Pysanky Cross Stitch

I cross stitched this pysanky - Polish or Ukrainian Easter egg - for M's Bapchi last Easter.  However, I accidentally erased all my pictures before backing them up or blogging about them. This Easter we visited with Bapchi and I was able to take a new picture.

For decades M's Bapchi cross stitched Ukrainian items, including doilies, table runners, pillows, even veils for brides.  Our house is decorated with all her beautiful Ukrainian cross stitch doilies and pillows.  When M's parents visited us for the first time, they took pictures of all her handiwork to show Bapchi that we really are using her gifts. 

Now she no longer sits and stitches - a craft that both her and I find very meditative - because she has difficulty seeing the small stitches and cloth.  Last year when we visited Bapchi,  she graciously gave me a bagful of her threads and cloths.   As a small token of my appreciation, I stitched this Easter pysanky for her.  This 3" egg took me almost 30 hours, so I now have a better appreciation for all her embroidery. 

The pysanky pattern was from the Cross-Stitch Plus, March 1992.  An oldie, but goodie my Mom let me borrow. 

Favorite Projects of 2012

In the background I can hear Julie Andrews singing: "My Favorite Things" with my new verse:

Cross stitching projects and felt ornaments

Quilting with elephants, caterpillars, and color  

Note cards and sewing and felt nesting dolls 

These are twelve of my favorite things

Below are my twelve favorite projects of 2012.

Heart Felt Ornament 

Felt Monster 

Folk Art Heart Cross Stitch

Hummingbird Cross Stitch

Felt Matryoshka Doll

Nine Little Elephants Quilt

Elephant Note Card 

 All You Need is LOVE Quilt

Very Hungry Caterpillar Quilt in Blue

Very Hungry Caterpillar Quilt

Yellow Block-of-the-Month Quilt

Lavender Sachet

Noel Cross Stitch

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel.... 

This NOEL tea towel for my Mom was inexpensive and quick to stitch - I completed it in one night.  While I was Christmas shopping I saw a cross stitched NOEL ornament  (around $20) in a little French boutique and knew I could replicate it on a tea towel for much less. A package of three blank towels was around $8 at Joann's.  Even with the cost of the water soluble canvas, which I used to stitch the red DMC thread onto the towel, the price was still no way near $20. 

I found the letters here.

Folk Art Heart Cross stitch

I borrowed a bunch of my Mom's old cross stitch magazines and have been stitching away.  Here's my latest creation. This folk art heart is from the April/May 1990 edition of Cross Stitch Quick and Easy.

Mushroom Cross Stitch for Memory Jar

As I was putting away Friday night's concert tickets in my movie and concert memory jar, I realized that I never shared this project.  I originally saw both ideas (the memory jar and mushroom cross stitch pattern) on Pinterest and decided to combine the two.

Putting concert, movie, and sporting event tickets in a mason jar is an easy and creative way to keep your ticket stubs together.  You could keep the lid as is, but I thought I would go that extra step and cross stitch something small - like a mushroom - for the top.  The free pattern is here.  I added some batting to make the lid puffy. 

Hummingbird Cross Stitch Lavender Sachet

Within an afternoon, I completed this hummingbird cross stitch sachet for my photographer friend's birthday present.  She's been interested in capturing these fast-winged creatures on film, plus she enjoys lavender.  I thought it would be fitting to incorporate the two into her gift.

I found the free pattern here. Looks like it's for pin cushion, so I omitted the "needles" and transformed it into a sachet filled with lavender. I finished the back with a red and white polka dot fabric, which really brings out the red in the flowers. 

Baby Bibs

 Look at these cute baby bibs! 

 

I purchased the cross-stitching bibs from Jo-Ann Fabrics, but added scrap fabric to them instead.   

 

Elephants, hippos, monkeys, strawberries...oh my!

Palm Tree Cross Stitch

It's the year of the handmade gifts by yours truly.  In one of Baci's recent letters she mentioned that she couldn't find any "nice" towels - thick, good-quality, durable - like they made in her day.  This was the perfect opportunity to practice my cross stitch and make her a "nice" tea towel.   I found a palm tree cross stitch pattern from my Mom's collection - circa 1988 - Leisure Arts: Funwear Waste Canvas for Kids by Terrie Lee Steinmeyer. This leaflet has patterns to embellish children's clothing, but the designs can be used for other things and people...like tea towels for grandmothers.  Ms. Steinmeyer's pattern only shows the tree, but I added the sand because Baci loves to walk the beaches in Maine. 

Give the Gift of Lavender

Looking for a handmade gift for your mom, friends, or a bride-to-be?  This weekend I was invited to two showers and a wedding, but was only able to attend one shower and wedding.  Both my friends LOVE lavender - it's relaxing and calming - so I included a handcrafted sachet filled with beautiful, dried lavender to each gift.

I found a free cross stitch lavender patten that used only four floss colors (two purples, a pink, and green) and sewed it to a piece of purple Batik fabric.  I left a small opening and added the dried lavender; then I hand stitched the sachet closed.  The finished scented bag measured about 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" and took a few hours from start to finish.   

With the gift, I also included culinary French lavender packets and attached the recipes for lavender tea and lavender lemonade on note cards. Such a simple, but thoughtful gift that you can make too!