I've started a little cross stitch project featuring cross stitched quilt blocks.  Little Miss Shabby is hosting this stitch a-long and although I'm weeks behind, that's OK.  Click on the link and go to the Quilty Stitches area.  You can still access all of the instructions and the block patterns that have been posted so far.  There will be 16 cross stitched quilt blocks surrounded by a cross stitched "sashing." 

 

 

 

Here's what I have so far.  (Hmmm... not much)  I'm starting out by stitching the sashing lines first, then I'll fill in with the quilt blocks.

 

 

Here's one drawer of my floss.  I have all of the DMC floss colors which allows me to just buy charts and patterns instead of buying kits that include the floss.  There was a time when cross stitching was my favorite hobby and if you knew me, you were destined to get a cross stitch gift on birthdays and holidays.  Quilting has taken over as my favorite past time but I still enjoy an occasional cross stitch project.

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for a nice, carry along project that is pretty simple, cute, and fun, check out the link above and join in!

 

Here's the completed cross stitch project that I posted about a few months ago. In that post, I took a picture of the sorted floss and was concerned about getting the project finished. Well....this is not the result of those particular threads. After considering the time deadline and the amount of work involved, I changed gears and started an entirely different project.

This pillow was for my dear friend Kathy's birthday and I wanted it to have a special meaning for her. I started with a kit, but didn't follow it beyond the green outline pattern and the corner quilt patterns.....the rest evolved as I stitched. I didn't even know what size or shape it would end up being. I think I have over 40 hours of stitching in this, even after I thankfully switched to a simpler pattern. It just takes time, even if you are doing the same stitch and same color, over and over.





I added this scripture to the middle square, as it is one of Kathy's favorites.




Overall, I was pleased with the end result. I decided to make the cross stitch into a pillow, and then added piping to make it stand out more. The back is zippered so that the pillow could be replaced if it was ever necessary or the cross stitch repaired if the threads got snagged.



And here is a warning that I doubt many people really have any problem obeying.....Kathy got me a little box of DeBrand Chocolates that are made locally. They are wonderful and I never have any problem eating them while they are fresh. I wish I had enough willpower to leave them alone to spoil!

What appears to be a tangled mess of floss is actually all sorted and ready to go.....at least that's my hope. I was able to distinguish between the different colors without any problem, but when it came to what name and symbol went with what color, it was any one's guess.

Who are they kidding??!! Here's a short list of some of the colors......Pale Brown, Light Brown, Brown, Dark Brown, Light Rust, Rust, Dark Rust, Darkest Rust, Pale Beige, Light Beige.....
Yikes! And just within the brown family. The greens and yellows were just as confusing. Well, I did the best that I could and with any luck, the project will look like the picture on the package!




Hopefully, this will be a finished project and these threads will all go together to make a nice picture and a great gift. To be continued.........

It turns out that my Cousin Lisa is pretty sneaky. While shopping a few months ago, we both picked up some cute cross stitch kits. Before checking out, I put a few kits back because I was trying to stick to a tight budget. Well, Lisa picked up these kits, completed them, and gave them back to me for Christmas presents. Aren't they just great!? I have a couple more small cherries kits that I think will compliment these two. I'm not sure if they are the same scale, but if not, these two pictures by themselves will make cute focal points on a small wall hanging. Thanks, Lisa, for finishing these kits so that they are ready to go directly into a project!