Deck Those Halls!!

I'm guessing that all you stitchers have started decorating your homes for the holiday seasons.
And getting out all your favorite holiday stitched pieces, too.

Well, I've got a new one for you to add to your collection -- it's called the CHRISTMAS PANEL.  Yes, you guessed it, it's a panel filled with all thing Christmasy!  I've been working on this piece for the last month and TA DA, just last week finished the pattern so I could release it to you now:

 

 
It's a beautiful heirloom piece (if I do say so myself!) and something I'm going to enjoy hanging in my home every year.  I had lots of fun thinking up Christmas things that could fit in the tiny spaces of the panel patterns -- itty bitty stockings, candles, ornaments, garlands, and packages.

The fully decorated Christmas tree with loads of packages underneath was the last thing I stitched, and I'm so pleased with the way it turned out:

I stitched this piece on 18 ct. canvas in the Santa Fe Sage Green color, although the brightness of the photo doesn't really show that, but the soft green canvas allows all the white and metallic threads to pop a bit better than if it had been stitched on eggshell.... but you certainly could use eggshell if you want a warmer look to your version!

And this is one of the few pieces I've stitched that DOESN'T have any variegated Watercolours in it. Shocking, huh?  It's all done in DMC #5 pearl cottons and assorted metallics in red, green, and white. (And just a bit of variegated ThreadworX #5 Pearl for the evergreen tree!)

Anyway, if you're looking for a fun project to get you in the holiday spirit, this may be the one for you!  Jump in your sleigh and jingle on over to my website to see all the ordering info on this new CHRISTMAS PANEL pattern. Ho, Ho, Ho, Stitchers!!

Fast, Fun, and Festive!

Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, maybe you're in the mood to stitch something that's filled with red and green and lots of glitzy gold metallic.  I had a holiday idea that I've been madly stitching on these last few weeks and can now share it with you: a new American Quilt Collection design called "HOLIDAY GIFTS":

Oh, boy, this festive quilt design was so much fun to stitch up!

I grabbed a skein of Watercolours 025 - "Holiday" as well as a handful of reds, greens,

and golds in #5 pearl cottons and metallic Ribbon Floss -- then started stitching

some happy little packages.

I'm thinking about turning this cutie into a sofa pillow for holiday display, 

instead of framing it on the wall....

And I've also included alternate thread colors (blues) for a Hanukkah version.

So if you want to stitch yourself into a holiday mood this year, just jingle on over

to my website and get all the ordering info on this new HOLIDAY GIFTS pattern!

Ho, Ho, Ho and Happy Friday, Everyone!

Shakin' Up a Little Snow

Woo Hoo!!  I've just finished working on a new holiday stitch guide, called SNOWGLOBE 1, by Sandra Gilmore.  After the large FALL SPLENDOR piece I stitched last month, this was very, very fun because it was small (8"x 9") and didn't require any fancy stitches!  Here's a peek up close:

I used a blackwork pattern for the table area, using a subtle variegated Watercolours thread; and I also padded some of the pedestal rows stitched with DMC #8 pearl cotton to add a bit more dimension.  As for everything else, I used lots of metallics for lots of sparkle (which, alas, you can't see in any of the photos).  The snowglobe area was all done in tent stitch, but with a blended needle of floss and opalescent Kreinik blending filament.  The globe really does sparkle like a snowy snowglobe should!  And while my model has a more antique-y gold look, I've also included thread options for a pure snow white effect...

If you love snowglobes (and let's face it, who doesn't?) and want a fun little project to keep you merry and bright throughout the holiday season, this may be the canvas for you.  I left my model flat for framing, but it sure would be cute to have it finished as a standup piece, don't you think?

 Please contact your local stitchery store for ordering the Sandra Gilmore canvas called SNOWGLOBE 1, along with my stitch guide, from our distributor, FLEUR DE PARIS.  And just so you know, the stitch guide is available on my website, too....

A New Holiday Pattern

I've been stitching as fast as I can to finish this new pattern in time for the holidays, so now I can finally share it with you!

