Sunday, August 30, 2015

A battle between small and Big...

So lately I've been wanting to have some small pieces to add my every growing collection of cross stitch. However the subject matter I've chosen is a bit off base...kinda like yours truly...LOL! First up is a worm... yep, that's what I said... a worm. Why I chose this I cannot fathom, except to say he was fun, and old school... DMC on 18 count Fiddler's Aida...made me feel like it was 1990 all over again!


I can't believe I'm saying this but "awhhhh...isn't he cute?" He is from the chart Garden Beasties by The Prarire Schooler #54 copyrighted 1996... see I told you old school. I don't know if you can see it but I even gave him a little smile...oh I am totally whacked here, aren't I? There are a couple of other beasties I like from this chart including a snail and a ladybug and a frog...ewww...but they're cute! The worm finished about 3" and I'm thinking of making him into a little round pillow.

Next up, more nature...another Prairie Schooler...another small...


This is  Prairie Fairie 1994 and she finished 2.5" high by 3.5" high. I stitched her on an unknown 40 count linen with one ply of floss over two threads. Here is a picture for scale..


As far as I can tell there were 4 Fairies in this series from 1994 through 1997. I was able to snag them all online. Did you know that the gals from Prairie Schooler announced that they are retiring as of the beginning of 2016? I think there will be a run on their patterns as many are already very hard to find or OOP. In the last couple of months I've been paying closer attention to the price of older OOP charts and some people are getting astronomical prices for OOP Blackbird Designs. One afternoon I was cruising ebay and took a rough estimate of how much some of my stash would be worth if I could get those prices and well, lets just say I have a tidy little cache... but I'm not selling!

So after doing those small pieces, and having that lovely Fall-ish weather last week, it put me in the mood for a Fall-ish sampler...and I remembered that I was working on Blackbird Designs Feast of Friendship just a little while ago. (OMG... I searched my blog and found out I haven't touched this sampler since August 2014...sheesh time sure does fly!)


I have no idea why I put this aside last year at this time... I have a pretty good start on this. All those acorns in the border are done, the house is almost painted/scrapped/stitched and I had a start on the giant pumpkin. Bring on the pumpkins!!! And I really love the giant compote of fruit in this piece and can't wait to start on the mutant two story tall pineapple and grapes.


There should be some stitching time later today. I have my Sunday dinner prepped and ready to pop into the oven...we're having spaghetti and home made meatballs. I'll have to crank up the AC as the lovely Fall-ish weather has departed and summer is coming back with a vengeance to finish off the season...forecast for next week highs hitting 90...ugh!

Hope the weather is nice where you are...I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching and Super Mom No Cape for Vintage Embroidery Monday.

happy stitching-
carol fun

14 comments:

  1. So darn cute! i love Wormy!! and the Fairy is adorable--I have to learn to do counted x-stitch--just that i find it's hard on my failing eyesight,...hugs, Julierose

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  2. Feast of Friendship looks a lovely design :-)

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  3. Well, I think the worm is cute too. Hmmmm...I haven't done cross stitch for many, many years but I sure have quite a stash of old, old patterns. I used to like to cross stitch samplers. I don't think I could ever see well enough to stitch on more than 14 count Aida.

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  4. Your cross stitch is very nice. I used to do cross stitch exclusively until I got waylay-ed on big project with 18 aida cloth and bad eyes. I still have it, perhaps someday. . . But, I was considering making a quilt with many of my previously stitched unframed pieces. Have you ever done or seen anything like that?

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  5. All the little designs are quite delightful. I also have a Feast of Friendship but have not started it yet. I just need more fingers! Enjoy your Sun. with your family!!!

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  6. I stitched a beastie too! Like you I have been looking at my older charts and getting inspired. Love your blue BBC house. Some of the prices for old oops charts on ebay are amazing!

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  7. I love all your cross-stitch projects, but how in the world do you manage to stitch on 40 count. I am having enough trouble with my Santa on 18 count.

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  8. Nice stitching!

    It makes me sad that PS designers are retiring. They've got great charts: simple, very few fractional stitches and just a little backstitching. They don't require many expensive hand-dyed threads either. I will miss them!

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  9. Wow, Carol, what beautiful cross-stitch work! I don't cross-stitch but can certainly appreciate the time and talent involved in completing a piece. Looking forward to seeing more :)!

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  10. I love how you follow your creativity anywhere it leads you, without judgment or fear!
    You follow your heart and make the most wonderful things :)
    Thanks for sharing them with us!

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  11. I love your smalls. Prairie Schoolers are the best. Worms are related to chickens... just sayin :)
    I love the BBD piece. You are definitely in fall stitching mode!
    Hugs!!

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  12. I love both the worm (he's cute!) and the fairy! Sometimes a person needs a smaller, quicker project as a break from the longer ones.

    Thanks so much for linking up to last week's Stitchery Link Party and for the link back. Aloha hugs!

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