Ho, Ho, Ho: New Miniature Holiday Quilts!

Hey, Stitchers: I've got some sweet new MINIATURE HOLIDAY QUILTS for you, and they look just like traditional American quilts with fun, festive centers:

 

 

I had so much fun stitching these cuties up -- I worked the set shown below on 18 ct. canvas in eggshell with the gold flecks.   What's fun about using the shimmery gold canvas is you don't really need to stitch the background because the canvas is so sparkly, it adds an extra elegance to the small quilts (and it also makes them faster to finish!)  As you can see below, I stitched two of the quilts WITH the quilted background and two of them WITHOUT the background, so you can see the different versions and decide which you like best....

And please note that I couldn't decide which color border I liked best - red or green - so I did two of each!  You can stitch all the quilts with one color border, or alternate them like I did.   I also couldn't decide if the little quilts would look better on 18 ct. (5" x 5") or 24 ct. Congress Cloth (3.75" x 3.75") so I stitched up one of the quilts on Congress Cloth just to see how cute they would look on the finer canvas:

For the smaller quilts, I used Gentle Arts Simply Shaker Sampler Threads, which gives them a slightly vintage look.  By the way, the pattern includes the complete thread list for either size of the miniature quilts, as well as a bead pack with red, green and gold seed beads.

Super cute, super fun, super easy!!!   And these quilts would also be great way to highlight a large holiday charm, button or bead in the center -- wouldn't that be eye-catching??

So if you're in the mood for stitching up some quick holiday pieces, you might want to add this new MINIATURE HOLIDAY QUILTS pattern to your stash.... Please visit my website to see the thread list and complete ordering information.

New Holiday Ornaments!

Due to the popularity of my previous HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS - Series 1 and 2, I decided I needed to create another fun set this year, called HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS, Series 3.

Each ornament design is 5" x 5" on 18 ct canvas (and 3.5" x 3.5" on 24 ct. Congress Cloth). I've stitched my models on the Santa Fe Sage green canvas, but really you can stitch them on any color (you'll stitch solidly on the canvas, so none of the canvas shows).  As you can see in the photo above, I stitched all four designs on one piece of canvas, but you can certainly stitch each one on a separate piece of canvas, or even in a vertical row, for a bellpull effect.

I also consider these cuties as "mix and match" designs, because you can switch out the colors of each border to suit your favorite look.  To show you how they look, I did two of the pieces in red pearl and red metallic borders, but if you prefer, you can stitch ALL four ornaments with a red and white border, for a matching look.  You can also switch out the inner patterns around the tree and stocking to red & white, green & white, or red & green - you choose!  And it sure would be fun to mix two packages with two ornaments in ONE design!  As you can tell, there's a bunch of ways to play with this design, and the stitches are all easy ones, so they really are fun to stitch up. 

MATERIALS NEEDED:  Watercolours 025 - "holiday" with DMC #5 304 (2 skeins), 890 (2 skeins), 3345 (1 sk), white (2 skeins)... along with YLI Ribbon Floss 148-021 (2 sk.) and 148-039 (2 sk.) - or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon 002 (3 spools) and 031 (3 spools).  Stitch on four pieces of 8" x 8" 18 ct. canvas or ONE LARGE piece of 14" x 14" canvas for all four designs.

UPDATE, as of Nov. 15th:  I've been able to edit my website today, so you CAN order this fun pattern off the website!  Go check it out!!

PLEASE NOTE -- If you're interested in adding these new designs to your holiday collection: my website is currently frozen in an older 2015 version, thanks to recent "updates" done by my website provider, and I can't edit/add new products. They're working on the problem, but I have NO idea when my website will return to normal.  Sooooo, if you want this new design: please email me with your order request, and I'll send you a custom PAYPAL invoice, and we can do business that way!
   
HAPPY FRIDAY, STITCHERS!

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!!

Fall Is In The Air

The hills and valleys of Sonoma County are ablaze with autumn color....

 Especially this week, everywhere you look the trees are bursting out in riotous colors...

