150 followers free chart

150 followers!  Wow!  Well, it's actually 152 as I type.  I thought I'd hit this number after the next IHSW but not so soon.  I wonder how many of the original 50 followers are still reading?  I know plenty still comment so that's all good.

I thought I'd give everyone a little something this time round.  I am proud to present my very first ever freebie chart!  It is very homespun, eg handdrawn on graph paper and scanned.  I hope the little squares show up okay when if you print it out.  The design is based on a poster I drew for our school's Christmas Craft Fayre last year.  Each year the PTA have to organise two major fundraising events and I'm in charge of letters and posters.  I have to draw a poster which children from age 3 to 11 can colour in.  Not a simple task!  There must be enough written information but not too much.  When I drew last year's I thought "that would make a nice chart" so here it is:

I've put my blog on the bottom because I download lots of free charts and get cross with myself when I don't note down where they came from.  And because I'm a shameless self-publicist!  How else did I get 150 followers in such a short amount of time?!!

I'd be absolutely over the moon if someone actually stitched this design and sent me a picture.  I might even send you something!  The idea is that you can choose any colours you like, you can put patterns on the parcels, you could even bs the ribbons so they aren't so blocky.  I think it would look good with blackwork on the parcels.   The round parcel would look good in a metallic too.  Let your imagination have free rein.  That DMC memory wire stuff would make good ribbons too...

As always I try to return following but not everyone's following profile points to their blog.  So leave a comment and I'll find you that way.

Last night I stitched a small amount on the neglected Tree of Stitches.  It got put away in favour of the Dark Alphabet then I got obsessed by My Lovely Sewing Tools.  Anyway I will be stitching it every week from now on and hope to finish by Christmas.  Here's a reminder of what it looks like (the Norwich stitches aren't finished, they need their top weaves done.

I have also found this great Laura Perin Mini Mystery Monday.  Laura is known as The Two-Handed Stitcher and produces beautiful work mainly on canvas.  She is putting out a small part of this design each Monday.  My Mum gave me some strange material earlier this year, she wasn't sure what it is or where it came from.  It's a hard open fabric with a count of 21 to the inch.  Anyway it seems to be good for Laura's project.  The coverage is interesting as Laura recommends DMC Perle 5 which I don't have so I experimenting with what I do have!  Some random unlabelled variegated purple which is perfect and some DMC with various strands, either 4 or 2 depending on what I feel like.  The green is Madeira which I got free from somewhere or other.  I'm not a Madeira person but I'm using all 6 strands without separating them first and it's covering very nicely.


Part 1



Part 2

 Part 2 was scanned, I'm not so happy with the gold coverage.  I may have to redo those Rhodes stitches.  The trouble is I cut the ends too short and they're starting to unwind themselves!  There isn't so much to anchor them on the back as there is with cross stitching.  Different techniques call for different methods!

Madame Muriel will be returning to the blog again with some more myths to bust.  Thanks to everyone who has mentioned one so far, keep them coming.  They make me laugh and she enjoys being an investigative granny (it makes her feel like Miss Marple).

Finally I am working hard on Christmas cards which you can't see until the recipients have received them.