The Creative Pixie

A couple of weeks ago I started a new cross stitch project, a house warming present for a friend. Emily is a school librarian and we both share a love of all things bookish, so I took this opportunity to create a cross stitch using a well known saying.

I had a hunt on Etsy for a modern pattern that I could download as I had a box full of different coloured threads already.

Several people that I follow on Instagram had mentioned the Plastic Little Covers shop. There are loads of modern designs but this is the one I chose for Emily’s present. It is a quote by Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women.

I actually purchased this pattern during the sale, along with 4 others, well it was too good an offer to refuse 🙂

It turned out that when I went through my stash, I couldn’t find a big enough piece of aida or a small hoop so I placed an order with Sew and So . In the meantime I chose the threads that best matched the design.

Sew and So were very prompt with their delivery so I was able to get started quickly.

My sister, Amy (@mama_sew_good) had recommended a plastic snap frame to hold aida taught while sewing. This little one is really easy to use and it does hold the fabric nice and flat.

The pink of the word turned really does pop.

My knitting took a back seat while I sewed this, and exactly one week after I sewed the first stitch I had finished! Here’s the finished design after I ironed out the creases.

I wanted to gift the cross stitch mounted and framed, I really wasn’t sure whether to go for a wooden or a black frame but then I found one that was ideal in Tesco of all places.

 

It’s  a beautiful design and I admit I did want to keep it for myself but I did set out to create this for my friend so that made it easier to give away (plus the fact that it only took me a week to sew means that I could sew it again if I wanted to).

It looks quite good here with some of my Penguin Clothbound Classics.

I gifted the cross stitch to my friend today and she was thrilled to receive it, turns out the threads are her colours and the frame will match her existing picture frames – win!

So now that’s done it’s back to the knitting for me, I have 3 WIP’s but am under no real pressure to get them finished soon. I’m just going to enjoy them and maybe do a bit of work on the look of my blog and podcast. I think that I should make blog posts and perhaps my podcasts a regular thing, just so that you know when to expect updates from myself…umm lots to think about and plan.

Tomorrow my sister is taking me out for a belated birthday afternoon tea so I’ll share some pictures of that on Instagram Stories if you follow me there.

Hope to catch up again soon.