Hatching something fun

Looking for a little Easter fun? You'll find it with Easter Chicks. Simple blackwork arches pay a whimsical salute to the awakening of spring.

Bright yellow beaks are just cross stitches with a long vertical
stitch down the center.
French knots or seed beads for the eyes.

Click here for the pattern

MJ did it with DMC variegated thread:

So bright and cheerful!

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 Patterns at Ant of Sweden

Designed by Ant of Sweden

Now available exclusively at  Ant of Sweden: Gift Pack 2.

I've packaged 4 of my most popular patterns in one PDF ebook. These are some of my favorites, and I'm thrilled to bring them to you.

Deco, Ilsa, Hannah, and Erin 

Visit  Ant of Sweden today and see all the great new cross stitch and blackwork designs. From samplers to seat covers, Ant of Sweden offers something for everyone. Check it out; I think you'll be inspired!

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.

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!

Snowflake Small

Looking for a little Christmas inspiration?  Maybe this will help. September Snowflake was originally the center portion of a larger piece I had been working for some time. I wasn't happy with the pattern from the beginning, but I went ahead and started to stitch it anyway. I got to this point (I work from the center) and realized that the pattern needed nothing more than this; everything else was just busy work that totally hid the crystalline shapes. So I tossed everything else out and focused on this sweet little pattern that will grace many a family tree this Christmas. 

September Snowflake

Add some seed beads or metallic floss and really make it sparkle!

Celtic border

It's far from finished, but I'm so excited about my new design that I just can't wait to share it.

I love Celtic knot work, the beautiful, winding lines weaving gracefully in and out, the intricate and painstaking attention that it requires to both draw and stitch. This one is not yet available for sale, but it will be soon at Ant of Sweden. In the meantime, pay a visit and check out my other patterns. Perhaps you'll find just the right thing for those upcoming Christmas projects.

New Freebie!

Here's a charming small that should set your imagination free! I needed a break from the wedding invitations and this was the perfect project.  You'll find the pattern on my Blackwork Smalls page.

New Patterns at Ant of Sweden

Here they are!  

Jeanne Dansby patterns at Ant of Sweden!

Gift Pack 1 includes stitching instructions and directions for the "No Measuring Required" ornament

Blessings

Monarch

Another gift pack is coming soon.

While you're there, check out the list of designers on the left sidebar.  

Yep!  I've got my own category, too.

Happy Shopping!

What's in a name?

"Rule Zombie"

I like to sit in front of the TV at night and play with my PCStitch software.  Sooner or later the battery will run low and I'll need to save my work and turn off the laptop.  The 'puter asks, "Save As"?

I gotta give it a name, a title, a way of identifying the pattern in the folder.  Most of the time, I use the name of a loved one or a character from the show I'm watching.

For some reason, the other night, I chose "Rule Zombie".  I can't remember why; I think it was a line of dialogue in a show.  Nevertheless, I've grown rather fond of the name; I like the pattern, too.  What can I say?  I'm Wyrdbyrd.

Rule Zombie

Post Pattern Depression

It's my own fault.  I don't need to get so involved, but sometimes I just can't help myself.  Sometimes a design becomes so intriguing, so mesmerizing that when I finish it, even under the joy and thrill of accomplishment, I feel a sense of emptiness, a little bit of loss.  Such is my relationship with "Blessings."

I think I'll set the stitching aside and go read a book.

Never underestimate a good motif

One of the basic foundations of blackwork is the motif.  A motif is a distinctive, recurring shape in the design of a picture.  I like designing with motifs.  They offer a continuity that I find most appealing.

"Link" is an elegant border motif

I used this "link" motif in "Monarch" and again here, in "Erin":

"Erin"

Here's a motif that you can use to design your own custom pattern.  

Go ahead, let your mind wander and think of the options...

Start Here.

Line up your motif for a fascinating border effect.

Overlap the elements of the motif and you can create a diamond shape that you can continue to expand as you like.

Add a border, if you like, or maybe a specialty stitch or two.  

Voila!  Without a pattern, you have created a beautiful ornament, quilt square, or maybe even a drink coaster.  Whatever you can imagine, you can create!

  Google "geometric shapes" and you'll get all kinds of great ideas.

Stitch Happy!

Cross stitch designers share fun patterns

I've been quite busy these last few weeks, stitching up Christmas ornaments.  In the past I have used only my own designs, but frankly, I'm bored with me.  So I googled free patterns and came up with some really great stuff!  Here are just a few examples:

The finishing method is super easy with no sewing needed!  Find the method at http://lena-lou12.blogspot.com/

Jessica Tromp has scads of adorable cross stitch patterns that are easy and fun.  Check 'em out!
http://www.jessica-tromp.nl/embroiderycrossstitchfreepatternschristmaschildrencross-stitchgraphs.htm

Find all kinds of Christmas patterns at Cyberstitchers:  http://cyberstitchers.com/   That's where I found the snowman in the black hat.

Katherine Martin Tripp has some lovely patterns at www.better-cross-stitch-patterns.com.  Well worth the visit.

Thanks to all the talented designers who share their work with stitchers all over the world!

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