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Have to share...Baby Announcement (X stitch pics!!)

17 years ago

Thought I'd share this with you all. This is a piece of counted cross stitch I just finished for a dear friend of mine...took about 100 hours to work it. Of all things, the flowers on the lace edging took the most patience because you can't cross the thread behind the fabric or it shows through. Some of those stitches were one count only.

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Comments (26)

Vickey__MN
17 years ago
So Beautiful!!

Vickey-MN
wildchild
17 years ago
That is truly a work of art. I also love love love the traditional baby theme. Some the new age stuff and colors they come up with for babies these days leave me shaking my head.
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liz
17 years ago
What a wonderful gift you've given your friend...It is absolutely beautiful
tami_ohio
17 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! What a wonderful gift.

Tami
Mystical Manns
17 years ago
That is beautiful! I love the design and colors, it is certainly a keepsake that she will treasure always. Is the baby's name Jaxx? I like that!
grammahony
17 years ago
Beautiful work tally.
Leslie
lydia1959
17 years ago
Lots of work and love went into that! Great job!
bee0hio
17 years ago
Beautiful work! I hope your friend treasures all the work that you've put into this art. You're obviously a master.

I am curious how you handle the stitches on the back, when they are "only one count". Do you have a knot, or maybe 2 (beginning & end)? Otherwise, it doesn't look as if there is any place to "bury" the thread.
nodakgal
17 years ago
That is awesome Tally! You do wonderful work.
I used to do alot of cross stitch. Now I can't see worth a darn and my eyes can't focus after doing it!
sheesh
17 years ago
Gosh, tally, it's beautiful. Congratulations. I love to do counted cross stitch but can't come close to what you did! It's stunning. One hundred hours? Is that all?

May I ask where you got the pattern? Like beeohio, I, too, am curious about the back.
donna_loomis
17 years ago
That is stunning! And such a labor of love. I'm sure it will be cherished as such.
zeetera
17 years ago
My word that's gorgeous! Are you going to frame it too?
wanda_va
17 years ago
That is absolutely beautiful! I'm sure it will be treasured forever. Thanks for sharing.
happytime_ca
17 years ago
tally that is a piece of art, and will become a family heirloom for sure..
Tally
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks everyone! I had such fun doing this piece - it's the first I've done in about 15 years, and now I'm hooked again. I already have my next pattern - a Kinkaid piece called Lamplight Brooke I bought off Ebay.

Yes, Stoney, the baby's name is Jaxx. Cute, isn't it?

Bee, about the single stitches. If you look closely, the flowers (purple ones in pic 3 are easiest to see) have 3-4 light purple stitches and one dark purple. I do the light purple first then anchor the dark purple thread under a couple of those stitches, make the cross stitch and anchor it again.

Sometimes I run the thread under two stitches and then back it through one. And sometimes I'll bend the thread tail back underneath and work it under a second row. You do end up with a clump of thread at the back, but there's no getting around it when you are working in such a tight space with several colors. For backstitching, I'll run the thread underneath back along the previous stitches to get to another start point - like with the leaves and vine or the name and date. If I do have to run the thread across an empty space (no more than 2 squares) I'll try to run it diagonally so that it doesn't cross an open hole, which makes it more visible from the front. In a place with several colors I try to work the lighter colors first and then anchor the darker colors behind them, so the lighter colors "hide" the darker colors crossing behind them.

This piece was worked on Aida 14 cloth. You'll see the holes are fairly large, so knotting the thread isn't feasible as it would slip right through.

The pattern is called "Toy Shelf Birth Record" and it's by Dimensions. I bought it online from Joann.com

Thanks again for your kind words. I have to admit, I'm pretty pleased with the way this turned out.
alisande
17 years ago
Lovely work, Tally! You must have excellent eyesight. (And good taste!)
perdita
17 years ago
A very fortunate friend indeed. Your work is exquisite.
sheilajoyce_gw
17 years ago
Absolutely, stunningly gorgeous, and so sweet too. Are you going to frame it for them? I do so admire your talent!
susanjf_gw
17 years ago
i sure hope they enjoy it! that's awesome...

used to do work but i just can't get comfortable with my glasses so gave it up...

i need to get busy and make a baby blanket for latest dgc to be...but won't know colors for a while...
jennmonkey
17 years ago
It's beautiful. Will they frame it for a wall hanging?
Tally
Original Author
17 years ago
Yes, it will be framed but I'm leaving the framing up to them so they can pick the matting and frame.

It looks like this on the website:

{{!gwi}}
Zipper_TX
17 years ago
That's beautiful Tally, what a lovely gift!
jannie
17 years ago
Gorgeous!!! I've done both regular and counted cross stitch. SO much work! But yours is lovely!
taigen_gw
17 years ago
What an awesome gift..your work is amazing. It is something they can treasure always.
momrox4
17 years ago
Wow; that is truly gorgeous. As a cross-stitcher myself, I can appreciate all the work you put into that!
kathi_mdgd
17 years ago
From one stitcher to another,that's some gorgeous work.I also know all the work that went into it.What a great gift.
Kathi

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