Country Garden Stitchery

This little pumpkin square pattern was in the October 2010 Create and Decorate issue and I stitched mine with Gentle Art Sampler Wool flosses. It was the first time I used the wool flosses and they were really fun to work with. Gail Mumford stitched the design her own way on a dish cloth using varigated wool and a half cross stitch. I thought it was really neat and wanted to post it. Our local art group, Sagebrush Sisters, is getting ready for our annual Christmas Fair in December. We decided to make grapevine wreaths to sell. I decided to do a natural wreath - I did add a few little golden colored bells and raffia- but otherwise it's all natural. It was a really fun project. I'll display it for a while in my house before the fair.

The new issue of Create and Decorate is out and it is full of pumpkins, one of my very favorite things. Very cute designs of many varieties. I have a little pumpkin cross stitch pattern in here using Gentle Art Sampler wool threads that were really fun to work with. It was the first time I'd used their wool. I hope you like the issue. Some of my autumn designs with pumpkins and purple shades. I don't design too many samplers, there are so many lovely sampler designs out there already to choose from, but I have a couple I've done. This is one of a set called "Jewels" with a seasonal theme and this is "Autumn Jewels". This pattern uses all DMC floss on linen fabric. I may have featured this one before, but it is one of my favorites so I wanted to include it again. It uses Gentle Art Sampler flosses also and some sparkly orange Kreinik blending filament this is really fun to use. Some autumn stitching inspiration for you!

I decided to make a table runner for Halloween using my black pumpkin cross stitch pattern (available in my Etsy Store :). I made some quilt blocks out of coordinating fabrics to form the runner. I made a nine patch quilt block out of 2" blocks and a strip quilt block out of 1 1/2" strips. I trimmed them to the same size then cut the cross stitch design to the same size. Cut three other pieces of Halloween theme fabrics to go with the quilt blocks and the design. Sew them together using a 1/4" seam placing the design second from the left. Press the seams to one side and press from the front so the fabrics relaxed without puckers and folds. Cut two long pieces for the top and bottom measuring 2" wide and the same length as the main piece. Sew them on with a 1/4" seam. Cut another two pieces for the top and bottom 2 1/2" wide and the same length and sew them on using a 1/4" seam. Cut two pieces the 2 1/2" wide and the sa...