I finished Valentine’s Day Blackwork before Valentine’s Day. I have no idea how I’m going to finish-finish it yet. I bought it from Monique’s Etsy shop last year and planned to stitch it this year. And I did! Yay, me! I used the DMC conversion rather than the Crescent Colors threads. I’d planned to stitch it that way last year, but this year, that’s what the budget called for, so again, yay! This is my favorite of her blackwork designs, and not just because the colors speak to me. It’s the hearts, too. 🙂
Gee, you think I like these colors? I wish I’d put my keyring in there, too. I have a monkey key cap on my house key that’s the same color as my phone skin. I was going to put my bag for stitching-on-the-go in the photo, but the watermelon solid didn’t mesh properly, and I thought the starburst design would overwhelm the design.
Vitals: Valentine’s Day Blackwork by My Mark. Stitched 2 over 2 on Baby Lotion linen using DMC threads.
Changes: I added a french knot to the center of one motif, altered two other motifs that weren’t charted symmetrically and stitched “be mine” one over one instead of backstitching. It’s a little squishy up there, and I could have re-stitched it for a better fit, but I didn’t want to.
Here’s Hero right before he jumped over the stitching. Yeah, he’s a hero, alright. Hero to all pesky kitties everywhere! Seriously, he’s a brat. I’ll show you what I mean some time soon. He’s a very affectionate kitten, we adore him. You can see my stitchy bag in the upper right corner of the photo to see what I mean about the watermelon pink shade.
Monique asked in her blog if we’d seen anything new in the Nashville Previews that we like or need. Most definitely, Monique! Here’s a sampling of the things I’m dying for already:
Emiliana Sewing Case by Praiseworthy stitches. Bargello. Pink and green. *sigh*
GPA Blue Romance Sewing Set & Purse. No, it’s not pink. But it could be. It’s lusciously romantic without needing to be pink. This was the first design I saw that made me swoon this market season.
Rose Quaker by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg. I suppose I could do any old quaker with a similar colorway, but this is lover-ly.
Second tier, or pretty things I’m always going to like, but don’t occupy my thoughts like the items above.
Hearts Afire needleminder by Kelmscott. I like her needleminders best of all.
Happy Heart by AAN. Hearts. Paisleys. Yeah, I like this. Her designs tend to be bigger than I expect, though, so I’m not likely to stitch this. Sure do like it.
French Alphabet & Motif Sampler by Samplers Remembered. This has the same mood as Joyeaux Noel by Blackbird Designs. I love both of them, but I don’t think I’ll ever stitch either. I won’t say never, though. 😉
That’s enough. There are always many more designs I love that are released at Nashville. Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings and Cherished Stitches’ Blue Floral Tin, just to name two. I love that tin, but it’s too far outside my budget to do more than drool.
How about you? Have you seen any previews you’re anxiously awaiting? Are you in a romantic mood like me, or are you feeling more whimsical or primitive or…something else?
Raised by Poodles 