Even the majestic old oaks are burnished in golds and yellow greens,

like this one I saw today when we went for our morning walk....

 Which reminded me to post this fun little Autumn ornament for you to stitch up

from threads in your stash:

Have fun with this cutie...

and Happy Fall Friday, Everyone!

Oh, Lovely Summer Days!

Today we had cool foggy morning, burning off to blue skies with none of the hazy smoke from northern fires.  The blue skies make me think of a favorite quilt design I created several years ago, for a store that requested a design that used a piece of rectangular canvas (for the leftover strip of canvas stores get from cutting many squares).  That design is called SUMMER DAYS, and looks like this:

I loved working with the variegated Watercolours 214 - "St. Tropez" because of it's muted blues, aquas and yellows.  I've always think it has a very French Provincial look, n'est pas??

And this was one of the first designs I used a "shiny" rayon Ribbon Floss in the background areas, to give it a different look and texture.  Here's an up-close look at the rest of the fun borders I enjoyed stitching around the central blocks:

Looking at this happy piece gave me the idea of quickly graphing a small freebie project for you today that uses the classic star block, as seen in the quilt above.... then adding a fun little border around it.  I'm calling it  A LITTLE SUMMER FUN:

I've graphed it in a fun red, white and blue color scheme, but you can use any handful of threads you want to play around with.  And I've given you two different border treatments to choose from: a striped one or a wavy one.  I've put them both in the graph, but you can just pick your favorite and stitch it on all four sides. Also, although I've graphed the borders in red and white, you could also stitch the red sections with your variegated thread, to spread the color out from the center motif and to give it a more monochromatic look....

Anyway, I hope this fun little project puts a smile on your face and helps you enjoy your own sweet summer days.   And, HAPPY FRIDAY!

A Little Free Friday Fun

Happy Friday, Stitchers!

I thought I'd surprise you with a fun new freebie design

 you can use with bits and pieces from your stash. 

I call it LITTLE FLOWER BASKET #1

(and yeah, I'll be sharing others as I have time to whip up the graphs!).

   

 Anyway, this little cutie can be worked on 18 ct. canvas with #5 pearl cottons

and the design will be approximately 3.5" x 3.5".

If you want to stitch it on 24 ct. Congress Cloth with 3-4 stranded silks or cottons,

your design size will be approximately 2.5" x 2.5". 

I've graphed it with a minimum of threads, but feel free to play around with it --

stitch some variegated colors in the flowers or basket; add more beads

in all the flower centers; place a fancy charm or button on the center flower;

tie a small bow at the top of the basket; or work on colored canvas and omit all

 the ecru background stitches (super fast stitching!).

This would be a fast and easy hand-held project for those lazy summer days of 

sitting by the lake or beach, chatting with friends, or watching golf or a baseball game...

HAVE FUN

AND

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER DAYS!

Egging You On...

Are you getting into that springtime Eastery mood yet?
I think springy stitching projects are the best mood-lifters after a long grey winter,
and I'm always in the mood to work on something with soft spring colors,
 like this LONG SPRING PANEL:

  
But around Easter it's really fun to stitch up some eggs, like these 4.5" x 5.25"
 EASTER EGG ORNAMENTS:

And if you REALLY like Easter eggs, how about this large BARGELLO EGG:

Go visit my website and take your pick....
 then get to work stitching some Eastery surprises for your friends and family!
Happy Friday!

Sweet Treats

 Oh, YUM....

Are you in the mood to stitch up some sweet treats for yourself or someone you love?

Then please  check out my new counted canvaswork pattern, called VALENTINE ORNAMENTS, that I just added to my website today:

These guys are CUTE!!

They are four little valentines (4.75" x 4.75" on 18 ct. canvas; 3.5" x 3.5" on 24 Ct. Congress Cloth) that are especially sweet to stitch up and enjoy.  

As you can see, I stitched two of them on the old-fashioned brown canvas and two of them on the snazzy red canvas, just cuz I couldn't decide which background color I liked best....(and besides, how often do you have a reason to stitch on red canvas?!?)

