Martha: Tout Ensemble/Mystic Stitcher's Pocket and Accessorues

Here is the promised full photo:  Martha, neatly pressed and just waiting to be lined and adorned with bell pull hardware.  I apologize for the indoor lighting. I'll tale a better photo once I get the bell pull hardware and finish it properly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Morning Glory Designs sampler and will be offering the chart as a giveaway in October to share the joy.   So, if you are interested, check back on 10-4.

Having finished one class project UFO, it seemed only proper to pull another from the list and try for another finish from the backlog.  This is the Mystic Stitcher's Pocket and Accessories from Victoria Sampler.  It was the project from my first Stitcher's Hideaway and my first class with Thea Dueck way back in October, 2007.   So far I have stitched the pocket, the scissor case, the front and back  covers of the needle book and the fob.  All that remains in the tuffet.

Here are some photos of the completed pieces.

The Pocket: Once this is lined, folded and sewn up, everything will be right side up again.    I finished the pocket in one burst of enthusiasm during and immediately after the class.  But once I got home the siren's call of other projects took over.  Every so often, in the intervening years, I'd pick this up again and work one of the accessories.  Sometimes on a whim, sometimes out of guilt ... but always with a considerable amount of pleasure.  I do enjoy Thea's designs and have a fair few in stash still.

The Scissor Case [2-27-13]

The Fob [1-2-15]

The front cover of the Needle Book  [December 2014]

The back cover of the Needle Book [September 2017]








The only remaining piece is the Tuffet [aka, the biscornu]:  And, now, a mere ten years later, I have been struggling with the final piece in the set. Hardangar has never been one of my strengths.  Thus far I have done just as much frogging as I have done stitching, always off by just one or two threads where the stitches should meet.  Even though it'll be a pain in the neck to keep moving the hoop, I have switched to my smaller spring tension hoop.  It holds the fabric more tightly, the better to see and count the individual threads in this rather densely woven fabric.  Lo and behold, it's working.  I stitched a good 40 minutes without frogging.

Martha is a Finish

Here is the lady in all her bridal finery.  The gown in golden olive is comprised of 193 tiny rice stitches stitched with one strand and simulating the look of brocade fairly successfully.  It took three days of stop and start stitching to complete the gown.  Aging eyes can slow one down.  The petticoat, in purple and cream is done in satin and back stitch  Smyrna Crosses are used for the pearls in her hair, the lace at her throat and for her shoes.  The original shoes were purple velvet dancing slippers.

Tomorrow there will be a photo of the entire piece, neatly pressed.

I checked on line [Nordic Needle] for some bell pull hardware: and found a lovely one in satin finish brass with a heart charm and another in scrolled pewter.  I haven't made a decision yet but I do think Martha deserves that touch of elegance.

The brass looks very attractive and the heart charm is most appropriate for a wedding sampler.  It has the added advantage of a very clearly centered eyelet for hanging.  The notch at the center of the pewter heart seems a bit more problematic.  It could easily slip off a peg or nail leaving the whole piece hanging drunkenly askew.  But pewter has always been one of my favorite metals for home decor and is a typically Early American material.  The incorporation of the heart into the scroll design fits in nicely with the wedding theme.  I may end up ordering both and making a decision with fabric and hardware in hand.  I'd be interested in any comments from readers as to their own preferences.

Revisiting Martha

I've worked on a few more bands since my last post.  The Blackwork is done but I am delaying stitching the Queen's Stitch pineapples until an arthritis flare up abates.  I love Queen stitches but they require a delicate touch.  Pineapples symbolized hospitality in colonial America.

The next divider is another pink on pink band: the Crossed Cushion.

The following band is a fan stitch representing Martha's love of dancing and balls and entertaining.  I've just started the top sritching that shapes the bottom of the fan.

A Few More Bands

Band 5: Florentine Stitch - Martha's bridal colors.

Band 6: Captive Rice- representing Martha's fear of imprisonment while George commanded the Continental Army.

Band 7: Cross Stitch - Chinese motifs adapted from Martha's china used in her home at Mt. Vernon.

Band 8: Divider - Trellis Stitch.

Band 9: Tent Stitch Over One - Shell motifs adapted from a needlepoint chair found at Mt. Vernon.  I still need to stitch two more shades of pink to fill in the shapes.

Lady Washington Update

Band 1 : The Martha Washington Geranium.  Cross Stitch, Cross Stitch with Bar, Diagonal Criss Stitch, Foliage Stitch, Smyrna Cross Stitch.

