Longstanding WiPs Completed

After many years I have finally finished these ornaments and have given them to my family members for Christmas. I want to stitch some of these again for me, especially the cat (though the cow is cute, too).

July Ornament

It's been a while, but here is an ornament for July.

Mill Hill
Tiny Treasured Diamonds
Engraved Heart Kit, MHTD4

More description here.

Christmas Joy Finished

Started in March,
stitched in April,
finished in May.

Just Cross Stitch Ornaments 2006
Angel Stitchin
Christmas Joy

Substitutions
documented here.

March Ornament #2

Winter's Eve
(with SHEEP!)
Country Cottage Needleworks
JCS 2006

Substitutions documented here.

March Ornament #1

Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments 2006
Lizzie*Kate
Happy Holidays

More information here.

Hillside Samplings Topiary IV

I started this ornament last July and finally finished it this weekend. For more pictures of its progress see this post on my blog.

April Ornament

OK, it took a while, but it is stitched.

Woodland Snowfall
Little House Needleworks
JCS 2004

Cafe au Lait Linen
DMC, Rainbow Gallery Designers Dream,
and Kreinik Blending Filament Threads

Details here and here.

May Ornament #2

Lizzie*Kate
Winter ABCs
Started May, 2007
Finished June, 2007

I'm glad I'm not the only one finishing up a May ornament in June. For more information about stitching this piece, click here.

May Ornament #1 Finished

Bent Creek's Little Christmas
28 count Silkweaver's Reflections Precious Metals
DMC and Weeks Dye Works threads.

See the full story here.

March Ornament FINISHED

Topiary Ornament III
Hillside Samplings

The missing threads arrived so I finished stitching this during the April ornament weekend, but it took until today to stuff it. It was all worth it. More information about the finishing techniques posted here on my blog.

Not Exactly an Ornament, but Christmas-y.

Although I did not finish an ornament last weekend, I have been working on this design, Random Thoughts of Winter by Erica Michaels for Project Spectrum. I did make some extensive changes in fabric and threads. Information about what I used can be found in my blog. It will be framed rather than made into the suggested pillow. Some of these motifs would probably make some cute ornaments.

When Ornaments Fail

Like Margie, I fell in love with Hillside Samplings Topiary Ornaments the minute I saw them. I bought II, III, and IV from a shop in Ohio last summer, but decided to stitch this one (III) because oddly enough our Christmas tree last year was white with purple balls. I think I am going to keep the purple theme through out this year's ornaments.

I really loved stitching the border. Repetitive, but with the lovely variegated thread, each stitch was slightly different. I even loved the challenge of the over one 32 count linen of the date. What I did not like was finding out as I was stitching the greenery was that there was not nearly enough variegated green thread to finish. There was supposed to be a 36" length of six strand cotton done with two threads over two. What I got was 18"! It took me the entire 18" to finish the 9 rows I did finish and there are 19 rows in all. I don't think even 36" would have covered it! Thread is cheap. We all have thread left over from kits. Why would anyone try to short you on such a small item?

Luckily there is a website with an email address. I wrote a note expressing my disappointment last night and received an answer this morning. Yes, some of the kits were wrong and were distributed before they could be adjusted. They will be glad to send me any missing threads. If any of you have any of these kits, please check them carefully before you start.

I'm sorry that I will not be able to finish an ornament this month, but was glad to get such prompt customer service.