Recently Completed Projects

There are a few projects that I just recently completed to get a jump on my dad's birthday and Mother's Day.  I didn't want to fall behind and not complete a project or have to rush and pull an all-nighter if my class load becomes heavy when I start grad school.  I also had time do stitch a quick little something to put on a friend's birthday card.  

• An Elephant Never Forgets

I stitched this cute little guy before my friend's birthday this past week.  The inside of the card read "We hope you have an unforgettable birthday".  The card was quite cute and only took about an hour and a half from sketching and stitching to completion. The design is from Better Homes and Gardens: 2001 Cross Stitch Designs.

• Happy Birthday Dad

My dad loves bears.  He used to have a great collection of Steiff bears when I was a little kid.  I decided to use this cute little bear to reflect that childhood memory.  I chose the lettering style because it had similar colors to the bear.  (You could change the colors in the lettering, but I am all for simple!)  Both designs came from Better Homes and Gardens: 2001 Cross Stitch Designs.  The book is great for picking a few little designs and using them together to create a larger custom design (like with my Mother's Day present below).

• Farm Fresh

My mom has a country themed kitchen.  On her tablecloth, there is a motif including the words"farm fresh" among chickens and eggs and wheat.  I decided to pull together these different designs and extend the farm fresh theme.  The design will be framed to hang on a wall in my mom's kitchen.  All designs came from Better Homes and Gardens: 2001 Cross Stitch Designs, just like the bear design above.  I also tried out a new stitch: the Lazy Daisy. 

It wasn't too complicated, and I think the wheat looks nice.  I do need a little more practice with the Lazy Daisy though, to make the loops more distinct. 

• Puss in Boots

Before my birthday, we moved across the city.  My cross stitching supplies were among the first to be packed.  By the time we moved and unpacked, I was itching to get stitching (hahaha) again.  I had one piece of scrap Aida left from the four flowers (see my last post), and it was the correct size for this design.  I loved the whimsy of the Puss in Boots theme (The World of Cross Stitching magazine, issue 159).  Later, I may try the Mother Goose theme listed in the magazine as well.  The eyes and buttons are black beads.  I found that I prefer using beads to french knots, just because they add a little pop and dimension to the design. 

Currently, I am working on a design for a friend's baby.  I still have a few more unfinished projects to sew as well.  I just need to stop procrastinating and finish those!  One is for Jeff's friend's baby (and he was born in January).  The other is finishing up my mom's Christmas present (and it's already March)!