Current Crossings

Last fall I went to a local quilt show that had a very large yard sale along with the display of quilts.  There was all manner of quilty and crafty items including a good selection of cross stitch.  I was lucky enough find a copy of Lori Holt's "Flea Market Flowers", including some floss for just $1.00.  

The pattern appealed to me because the layout was kind of like a quilt pattern. I began stitching it in late October and by the new year I had it about half done:

In all honesty, after a while it became just a little tedious making the same flower over and over again with little variation.  I felt like it would be nice to take a little break and work on something else for a bit.  That is when I found "A Little Crazy" by Carolyn Manning Designs. 

Again, there was a quilty inspiration to it that I liked. And seriously, who could resist a pattern that called for a color palette like this?

The plan was to do just one block a month and then return to  stitching on Flea Market Flowers.  So  I stitched the first block:

It was really enjoyable.  The stripes and checks were nice to work on because it didn't involve so much time referring to the pattern.  Next thing I knew, I was stitching up the second block, and then the third, and then the 4th, 5th and sixth!

My one block a month plan is now completed through June!  I don't normally like a lot of backstitching but even that part of this is fun.  Look at some of the little flower details that come to life with some backstitches:

I think I better get back to Flea Market Flowers before I get too carried away....

 

Sea Side crossing

I have a new finish to share.  Since we now live closer to the ocean, I was inspired to work on an ocean themed project.  I decided on SeaSide Tiny Town by Heart in Hand.

I got off to a slow start because I couldn't pick an Aida cloth that would show off the many white areas like the clouds and the lighthouse.  After 3 tries, I eventually tried tea dying my own Aida cloth to get enough contrast.

Here is how it turned out:

 Then I finished it by making  a pillow:

I also finished this whimsical little garden scene called "Saltbox Fairy Village" by Petal Pusher: