CHRISTMAS STITCHING.

Having spent the morning in the garden mostly dealing with storm damage, we have had both heavy rain and strong winds. I am now sorting out designs I would like to stitch for my christmas gifts.

This little design of Campanula Pulla has previously been stitched on a gift bag but this time I will use it for a Floss Ring Tag. I hope someone else might enjoy this design too. the design is 30h x 15w. 
Colours used are DMC
3807 Blue Mauve
3345 Dark Green
3346 Mid green
3347 Light Yellow Green

HAREBELLS

With drooping bells of clearest blue
thou didst attract my childish view,
Almost resembling the azure butterflies that flew
Where on the heath thy blossoms grew
so slightly trembling.
Reginald Heber "The Harebell"
This morning had a session in the garden and to my delight the first flowers of harebells ( Campanula rotundifolia) have appeared. A favourite of mine, with its very dainty mauve bells. A wild plant found in northern parts of the world it is known by many names, Bluebells of Scotland, Alpine Scotch bells, Witches Thimbles, Lady's thimbles, Aul man's bells, Heath Bells, are a few names I have found.

I have used  these little flowers many times in small embroidery designs and share one with you now..

A ZIGOUIOUI FOR CHRISTMAS

Now I have discovered some of these neat things to stitch, I have just designed  and stitched a small zigouioui, the design has a wreath of flowers made with closter blocks, chain stitch leaves and  beads.
 I stitched this one with red flowers as a christmas decoration.






It could be stitched with pastel shades for the flowers and fill with lavender for a gift or made as a pincushion not a hanging.

 The design area is 124 threads by 124 threads and any  count thread fabric could be used.

Back stitch round the design area first. The graph shows one section, turn it to repeat the other parts.


                      

closter blocks and eyelets

chain stitches leaves

beads

back stitch stems

                   

COLOURS OF SPRING.

I think of spring colours as the lovely yellows of daffodils, primroses, and crocuses mixed with purples iris, violets hyacinths and more crocuses, however one corner of the garden at present is glowing with bright red flowers.

The Kaka Beak  (Clianthus puniceus) has been really superb  this year, this lovely NZ native is virually extint in its natural state, but fortunatly is grown in many gardens.  We planted this one about 5 years ago and it is now 10 feet tall and much wider.

Named for the Kaka, a NZ Native parrot, quite a big bird with a large hooked bill. If anyone overseas wants to see this parrot  there are some lovely photos among the birds on this site.
www.maungatrust.org/birds/

One of the first cross stitch designs  that I had published many years ago was a border of kaka beak flowers, this new pattern I have posted would be suitable for a bookmark. the colours are 3 shades of red DMC 666 light red; 304 mid-red; 815 dark red;  and two greens 472 light green; 937 dark green. Outline the flowers in 815.

LITTLE IRIS

A walk round the garden this morning, and another small bunch of violets for the kitchen window sill. Found a favourite one "Greyfriars Bobby" growing  far from where the original plant was. This is one of the few remaining ones I have of my Kerry Carman violet collection, its a lovely grey mauve for embroidery friends I would describe it as a  little darker than DMC 3835.

The first of the little lemon Iris are coming into bloom, these are the petite flag iris, the flowers stand about 6-8 inches tall. These came from my mothers garden over 20 years ago and have moved with us every time we moved house.

 I have also been stitching a small iris, this time on a tiny needle keep, it is a design I have used before on a scissor sheath and I was very pleased to have a reason to stitch it again.

Here is the chart for this design and if anyone would like how to make the little needle keep, leave me a message with your email address and I will send you my page of  "how to notes"

WINTER POSY CHART

Have managed to improve on the
copy of the chart but as yet cannot
match the colour chart to the graph,
hopefully with more time and practise
I will get it right. Unfortunately colours
change when I take it through both
the scanner and the printer.

Just click on the chart to get a printable copy.

WHEN THE BELLBIRD SINGS........

When The bellbird sings at dawn... his song brings joy to linger the whole day through.


When we lived in Coromandel, there was one bellbird who visited our garden most mornings. We called him Charlie and he was quite a friendly bird.
Charlie was the inspiration for the design on this etui and is the only time I have designed a bird in cross stitch.
The embroidered birds in my album were all stitched with short straight stitches using one thread of stranded. (floss)
I have posted this design specially for my friend in Germany, who enjoys stitching both flowers and birds.

CHARTS FOR MY CYCLAMEN DESIGNS

Colour Chart for Cyclamen designs.

DMC Threads-

Cross stitch.

Flowers- 3609 light plum

Flower centres- 917 medium plum

Leaves- 522 light green & 3051 dark green

Back stitch.

Flowers outlines - 3067 very dark plum

Leaf veins -522 light green

Stems -407 (3773) medium fawn

For added effect whip the back stitches of the stems to give a rounded effect.

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