Sweet Dreams Baby Shower Gift Completed!

Remember the gift I was planning for a baby shower? Well...things didn't go as I planned in that earlier post. I changed my color scheme as soon as I started playing around with the fabric and floss!

Instead of the variegated browns, oranges and minty greens...I went with these beautiful colors.  They are less of a contrast with the blue and white checked fabric so I think they give the whole picture a more sleepy, dreamy feeling. 

I did use quite a few of the new stitches I have learned.  Here you can see the threaded running stitch in light and dark yellow for the moon

and the double knot stitch for the moon's hat:

I used back stitch for the lettering, the moon's facial features and the stars, french knots for the tiny accent dots and chain stitch to outline the clouds:

When I finished the stitching, I backed the fabric with a piece of similar weight white fabric, wrapped them both around a piece of cardboard and put them in the shadowbox frame:

Then I put the back on the frame and it was ready to go!

I am really happy with the way it turned out. Here are the floss colors I used with thier corresponding dmc numbers:

Baby Shower WIP

We are having another baby boy born into our family and that means another baby shower! For this shower gift, I have what I hope will turn out to be a great idea :)   It involves this shadow box picture frame.  This is an 8" x 8" frame:

I am going to take this baby blue checkered fabric:

Transfer this "Sweet dreams" motif onto the fabric:

and stitch it up using a variety of my newly learned stitches in some or all of these colors:

Then I will add the backing and put it inside the shadow box and add some trim - either inside the shadow box - sort of framing it, or maybe tied around the outside? 

I will post some pictures of my progress and of course some pictures of the final result!
I have two pictures I took a few days ago in during our sunny weather. This is Berit:

and this is Rego.  I used a tennis ball as a distraction in each of these pictures so they would sit still -they don't like to take time for pictures! 

Little lion with his new colors

Thank you everyone for your color suggestions for this lion!
I finished stitching him up and I am so happy with these new colors!
For the mane and tail I used the cotton pearl color variations orange variegated -dmc #4124.
For the body I used the cotton pearl color variations tan variegated - dmc #4128 and for the text I used regular floss - dmc #976
Here is a close up view of the lion's nose. Notice the stitching? This is another way to do the satin stitch. When I was learning this stitch, 100 Stitches mentioned that you could just do straight stitches across your shape instead of outlining the shape first. I tried it on the lion's nose and I am very happy with how it looks!

100 Stitches - satin stitch

This little baby rattle has several examples of the latest stitch on my 100 Stitches odyssey, the satin stitch:I have realized that this stitch is an easy stitch to learn and do, but a difficult stitch to do well! So here goes. I started with 6-strand embroidery floss and a #24 chenille needle:
I wanted to do this stitch over a small shape so that my stitches would look smooth and even and have less chance of looking out of line. I also wanted the shape to be a circle. I first traced the outline of a nickel - too big, then a dime - still too big. I finally found this knitting-needle gauge with a perfect circle in a perfect size. This largest circle has a 1/2" diameter:
I drew the circle and then threaded my needle with the six-strand embroidery floss. This is dmc color 827, a really pretty powder blue:
Now according to 100 Stitches, for the satin stitch, you can just work straight stitches across your shape. Or you could make padding under your stitches by outlining the shape with chain or running stitches. Apparently this gives a really nice raised effect. Instead of the chain or running stitch, I just outlined the edge of my circle with backstitch. Once this was completed, I switched to a single strand of the six-strand embroidery floss. After some experimenting, I found that using the single strand gives the smoothest satiny look. So to do the straight across stitches, 100 Stitches clearly shows that you work from the outside of the outline stitching. First, come up through the fabric on one side:
and go into the fabric on the opposite side:
After some more experimenting, I started at the widest part of the circle because it is easier to establish nice straight lines. Just keep working back
and forth
until you have covered the whole shape
with this beautiful satin stitch:
This stitch works so well on circle shapes. I haven't tried it on any other shapes but I definitely plan to. I still need practice on keeping the edges of the circle clean, and making even straight across stitches. It is really obvious if they are not straight and even!
This stitch is number 6 and is categorized in the flat stitches section of 100 Stitches.

which colors work on this wip?

Apparently not these that I am already taking back out! I think this fire-y orange floss is just too intense a color for this image of a sweet sleeping lion. I have stitched this before all in a pale, dreamy blue (dmc #3761) and I loved the way it turned out! Now I am trying to stitch it in a more lion like color but still have it look suitable for a baby.
I have two new sets of floss, these beautiful colors:
And these gorgeous perle cotton variegated colors! It seems like the variegated colors will make a softer look. I think I will use one of these for the mane!
or maybe one for the mane and tail and another one for the body? Any suggestions for color combinations would be appreciated!
According to my color wheel, my new floss is in analogous colors - or those that lie adjacent to one another on the wheel. That would cover all the red, brown, orange, tan and yellow. Perfect!
Speaking of yellow, I also wanted to post some pictures of these beautiful crackerjack marigolds. I started these from seeds - this variety can sometimes grow over 3' high. They are one of my favorites!

I also wanted to post this picture of Rego and Berit. I love their expressions - they are both hoping I will stop taking pictures and throw their current toy - on this day their toy was this piece of a tree root!

Color - my new color wheel!

I love the fact that embroidery floss comes in such a huge variety of colors. I know that one of my favorite parts of embarking on a new stitching project is the process of selecting colors. I want to learn more about color theory and color relationships and so I bought this color wheel. It is so much fun to use and has so many interesting color facts and advice. For instance, I have this little stitching project from "Shhh...Baby's Sleeping":
What colors to use? I know I want to use this beautiful blue as this is for a baby boy.
According to the color wheel, a nice relationship would be a triad of colors. That means three colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel and will always look pleasing as a combination:

So the other two colors in the blue triad are red:
and yellow:

I think that makes a beautiful color combination!

I am using the blue to outline the ball in back stitch:
and red for the stripes - I used the split stitch here:

now all three colors for the french knots and
satin stitch stars!

I think I am really going to enjoy this new color wheel and all the new color combinations it suggests! Speaking of color, I have to include this picture of my sweet pea bouquet looking so pinky and beautiful on my shelf!