty of time ..... I hope you are suitably enabled. LOL.

 

 

-oOo-

 

That's it from me today. Christmas RAKs have gone in the post this morning. Shouldn't be too long before I can reveal what I stitched.

 

Until next time .......