May Gibbs Cross Stitch kits

Dionne    Cross Stitch     At the Seaside, Cross Stitch, may gibbs

I have finally finished loading all of these beautiful kits online.  The May Gibbs collection are our most popular online brand.  At the Seaside is probably my favourite.

What did you stitch in your Christmas break?

Dionne    Blackwork, Christmas, Cross Stitch     Black Work Show 20, Blue Ribbon Designs, courtney collection, Danish Flower threads, Red Letter Ornaments

Here is a picture of what I thought I would enjoy doing at Christmas.  I carted the threads fabric and pattern to my parents home in Tasmania, … and back without having opened it, other than to look at how yummy it is.

Fabulous contemporary Blackwork Sampler

Thanks Courtney Glau, Black Work Show really is a stand out Blackwork sampler.  I want it up on the walls in the shop, and despite the fact that I have too much to do and not enough time to do it.  I WANT IT!

This is what I actually did in my Christmas break, … when the munchkin was asleep.

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that these are miniatures from the picture posted in our Christmas message on Facebook.  These lovely designs Red Letter Ornaments from Blue Ribbon Designs can be made in the larger design which we had stitched for the shop.  My fabulous stitcher, Margaret also stitched 5 of the 8 miniatures, but ran out of fabric.  For those of you who missed it, here is the picture.

I did the other three.  Then I fell in love with them and had to have a set for my own tree!  The munchkin is also very keen on the Kreinik corder I purchased to completed the twisted cord around the outside.  In the home stretch now and maybe I will be able to finish a few other stitching projects.  (We stitched ours in the DMC on 32 count.  My lovely Margaret may well have said rude things to me if I sent her 40 count linen to stitch on, I know I would have done if someone sent me 40 count linen.)

Also thanks to Mel from South Arm in Tasmania for reminding me to upload the palette for the Danish Flower Threads with their new colours.  Hope these are all legible, if not download the chart, remember colours may differ on your screens and printers from what I actually scanned in.  Here is their new palette.

Ask a question. The response may be breathtaking …

Dionne    Cross Stitch, Feel good stuff     Cross Stitch, hall of fame, Stewart Merret

I discovered our latest Hall of Famer in store last month.  She came in and bought 25 Stewart Merrett Australian Animal and Bird kits.  Me, being the big sticky beak that I am, wanted to know what she was going to do with them all, thinking gifts for friends abroad, Christmas gifts for relatives, she is a teacher planning a craft class, …. blah blah blah.

None of it.  She is going to stitch them all and then commandeer her sister to put them all together as a quilt.

I mused that it would be a cold day in hell before either of my sisters did anything like this for me, (the Novocastrian doesn’t sew at all but the Brisbanite is a pretty good knitter, and  is currently having to revisit all the crafty skills we learnt from Mum with an 8-year-old burgeoning Martha Stewart in the house.  She wanted to do some craft with a dead rat that was found in the ceiling! My neice, not my sister … story for another day).

Back to Vicki and her quilt, this cross stitching/quilting pair have already collaborated on this scale before, with spectacular results.  Vicki told me about the quilt they have already completed using the Stewart Merrett Australian Flora.  I asked her to send me some photos, I was so impressed I suggested she email Stewart.  Thought you all would love to see them too, and have entered her into our stitching Hall of Fame.

Thank you for sharing your work and ideas Vicki.  Love it!

Iris enters our Hall of Fame

Dionne    Cross Stitch, Feel good stuff     heirloom, inspiration

I have been corresponding across the Tasman with Iris, an ex-pat Aussie and a Victoria House Needlecraft customer when she comes “home” for a visit.  In the course of helping her find all the requirements for her latest project, a truly original and personally meaningful piece came to light.

“I inherited that Dutch porcelain bowl from my father. I loved the pattern along the inside rim. The orange and blue is such a beautiful contrast. So I worked out a simple pattern and did this cross stitch runner.”

I really love this sort of thing.  You cannot put a price on it and one day it will be handed on and the two pieces will have more meaning and resonance for the recipient.

Good things DO come in small packages

Dionne    Cross Stitch, Embroidery and Crewel, Tapestry and Needlepoint, What's New     mill hill, roseworks embroidery, twill designs

Have just expanded our range of Roseworks Designs Embroidery range to include the too gorgeous mini Jacobean flowers; Minuet, Pavane, Prelude and Sonata.  Love them so much I have decided that mini-projects do deserve their own category online.  Just a little something to do, when you are not looking for a big project.  They have joined our Twill Designs which are needlepoint and mini Mill Hill kits in cross stitch with beading embellishment. 

…. Hmmm …. now I just need a couple of mini projects in knitting and crochet and I have covered all our bases.  Watch this space.