Julia and I had a gift exchange last week that I wanted to make something for instead of buying, and so for one of them I chose a free biscornu chart from the Cross Stitch Guild. I used the same colors as on the chart, except for the little back-stitched embellishments (for which I used the dark-brown 3371 already at hand in my box because of the "Froth and Bubble" sampler, but in hindsight looks a little too dark). I also omitted the beads, as I hope this pincushion will be used and, personally, it sounds a bit risky to me to have a pincushion covered with beads, which would either get in the way or over time dull the points of the pins. (Anyone with biscornu experience, please speak up!) I left a bit more room around the design as well, which ended up adding an extra row of color by way of the whip-stitched seam. Instead of a button, I "tufted" the cushion with cross-stitches that go all of the way through to the other side. I used the tips for assembly from The Floss Box and Carolyn Mazzeo, which were helpful as it was a bit mind-bending without first having seen how the thing gets put together! I stuffed mine with cut-up bits of Paton's Classic wool, as full as I could, as I've heard that the lanolin in wool helps keep the pins from tarnishing. The chart was fun to work and I think it makes a pretty pincushion, so I'm pleased on the whole!
The other was a miniature coverlet, from the Diamond in a Square tutorial at Purl Soho that I had such good results with on my 1:12 version a few years ago. This time I used the pattern exactly as written, so the layout is a little different from the 1:12 one. Still Kona Cotton, though -- one of my favorite fabrics, I think. I was tempted to hand-quilt this one, but I was a bit short on time, but I thought it did need some battening-down, as it were, so I stitched-in-the-ditch by machine. This feels to me a bit second-choice, but there it is -- and I did really enjoy choosing the colors, and the process, as the tutorial is excellent. The color balance in the photo is really off, I'm afraid, but I didn't have time to fiddle with it or wait for better light.
These were actually worked much earlier than the first, but of course I couldn't show them here just-in-case! I decided to work a sampler for the friend who has joined the local miniatures group with me, so I chose a free chart from Kreinik called "Love Makes a House a Home". I converted the threads from Silk Mori to DMC, which was a fairly simple matter. I started with the main motto and worked down the chart, tweaking the house panel a little, to make the couple look more like our friends, and I shifted the tree a little and reshaped the cloud too, just for balance. I enjoyed that part so much that when I went back to the motto and started working upwards, I ignored the little voice in my head that was telling me that the line of hearts and the alphabet weren't quite centered. While I was blocking the finished sampler, David looked over my shoulder and said, "Um, is that part off-centered?" upon which a small howl escaped me and I admitted that it was. I can't give it to J like that, I thought, so instead of working the whole thing all over again, as I was running out of both time and silk gauze, I looked around the internet for another free chart, and found a modern-looking one among the free charts at La-D-Da, the "Tiny Sampler". My friend has a huge dollhouse under construction, which is to be a Victorian house "lived" in by a modern family, so can have things of any style, including contemporary. The "Tiny Sampler" has a definitely modern air, especially the alphabet with its irregular-sized letters, and so while my heart seems to be with the "old" stuff generally, it was fun to do something quite modern for a change. I used the floss colors as on the chart, though looking at it later I probably should have used a slightly darker blue for the details in the bottom panel, as they are a bit pale against the natural-colored linen I used. This is actually cross-stitch, not tent, leaving the fabric background bare, both a nice effect and a time-saver!
In the end, I thought, "Well, if she hangs the 'House' sampler on the side wall of a room, the off-centeredness would hardly be noticeable ...!" and so I ended up giving her both!
There are a number of different ways of framing miniature needlepoint, two of which I found online, Janet Granger's and a more-complicated method at Face From the Past which I might try when I have no deadline -- I ended up using spray fabric adhesive (which I had left over from sewing my shoulder bag a few years ago) to attach the stitching to a piece of watercolor paper (because it's acid-free and stiff), making a frame with picture-frame moulding, the kind with the rebate under the inside edge since the needlework is relatively thick, and then instead of masking tape à la Granger (because I'm a librarian ... !), I secured the needlework in the frame with a glued strip of paper.
I love that the Librarian in you made you discard masking tape! That is true class, m'dear.
Biscornu is a brand new word for me and I like it very much, thank you. The pincushion is exquisite and now I want to own one. I am certain that your friend would not be displeased that something handmade by you was slightly off centre and I hope she enjoys both of her gifts.
I wish you and yours a spendid 2020!
Posted by: Toffeeapple | January 04, 2020 at 10:39 AM