Two Sparkly Ornaments

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Date02 Oct 2019
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Comments6

I did it! Here are my two very sparkly ornaments I showed you partially done last week!

First is Madonna and Child from Just Cross Stitch Ornaments 2010. The designer is Brooke’s Books. I substituted quite a few of the fibers because I did not have the called for Kreiniks. None of the sparkly threads were very easy to use but they give such a pretty effect!

Then I finished Variegated Snowflake from Fuzzy Fox Designs on Etsy. I should mention that I bought this pattern with an Etsy gift card from Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, which I won by taking part in one of her blog hops-I think the Easter one. Thank you so much, Jo!

I substituted the threads on this, using Thread Gatherers’ Silk N Colors Aqua Clouds and a blue Kreinik blending filament. The 2 went together pretty well-I think the silk helped the Kreinik go more smoothly. So sparkly!

I took it outside to try to capture the sparkle! It really is a successful effect!

I am trying to decide if the called for beads would add anything. I feel like it’s fine as is but I do love beads! I may try them out in a corner and see what it looks like…

I have finishing plans for both of these so you can look for them in the next couple weeks as part of the FFO Gallery.

The People Choose…Bees

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Date30 Sep 2019
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Comments4

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching hosts a monthly themed blog hop, as you may know by now! It is a nice way to showcase designs by theme and always interesting for me to discover what I’ve stitched that fits!

This month’s theme is bees. I have always liked bees. One day I think it would be interesting to have bees myself, but until then I will support the bees by planning my gardening around bees and butterflies.

Now, on to the stitched bees! One of my first projects upon getting back into stitching several years ago was Just Nan’s Bee Blossoms. I still love it! How about that “Bee Lace” double running stitch?

I’ve stitched lots of pieces with little bees buzzing around in them-these are from Just Nan, The Drawn Thread, and The Sweetheart Tree:

Then I have a couple recent pieces that feature bees as the star of the design:

Buzzzz from Bent Creek (I found a clip display for it! It just fits!)

Stitching Bee from Little House Needleworks :

And “June” from the Snowflower Diaries’ Joyful World Calendar:

And finally, here’s Let It Bee by The Drawn Thread which I have been working on this month! It’s not quite finished like I hoped but it’s coming along! You’ll see a finish on it soon!

I even have a bee needleminder!

To see more bee designs head back over to Jo’s and check out the other participants this month!

September Smalls Check In

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Date27 Sep 2019
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Comments6

Happy Fall, all you in the Northern Hemisphere! And Happy Spring to all you in the South! Here in Arizona we have enjoyed a cooler, rainy week! In September we are usually still experiencing the last blasts of summer (100 plus degrees) but this week kicked off with huge thunderstorms and rain, resulting in overcast days and cooler temps in the 80s and 90s which was quite refreshing! I always enjoy cloudy days because they are so restful on the eyes after weeks of sunshine!

Now that you’ve had your weather report, it’s time for the September Smalls Check In!

As promised, I finished the Garden Urn Pinkeep by Samplers Not Forgotten. I did change the bird’s breast color to golden (it was supposed to be blue) and did the satin stitch stars with 2 threads instead of one to get better coverage. Those stars really give this design something special.

Sorry I didn’t get it ironed!

This was a kit, and it came with some nice buttons, fabric and a wool heart to make the pillow. I will make that up next week and share for the FFO Gallery check in.

Now it’s your turn! What have you been working on this month?

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Welcome to Mary’s Thread!

I started this blog in 2016 to chronicle my stitching life. My Grandma M. taught me to cross stitch when I was 7 and I’ve had a project (or many!) going since then. I am mostly a cross stitcher who makes forays into other types of embroidery. A lifetime ago I studied French and art history but now I fit my stitching around a busy life raising 5 young kids with my wonderful husband. Thank you for spending some time at my blog!

2019 Stitch-A-Longs

2019 Stitch-A-Longs

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