Three Cross Stitch FFOs and Wool Applique, Too!

 There is a great deal to be said for having to stay off your foot for a week. I accomplished quite a bit including finishing this pillow for my bee display. “A Bee C” is a design by Lindsey Weight of Primrose Cottage on Etsy.

I do not think that I posted photos of these pieces in previous posts. The first is “Bee Sweet”  by Annie Beez Folk Art on Etsy.

Below is “Citrus Summer” from the Fat Quarter Shop. The Fat Quarter Shop is an online quilting and cross stitch shop. Kimberly Jolly, the owner,  hosts a quilting program and on Wednesdays a cross stitch program on Youtube. If you enjoy quilting or cross stitching, be sure to check out the Fat Quarter Shop website. 

This past week also afforded me the time to work on a wool applique table runner from Shabby Fabrics. I had purchased the kit during the pandemic, but when I saw how many pieces (269)  I would have to trace, cut out, place, and stitch, I put it away for another time. Wool applique kits are expensive, so a month or so ago, I decided to get on with it. I traced, fused, and cut out all the pieces. To keep things straight, I put the pieces in forty-one separate baggies. Yes, the kit came with forty-one various shades of wool.

The runner will finish at about eighteen by thirty-eight inches. It took a few days this week to assemble this ‘jigsaw.’ I had fused various segments together and then began pinning them to the background. Truth to say, I had been muttering and sputtering about the whole thing and even considered tossing the project. I am, however, not one to give up easily and as it began to take shape, I was hooked! “Americana,” the wool applique kit, depicts a colorful village scene with a barn, a church, animals, etc. Because of its size this will not be a lap project. In fact, it’s a good thing that I have no formal banquets planned here at the castle for the next month or two as this piece will remain on my dining room table until it is completely stitched. 

Though I had purchased the accompanying 12wt Sulky thread pack, I plan to use No. 8 perle cotton on the larger pieces. If I am going to do all this stitching, I sure want it to show!!!

My plan is to spend a minimum of thirty minutes daily on this piece and will post a photo of each section as it is completed. Wish me luck!

Today the news came of the passing of two TV legends. Bob Barker, the host of “The Price is Right,” passed at the age of ninety-nine. Carol Duvall while perhaps not as famous as Bob Barker was the queen of crafting in the early days of HGTV. She was delightful and her shows were always filled with fun, creative craft ideas.  Carol Duvall was ninety-seven.

Have a creative, fun week.