Welcoming August with Three New Designs

I hope everybody is having a wonderful summer.  Our temperatures have been very pleasant here in northern Indiana.  We had a very rainy June, and having to mow the lawn every few days certainly cut down on my stitching time.  Now we could use the rain, but I’ve been stitching more often than mowing, so I’m not complaining too much.

Here are three new C Street Samplerworks designs which will be introduced at the St. Charles Market, August 16-17, 2014.  You can ask your favorite needlework shop to pre-order them for you:

 Corinne’s Sampler

In September of 2013, my great-niece was born.  Her birth was quite an occasion, as she was the first baby born in our immediate family in 29 years.  Of course I had to design and stitch a birth sampler for her!  I chose a Dutch theme because our Corinne has Dutch ancestry by way of three of her four grandparents.

“Corinne’s Sampler” is stitched almost entirely in cross stitch on 32ct Lentil linen by Lakeside Linens, using DMC floss.  The stitch count is 119 wide x 129 high, and the design size is 7.4 inches wide by x 8.1 inches high.  The grass in the model is done in satin stitch.  But if you aren’t a fan of satin stitch, don't worry--go ahead and stitch the grass area in cross stitch.  I promise that it will look just fine either way.

Corinne’s Sampler could easily be made into a wedding or anniversary sampler.  Instead of stitching baby information, substitute the names of the couple along with the date of the wedding or anniversary, using the upper case alphabet in the sampler, and the lower case alphabet and numerals provided on the chart. 

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He Saith to the Snow

 In commemoration of our recent record-breaking winter, both in snow accumulation and in below zero temperatures, I designed this little sampler.  The Bible verse (Job 37:6) seems fitting, because last winter the snow certainly was upon the earth in the Midwest, as well as other parts of the country.

“He Saith to the Snow”, all cross stitch over two, is stitched on 32ct Examplar linen by Lakeside Linens using Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works, and DMC flosses.  Stitch count is 91 wide x 99 high, and the design size is 5.7 inches wide x 6.2 inches high.

I like to think that the people who live in that little house are cozy and warm despite the wintery weather surrounding them. 

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Age Improves with Wine

This little design is dedicated to all my friends who, although perhaps not quite as old as I am, still appreciate the healing qualities of the occasional glass of wine.  This would make a perfect little gift for a friend who is facing one of those pesky “milestone” birthdays.  

“Age Improves with Wine” is stitched on 32ct Examplar linen by Lakeside Linens, using Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.  Stitch count is 63 wide x 63h, with a design size of 3.94 inches square.  I chose to have it framed, but it would be great finished as a cupboard hanger or an ornament.

Most of the design is in cross stitch, but the corner grape motifs are stitched in Smyrna cross, and half of the smaller grape bunches in the border are stitched in four-sided stitch.  However if you’d rather, just stitch the whole thing in cross stitch.

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A note about overdyed floss:  I love stitching with overdyed flosses, especially those from The Gentle Art.  But as most of you know, the dye lots of all of the brands can sometimes vary.  For this reason I generally list DMC equivalents for comparison.  I match the DMC to the actual skeins of overdyed floss that I use in the design.  Each DMC equivalent listed in my charts is as close as I can find to the particular dye lot that I use when stitching the models.

I never use conversion charts of any kind, because although suggested individual colors in the charts can be a close match, they are often just a bit off.  And when you combine several colors that are just slightly off, they can clash with, rather than complementing each other.   That is why I always match colors by hand. (Make that “by eye”!) 

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Currently I’m working on the model for, a reproduction of an 1855 English sampler stitched by Mary Maylett.  It has the first verse of the beautiful hymn “Jesus Lover of My Soul”, and among the motifs are two sweet little fallow deer.  Mary was born in 1844--100 years before the year of my birth, which makes me feel connected to her.  (It also makes me feel very old!)