It's called "HOLIDAY WREATH", and guess what?  It's a big ol' wreath made up of lots of sparkly wrapped packages.... and it looks like this:

It's a nice large design, 11" x 11" on 18 ct canvas (I used the eggshell with gold flecks, so the background is all sparkly and festive).  I had soooooo much fun stitching each of the packages - they're all done with simple stitches - and then getting them wrapped with whatever kinds of easy stitchy ribbons I could think of.  Here's a close-up of some of the packages:

I've used just two #5 pearl cottons: a Christmas red and a Christmas green, mixed with a handful of metallic ribbon threads for the packages and the ribbons.  And that big red bow?
 

It's done in long stitches, using the very yummy Very Velvet threads. (I've added just a few padding stitches under the bow areas, so that's what's making it look puckery on the scanned image, but in reality the bow is Very Rich looking and will "poof up" a bit when it's finally framed!)

After I stitched all the packages, I went ahead and added lots of irregularly stitched evergreen boughs peeking out behind the packages.  And there's a bit of tent stitching between the packages using the same variegated green ThreadworX Overdyed #5 pearl cotton.  I've added a sprinkling of round gold beads on some of the packages.... but you know, I'm thinking that a few fun buttons or embellishments (like tiny candy canes, bells, stars, snowflakes or gingerbread men) might be very appropriate to add to the packages - that's something you might like to do on YOUR wreath!!   All in all, it's a very fun and festive piece to stitch....

So, if you want to stitch up a new holiday piece that will surely become a family favorite, please visit my website: Laura J. Perin Designs for all the ordering information.  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

May your holidays be filled with peace,

love and joy,

happy treats,

special surprises,

and of course..... some stitching time!

Need a Little Christmas??

I've been very busy this season stitching up gifts, working on new designs for the coming New Year, finishing and mailing off models for the TNNA trade show in Jan. 2009, etc., etc., etc. . . . So guess what? I haven't had any time for leisurely blogging lately. Sorry about that....

BUT... I did take time to post on my website another seasonal freebie pattern for all you seasonal stitchers out there. It's called HOLLY & IVY and it looks like this:


It's a small 4.25" x 4.25" square, stitched on 18 ct. mono canvas. I used an assortment of Rainbow Gallery threads, as well as #5 pearl cottons. The original variegated thread I used - Overture V63 - has been discontinued, BUT, you can still get Encore E63, which is the same elegant variegated color, but a slightly finer thread, so use 2 ply of that instead of the 1 ply of Overture.

Anyway, I stitched this cutie several years ago, and came across the model a few weeks ago, remembered how much I liked it...and thought I'd share it now with you.

And if you want to stitch up a matching companion piece for it, check this out:


It's called HOLIDAY SQUARE. For this freebie, please visit Rainbow Gallery's website: www.rainbowgallery.com and click on their FREE PATTERNS page. You can download this pattern, which I recently sent to Rainbow Gallery as a special seasonal treat.

HAPPY STITCH-FILLED HOLIDAYS!!!

T'is The Season

I have to admit that not only am I a "seasonal stitcher" (I prefer stitching bunnies and chicks in the springtime, Santas and reindeers in December), but I'm also a "seasonal designer." I really have no interest in creating Christmas designs in July. Instead, I love getting inspired for my designs in the proper seasons.

So now that the holiday season is upon us, guess what?? Yup. I'm busily stitching away on new Christmas designs.

Here's the very latest holiday pattern I've finished. I call it BOX OF ORNAMENTS, because the rounded blocks remind me of those old-fashioned ornaments with sparkly caverns exposed on one side:


I've taken a traditional quilt block and jazzed it up for the holidays. I've used red, green and gold ribbon metallics for the centers of all the "ornaments." Unfortunately, the photo just doesn't show all the sparkle and glitter of this design.... but it's really an eyeful of Christmas cheer!


