Two finishes for christmas

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my previous post.  I am here today with two of my finishes for christmas.  First one is a small cross stitch wreath.  It is a free pattern from here.  It is a simple pattern with only 5 colors. you can finish it within a day or two.  

I will be finishing off into a small pillow or I will mount it in a cardboard.  I trying to make a twisted cord. If I succeed I will be mounting it in the cardboard otherwise a mini pillow.  One more idea came into my mind when I was photographing it.  I kept the cross stitched piece on a red cushion and was taking photo.  The red color border also add beauty to the piece. 

 So an idea of making borders in red color and then quilting it also there.  What's your idea? Mini pillow, mounting on cardboard or quilted square?  Suggestions are welcome.

I have crocheted a small mandala or coaster in christmas colors.  It is a free pattern from here.  I have completed this within half an hour.  It is hanging in my wall near my craft table.

So, how is your christmas craft making going on.  I have completed one more doily.  I am determined to show it only after the finishing touch is over.  Otherwise it will be in the WIP list only.  I have completed all the squares for sofa seat cover.  Will come up with the second set of squares in my next post.  Now joining part is going on.  I am also working on some embroidery bands on kasuti and needlepoint.  Will show u one by one.  

I have almost forgot pinterest this year. This week when I was going thru the blog posts one of the post took me to a pinterest board.  From that time I was addictive to it. Lots and lots of patterns. saving it.  Everytime when I shut down my laptop I will say I will not visit pinterest again.  But again when I open the laptop I will be again opening it and browsing thru the patterns and time flies only browsing thru the pinterest boards.  So I was not that much productive for the past two days.  How about you? Are you get addicted to something without knowing that time is running?    Do share it.

Another Kasuti Finish

Hello dear friends

Thanks for your lovely comments in my previous post on two color granny squares.  I thought of finishing those crochet blocks into a cushions but when I add one more round with granny squares the width if the block exceeds the width of the cushion.  Wrong calculation on my part.  Now I don't want to unravel the joined squares and so I am going to finish it into a runner for my old computer table which is also my ironing table now.  So that work is in progress. 

Yesterday the sun was shining brightly and I managed to take some photographs of the kasuti kurti which I have finished two weeks back.  This one again is done on silk cotton fabric with three strands of anchor embroidery thread.

Lower border for the front.

Border for sleeves.  I reduced the height of the pattern for the sleeves.  Otherwise it is same as the front border.

I have completed all my custom orders.  And now I am doing some crochet sofa cover to be finished before christmas.   Also I am practicing long and short stitch, and doing small embroidery designs now and then.  Will be back with a small cross stitch finish in my next post.  Till then, Happy embroidering.

Two colour granny squares

Hi friends,

In this post I wanted to show you my embroidery finish.  But, since it is cloudy here I was not able to take clear photos of it.  So I am showcasing a crochet WIP.

All crocheters are familiar with granny squares in different forms.  Traditional granny, flower in a granny, granny stripes, ripple granny.  I have also done some projects with these grannies.  During october I watched a youtube video from crochet crowd of making two color and four color granny squares.  I immediately tried it and got hooked on making those grannies and after a month this is what I have come up with. 

This again is inspired by quilt blocks.  I have selected star patterns coz these are going to get displayed during the month of December.  

Traditional Eight point star block

For this block I made 4 granny squares in white and 4 white and red squares, 4 orange and white squares, 4 red and orange squares. Each square is made up of 4 rounds.

Saw tooth star block

For this I made 4 white color square, 8 red and white squares, 4 orange color squares of 4 rounds.

I have decided to finish these squares into cushion cover.  To make the cushion cover one more row on all sides.  So totally 40 more white color granny squares has to be done for both the cushions.  For the back I am going to attach a fabric.  For the time being this is the only project in focus and each day 100 stitches on mega cross stitch project are also done.  

When I get bored of doing the same craft I switch over to another craft and this is what I have done last week.  Quilled wall hanging.   It's easy and I have to frame it. For the next years sale in the church I thought of doing one or two quilled wall hangings.  

Since I am not doing any big embroidery projects I am learning Long and short embroidery stitch now and then.  Now I am following the lessons of Mary Corbett of Needlenthread.  I have also purchased One of the Trish Burr books.  So in 2017 I will take up a project with long and short stitch which is a dream for me.

Hope all of u r busy with your crafts.  I will be back with my embroidery finish if the weather allows me take good snaps.  Till then, Happy crocheting and have a nice day.

Needlepoint block inspired by a quilt block

Hello readers

Thanks for your lovely comments on my previous blog post.  I always envy the quilt patterns.  I always wanted to make a quilt.  But in my place we don't need a quilt as we have mild winter here.  A cotton bed spread is enough to wrap us during that season that too only in the night.  But I was always attracted towards the half square triangle quilt block.  I was searching for a star pattern with half square blocks(for another project in crochet) I came across a block with so many quilt blocks with just half square triangles, that too in black and white.  I always go for solid color cotton cloths while shopping and those blocks attracted me.

I am in a plan of making a tote bag with a touch of embroidery in it and then a spark came into my mind, why not I try this block in needlepoint stitches.  And This is what I came up with.  I used single thread canvas and embroidery threads(all 6 strands).  I really liked the outcome.  Now I am making a band with different half square pattern blocks for the bag.

The center square with orange and red colors has been done with the help of that quilt block.  I have added borders with yellow and green.

Do you want to see those blocks.  See here.  Totally 72 different blocks are there and a finished quilt. 

On my crochet hook now

I have completed all  my embroidery kurti orders.  So now I can concentrate on my mega cross stitch project.  And some projects for christmas is also half done.  Will be back with an embroidery finish.  Bye.