And, because I couldn't decide which background stitch I liked better, I stitched two of them with a simple Four-Way Stitch (as the top photo shows) and two of them with a richer, more textured background (shown below).  So you can decide which way you'd like to stitch your ornaments!

And you can also decide if you want to stitch individual valentines, or work them in a vertical row for a bellpull - or in a horizontal row for a fun framed project  -  or maybe in a square, for a pillow - sheesh, there's a lot of stitchin' potential with these guys!  (I'm tempted to stitch them up in other colors, too... maybe in hot pinks? lush lavenders? springy pastels? creams & golds? what colors sing for you??)

Any way you decide to work them, these four designs are very fun to stitch up.....

So, if you need a special little treat for yourself this February, please check out my new

VALENTINE ORNAMENTS over on my website.

HAPPY FRIDAY, Everyone!

An Egg-cellent New Design!

I've been busy working on a special Easter design, and now it's ready to share with you: EASTER EGG ORNAMENTS!  

Here are what the four egg ornaments look like:

I've designed FOUR different eggs.... with FOUR different borders.... and the pattern lists FOUR different colorways: pink, aqua, coral and lilac.  I really couldn't decide which color I liked best, so I stitched up one of each, to show them all.   And I also wanted you to see that they can be worked on any pastel color of canvas you want as well.  So let me tell you, this is one versatile pattern!!

They were very fun to stitch up, working small areas of different stitches kept things interesting and moved along very quickly.

Here's a close-up of the coral version:

.
 the aqua version:

the pink version:

 and the lilac version:

Again, there are sooooo many different ways you can stitch these eggs up.... You can work all the eggs in one colorway; or stitch all the eggs with the same border pattern.  You can do them individually, or work them in a long panel for a bellpull.  You can set them side by side, in a foursome, for a lovely pillow top.  I think I might finish one of them as a square "stand up" so I can put it on my mantle!  

So if you're getting into the mood for some springy stitching, check out these egg ornaments on my website!

Mini Mystery Monday, February, pt. 2

Happy Presidents' Day Weekend, Stitchers!  I hope you've found some extra stitching time today!
Right now, we're going to finish up this little cutie with some fun stitches, so let's get to it...

Did you wonder if there would be a place for hearts in this month's mystery?  Oh, yeah....
Well, here they are in the quarter graph:

Time to add a few rows of satin stitch hearts.  I've alternated the rows by color, but you can alternate the colors within each row if you want.... or you can even try padding some of the hearts by laying a few under-stitches going in the opposite direction, then putting the final diagonal stitches on top, as shown above. 

Add the small smyrna crosses in the crooks of the zig zag rows using 1 strand of your metallic thread. And finally, work another layer of the "fan" stitches around the center diamond area, using 1 strand of your metallic thread, and stitching in every other empty hole that remains on your canvas. 

And pssst, if you want a preview of how the whole piece looks, here's the full graph for you:

When you get all your stitching done, you can add as many (or as few) beads as you want.
And, hey.... how about adding a sweet fimo heart or porcelain heart button in the center -- wouldn't that make an extra-special valentine surprise?!?

So, TA DA, there's this month's short and sweet mystery piece. This would definitely be fun to try on different colored canvases in all sorts of colorways (how about pale pinks or creams? or pastel colors, so it looks like those fun candy hearts?), or maybe on plain white canvas, using all red threads.... However you stitch it, have fun playing with it!!

Mini Mystery Monday, A February Valentine, pt. 1

Here's a little ornament that can be stitched quickly (there will only be two parts to this design) so you can have it finished by next week -- easy peasy!

You'll need just a few threads:
-  a variegated Watercolours thread (pick something valentiney);
-  a #5 pearl cotton solid color that is dark (for the borders);
-  two #5 pearl cotton solid colors that are accent colors - one medium and one light;
-  a metallic thread that matches the medium accent color (it can be a ribbon metallic like Ribbon Floss, Neon Rays+, Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon or a braid like Kreinik #8 Braid);
-  an 8" x 8" piece of canvas - white, eggshell, or any other color you want to play with (you'll see  some of the background when you're done stitching). 