Here's an up-close look at all the elements in the design - all very fun to stitch.You'll notice that there are lots of different ornaments to stitch: small, medium and large... And since I couldn't decide which outer border to use - the red/green/gold banner or a very fun peppermint stripe - I've graphed both and will let YOU decide which border you want to stitch!

So, if you're interested in my BOX OF ORNAMENTS, please check out my website (click on the LAURA J. PERIN DESIGNS link in the list on the right.) for more information.

It's That Time of Year

It's time to pull out the Christmas decorations. All those santas and trees, reindeers and snowmen. Every little thing that's red and green and twinkling bright.

Here's one of my holiday quilt patterns I call RED BIRDS AND WREATHS:


If you look at it carefully, you'll see the flying red birds in the corner sections (they remind me of cardinals, don't you know....not that we have cardinals here in Northern California, but I like to imagine them anyway).

And then the green motifs remind me of wreaths. Hence the quilt name.
Unfortunately, you can't see the sparkly red metallic diamonds in the center squares that are sprinkled thruout the quilt. Photos just don't show the metallics. sigh.... but trust me, the red sparkles add quite a festive touch to this pattern.

And I even stitched this design in two ways: one with nine blocks (above) and one with four blocks. Both graphs are included in the pattern. Here's the four-block version:


I've always thought these would make great pillows for Christmastime. (Not to mentions stitching them in other colorways: earth-tones, blues and golds, pastels, etc., etc., etc....)
Soooo....Are you in a holiday mood yet? Well, get out all those reds and greens and golds and GET STITCHING!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

I always forget how many Christmas patterns I have designed over the years! I try to do one a year, so by now I have quite a few in my collection. Here are some of my favorites...



















This one is my Christmas Tree 2004.
I wanted to do something really different, so I first stitched the tree outline, then filled it in with assorted stitch patterns that reminded me of ornaments and tinsel. It ended up looking very modern and elegant. Yet it also reminds me of those trees people would make out of old costume jewelry. So I consider it a modern, yet retro type of tree. How neat is that?!?

I originally stitched this tree on green 24 ct. Congress Cloth, so the design was approx. 8.5" x 8.5". Then I got to wondering how it would look on 18 ct canvas...sooo I just HAD to stitch it again on 18 ct green mono canvas. And it looked equally lovely - just a lot bigger! (approx. 11" x 11").


And here's another type of Christmas tree. I call it my Christmas Forest.
It's actually a blackwork design - with each tree having a different blackwork pattern inside. Even I've been surprised by how popular this pattern has been. I keep selling it year after year. And that makes me happy, knowing that so many people are creating blackwork forests of their own! It's stitched on a 25 ct. Lugana even weave fabric, with lots of sparkle added, with green and gold Kreinik threads, and of course, a few star sequins and jewels to hang in the sky.

And here's another favorite of mine: Christmas Village.


It's a magical place - it sort of suggests Santa's village... or maybe an old-fashioned town nestled in a snowy valley. Anyway, it's surrounded in lots of fun borders and ribbons that I think are very fun to stitch up. I especially enjoyed stitching the candy cane border and the pine boughs & ornament border - both add a very festive touch!
This piece is stitched on 24 ct. white Congress Cloth, and it's finished size is 10.25" x 10.25" (on 18 ct canvas the size would be 14" x 14").

Lots of Santas!

Here's one of my all-time favorite Christmas pieces: Santas Around the World.
It was shown as a cross-stitch pattern in a cross-stitch magazine many years ago...I don't recall which magazine it was. I guess you could also consider it a Santa Sampler...

But in any event, I fell in love with the image of all those different santas in a row, with the rest of those lovely wintery motifs of trees, stars, hearts and snowflakes.

Again, I stitched this on the brown 18 ct mono canvas, using 3-4 ply of DMC floss (and some sparkly thread for the snow and snowflakes). The orginal pattern probably had a lot of backstitching around all the santas, but I only backstitched where it was absolutely necessary, and let the thread colors define the santas. The dark brown background is left unstitched, because I like the vintage, rustic look...and I feel it lets the thread colors POP without creating any background distractions. (Of course, when you stitch this way and leave the background unstitched, you need to be careful not to lay threads across the back - or they will show through to the front.)