 Band 2:  Divider.  Half Rhodes Stitch.and Upright Cross Stitch.

Band 3: Forget Me Nots, representing the deaths of Martha's son, Francis and Daniel Custis.  Cross Stitch over Four, Satin Stitch and Rice Stitch.

Band 4: Divider.  Rapid Stitch.

Band 5:  Florentine Stitch using the colors of Martha's gown worn at her wedding to George Washington: a Golden Olive [WDW Schneckly],  yellow [WDW Buttercup], and purple [WDW Royal Purple].  Clearly, this band isn't done yet but it was getting a little too late for such delicate stitching.

Lady Washington Progress

Band 1 which features the Martha Washington geranium is complete.  I spent the last 30 minutes browsing horticultural websites trying to discover how this old-fashioned flower came to be named after Martha Washington.  I did learn that it was quite popular in the early 1900s but has since been eclipsed by showier varieties.  But as to its connection with Lady Washington - not a word.

Moving on to Band 2 with its Half Rhodes and Upright Cross stitches presented a few problems at first.  The chart calls for the Rhodes to be stitched with 2 strands of floss.  But that produced a nubby mess.  After just three Half Rhodes, I frogged and re-stitched with one strand and am much happier with the definition of the stitches.  The Upright  Crosses will be stitched tomorrow in Buttercup.  I expect they will look better in one strand as well.

Lady Washington Sampler

This is a class project from the 2012 Stitcher's Hideaway.  That was the year Sue tried something different: giving participants their choice of one of three projects. This sampler class was scheduled late in the last full day of the retreat.  The class itself was more about the history behind the symbols and motifs in the bands than about the actual stitching.  I had spent the earlier time at the retreat stitching on a Teresa Wentzler stocking and didn't want to lose my momentum,  So poor Martha was consigned to the "when I get a round to it" pile.

Four years later, I am wondering what took me so long to start this delightful piece.  I have the vining and leaves of the first band done and already I have used the basic cross stitch, the diagonal cross and the cross with bar as well as the foliage stitch.  Future bands promise a rich variety of specialty stitches.  I have a penchant for complex band samplers and look forward to adding this piece to my rotation.

Sunflower Sampler, Hummingbirds, Etc.

I finished this little sampler Thursday evening, using the recommended GAST and WDW floss and substituting additional WDW floss for the DMC as follows:
DMC 436   >   WDW Bright Leaf
DMC 469   >   WDW Ivy

I did eliminate the bees from the design since I thought a little more negative space was needed.  Samplers, in my ever so humble opinion, need to  breathe.  

I have started and finished another small, Crossed Wing Collection's Summer 1999 Hummingbird.  I had all the recommended DMC and GAST threads but one, GAST Lavender Potpourri for which I substituted GAST Hyacinth.  As I frequently do, I made a few adjustments.  For a softer look I have eliminated the outlining backstitch on the leaves, flowers and bird: stitching 3/4 rather than the charted 1/4 stitches.  I am stitching all the stems in GAST Pine rather than DMC 870, again for a softer more natural look.  I think I shall finish this as an ornament for the summertime display.

And, I finally chose my next BAP start, Primitive Needle's Witch's Hollow.   I had a little over half the recommended WDW floss and three of the four recommended GAST flosses.  I will spend a little time after posting this entry researching substitutions for the remaining threads.  I have such an extensive stash of over dyed cotton flosses from WDW, GAST, Crescent Colors that it seems silly to buy the missing charted threads when I may very well have a similar color in another brand..  I am stitching this on a 36 count linen from Silkweaver called Rock Quarry.

Scherzo

This Whispered by the Wind piece is my newest start.  I've had the chart for several years, one of those someday projects.  Now that I am retired, someday is finally here.  I am using the recommended WDW Blue Spruce.  I have 6 skeins in the same dye lot.  Both chart and floss were gifts from a Secret Sister exchange.  Instead of the recommended 28 count antique white linen, I am using 28 count white Monaco.  It's been a long time since I have used this 100% cotton fabric.  I'd forgotten how sturdy and stiff it can be, slowing down the stitching experience.  Using a size 26 needle instead of my usual size 28 helps.

