Cross stitch Birthday Card

Today is my partners 30th Birthday! I had seen this cross stitch chair pattern in the magazine Sew Hip, and thought it could make a great card for him. The cross stitch was quite simple to do, with clear instructions and it only required 3 colours (although it did require me to cross stitch in secret!). I then brought some blue stiff paper, cut a hole and voila... the card is finished!

Snow!

Snow, snow, snow! Winter has certainly arrived here in Glasgow. I have been out taking pictures, not of snowmen or cars covered in snow - but of bird footprints in the snow! I have only received one strange look, so far, from doing this. I think these patterns of footprints are lovely, and have put them on my 'to do' list to create something with them in mind. Though we should certainly spare a thought for the hungry birdies out there :(

Inauguration french knots

When generations to come ask where were you during President Obama's inauguration... I can say I was watching it on the TV whilst doing hundreds of pastel coloured french knots! Here the idea is to let the colours slowly blend into each other. In hindsight a stars & stripes piece may have been more appropriate!

French Knot island

Hello, back to my old favourite - the french knot. There is something very pleasing about this little stitch. Though I admit when I was first introduced to its ways I struggled (kept pulling the stitch back through, such that it disappeared - drat!). Anyways, I digress, now me & the french knot are good friends! Here I have used french knots in various threads (sewing thread, embroidery floss, wools and cut up ribbon) in similar colours close together to create a piece. For a piece of material with so many needle holes through, it is surprisingly sturdy. I think it looks like a little island, with woolen french knot mountains in the distance... but that might just be me :)

Couching

Here is an extension of the coloured stitches work... using couching. Here I used embroidery floss, sewing thread, wool and roving. I particularly like the blue 'mess' in the top right, here layers of blue sewing thread have been couched using red thread. I think it creates an atomic cloud type effect! The red roving looks great couched, so wispy and delicate. Please excuse my camera phone pictures / poor photography skills!

Coloured Stitches

Hello, here is an exercise that I did using primary colours against a black background. The aim was that by using relatively straight forward stitches to explore the dynamics of the colours against one another. I used embroidery floss and some felt squares for background. The stitches used are running stitch, chain stitch, detached chain stitch, cross stitch, seed stitch, satin stitch and whipped running stitch.

Finished socks- hurrah!

At last my lovely socks are finished! I am very proud! There are a couple of mistakes in the first sock I made but... shhhh! no one will notice :)