Delicate Flowers Stocking by Pat Mazu - Updated 3/8/21

March 8, 2021--This is the third stocking finished using a technique I've recently written about.  It's a process that has many steps and takes time, but is worth the effort to proudly say I've finished it myself and saved quite a bit of money to boot.  Of course, it's not perfect, but it's for my personal use only, so enjoy it I will.

Stocking Delicate Flowers Finished Front

Stocking Delicate Flowers Finished Back (Note year of 2015)

Stocking Delicate Flowers Cording Name

Stocking Delicate Flowers Cording Details

July 13, 2015--Have completed the stitching on this piece and am ready to finish it into a stocking.   The side view picture shows the depth and nap of the threads.

Think I'll make the cording out of the two greens and add white.  Love working on projects that take no time to complete.  It's just what I needed.

Completed Stitching

Side View

July 11, 2015--Finished the cuff on this beautiful stocking.  Changed the color of the Kreinik cross stitches from gold to a pale green.  Hope it'll work.  Here's a photo of my progress so far.

Stocking Delicate Flowers Through Cuff

Stocking Delicate Flowers Through Cuff Closeup

July 6, 2015--My local ANG chapter, Delaware's Seashore Chapter, is stitching Pat Mazu's Delicate Flower Stocking from the 2003-2004 Chapter Project Book.  I've got everything together and ready for the class today.  The threads chosen are from my stash and even though not the traditional holiday colors, I think they'll be lovely (I love all greens with a touch of blue in them).

Delicate Flowers Stocking Project Photo

Thread Selections

This is the first post in over a month--was fishing with DH in Canada and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love being on the water and DH makes fishing so easy for me--he baits my hook and takes the fish off the hook.  All I have to do is reel it in, and that's where all the fun is.  The lakes were so beautiful.

Fishing at Lost Lake Wilderness Lodge, Ontario, Canada

Autumn Crackers - Updated 5/5/2021

May 5, 2021--Won 2nd Place Ribbon in the Canvaswork-Multistitch category at Woodlawn's 58th Annual Needlework Exhibition in Alexandria, VA.

March 22, 2020--Took the time yesterday to sew up the canvases pictured below into "crackers".  Marilyn Owen's instructions were wonderful and they worked up quickly.  I made only a few changes to the instructions by first cutting the decorative ribbons the same length as the right and left sides, including seam allowances.  Then, after the crackers were stuffed with batting and narrow red ribbons wrapped around the wide decorative ribbons to close each end, I used the flat edge of a small screw driver to push the decorative ribbon edges in between the canvas seam allowance, then inserted some Fray Check" to keep everything in place.  This eliminated any need to sew the ribbon edges together.  Below is a photo of what the ribbon looked like when "tucked".  Hope this explanation makes sense.

I'm keeping the photo of Marilyn's crackers at the end of this post for comparison purposes.  If you haven't already stitched these crackers, you may want to give them a try.  They'll be adorable on my side table during the Fall season.

Autumn Crackers Finished

Decorative ribbon edges "stuffed" into seam allowance

Decorative Ribbons used in the making of Autumn Crackers

December 19, 2019--All the crackers are now stitched and ready for finishing.  In order to start that process, I had to order some autumn themed 2.5" wired ribbons and found some nice ones on eBay.   Once I determine if the ribbon colors will work with threads used, I plan to turn these canvases into "crackers" as soon as possible.  Here's the last one--a leaf.

Autumn Crackers - Leaf Completed (five of five crackers) 

December 15, 2019--On a roll now--have just finished stitching the fourth cracker--a tree in Fall colors.   There are even some leaves on the ground.  Hope to finish the last one, a leaf, before the month is done.

Autumn Crackers - Tree Completed (four of five crackers) 

December 8, 2019--The third cracker, a quilt block pattern, is done.  These are working up fast and are a lot of fun.  I've stitched the centers of the Tree and Leaf crackers, so the whole set should be done by next month.  Still have yet to purchase autumn themed ribbons.  Stay tuned for that.

Autumn Crackers - Quilt Block Completed (three of five crackers) 

November 22, 2019--The second of five crackers is now stitched.  This is an adorable pumpkin with lots of stitch and thread variety.

I found extra stretcher bars in the size I needed, so have tacked three blank pieces of canvas unto the bars and will do them all at the same time--at least each section will be completed on all three before moving to the next.  The three cracker patterns to be done are Tree, Leaf and Quilt.

