I thought I would paint the canvas red before starting so that white canvas threads would not show through the stitching. I saw no reason to carefully paint "inside the lines" since any excess paint outside of the design area would be hidden in the "seam allowance". The basket weave pattern was done using Iris Rayon Floss which has a little bit of a crinkly nature to it, so no matter how carefully you lay the strands (6 to be exact), it just won't look smooth.
This is now the third stocking in the Fancy That collection that I've stitched up (the other two are Emerald & Gold and Patches of Snow), and I have 3 more to do--Amethyst Ice, Pearls & Gold and Sapphire Star.
The three little red heart beads were the last thing placed on the canvas. After I had stitched two of the hearts down, I lost the third heart somewhere in my living room (where I stitch and watch TV with hubby). We looked everywhere for it since the kit included only 3 hearts and no more. Then a few hours later I happened to look down on the rug and there was the missing red heart bead in all of its glory, just waiting for me to find it. Yay! Now the stocking sits in the "To Be Finished" pile.
| Stocking Fancy That Crimson & Gold Completed |