Cross Stitch and Embroidery.

Hello!

So many things to do... and fells like I can't acomplish anything...
But I have a couple of cute things to share today.
A while ago I finished this little cross stitch ornament.

The pattern is from Happy Childhood Collection - Christmas Time by Perrette Samouiloff. You can get it here.
It's a pattern with several little designs, all very cute. I am working on something else using some more of Perrette's sweet little kids.
This was a very easy and fast ornament to stitch, and I love it! I chose to finish it as a simple little pillow, using a blue fabric.

My next finish is an embroidery  picture I made for Brenda.

You can get the pattern on Etsy. I added the words.
I love this design. So sweet and feminine. The frame was an old plastic one from the Thrifty Store.
Some spray paint, and it was like new.
Brenda is turning twelve this year, and we are getting some new things for her room. She still very much a little girl, but almost as tall as me.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Ana Paula.

Book Bag

Hello!

My last post was ages ago! Got too busy with the holidays, and some health issues.
Anyways, I decided to post a little something today.

This is the book bag I made for Brenda.
She loves to go to the library, and it was time for her to have her own bag. It has a pocket to put her library card. She just loves it!

Here is the detail of the embroidery. The pattern is from the WeeWonderfulls Book Club Stitchettes.
It's such a sweet set of nine designs, you buy the pdf and print at home.
I wanted to stitch this girl for Brenda so badly!  A perfect design for a book bag, don't you think?
I had a piece of turquoise corduroy laying around that was just the right amount for the job. So, what can be better? A gift made only using things that I already had.
Brenda wears it very proudly, she gets lots of compliments from the library ladies.
So, kind of crazy posting about  a Christmas present in February, but better late than never.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Ana Paula.

Handmade Gifts and a New Cross Stitch.

Hello!

Hope you are enjoying the nice weather!
Here in California is nice and today is the last day of school.
This month started sad with the passing of my husbands  grandmother. She was 93 years old. We are having a memorial for her next weekend.

With the end of the school year, Brenda wanted some gifts for her teachers, so I decided to do something different.
I wanted to make some embroidery framed on hoops, so I got the Book Club Stitchettes pattern set from Wee Wonderfuls.  Here how the little gifts turned out!

Miss Brenda loves them, hope the teachers like it too. I think now I need to make some for Brenda's room ... the designs are so cute!

Brenda just had her 10th birthday, and I made this reading pillow as a gift for her.
The pattern is from  Sew Liberated. 

We love this toadstool fabric! She will use this pillow  a lot this summer.
I also made this little owl bag set in crochet, as an early birthday gift. She wears it so proudly! I think it really turned out cute, besides my poor crochet skills.

I enjoy doing some gardening, even with a tiny space. It's good for the soul! Here are some of our flowers.

  

 

 

And finally, here is my new cross stitch i just started.  Chistmas Rules from Lizzie Kate. I love this pattern and wanted it badly, but it is an expensive one. Months ago, I was able to get a very good deal for the set of patterns on e-bay. I was going to try to stitch it on linen, but because I needed a big piece, I used some aida I already had. As you can see, I always need a magnifier to stitch now.

 

Hopefully, I will be able to finish it for Christmas.

I was able to get also the Halloween Rules set. I will make it next year.

Have a great weekend, and a wonderful Summer!

Ana Paula.

A Little English Cottage.

Hello! Hope you are all enjoying Spring!
We had a lovely Easter, but I was so busy that I forgot to take pictures.
But I took these ones of the resurrection garden we made this year.

This weekend I made a project that was on the planning for a long time.

A little English Cottage. Many years ago in Brazil, I had a magazine with the directions to make a tea cozy shaped like one of these charming little houses. I always wanted to make one, so I finally made a small version of it. I looked of lots of pictures of embroidery cottages, and this is what I came up with.
Now that I put the Easter decorations away, my cubby shelf is so empty. It's not easy to always  keep all the twenty 5x5 slots filled with seasonal items. I am always looking for cute little things that fit. The Cottage was made to fit. Perfect!

This was my second try. I really wanted hollyhocks by the door, but it did not worked out...I was not able to make them small enough. So, I decided for the climbing roses. Most of  the flowers are french knots, only the daisies are daisy stitch. I used wool felt for the roof, windows and door. For the back of the cottage I used a green print fabric.

I sew a little triangle on the two bottom corners, so it could stand. Sorry about the blurry picture.

The chimney is just a folded ribbon. The cottage measures 5x4 without the chimney.

 

I did the embroidery mostly at night watching TV. I think it was a good practice, since I am planning some bigger embroidery projects for the near future, and it was a long time since I had done any of this kind of embroidery.

I am very pleased with the result, it feels good when you make something that you wanted for so long, and it turns out just the way you imagined.

 

Have a good week, and may all your stitching dreams come true :) !

Ana Paula.