First Finishes of 2016

I have finished the mystery sampler.  I had to eliminate some of the charted cartouches to adapt the chart to the size of my linen.   I switched the animals about somewhat, choosing my favorites: peacock, dog parakeets, owl, robin, rabbit and squirrel, stitched in soft and bright pastels,  I filled in the empty spaces with motifs stitched in the same Blue Lagoon I used for the cartouches.  It was necessary to tinker with the motif as well, turning the roses on their side, changing the squat loving cup into a slender chalice and adding a bunch of grapes.  I wish I could provide more of a provenance for this design.  I seem to recall downloading it from one of the French free sites ... it definitely seems to be in that style.  In any case the final result is very different from the original chart.

The next finish is from Donna of By the Bay. .  I used WDW 30 count Periwinkle linen and Belle Soie silks, mainly Indigo with Boysenberry ans Lilac.  The simple words Slow Down looked pretty naked on the linen so I added a border of my own design, accenting it with some beads in the same shade as the deepest tone in the Boysenberry.  The corner treatment is a simple Rhpdes rectangle
.

And there's this one day wonder from Samplers and Such: Bitty Baskets ABC Sampler, a sampler designed to be finished as a pin keep but which I will finish as a jar top.  I used Aurora 32 count linen and Caron Waterlilies Tahiti for a subtle tone on tone [in part] effect which looks much better in reality than in this photograph.  In real life, the pale melon in the floss doesn't fade quite so badly into the background linen.

I seem to be choosing my projects to use up the odd scraps of linen I have on hand.  I guess it's a sort of New Year's sweep and clean up effort.  This latest finish is from Homespun Elegance:
Country Spirits Birds and Bees,   .  I used my Belle Soie silks instead of the recommended DMC.  They are Beanstalk, Chocolate, Cinnamon Stick, Lasagna, Old Crow and Scarecrow.  I still have an extensive stash of partial cards of Belle Soie and am using them for all my small to medium projects: waste not, want not.




All I need to finish this last piece are two Olde Brass bee charms but that will have to wait till I have the time to put together an order.  I need some scroll rods, the proper linens for Sleepy Hollow and the Workbasket Quaker animals.  I'll need a quiet moment to sit down and make up a complete list of my needs for the next few months.

Marking Time

I still haven't decided on my next new BAP start and have been marking time with a few smaller projects while I consider my options.

I finished up the Jeanette Douglas Halloween Acorn House: truly a small at just 2 inches square.  Surprisingly it took three days stitching time [about 6 hours] to finish.  What slowed things down was working the over one fence, cat and owl on 36ct. Silkweaver linen.  I am not sure whether I will finish it as an ornament or as a scissor fob yet.  I make that decision when I sit down to sew.

The next piece is a French style sampler that I am working on a 14 inch square of 28ct Blue Wing Jobelan.  I have used Belle Soie Blue Lagoon for the alphabet and the plan is to use it for all the cartouches, as well.  I'll use soft pastel silks for all the animals and flowers that fill the cartouches.    My linen isn't quite large enough for the whole chart so I'll be eliminating and rearranging motifs to suit my needs.

A Little Stitching

First the stitching;  I have been concentrating on my fun election piece, Prairie Schooler's Primitive Americana and have finished the sampler panel.  worked the Uncle Sam panel of the flea market pillow.  As I  suspected, I needed to modify the alphabet to fit the space.  I eliminated one row of over sized letters and changed the format of the Sweet Land of Liberty line, stitching only the uppercase in cross stitch and the lowercase in straight stitch... Next, I worked the Uncle Sam panel of the flea market pillow.  I chose to stitch Uncle Sam in the vertical panel since I think Lady Liberty will make a better stand alone ornament.  Though to make it ornament sized, I expect I will have to stitch it on 32 or 36 ct linen.  Now all I have to do is order a pillow form since I already haxe an appropriate fabric.

A belated photo: I finished this Prairie Schooler Year Round for July last month but forgot to post a photo.  I decided to skip the August Year Round, a boring sun with a smiling face.  Next up will be a little red schoolhoudr for September.

I think my next start will be The Goblin Market.  It's been in my stash for a long time and lately it keeps popping into my head at random moments.  I'll take that as a hint that it belongs in the ever growing rotation.  Now, to find the right piece of linen for it,   I have a pale to light grey over dye and two different beige/light tan solids as well as a classic ivory.  A floss toss should decide the issue but I am leaning toward the ivory.   This design is inspired by a Christina Rosetti poem of the same name, a verse of which is incorporated into the piece.  It is pretty solidly stitched and has a very interesting frame/border making up the outline of the market booth.  It'll be a whole different kind of fun than the Prairie Schooler piece, a radical change of mood.  I am nothing if not eclectic in my taste.    I realize this piece would not be to everyone's liking.  In fact, many would call it downright ugly.  But as a former English teacher, I feel the pull of the literary allusion.