Here's the beginning graph to follow, and again, it's a quarter graph so you can stitch the first quadrant, as shown below, and then turn the graph around to stitch each of the remaining quadrants.

To start stitching, make a hole in the center of your canvas, and then count up 20 threads, to stitch the first diagonal row of triangles (shown in red).  Once you have that first row in place, you can use it to stitch the remaining rows on the graph.

It's much easier to get that first row of triangles in place BEFORE STITCHING THE CENTER EYELET FAN.  Trust me, you want to leave that big center eyelet diamond until LAST.... it's much easier to fill it in AFTER the other rows are in place.  If you want, wait until next week, when the rest of the graph will appear, and you can stitch everything else, before finishing with the center space.

An by the way, when you do stitch the eyelet, place all your stitches going DOWN into the center hole (which you should enlarge as much as possible, because there are going to be a LOT of threads going down into the hole - this graph just shows the first layer!)  And your first stitch should be the VERTICAL ONE.  Then go in every other hole. All the way around the diamond-shaped center. 

Well, go run and get some threads and a piece of canvas.... you'll have this one done in no time at all!  See you next Monday....

Mini Mystery Monday, January pt. 3

Just a few more stitches and we'll be done with this month's mystery piece, so let's get started!

All that remains to be done is fill in the area between the zig zag rows.  Here's the next graph for you to follow, showing three possible options:

And again, you can see that I've selected three different filling stitches you can choose from.

Option A is the simplest; lay whichever thread you want (the fatter metallic ribbon is a good choice), then couch it down with a few straight stitches done with the thin #8 Braid metallic, or even your dark pearl cotton color.

Option B is another fast and easy filling; just lay a trio of diagonal stitches in the zig zag space and cover the intersections with a metallic straight stitch.

Option C is the more complex filling, but it's not hard; it's a wonky, "stretched" cross stitch that fills the space and is then tied down at the middle with a small metallic stitch.  Here's what that Stretched Tied Cross looks like up close:

It's a strange stitch in that it's three stitches covering a four-holed area, but somehow it works.  It looks especially good using the fatter metallic ribbon, tied down with the #8 Braid.  The fatter ribbon thread covers a multitude of sins, so if you get your stitches in the wrong holes it's OKAY... the stitches cover the space just fine, no matter where your three long stitches are placed.

After you fill all your zig zag rows, all that's left to do is add some beads. Again, you can decide how many or what type of beads you want on your piece.  As the larger graph above shows, I've placed beads at the points where the snowflake/star tips touch.  If you stitched the Eyelet Stars, you can also add larger beads in those holes, to alternate with smaller beads at the star intersections.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this Mini Mystery piece.  It's a very versatile ornament and would be fun to stitch in lots of different colors and threads.  Please experiment with different stitch combinations as well.... I'll bet you'll come up with lots of great ornaments using this one design!

Mini Mystery Monday, January, pt. 2

I hope you have your foundation work done for this cute ornament, because now we're going to fill in those empty diamond shapes with some fun starry/snowflake elements.  AND, you'll have some creative decisions to make over what type of snowflake/stars you want on your ornament.

Here's the next graph for you to work from:

I've chosen some simple Rhodes Stars for my starry snowflake elements, to give you some idea of how the alternating colors will look.

A second option is to make Eyelet Stars, where each arm/stitch goes DOWN into the center hole, thereby creating a hole that is an excellent place to add a bead later.

The third option is to make a complete Rhodes Star, where each hole is filled, and thereby creates a really fat/full diamond shape.

Here's a detail graph of the three different kinds of snowflake/star elements you can use:

Option A is the Eyelet Star, with a center hole  that can be left empty or filled with a big bead.
Option B is a "light" version of a Rhodes Star, which creates an airy feel to the space.
Option C is the "full" version of a Rhodes Star, where every hole is filled and creates a nice plump star.  When worked with the flat metallic ribbon, the finished raised shape adds great texture, and a whole row of these beauties is very eye-catching.

