Stitching Sunday: Cross stitch? Moi?

Never in a thousand years did I think I’d enjoy cross stitching. (I also never thought I’d be a Shawl Person, but you know what happened there...)

Apologies if you are an avid cross stitcher...I’d been jaded by the twee, flat, nondescript cross stitch I’d seen in the past. I wondered why on earth would anyone want to make a pixelated image when surface embroidery offers such a realistic alternative?

But then I went to the Knitting & Stitching Show last autumn, and I saw the beautiful designs on linen from the Cross Stitch Guild, and I understood that this was an artistic craft in its own right, with angles and depth and interest and colour.

Like so many creative interests, it’s all about finding what appeals to you...

So the past few months I’ve been investigating the Wide World of Cross Stitch, looking for projects and patterns that suit me. Good grief I love modern technology! Where once we were stuck with whatever we could find in town, now I can seek out elegant floral designs from France, amazingly delicate and sweet Japanese patterns, and extremely fun and funky cross stitch in the UK and US.

I made good progress on my dragonfly this week. I found the stitching so methodical and comforting in a week dominated by storms, viruses and general family mayhem. And the colours! The *sparkle*!  

Perhaps the best part is that this is a craft I can easily share with my girls. Bunny, age 10, was so keen to start work on her Frozen cross stitch, but the busy days leading to half term meant that she had to wait until this weekend to get it going...

But once she started, I had to prise her fingers away to send her to bed! She spent a long time sorting the various colours. She is still getting used to the tiny stitching and counting of the squares, and I can already see that, even with a little progress, she is finding comfort and patience with her project.

Someone who was decidedly impatient with this whole cross stitch business was Little Flower. She saw Mummy and Bunny stitching and decided she wanted to be part of the action...

So off to the local haberdashery we went, and she chose this simple panda needlework kit (because her big sister’s favourite animal is a panda), and off she went!

This project is fun because it has big yarn and a large needle for her tiny, 4-year-old hands, it uses just a half stitch, and it seems to fill up quickly. Of course we have multiple colours on the go, because after three stitches she wants to change colours...

But the strangest thing I’ve found is that the kit designed for the youngest stitcher has the worst instructions (if you can actually qualify a bit of illustration as “instruction”). Bunny’s kit from wee little stitches has much more detail, and my dragonfly kit from Floss & Mischief has a guide full of helpful tips and hints applicable to any cross stitch project.

Thankfully, I have found some wonderful blogs about cross stitching, which have been so helpful and inspiring these past few weeks. And I have been very motivated by what you’ve shared here on Stitching Sundays...I’ve discovered even more beautiful cross stitch patterns from the likes of Pretty Little Things in a Box, Jenn's Crafty World, The Crafter's Apprentice and Cathie's Craftworks. Thank you so much, and please keep linking up!

Um, I've committed myself to The Frosted Pumpkin's Once Upon a Time club...it is just so cute!

I have news on my embroidery and sewing projects that I want to share with you, but – can you believe it - 

the SUN is shining!

So we’re putting the needles away and getting out the boots – time to play outside!

Enjoy your day!

Chrissie x

An InLinkz Link-up

Nordic Shawl Ta-Dah!

Good morning, my lovely creative friends, and apologies for the delay in my Bloomin’ Crochet-A-Long post. But I just couldn’t write another blog post until this WIP was complete:

Ta-dah! Da dee dee dah! La dee dah! Yep, my pretty Nordic shawl has me singing with joy!

I spent yesterday afternoon weavi n g...i n...zzzzzz....

Oh, sorry, I drifted off - by the time I finished, the daylight was gone. 

How I would love to show you soothing images of me relaxing in my garden wearing this beautiful shawl...artistic, well-lit photos of this pastel item draped casually over the back of a garden swing...but this is England, this is February, this is the stormiest, greyest, wettest winter in ages. So...

Here is Little Flower, my sleepy little model, watching the rain in her pyjamas.

She loves this shawl; I might have to make a mini version for her!

I’ll keep it short n’ sweet today...I need to give my littlest sweetheart some cuddles. And I need to catch up with what you all are hooking for the CAL this week, too! Please link up below!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

xoxo Chrissie xoxo 

An InLinkz Link-up

Easy indulgence

Valentine’s Day is Friday? This Friday?

Oh dear, but it’s bucketing down with rain! I have a little one home from pre-school! I have 1,001 things that should have been done yesterday! There is no way I’ll be able to go browsing around the shops for a lovely little gift for Darling Husband...

Never fear, I have the absolute easiest chocolate truffle recipe *ever*, with storecupboard ingredients.

Take one large bar of chocolate (100g), either milk or dark; about 80ml of condensed milk; and a teeny splash of either vanilla or almond extract.

Optional ingredient: a few teaspoons of Cointreau, Amaretto or other liqueur.

Melt the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring gently once the chocolate starts melting, until you have a thick, creamy, smooth mixture (add a touch more condensed milk if chocolate is too thick, like dough).

Remove from heat and add any additional flavourings, then chill in the refrigerator for two hours.

Meanwhile, gather some coatings, such as these:

When the mixture is firm, scoop and roll into bite-sized balls, then coat decadently in preferred toppings

Chill until firm, then present lovingly to your sweetheart(s)! This recipe makes 10 truffles (okay, 11...but the cook must test one for quality control!). 

The children love the milk chocolate truffles, my oh-so-sophisticated palate prefers the dark chocolate...but what I love best about this recipe is that, surprisingly, the truffles aren’t overly sweet or too terribly rich. Very moreish! My mother made these at Christmas by the bucketful, and we gobbled them up! So of course I found another suitable holiday for indulgence...

Bon appetit, sweeties!

Chrissie x