Speaking of literary references,  I also have charts for each of the houses from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: Longbourn, Netherfield, Mr. Collin's Humble Abode, Rosings and Pemberley; as well as a sampler chart using a quotation from the same novel.  But they will require another radical mood change before I start stitching them.  Then there are several other literary charts in stash: Something Wicked This Way Comes, the Sleepy Hollow triptych, and another sampler featuring a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  And I have long toyed with the idea of designing a very elaborate scarlet letter of my own.  Did I mention that I have eclectic taste?  It's interesting how much our life experience is reflected in our stash.  I am betting that the avid gardener has a bunch of botanical charts, bird watchers have all sorts of detailed and realistic bird charts, the deeply spiritual probably have many charts referencing the sacred texts and symbols of their faith, etc.  I invite my readers to leave a comment below if  they agree and find themselves collecting charts that reflect their careers, hobbies, faith or philosophy.  Just a very informal and totally unscientific poll.

Stitching Report, Such As It Is

If you have been hearing the joyful strains of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, it's just me.  I can see again.  No sooner than my right eye had healed enough after cataract surgery to allow me to see with that eye again, I had surgery on the left eye.  And the world was again a mere blur.  Apparently, I am a slow healer.  It takes three to four days for the dilation to subside.  That meant I went nearly 8 full days unable to read, stitch, use a computer or drive.  Manageable activities were limited to sleeping,  cleaning, cooking and watching TV ... none of which make it to my top ten list of preferred activities.  But now with the aid of a pair of dime store reading glasses, I can do all of the tasks requiring the ability to see clearly objects smaller that a grape.  I may even begin to enjoy puttering in the kitchen again, now that it is a choice rather than a chore.

Naturally, I had to test myself on different count linens and different style projects to see what would be most comfortable as I continue to heal.

First I picked up the July Prairie Schooler Year Round piece again and finished all the red and white points surrounding the star studded blue field.  The center field is slow going.  The 40 ct linen was not the easiest to work and I found myself frogging frequently after miscounting by one thread.  I am not sure I will even bother with the August entry in this series: a sun with a face, rather trite and uninteresting.  On the one hand, it does seem wrong to my orderly soul to skip one chart in a monthly series like this.  But on the other hand, why stitch a piece that would bore me to tears when I have so many more interesting projects on hand?

I also finished work on Sue Donnelly's Best Ships sampler, stitched on a much friendlier 28ct. linen.  It was charted without a border but I stitched a row of waves beneath the last line of text to give the piece a little more weight.

And I put in a few minutes on CEC's Swimming Instructor, working on the spider roses that form the bra.   I am not sure that the dimensionality of the stitching shows to advantage in the photograph.  But I imagine if you account for the scale, this rather buxom little mermaid wears a C cup.  I'll hold off re-charting the face for a few days till I am ready for some over one stitching.  Then it will just be a matter of adding a bead necklace and deciding if I want to embellish it with a few sea creatures. [Now that I know how to make a bullion stitch star fish, I am looking for excuses to use the new found skill.]

And because I seem to be dealing with chronic startitis this summer, I started another Prairie Schooler piece, Primitive Americana.  With all the primary election hoopla going on, it seemed an appropriate time to stitch a face off of party symbols.  I substituted silks for DMC and I am using scraps of mystery 28ct. linen sewn up  into what I have heard described as a flea market pillow top.  It's a format used in some Homespun Elegance designs I've stitched and I thought it would work nicely here.  I haven't decided yet whether I'll stitch Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty in the tall patch to the right but I have started the alphabet sampler with eagle corners that makes up the last design in this PS leaflet.on the bottom panel.  I'll probably have to make some adjustments to the chart to fit this panel.   I seem to be in a Prairie Schooler frame of mind   I can't seem to put this piece down.

So far as ease of stitching goes, the perfect project for the moment is the Jacobean Elegance afghan, stitched over two with four strands on what must be a 10 or 12 ct fabric.  I have started another of the blossom squares.  And though it is the most comfortable stitching of all the projects currently in my rotation, it is awfully bulky and warm to work with..  I think I'll alternate it with the Prairie Schooler piece for a few days.