All three versions cover an 8 x 8 thread diamond shape.  And of course, you can alternate the different types of snowflake stars if you want, and also alternate the colors and thread types as well.... so go ahead and mix & match to your creative heart's delight!

Next Monday we'll finish up with the final filler element, and guess what?... you'll have some more creative choices to make then, too!    See ya then, Mystery Stitchers.

Mini Mystery Monday, January 2013

Well it's almost the start of a New Year, so doesn't it seem like a good time to start another small mystery piece that will kick off our new stitching year? 

To get in the proper mood, let's think about January and the winter season....  What colors do you associate with winter?  What colors make you think of swirling snow and chilly skies?  Okay... now go to your stash and grab a handful of threads that give you a feel for this time of year, and be sure to pick:

- one variegated #5 pearl cotton
- one dark (or medium) solid color #5 pearl cotton
- one metallic ribbon thread that matches your variegated thread
- one thin metallic, like Kreinik #8 Braid, in a base metal color (silver, gold, copper, etc.)
- a 7" x 7" piece of 18 ct. mono canvas in any color you want to play with

[Pssst": the finished piece will be stitched "on point" (in a diamond shape) and will end up as a 6" by 6" design.]

And here's your first graph, which is a quarter graph that only shows one quadrant of the design:

First things first!  Find your center point of your canvas and make a tiny hole as a visual reference point, using your needle tip (you'll cover it up later when you add more elements).

From there, begin working the zig zag rows with 1 ply of the 3-ply variegated #5 pearl cotton, making Straight Stitches that go over 4 canvas threads. Remember to skip the right number of threads between each row, as indicated in the graph.  Easy peasy, right?  (And remember: turn the graph around to complete the other three sections of this design.)

Once you have the zig zag rows stitched (or at least the first quadrant) you can start to add the outer border.  I've shown you this border before (in one of our fall 2012 mystery pieces) and I think it's really fun to create.  I call it my "Woven Border."  Start by laying the long diagonal stitches, using 1 strand of your dark pearl cotton, like this:

Then add the rest of the horizontal trios, so it looks like this:

Lastly, add the remaining "woven" stitches, with the trios of vertical stitches on top:

Continue working the other three sides of your border, turning the graph around to match your canvas area as you stitch.  Now if you get your foundation pattern in place and the outer border done, you'll be ready for next Monday when we'll start filling in with fast, fun elements that add some sparkle and zing!

 See ya then.... and have a Happy New Year's Eve tonight! 

Mini Mystery Monday, November finish

Now that you have the foundation work completed on your November piece, it's time for the fun stuff: adding the final touches that really make this ornament special.

Here's the final November graph for you to use:

And here's the up-close graphs for the acorn and leaf elements you can work in the boxes:

You can choose to work both of these elements, as the graph shows..... or, you can pick just one of the elements (either the acorn or leaf) and stitch them in both boxes.  (FYI: Turn your leaf graph around, so the second leaf goes in the opposite direction.)   Just an idea: You could also attach seasonal buttons in those open spaces, if you'd like something a bit more dimensional and fast!

And Ho, Ho, Ho!  For an extra treat, I've graphed a few simple holiday elements that can be substituted in those box spaces, if you would like to re-stitch the design in festive holiday colors:

How's that for a truly multi-purpose ornament, that's easy to stitch, and fun to use up odds and ends of threads?!

By the way, here's how my model turned out, with both elements in place (it has a sort of rustic sampler look to it, doesn't it?):

You'll see that I used metallic french knots in place of gold beads -- either beads or knots can be used to finish your piece.  You might also notice on my outer border areas, where the two patchwork sections meet, I laid a gold straight stitch, to separate the different patterns.  I thought it looked more "patchworky" that way, but please use your own judgement for how you'd like to finish YOUR PIECE.

