Tag: cross stitch

Tiny Modernist

Autumn Band Sampler Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

I don’t know if it’s the “perfectly fall” colors or the intricate details in each scene, but I can just feel fall by looking at this cross stitch piece! This is the Autumn Band Sampler by Tiny Modernist and what a fun stitch it was! There was so much variety that it kept it interesting and the warmth of the colors kept it exciting.

To compliment the pattern, I chose Oatmeal 25 Count Lugana for the cloth and its modeled design adds a breezy look to the piece. I have to say, the frame is also perfect! It looks like a custom fit, but it wasn’t! I framed it with the Craig Frames Bauhaus 11×17 Inch Picture Frame in Distressed Light Brown from Amazon. I’m impressed that the color and distressed look of it coordinates so well. Not bad for an online purchase! (It appears Amazon no longer has it in the same color I got, but they have other colors in the same style).

I love the modern style of this pattern and really enjoyed stitching it!

Finished Size: 9.5" x 14"
Pattern: Autumn Band Sampler by Tiny Modernist
Fabric: Oatmeal 25 Count Lugana by Lori Holt, stitched over 2 with called for DMC
Lori Holt

Flea Market Flowers Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

A Flea Market Flowers finish just in time for Spring! I’ve been working on this cross stitch off-and-on for a year and decided to focus on it this past month to get it done. It turned out bigger than I thought it would (11.5″ x 13″), but it’ll be a nice-sized piece to hang on my wall! I love the bright colors and variety of flowers. I used the called-for DMC colors that came in the Flea Market Flowers DMC Thread Pack from Fat Quarter Shop.

I framed it with the Craig Frames 16 x 16 Inch Rustic Copper Picture Frame on Amazon. I chose the copper color to go with the border around the flowers. It gives it just the look I was hoping for!

My approach with this one was to stitch out all of the brown borders first and then fill in the flowers. This was to make sure I didn’t get off a stitch before I put too much work into the flowers and would need to rip them out. It worked really well! No mistakes!

I love working with Lugana cross stitch fabric. So far 25-count is my favorite — small enough holes that give the look I like, but not too small to see when I’m stitching.

Finished Size: 11.5" x 13"
Pattern: Flea Market Flowers by Lori Holt
Fabric: Barley 25 Count Lugana by Lori Holt, stitched over 2 with called for DMC
Stitching with the Housewives

And To All a Good Night Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

I’m learning my favorite cross stitch patterns include cute houses and this And To All a Good Night pattern is no different! For over a year I’ve been working on a large cross stitch project with 12 different Christmas houses (it’s going to be my masterpiece when it’s done), but I took a little break from that and worked on this one for a quicker finish. I’m so happy with how it turned out! It’s a little too late to hang it up now, but it will be fun to display next Christmas.

I used all the called-for thread colors from the pattern, however, I used a different fabric. I decided I didn’t want to use the black fabric it called for, so I found this awesome Basalt Splash 25 Count Lugana in gray with white splotches that happen to look like snow! Besides being easier to stitch on than black, it was also a big win because it already has the snow falling. I skipped out on stitching the snowflakes in the sky from the original pattern and I don’t feel like I miss them.

Original pattern

Overall I enjoyed this pattern and will try out more of the Stitching with the Housewives patterns.

I thankfully found the perfect-sized frame to frame it in! The frame I used is the Thin Collage Wall Frame found at Target. The opening is 24″ x 8″, which gives the perfect amount of space around the stitched piece. Next time, though, I’m going to take pictures of my cross stitch works before I put them under glass. I couldn’t take a straight-on picture because there was too much glare!

Finished Size: 20.5" x 5"
Pattern: And To All a Good Night by Stitching with the Housewives
Fabric: Basalt Splash 25 Count Lugana by Zweigart, stitched over 2 with called for DMC
Fat Quarter Shop

Feels Like Home Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

When I saw the blue bird in the Feels Like Home cross stitch pattern, I knew I had to stitch it! I am a bird lover and coincidently my house is gray so this piece was just my style!