Ah, it is so good to be able to stitch again.

Ignoring History and Doomed To Repeat It

The latest SANQ arrived yesterday and the cover feature is a three part band sampler called The Collared Stag Sampler.  I took one look at it and I fell in love with it.  I am still working my way through The English Band Sampler and I am already planning what linen to use for this next sampler.  I may have to have my head examined.

And It Is Back To The Sampler, Again!

I have been stitching on the English Band Sampler for the last two days.  After a brief stint of frogging, it has been a case of "slow and steady wins the race."  This half of the band is just a little bit difficult and disorienting since the motifs are upside down.  I realize it shouldn't be any more difficult to stitch from a chart that inverts a design than to stitch from one that does not.  But, my mind's eye keeps correcting the image before me, causing some small confusion as I try to stay properly oriented.  I never claimed to have much in the way of spatial intelligence.  My primary learning and perceptive  styles are verbal/linguistic and logical/mathematical.  Visual and spatial perceptions are definitely secondary and even tertiary.  So upending the chart takes me out of my comfort zone.

But the colors continue to enchant me, and the difficulty is just enough of a challenge to keep me on my toes.  I don't know how many other stitchers have the same experience but I find the easier the chart, the more likely I am to make a careless mistake,  Charts that are a bit of a challenge keep me focused and accurate.  I'll post a photo when I have some more substantial progress to show.

And just a reminder, comments may still be made to my 9/3 Blogaversary post featuring a $10 gist certificate to 123stitch as a giveaway.

Monday Madness, Part II

Monday evening, I had planned to decompress after work by stitching on my sampler.  Ordinarily this is a good plan and one that usually works quite well.  I was stitching on the bottom bright navy lozenge border.  When I finally got to the end, you guessed it, I realized I was off by one lousy stitch.  And, of course, that stitch was at the very beginning of the border.  I'll need to frog the whole damn thing and re-stitch about one and a half hours worth of stitching.  Needless to say, I put the scroll rods down, muttered a mild imprecation and went upstairs to do a few crossword puzzles before going to bed.  At least, the end of my day was consistent with the beginning.

And now it is Tuesday and things can only get better.  I am avoiding the sampler.  In my current mood, I fear I may do it irreparable damage were I to frog today.  Instead, I started my second tea towel using the Cumin chart and my own tile-like border.  I expect this chart to work up more quickly than the Rosemary chart.  There is a more open feel to the Cumin chart and a lot less confetti stitching.  This will be paired with the Rosemary towel finished last week and will serve as a housewarming gift for my administrative assistant who just bought a new home.

Colors Bright and Bold

As I continue to work through Band 7 of the sampler, I have to admit I am enjoying the eye-popping colors.  Normally. I prefer a subdued palette but the corals and electric blues in this band are so splendidly bold that I can't help but love them.  My personal aesthetic should have me cringing at the juxtaposition of purple and coral.  It is just so Red Hat Society!  But somehow, it all works well together.  I am nearly halfway done with Band 7, having stitched all the floral motifs on the left hand side and some of the spiral border.  

More Progress on a Variety of Projects

Tuesday, most of the morning was eaten up by errands: dropping my car off for some body work, running out to A. C. Moore for more yarn, mailing off some giveaways at the post office and doing the first serious grocery shopping in about a month.  Wednesday was more relaxed, almost a full day was spent in the stitching chair.  Thursday was a day divided between kitchen, laundry room and the stitching chair.

The English Band Sampler:  I have continued working on the largest pansy in coral.  I plan to really concentrate on this piece over the weekend.  The month is nearly over and I had hoped to have this sampler finished. The sad truth is I haven't even reached the halfway mark on Band 7 and I still have to go back to Band 3 to add my initials and the date.  Things are looking grim for an August finish.

The Tea Towel: I am finished with the Rosemary towel.  The next one up is Cumin which will probably stitch up more quickly as there is a lot less confetti stitching in the chart.  The booklet I am using also has some tall slender charts, 77 stitches by 32 stitches, of mint, rosemary and sage.  I believe I will use the mint and the sage for the next pair of towels.  That will give me a pair with a tile like border around a 45 stitch square design and a pair that files the space vertically.  For the final pair, I may use the fruit charts that came with the towels. That way, the folks I give them to will all have something different.