And here's another cross-stitch santa that I stitched as a needlepoint santa, and then hung to make a small Christmas banner:



These are just a few of the ways you can have fun with all those lovely cross-stitch Christmas designs by adapting them to needlepoint!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

Ho! Ho! Ho!

It's time to show off some of the stitched Santas in my collection.

I love to bring them out at Christmastime and remember how fun they were to stitch.

Here's another Pat Thode hand-painted canvas. They are so fun to stitch! And because they are small canvases, they stitch up quickly and you can enjoy them immediately. Because her canvases are "stitch painted" and have an attached stitch guide, you can be sure that every thread of the painted canvas is accounted for, and you'll be shown how to stitch EVERY thread.

If you want to try a small painted canvas, I'd definitely recommend trying one of Pat Thode's canvases. (She markets them under the label: "The Artists Collection".) She also designs many counted cross-stitch patterns under the name,"Heartstrings", so you can also find many of her santa designs done in cross-stitch too. My Mom just finished a Heartstrings santa design - and it's gorgeous!

I fell in love with Pat Thode's Santas after seeing them at my local needlework shop, The Regal Rabbit in Windsor, CA. The owner has several pieces finished in her shop. I particularly loved this santa:

She had it finished as a rectangular standup figure. I was smitten!
This design was one of Pat Thode's older limited edition Christmas santas. So I went home and searched the internet for anything I could find. And lo and behold! I found a cross-stitch store that had Pat Thode's pattern book for this very santa.
Of course I ordered it immediately, and stitched this santa by COUNTING it on the canvas...not as a painted canvas. It was a bit of a challenge...but I wanted it so bad, I was prepared to take the time to work it out. And I'm soooo glad I did!

I still have to attach a red felt bag (with treats) that Santa is holding in his lower hand....and I want to try finishing it myself as a rectangular standup figure.
(Just something else to do in my free time...ha, ha.)



And here's the most recent Pat Thode Santa I stitched this fall, called "The Juggling Santa."

And notice the background. I did something really daring on this one: Instead of stitching a background, I used colored pencils and colored the canvas around the santa. CAREFULLY, of course, so the pencils didn't get near the stitched stuff. I really like the effect, and think it gives it a lovely depth. Give it a try sometime...if you dare!

Deck The Halls!

Is your house decorated for the holidays?

What's the first thing you do to get your decorating started?

With me, it's putting up all the Christmas stitchery that I've done over the years.

Here's last year's addition to the collection: Pat Thode's 2006 Christmas Chalet.
It's a painted canvas, but I couldn't resist it, because....I LOVE HOUSES!! And I'm a sucker for any type of stitched house.

Here's a few of the other Christmas houses that I bring out for the season.

This is a really old (well, I did it in the 70's) counted canvaswork piece my sister and I call "THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE" because she first saw and stitched it when she was going to college in Southern California.

It's a design by Carol Costello, one of my all-time favorite designers. It's supposed to have tiny little dollhouse rooms stitched in each window, but by the time I got the house stitched, I was so eager to get it finished, I quickly stitched some Christmas motifs in each window, just to get it DONE. I love pulling it out every year; it's become an old favorite of mine.

And then here's another Pat Thode Christmas house...
I fell in love with this canvas a few years ago, and it was definitely a fun piece to stitch up. (It's sort of a companion piece to her Halloween House, if you're familiar with that canvas). If you ever want to try a painted canvas, just look for a Pat Thode canvas. Her Santas are wonderful (more on THEM later) and all her canvases come with a stitch guide to help you place all the stitches in just the right way.
My stitching friends urged me to try Pat Thode canvases....and they were right! They are lots of fun to stitch, and when you're done, you can enjoy looking at them for years to come.

Have fun decking your halls for the holidays, everyone!