Floral Border

Here's a little something new. It has been ages since I did any design work, but I recently found this rattling around in my brain. It's a nice floral border pattern. That's right; it's asymmetrical! I really enjoyed creating this one and used it for a small sampler. I can't give you the layout for the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, as it is a copyrighted font from PCStitch, but it's such a versatile border, I'm sure you'll find a number of ways to use these whimsical vines.

Click here for the pattern

Thanks for the photos!

I got two very special emails recently. 

Elaine Sweet sent photos of cards she had made from Wyrdbyrd Designs. I love the bead work!

Michelene Gublin used one of the same patterns to fashion an ornament. The bell is charming!

Thank you, Ladies, for your incredible ideas and for sharing the finished products! 

I see colors: Peacock Feathers

I started out with a forest in mind: very dark mahogany (DMC 300) with very dark turquoise (DMC3809). But once it was stitched, rather than leaves, I saw peacock feathers. So I added a flourish with royal blue (DMC 797) and French knots of very dark shell pink (DMC 208). I am very happy with the results.

I intended to make a diamond ornament, but stitched the margin too close to the design. Thus the ragged edge.

I think it will look amazing in reds, oranges and yellows. Next time.

I See Colors!

If you frequent my blog, you know I see patterns in black and white. I normally stitch them in black and white (or monotone), too. 

But this one's different.

As I was crafting the pattern, I saw orange flames one minute; verdant green forests the next. I saw rainbows, pastels, and jewel tones. I think this is one of my favorite patterns and I can't wait to stitch it myself.  

Oh, that's another thing; I normally stitch all my patterns before sharing them with you. But I couldn't wait with this pretty chart. So pick your colors and have some fun! Click on the pattern to save the jPeg.

And when you're done, SEND PICS! jeannedansby@att.net

Imaginesque

I took to surfing the internet not long ago and came across a most amazing blog: Imaginesque. Jack London once said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." And C.J., the mysterious author of this amazing blog does just that.

Using simple motifs as building blocks, C.J. shows us step-by-step ways we can create our own blackwork and embroidery masterpieces. Biscornus, fill patterns, and border patterns have opened my mind to a new world of possibilities. 

More than 280 posts fascinate and inspire. One of my favorites is "Blackwork Floral Biscornu Pincushion Pattern Variation" (May 20, 2012): 

I love the shape of the leaves in this floral motif.

C.J. also offers friendship bracelet patterns and there's a nifty little blog on bookbinding.

Oh yeah! And all the patterns are free!

So go take a look, get inspired, and start stitching at Imaginesque

Spring Bloom

It's really happening. Spring is on the way! To celebrate, I give you Spring Bloom:

I stitched this one with two threads, the design inside the petals is stitched with a single thread. French knots in the corners add a bit of whimsy. Click here for the pattern.

Snowflake Fill

Snowflakes are a great motif for repeating patterns. This snowflake is a nice size for ornaments or borders.  Click here for pattern

Happy Stitching!

And Happy New Year!

For Peace, For Hope, For You

I thought about writing an essay about the tragedies that have recently captured the news, about the hardships so many face, but I can't. I just don't have the energy. So rather than blather on, I give you this free pattern. Enjoy it, send pics, and find peace, hope, and solace in the thread. Be blessed, dear readers.

There is no copyright on this design. It is open domain.

Faces

Not much time lately for designing, stitching or blogging, though I will admit that I've been quite taken with the iPod Touch I won at a recent company gathering. Much like the iPad, but, of course, smaller and easier to carry around. And yes, I do have access to some of my patterns through Dropbox.

However, this post is not about iPods or Dropbox. It's about my new pattern to you: Faces.

Still small, still symmetrical, but a little different from my more 'architectural' designs. My friend, Maria, stitched it a few times, each time using different colors and thicknesses. The effects were quite interesting:

Stitched with two threads

Single thread

Colors

My version on evenweave

I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I have discovered a new perspective and I am eager to see where it takes me. Click here for the free pattern. 

All you need is love. And a rainbow.

Busy, busy, busy! The job has me on my toes and I'm just starting to get the hang of things. But I have not forgotten you. I do, on occasion, get a chance to play with another new iPad app: StitchSketch by KG-Chart. It's a nifty little app for small charts (less than 64 stitches). Great for cross stitch and bead charting, but no back stitch or outline capabilities. Super easy to use and exports PDF patterns.

I came up with a cross stitch chart I would like to share with you: click here.

Rainbow

Enjoy!

Hello again!

Life is what happens when you're busy making plans. Once again, my role in life has changed. As much as I have loved being a homemaker, I am excited to return to the work world as a freelance virtual assistant. I love doing the work; it's the best of both worlds.