Hazel's Blanket:  This crocheted  blanket is done and measures 48 inches long by 34 inches wide, a good size for either a crib or a baby carriage.  The photos are my attempt to give you an idea of what the whole blanket looks like, border and all.  My bedroom is too dark for me to photograph this blanket spread out on the bed.  The patio furniture seemed to be my best bet, albeit not a perfect solution.  I used Sugar and Cream cotton yarn since a cotton blanket is comfortable in all seasons and stands up better to repeated washings.

Some wools need such careful washing that they are just not suitable for frequently laundered baby items.  I wouldn't want to put all this work into a blanket only to see it felted by being washed or dried in the wrong way by busy young parents.  Now all I have to do is wrap it up and mail it.  But before I mail it, I want to personalize a bib for Hazel to add to the package.  If I remember correctly, my BH&G 2001 Cross Stitch Designs has an alphabet done in building blocks that should fit the Aida insert in a fingertip toweling bib that I have in stash.

Some Sewing Finishes.  While I was at A. C. Moore the other day, my husband went a few doors down to PetSmart and got me a bag of crushed walnut shells [aka lizard litter] so I now have the filling for a bunch of pin pillows.  I am hoping to find some time this weekend to sew them up, fill and trim them..

Random Monday

It's mid-August and time to start working on worrying about stitched Christmas gifts.  I thought this year I might make sets of tea towels, stitched with botanical charts, herbs for the most part.  I am also in need of something a little easier on the eyes than my two current projects.  So tea towels with 14 ct Aida inserts are the perfect interim projects when the sampler and the stocking get a little wearisome.  In any case, I pulled some tea towels out of stash and a few herbal charts and started on one today. The charts I am using are from a Cross My Heart booklet called A Sampling of Herbs.   The chart I am using is actually a sampler with 12 blocks, each featuring a different herb.  I am using six of  the single blocks for the tea towels.  I didn't care for the charted border, a sketchy pseudo Greek back-stitched cross and reverse cross sort of affair.  So I stitched it as a solid border using two blues from the rest of the piece.  And since these will be tea towels, I replaced all the gold beads with floss.  I still need to stitch two more sprigs of rosemary to complete this towel

At least, this is a productive sort of startitis since I'll have a few Christmas gifts as a result.  I tend to get antsy when my rotation slips down to 2 or 3 pieces.  And it is currently at 1. what with my steadfast concentration of the The English Band Sampler.  Here's a photo of my progress on the sampler over the past few days.  As you can see, I am still working on pansies.  I want to stitch all the floral motifs in the left section of the band before finishing the spiral border.

I know I have to get back working on Piper's stocking if I am to have it done this year but the mere thought of facing all that pink is daunting.

Still Stitching Through The Staycation

This Prairie Schooler  promo card for To All A Good Night served its purpose, relaxing my tired eyes and weary brain after tackling the final beading of The Dragon of the Winter Moon and working some of the fiddly borders of The English Band Sampler.  I stitched it on 32ct blue linen [called Meditation], using silks instead of the charted DMC.  I didn't try to approximate the DMC colors.  Rather, I just selected colors I decided went well together.  I used Belle Soie Beanstalk for the green, Belle Soie Pecan for the tarnished gold,. Belle Soie Oatmeal Scone for the white, a tiny remnant of a Splendour silk for the flesh tones and Vikki Clayton hand dyed fiber's Dragon's Blood for the red.  It seems I can't escape the dragons even when I stop stitching them.  I did stitch the stars or snowflakes in Kreinik VFB 032 to give a little shine to the piece.  The background is supposed to be solidly stitched in brown/black.  I may or may not stitch the background.  But if I do, I'll probably use a very dark blue.  Having used a 32 ct linen, the finished stitched size is rather small.  To make it into a reasonably sized Christmas ornament, I may finish it up as an open sack with a cord hanger, using some nice Christmas fabric to fo a sort of log cabin quilt effect around the Santa..

I returned to my sampler refreshed and renewed.  And, since I picked up the missing DMC 3834 Tuesday, I was able to finish the flower on the lower left.and start stitching its mirror image as well as getting a bit more of the border done.  I do regret not making an enlarged working copy of this chart.  For one thing my copy of this issue of SANQ is getting rather ragged what with all the flipping back and forth through the pages.  The chart for Band 7 is in four graphs.  Next time I have a situation like this, I am definitely going to enlarge, copy and cut and paste multiple graphs into one easy to read chart.