OhSewCrafty

Framing HD's: Part 1

This one is a long time coming... my finished projects have been piling up over the past few years and the time was nigh to get these framed!

I spent $250 on 5 custom frames (all wood), hardware, and plexiglass.  The full size matboard and acid-free foamcore were purchased some time ago at Michaels with a 25% off coupon.  Let's say the final cost was about $65 per project.  I consider this a bargain as custom framing can be very expensive around here, especially when you get into double mats and fancy frames.  I won't lie, diy framing can take some time and lacing needlework around the foamcore is not exactly a fun task, but it's worth it in the end to use the materials I really like and know that it's done right (in a manner that won't damage my needlework).  I once took apart a project that was custom-framed by Michaels and was horrified to find that the needlework had been glued and cut.  This is a picure heavy post so I'm sharing 3 projects for now.

For Athena, I opted to skip the mat. The detailed frame is shiny black with an antique gold scroll detail.  Overall, the effect reminds me of the Athena's Greek columns.  DH says it looks like it came from a Greek temple!  Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, hangs in the office, for now anyway.

Living with Charm needed a mat to add a bit of width to this skinny project.  I chose a single mat in moss green.  Despite having to cut the mat twice (I was rusty), I have plenty left over for another project; this is a nice color.  

The frame is brushed silver with a subtle sheen.  I wanted something simple, that wouldn't compete with the message.  This hangs in my front foyer.

Woodland Enchantress got the double mat treatment, to add some depth to this detailed scene.  The bottom mat is lapis and the top mat is french blue.  

The frame is espresso brown with gold highlights and a sloped profile.  This one hangs over a fireplace on a brick wall in the den.  I love the exposed brick and I love this scene up there!

Next time, I'll show you Twas the Night and Mermaids of the Deep Blue.

2013 WIPocalypse: July update

July has been a very busy month for me, with some home improvement projects.  Also, a good chunk of my free time went towards framing some of my older cross stitch HD's (more on that soon).  However, I did start Joan Elliott's Summer Fairy and made good progress.  I hope to finish her next month and get started on my final seasonal fairy, Autumn.  My original schedule was to do Autumn in the Oct-Dec timeframe, but I am concerned that if I wait that long, I won't be able to finish the series this year.  And I really do want to finish it.  So, without further adieu, here is my Summer Fairy floss toss on Summer Breeze belfast linen by Silkweaver (old).

And here is my progress as of July 22nd:

I really love the colors in Summer Fairy- blues, greens, purples, are my faves.  I also think she has one of the prettiest faces of all the seasonal fairies, and I look forward to stitching that part soon.

Stitching HD: Spring Fairy

• Pattern by Joan Elliott
• Fabric: Purely Primitive Belfast linen by Silkweaver (old), threads, etc as charted
• Finished Size: ~10" x 14"
• Time to stitch: 3.25 months (March 21-June 30, 2013)

Here's my second finish in Joan Elliott's seasonal fairy series!  I'm partial to Winter, but I'm very fond of Spring as well.  I love the detail in her skirt- some of it was rather fiddly, but the finished effect is almost three dimensional!  The mushrooms were fun to stitch and I love the detail of the bird's nest full of eggs.  Overall, this project wasn't too laborious- required maybe 3 one week rotations plus several hours at the end for the beads. 

Though the model is on pink, I chose to stitch her on Purely Primitive, which appears neutral in most online pics, but mine is definitely a subtle green.  Green just says "Spring" to me, but I didn't want anything green enough that it would obscure her wings, grass, or plants.  Like I did for Winter, I modified the backstitch, eliminating all the "stair-step" in favor of smooth curves and sharp corners.  In my opinion, this creates a more sophisticated look.

Like her sister Winter, Spring is seriously sparkly!  There is a ton of Kreinik metallic braid on her outfit and wings.  There are also plenty of beads- I went through an entire package plus more of Mill Hill 3021 (antique royal pearl).  After seeing Winter and Spring together, I am feeling inspired to continue with the series.  Next up, Summer!  Oh, and this is my fifth happy dance of the year, which meets one of my 2013 goals.