While I've been busy setting up a new office, I still find time in the evening to enjoy stitching. I just came up with a new free pattern I think you might like: Summer Breeze.

Summer Breeze

Happy stitching!

Love Letter

For you, dear readers, I present, Love Letter. I fell in love with this pattern as I worked it, changing colors, changing moods, until finally it felt right. This is a special "Thank You" to you all for your support and patronage. I don't know which pleases me more, creating and stitching the designs, or sharing them. At any rate, this is my belated Valentine's Day gift to you.

Visit the Cross Stitch Smalls page for your free pattern

New Free Pattern

I've been having so much fun with colored pencils on blackwork that I came up with a pattern especially for the method:

Star Window is a small, simple pattern that is easy to stitch and fun to color.

You'll find it on the Blackwork Smalls page.


I also pulled a bunch of samples from my stitching box and have transformed them using colored pencils. I have learned a few things along the way:

1) Don't overdo the color. Many pieces can get weighed down and look muddy with too much color.

Just a hint of color makes the facets of Snowflake Mandala pop!

2) Dampen the cloth, then roll it in a towel to remove excess moisture. A slightly damp canvas makes the color more vibrant. Be careful not to get it too wet; the colors can and will bleed if you're not careful.

I didn't like this pattern at all when I first designed it.
The bright colors have given a boring and clinical -looking
pattern a lively new look.

3) Keep the pencils sharp. Or not. It depends.

A dampened, duller pencil is great for filling in larger areas,
but as you can see, a fine point is needed to get the color
into the nooks and crannies.

4) It's okay to blend colors. In fact, it can lead to some exciting effects.

I was unhappy with the blue I had chosen for the small balls;
they were too bright for the green and gray. I colored over them
with the gray and got a fascinating patina. It wasn't so successful
with the purple, but I think that I used too heavy a hand with the
purple to begin with.

5) You may need a second coat.

After the first coat. Look at the first photo again and
you can see how much I missed. 

6) Keep a Tide Stain Stick handy. I got a smudge of color in the wrong spot and the Tide Stain Stick saved the day!

I'm contemplating using some sort of finish in addition to heat-setting the color. Something to protect it from the elements. Any ideas? Let me know.

Thrift store find

I'm a fool for a good thrift store. I love uncovering a bargain, finding useful items, and scoring big on those occasional designer clothes with $4 price tags.

Last weekend, I did a little thrift-shopping and came across a collection of fabric-painting hoops. I thought they'd be perfect for displaying my stitched designs. I snatched up the entire inventory.

It wasn't until I got home that I thought of actually using them for their intended purpose...

Wanna have some fun? Grab your colored pencils and get to it! This simple blackwork pattern (you can find it on the "Blackwork Smalls" page) came to life when I used colored pencils:

Dry pencil gave me a pretty, almost pastel appearance.

When I dipped the tip of the pencil in water, the colors became much more vibrant:

Once I completed the coloring, I set the colors by placing a paper towel over the design and pressing it with a hot, dry iron for 30 seconds. It seemed to work fairly well with a practice piece, though I would not recommend this method for cloth that will be washed frequently.

It makes a great ornament and it's a quick and easy way to give your blackwork some amazing color.

Using Metallic Floss

Metallic thread is a must for holiday stitching. It's a fun way to make your needlework sparkle.

If you haven't used metallics before, now is a great time to start. Don't be nervous; it takes a little practice and patience, but if you follow my guidelines, you'll find it's a lot easier than you think.

1) Keep the thread length short--about 12 inches.

2) Use a size 24 needle. Smaller needles can cause extensive fraying.
3) Condition the thread with Thread Heaven or beeswax.

4) If using two strands, thread the needle with a single thread folded in half. Make a slipknot at the head of the needle. If using a single thread, keep the tail short.

45 The needle will cut at the thread and cause it to fray. To reduce that effect, as soon as you have the needle through the fabric, let go of the needle and pull the thread through. Not only does it put less tension on the thread, it also keeps the thread from twisting.

6) Try to keep the thread from rubbing too much against the fabric. Friction against the fabric will weaken the thread and start fraying. Pull straight through the hole.

7) Good tension is essential. I recommend a laying tool or trolley needle to help make the threads lie flat so they can reflect the most light. Pulling too tight can cause kinks (especially in DMC Light Effects) and will kill the sparkle, too.

My favorite metallics for blackwork are Kreinik braid and blending filaments. DMC Light Effects is nice for cross stitch. 

Give it a try and see what magic you can create with metallic thread!