Here's the pumpkin cracker:

Autumn Crackers - Pumpkin Completed (two of five crackers) 

November 17, 2019--When ANG's CyberPointers Chapter offered Autumn Crackers by Marilyn Owen (part of that year's Chapter Project Book) as a group project at their July, 2017 meeting, I had to sign up.  They are the cutest things and will look great in the house as autumnal themed needlepoint.   Even though it has taken 2 years for me to start working on these 5 crackers, I've got one completely stitched and am working on the second.  Here's a photo of the owl cracker.

Autumn Crackers - Owl Completed (one of five crackers) 

Marilyn Owen gives lots of choices for the borders and roll areas, but also lets you know which stiches she chose.  I appreciate that since I'm not very good at selecting my own.  Also, her instructions on how to finish each design as a cracker are easy to follow.  I just need to find some 2.5" Fall themed ribbons--easier said than done since I don't have large box craft stores near me (the small Michael's Arts & Craft store near me has moved out their Fall stuff and now has Christmas things).  There are lots of ribbons on eBay, so may purchase a few rolls there and hope the colors match my threads.

Below is a project photo of all 5 crackers stitched and finished by the designer, Marilyn Owen.  Love the colors.

Autumn Crackers by Marilyn Owen Project Photo

Overdyed Spools - 4/29/19

April 29, 2019--Found this little simple frame in my stash and it's perfect for this project.  Now to hang it in my craft room.

Overdyed Spools Framed

April 10, 2019--At my ANG Delaware's Seashore Chapter meeting last week, April 1st , I took a class led by Melita Glavin, the designer of the ANG Chapter Project Book piece called Overdyed Spools.

Melita's talk on how to manipulate and handle overdyed threads was well done and opened a world of possibilities of what to do with the many types of overdyes in the thread world.  We were fortunate that Melita was willing to come to Delaware for this class and enjoyed learning that she and her husband spent the weekend taking advantage of all that Southern Delaware has to offer.

I just finished stitching this piece and love how the overdyed thread fell in clumps in the 2 horizontal blocks, and, by controlling the colors, were striped in the 2 vertical blocks.  Definitely a most enjoyable project, and it will look great framed and hanging in my craft room.

Overdyed Spools Completed

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.

Folding Ort Box Number 2, Black and Red 3/18/15

March 18, 2015--Won 1st Place Ribbon in the Canvaswork-Multi category at Woodlawn's 52 Annual Needlework Exhibition in Alexandria, VA.

February, 2010.  Made this ort box for DH to keep in his office.  The black and silver was to match his electronics and furniture while the red was for impact.  It got noticed--by other women of course.   And what man doesn't love the attention of other women.  Now that he's retired full time, the ort box has been re-commissioned to travel with me when taking classes, etc.

Folding Ort Box Number 3, Pink, Black and White

October, 2011--Volunteered to lead this class at two ANG Seashore Chapter meetings, so had to work up another box to use as an example.  My sister Catherine was visiting at the time from Dallas, TX, and I asked if she would like one, and if so, in what colors.  Of course, she said yes and we had fun going through the stash my mother had given me, making this a more personal item.  She chose pinks and I suggested black for the "blackwork" (softened with 1 strand of pink thread).   Love the raspberry colors on this one.

Folding Ort Box Number 1, Blue and White

January, 2010.  One of my favorite projects, so much so that I've done 3 of these guys.  This folding ort box is a Chapter Project Book design by Marily Owen.  These little boxes are used to hold thread orts* and are stitched on 18 ct. "mono" canvas so they can fold into a compact design for travel.  I used threads in my stash that were given to me by my mother in the 1960's (she purchased most of those threads in the 1940's), choosing colors from a variegated blue thread consisting of light through dark blues and white.  The "blackwork", which looks the same on both sides, was done in navy.

*Orts are scraps or pieces of thread too short or frayed to use.

Constantinople (aka Mexico City)

December, 2009.  This project designed by Esthelle Kelley was part of the Chapter Project Book and taught at a NoVa Chapter meeting in October, 2009.  The colors reminded me of a Mexico City tile rather than Constantinople.

My First Christmas.....Stocking

August, 2009.  This is an ANG chapter project designed by Pat Mazu.   Love the blues.