Settling back into the routine. I put away the Christmas decorations on Wednesday (I leave everything up until Twelfth Night). And I realized that I have almost NO 'not Christmas but still winter' decor!
And there's basically nothing in the stash either. I need to eventually add some cute pillows and stand ups in both patriotic and winter themes just so the mantle doesn't look so sparse in those seasons!
On the stitching front, I got to the ten-hour point on the "Garden Santa" Perforated Paper ornament. It's going to have to continue into the second round of the rotation since there's still almost 300 stitches to do (including some that are replaced with beads) in the bouquet, plus backstitch in the butterfly wings/antennae, the "loopy" beard and all the finishing. But I like the way it is turning out; this one is not as complicated as some in the series.
The Musselburgh Hat is also progressing. I'm at about 7 inches / 17.75 cm out of 21.5 inches / 54.6 cm, so about a third of the way to the second crown. The yarn is 'flashing' just a bit (where the colors stack up) but the shades are all so close it's not obnoxious.
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| Red marker is in the last increase round of the first crown. |
And I've started to get back to work on the "80s" quilt backing. I now have a plan for the 3 inch finished 9 patches; today's Slow Stitching will be making more of the mini-blocks and getting the 16 patch of 9 patches put together. I'm probably going to be making more string and crumb blocks, too.
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| over on the left - the first quadrant's background/border |
Linking up with the rest of the SSS crew - weekly inspiration and accountability!
I’ve never done cross stitch on perforated paper before but received a kit for Christmas. Any hints for success? I love seeing your Santa’s . That’s an interesting crown on the hat too. Gail at the cozy quilter
ReplyDeleteThe main thing with perforated paper (or the new PVC perforated base) is that it doesn't have the 'give' of fabric, so having a consistent stitch tension is key. Don't pull your stitches too tight, you can damage the paper. That difference in the feel of the ground will be noticeable at first, but I find it only takes a few stitches to get used to it.
DeleteLikewise, if your kit is a Mill Hill, it will probably call for three strands for the cross stitches. Since the thread can't 'snuggle into' the ground like with fabric, so you do need the extra strand for coverage. (The standard paper is 14 count, so it's exactly like working on Aida 14 except that the "holes" are larger!)
Good luck with your kit!
I love all that you are working on. The yarn for that hat is pretty.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing about your paper ornament. I purchased one and now I’m hesitant to work on it. Might you have any tips to share? That’s a young girl. I used to cross stitch quite a bit, but now dipping my toe in and feel like a total beginner.
ReplyDeleteYour knitted hat is beautiful! I so love the drape of knitted projects.
Thank you for showing how you plan out your quilts! I do love learning from other stitchers. What an interesting post!