A little Christmas cheer

I was going through a box of goodies I've stitched over the years and found this little cutie:

"Four Christmas Trees"

I call it "Four Christmas Trees". It's ideal for a diamond ornament or biscornu. 

"Four Christmas Trees" back

I have to be honest, I really can't remember if it's one of my designs or a free design from the Internet. If you are the creator of this design, please contact me. I have no desire to step on anyone's copyright. You can find the pattern on my Blackwork Smalls page.

First frame job

Well, I did it. I framed the Celtic Sampler in a shadowbox. This is my first attempt at framing and no, it's not perfect. But it does give me the incentive to try again soon. Any advice or tips for making the job easier would be greatly appreciated.

Happy stitching!

Tennis elbow, Christmas, and Friends

A few years back, I developed a case of tennis elbow. Too much stitching resulted in searing pain that radiated down my arm making needlework far too painful to enjoy. I had several new patterns I wanted to stitch and share, but I simply could not do it. I don't release anything that hasn't been stitched, so several of my stitching sisters and brothers agreed to help out. I sent them patterns which they then stitched up, photographed and critiqued. It was a great help. The patterns made it onto my site and I made some wonderful friendships along the way.

That's how I met Maria. From our first emails it was obvious that we were on the same wavelength. She had me laughing out loud from the beginning, and even though she's half a world away and we've never met in person, our friendship is as solid as any I've ever known. That friendship was forged by the Quirky Quistmas Twee.

The imaginative Maria was playing with biscornus one day and stacked a few together, creating an adorable little tree. I loved her idea, so I designed several blackwork squares and we set to work stitching. This is what we came up with:

The Quirky Quistmas Twee

Maria did most of the stitching; I beaded the squares, then stuffed them, stacked them, and secured them with carpet thread through the middle. For complete instructions and pattern, click here. 

The moral of the story? Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't be afraid to lend a hand. The rewards are great.

Blackwork Heaven

There IS a blackwork heaven, and I've found it at String-or-nothing.com. It's there that you will find Ensamplario Atlantio: 

Kim Brody Salazar, writing as Ianthe D'Averoigne, offers her expansive book in four PDF downloads that give you just about any blackwork fill pattern you can imagine. From simple to ornate, more than 200 fill patterns will amaze and inspire you.

And best of all? It's all FREE! Download your copy today. I guarantee it will become your "go to" book when it comes to blackwork fill.

Happy Stitching!

Baking and Blackwork

Where the time flies, I have no idea. It seems like ages since I've posted here, though I have been meaning to for days. But the days get away from me sometimes, and I simply cannot seem to fit it all in.

First, a big THANK YOU for visiting Byrd's Nest. 10,000 visits and growing! I hope you're finding your visits interesting, educational, and maybe even a bit humorous. Your internet time is precious and I appreciate your spending it with me.

Find this and other free patterns at
https://sites.google.com/site/wyrdbyrdsnest/  

The Precision Induction Cooktop by Hearthware  http://www.precisioncooktop.com/ has become a valuable member of my kitchen appliance team. I fried tortillas not long ago. It was great to be able to pause the cooking process between batches--no burning oil! Blanching tomatoes for spaghetti sauce was quick and easy. It's lightweight and portable, so I can move it around the kitchen or even take it out on the deck. I keep it out on the counter where it takes up a bit of room, though I hope that Hearthware decides to make a wall-mount storage rack for the cooktop someday. I still haven't made candy yet, but when I choose to, I have a feeling it will be a breeze with the PIC.

Final decision: if I had a fair amount of disposable income, I think I'd splurge and buy it ($139.99). If I was living in a dorm or studio I would definitely buy it. And it's guaranteed that when I get my dream camper trailer, the Precision Induction Cooktop will come along for the ride.

Still puttering around with the Celtic heart border; I'm caught up in a local political issue, so my time is not really my own right now. I find myself almost pining for winter when issues will be (somewhat) resolved and I'll have time to sit down with my needle and thread. Until then, I stitch a heart here, a heart there...

It's that time of year--when your friends and neighbors decide that the one thing your life is missing is a giant zucchini. I got two! Fortunately, I was able to give one away. The other has been dedicated to some of the most wonderful zucchini cookies and zucchini bread! I made two loves of bread, two batches of cookies, and I still have a third of a zucchini left! Hubby is not a fan of stuffed vegetables, so that option's out. Any ideas what I can do with the rest of this zucchini? 

Find the recipes I used at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-nut-cookies/detail.aspx

and http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/detail.aspx

Speaking of bread: I had a hand at French bread this week. Oh. My. Goodness. Now that's what I call living!