Pumpkin Coasters in Reversible Cross Stitch Updated 8/19/15

August 19, 2015--Stitched the border on the second set of coasters--a gingham pattern in black.  Love how well the technique is working.  The below pictures show front and back of two coasters.  Next step--stitching the cute pumpkins.

Second Pattern Front

Second Pattern Back

August 9, 2015--Signed up to take Catherine Jordan's online class through the Shining Needle Society (SNS) called Reversible Cross Stitch Pumpkin Coasters (project photo below).  There are four coasters to stitch with floss, in two different patterns, on Zweigart Biella 28 count fabric.

Yesterday I began to stitch the outline of one of the designs and discovered early on that I had to increase the magnification of my glasses.  Doing so made a tremendous difference in the quality of my stitches.  The technique learned is a challenge, requiring full attention to each stitch.  Catherine's instructions, however, are wonderful and she even included a password to access a special online, very, very helpful, video to see how the stitches were done.

I also had to zigzag the edges to keep the fabric from unraveling.  Why zigzag using red thread?  It's what was on my sewing machine and I was too lazy (lol) to change the thread.

The whole idea of the technique I'm learning is for the cross stitches to look the same on the front and back.  I've somewhat succeeded with doing this, but hiding beginning and ending threads is still a bit of a challenge for me.  The idea is to NOT have the tails showing under the cross stitches on either side.   Getting there.

First Pattern Front

First Pattern Front Closeup

First Pattern Back

Second Pattern Back Closeup (note:  logo makes the bottom stitches look incomplete)

Catherine Jordan's Reversible Cross Stitch Pumpkin Coasters Project Photo

Halloween Treat Updated 10/29/14

October 29, 2014--Back from the framer just in time for Halloween.

Halloween Treat Framed

December 17, 2013--Found these non-scary cuties (buttons and witch applique) while at Britex in San Francisco, CA, to place onto Halloween Treat.  Now to decide whether or not to have this project framed or simply backed with fabric and an easel.

Halloween Treat Decorated

August 23, 2013--This little bit of scariness is done.  Love the ghost and bargello sections.  Now to find the most frightening buttons possible to place in three of the areas filled with scotch stitches.  If the best buttons have shanks, I can cut them off with wire cutters and secure them to the canvas with stitches around small parts of the design.  Would love to find a little, dangly skeleton.

August 17, 2013--Started working on this delightful Halloween Treat after our ANG chapter met on Monday and went over all of the sections.  Thank you RJ for a wonderful job in highlighting areas which will require some attention.  We started with Area 2 shown below.  It's unfortunate the camera doesn't pick up the shine of the RG Petite Sparkle Rays used for the ghost.  It looks like he's shimmering right up to you out of the background.

Area 2 of 13

July 8, 2013--Delaware's Seashore Chapter of ANG is doing Marilyn Owen's Halloween Treat, taken from the most recent Chapter Project Book.  Before we can have our class at the August meeting, we were assigned prestitching of the outline.  Had to concentrate on my stitching at each intersection--the gobelin stitches are over two except at the intersections where some were over 3 (avoiding a lot of over one compensation).   Looking forward to getting this completed in time for Halloween.

Pumpkin 3D Designed by Ruth Chow

July, 2012--I purchased this Ruth Chow painted canvas from Waste Knot (Arlington, VA) in 2009. Lori Maza had the model available to view and I just had to have it.  Unfortunately, I was too new at doing needlepoint and found some of the stitches difficult to do, so I put it aside.  After 3 years of gathering needlepointing experience, I picked up the pumpkin again and was easily able to complete it.  It was a lot of fun.  This is what it looked like while on the scroll bars.

October, 2012--This is what it looked like when I got it back from the finisher.  It's so cute sitting next to the candy dish at Halloween.