I hope you've enjoyed stitching this one; there are soooo many different ways you can change this design, I'm sure you'll have fun playing around with it, and whipping out a few gift ornaments, if you're so inclined.

See you on another Monday......

Counted Jewels

Just a few weeks ago I got the idea to create a new set of holiday ornaments for this season.  This time, instead of using traditional quilt blocks for inspiration, I focused on pure geometric designs, using very basic kinds of stitches and this is what I came up with:

I'm calling this set of four designs "JEWEL ORNAMENTS", since each one has a topaz Swarovski crystal in the center, plus a handful of other gold beads for extra glitz and holiday glamor!  (Trust me, these photos don't do justice to the vibrant color and  sparkle of these pieces...and the Swarovski crystal is a deep rich gold that - try as I might - simply won't show up on the scanned photo.)

Since my other two HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS patterns used the traditional red and green colorways, I really wanted to stitch other colors, so I chose a slightly different mix of fuchsia (or cranberry, if you prefer) with a touch of lime green.  Here's what one of the ornaments looks like up close:

And here's the traditional red and green version stitched up as well, which is equally sparkly and festive:

Because they are all stitched "on point" they measure 6" x 6" at the widest point.  Also included in the pattern is a set of four different borders that you can stitch around the diamond shapes, to turn them into 6" x 6" squares.  Which would make terrific projects for box or pillow inserts. 

I enjoyed stitching all of these models because they were so fast and fun to work up. (Ahem, great TV projects, don't you know....)  Really nothing too difficult here, and seeing all the colors and metallics come alive on such a small canvas makes for a very pleasurable stitching experience!

The pattern lists the threads for both colorways (fuchsia & lime or red & green) and as always, you can certainly mix & match your own colors and use these ornaments as decorations for other seasons besides Christmas...

If you're itching to start a fast and fun holiday project to get you in the mood for the holidays, please check out my new JEWEL ORNAMENTS on my website at Laura J. Perin Designs.

Mini Mystery Monday for November, pt. 1

It's time for another mystery piece, and this time it's sort of a mini sampler that celebrates the season....

Grab a handful of threads in fall colors:
   - a variegated Watercolours that has your favorite fall colors
 (you'll only need 4 or 5 of the 3-ply strands; I used a bit of Watercolours  285, "Sherwood Forest")
   - a dark color #5 pearl cotton for the borders
 (try medium-to-dark greens or browns; I used green DMC 3345)
   - a bright color #5 pearl cotton that reminds you of fall leaves (I used rusty orange DMC 920)
   - two #5 pearl cottons that are a nutty brown - one light and one dark
(just a strand or two of each is all you'll need, and not until the final lesson, so there's no hurry on that one!)
   - a Kreinik #8 Braid in your favorite gold (I used 002HL)
   - a piece of 8" x 8" 18 ct. canvas in sandstone or tan or eggshell is fine, too.

Here's the first graph for you to start your stitching:

From the center of your canvas, start stitching the Large Cross variations, using 1 ply of your variegated Watercolours.  Work outwards until you reach the narrow border lines, then stitch those with 1 strand of your border color #5 pearl cotton.  

Work the remainder of the Large Cross sections, and then start on your wide outer borders.   You can go back and add the gold squares in all the border intersections, using 1 strand of your Kreinik #8 Braid.

Here's an up-close graph of those Large Cross variations (I don't know what else to call them!):

These are rather odd stitches, in that the large cross goes over 5 x 5 threads, then you add pairs of straight stitches on top.  What I like about this composite stitch is how "bumpy" it is.  It creates an interesting texture when you fill a larger area, and they remind me of little raised "buttons" on the canvas.  Go ahead and stitch a few, and see what you think....

Next Monday we'll add some more color and texture and little by little, this design will start to POP!
(Trust me, this is a really fun one to stitch up and there will be several interesting options for you to play with down the road...and when you get further along, you'll be saying, "oh yeah, this is definitely a Novembery piece...")    See ya next time!!