This was pattern was actually a mystery stitch-along where a new section of the piece was revealed each week during May 2020, but I didn’t end up starting it until this year when it was no longer a mystery. Good thing, because I decided to make some modifications to the original design.

The original included the text “Feels Like Home” under the house. I don’t really like words on my decor, so skipped it and moved the flower and fence up higher below the house. At that point it looked like it still needed something else. Some green bushes copied from above and some little flowers I created did the trick!

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I used the suggested Cloud 25 Count Lugana cloth and stitched over 2 with called for DMC from the thread pack offered by Fat Quarter Shop. With the modifications I made, the finished size of my piece was 9.5″ x 8.25″. It was a bit too wide to fit in a 10″ x 10″ square frame and have enough white space around it, so I searched Amazon and found the Craig Frames Arthur Picture Frame, 10 x 12 Inch, Gray Barnwood. The style, color and size of the frame worked out perfectly! I’m so happy with it! 

Finished Size: 9.5" x 8.25"
Pattern: Feels Like Home by Fat Quarter Shop
Fabric: Cloud 25 Count Lugana by Lori Holt, stitched over 2 with called for DMC
Fat Quarter Shop, Lori Holt

Sew by Row Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

It’s finished!! Sew by Row by Lori Holt is my first large cross-stitch project, finishing at 11″ x 14″. I love the fun, happy colors and, of course, all the sewing-related images. This looks perfect hung up in my sewing room! It took me about two months to stitch. Luckily I realized the best time to stitch was while waiting for my daughter during dance practices three nights a week. 

Note: Some product links contained on my site are affiliate links.  I earn a small amount if you purchase the item, at no additional cost to you.  The products are first and foremost honest recommendations from myself and if you find the recommendations helpful I am thankful if you use my links!

This was my first time stitching on something other than Aida cloth and something with a high fabric count (meaning smaller holes). I used Lori Holt’s Cloud 25 Count Lugana cloth and really loved the feel of it and how nice it was to stitch with. It didn’t take me too long to get used to stitching over 2, which was also a first for me. I don’t think I will go back to Aida! I tried out Pat’s Favorite Needles Size 26, which were so much better than the cheap needles I was using before. I finished my piece with the Craig Frames Jasper Picture Frame, 11 x 14 Inch, Country French Teal on Amazon, framing it myself using Sticky Board from Fat Quarter Shop.

You can say I’m hooked on cross stitching now! I’ve already got another project started! As I put away my supplies for Sew by Row, I realized I now have enough floss leftover to be considered a “collection” and purchased this great ArtBin Floss Finder storage case on Amazon. Good thing it has some room to grow!

ArtBin Floss Finder Case

Happy stitching!

Finished Size: 11" x 14"
Pattern: Sew by Row Cross Stitch by Lori Holt
Fabric: Cloud 25 Count Lugana by Lori Holt, stitched over 2 with called for DMC
The Stranded Stitch

Meowy Catmas Cross Stitch

Sew Happy by Sarah

After my first successful cross stitch project (No Prob-Llama), I found another pattern by the same designer with another cute play on words: Meowy Catmas. Fitting, since we got two kittens this year!

This was fun to stitch! The only issue I came across was at the end when I realized the design looked crooked as I put it in the frame. There must have been something wrong with the cheap Aida cloth I bought at Joann Fabrics, but since I’m still a beginner at this I’m not entirely sure. I also cut my fabric a little too small so I didn’t have a lot of room to wrap around the Pres-On Mounting Sticky Board I used from Fat Quarter Shop. I used this tutorial to frame the piece: How to Frame Cross Stitch, however I didn’t add the batting because there wouldn’t have been enough room in the frame. I just wrapped the fabric around the sticky board and stuck the edges to the back of the board. 

Finished Size: 60 by 89 stitches, or approximately 4.3 by 6.4 inches
Pattern: Meowy Catmas by The Stranded Stitch
Fabric: 14 count white Aida