Jumpstart on Autumn

There hasn't been any sewing around here for a month and a half.  It's not that I don't want to sew, it's just that I don't have anywhere to do it right now.  My current sewing space is out of commission and my new, dedicated sewing room is not quite usable yet.  There is a lot of work to be done on it and not a lot of time to do it.

In the meantime, my stitching urge has hit early this year.  I usually turn to needlework in the fall.  Something about autumn colors and designs just gets me going every year.  I don't know if it's the mild summer we've had or what, but I pulled out my needlework stash in August.

 

The first piece I worked on was this, Summer Scene, by Cynthia Zittel of The Drawn Thread.  This little house was featured in the August 2000 issue of Just Cross Stitch.  I had saved it in a notebook of things I thought I might want to stitch one day, and now here it is.

This design stitched up just a little bit over 3 inches square on 28ct Glass Blue Monaco.  I'm not crazy about Monaco- it feels kind of stiff and scratchy, very "cottony."  As well it should, since it's 100% cotton.  I really wanted a blue fabric like the model, and I didn't have anything in my stash.  I found this at Hobby Lobby and decided to try it.  The color is okay.  Maybe  a bit "grayer" than I'd like, but I can live with it.  I actually think it will be great for stitching some snowy winter scenes later on, but that will have to wait.

I used the suggested DMC flosses.  The model was stitched in silk and I'm sure it's gorgeous, but I figured cotton would work.  Check out the Woven leaves, Double Leviathan Stitch on the front door, and Reversed Cushion Stitch for the walkway.  The pink flower petals are actually tiny Smyrna Cross Stitches.

Cynthia Zittel is one of my all-time favorite designers.  Even if you are not into cross stitch and needlework, check out her designs at The Drawn Thread.  I promise you'll be amazed by her gorgeous gardens, delicate flowers and, whimsical seasonal designs.

After stitching the Summer Scene, I started on this Halloween design called Pumpkin Hollow Sampler by Nancy Woodson of Liberty Primitives & Needlework.  I have a way to go on this one.  It's going to have a big pumpkin behind the black bird, colorful leaves on the tree, and some grass.  There is also a border on this design.  I'm using DMC floss on 28ct raw linen.  Stay tuned for an update soon.

And in other stitching news, I picked up some more linen and floss in these wonderful fall colors:

I have a lot more autumn stitching planned...