Be Mine - Valentine Embroidery Pattern Packet

I love these beautiful floss colors...

They are just the colors to use for Valentine's Day stitching projects! I have a new pattern packet called Be Mine and it features all kinds of beautiful hearts, doves, embellishments, borders and also - lazy daisies - my favorite now that I know how to do this stitch!




This is what the pattern packet looks like - I will be posting more of my finished projects made from this packet - they have been so much fun to stitch!

100 Stitches - Wheatear Stitch

Ready to go on the next stitch in the 100 stitches project!

I am using six strands of floss - DMC color #3843 - I love this color!

The stitch I am attempting :) is called the "wheatear stitch". That is the name that 100 Stitches calls it but another embroidery book I found calls this stitch the "wheat stitch". A Google search shows results for both names but the most results for wheat stitch. However, since I am working through 100 Stitches, I will use the name they do. The first step is to make two single straight stitches forming a chevron shape. Bring the needle back up through the fabric a little below the point of the chevron.

Now, carefully slide the needle under the chevron stitches - between the stitches and the fabric, not picking up any fabric at all.

Pull the thread through, and bring the needle back down through the fabric right where you came up.

Thats it! So simple - now you bring the needle back up through the fabric and start the whole thing over again!

Continue to form a beautiful stitched line:

Here is another view -the line ends with a final two straight stitches forming the last chevron.

This was such an easy to do stitch that I even took a picture of the back of my fabric to demonstrate how clean and simple this stitch is to work.

This stitch is #51 and is in the "Linked Stitches" section of the 100 Stitches book.

100 stitches - Twisted chain stitch

The next stitch on my list of stitches to learn is the twisted chain stitch. This one I found to be complicated. The instructions said to begin the stitch like the ordinary chain stitch but do not re-insert the needle back where the thead first comes out - basically, the thread comes up along the pattern line then, the thread goes down a little to the left and a little below where the thread first came up:


So far...so good. Then the needle tip comes back up slanting towards the pattern line:

This is where I found it getting complicated - I was having trouble keeping the thread in the right place in relation to the needle but apparently, the thread now goes under the needle and you carefully pull the needle all the way through...

ending up with a nice loop.

Then you start the next stitch a little to the left and a little below the bottom of the loop:

and repeat the process!

I started having a little trouble keeping my loops the same size and tension and laying flat on the fabric! I need a lot more practice.

I went ahead and finished stitching the line and here is what the final result looks like:

I think this is correct! Mine doesn't look as even as the diagram but I don't really know what I am doing wrong.

This stitch is #41 and is in the "linked stitches" section of the 100 Stitches book.

Merry Christmas printable place cards

I LOVE these new Christmas place cards! I have just finished a new packet of printable place cards - and listed them in my etsy shop. I had so much fun making these place cards.

After printing them and cutting them out, I decorated a few of them with glitter glue. To write the names on these cards, I am going to use decorative and my favorite - metallic pens!

Here is what the printable packet looks like:

100 stitches - fern stitch

Here is the next stitch on the ongoing 100 stitches project - the fern stitch:

This is a super easy stitch - it basically consists of three equal length :) straight stitches that radiate from the same center point. The center stitch follows the line of the design you are using for your stitching. I just did it in a straight line because I wasn't sure how hard it would be.
This stitch is in the category of "flat stitches" and is #5 on the 100 stitches list.

Acorn Place Cards

I have added a new item to my Etsy shop - in the new category "printable place cards"


I love these place cards - they feature some of the artwork from the Acorn embroidery pattern packet.


They are easy to cut out, easy to fold and stand up by themselves, no need for a place card holder!


I am also working on some napkins that I am going to embroider to match!

100 Stitches - Running Stitch

Next up on the 100 stitches journey is the running stitch.


I selected this stitch because I already knew how to do it - I used it for the hem on this acorn tea towel:

After the struggle with the bullion and lazy daisy stitches, I wanted to do something really easy!

So here is my example of the beautiful and useful running stitch. The basic running stitch is shown on the far right. But according to the 100 Stitches book, the running stitch can be used as a decorative border when you add another thread with a contrasting color. The middle stitching shows the running stitch "whipped" and the row of stitching on the far left shows the running stitch "laced".

These two decorative additions were fun to do and mine look just like the instruction pictures in the book :) The running stitch is #4 and is in the flat stitches section of 100 Stitches.