Calendar Poodle SAL

Monday, January 9, 2017

Christmas Tea

Hi friends! I am happy to say I finished Brian's Christmas ornament just in time. ;)
This pattern is called 'Xmas Tea' by Primitve Acorns. The pattern can be found in the Just Cross Stitch 2016 Christmas Ornament Magazine. You may have seen a few other stitchers stitch this up. I have. I knew I wanted to make this for Brian for Christmas. He loves tea. He has many cups every day. The problem I had with the pattern was what to do with Xmas. Brian and I never use Xmas, always Christmas. Always. So I decided to remove both words and create and add a tea bag.
I stitched this two over two using DMC on mystery 32ct linen.
 Unfortunately I made a mistake. One I discovered too late. The vine to the right of the tea cup is supposed to be over one more stitch to the right. There should be one space between the cup handle and the berry. They should not touch. I did not even tell Brian. I normally share all the details of my work with him. I forgot to share this at first, and then, well, why even tell him? He loves the ornament so very much. :)
The Christmas Tree ornament (you can see HERE) I stitched up for my young friend Vadim was received with much gratitude. He is such a nice, devout, respectful 18 year old young man. I really like him and enjoy watching him learn to live in America. He has come here to live with his Aunt and Uncle and two very  young cousins who have only come to live here five years before him. Our church is filled with young Russian and Ukrainian immigrant families.

Now to share my BIG project with you! I bought linens and the DMC flosses and all 12 Blackbird Design patterns years ago. I am ready to stitch the Anniversaries of the Heart series all on one piece of linen. Well almost! What a dork I am! I had bought more than one piece of fabric. I deliberated for months on my fabric choice. The fabric choice is actually what held me up from starting these. And....once again I have changed my mind. I told you all I was starting AND I AM NOT. Not yet. The fabric is coming and I think you will all be surprised. ;)

So I needed something to stitch NOW. What to do? What to do? Well, the other big project for this year. Yes, I have another one. It is not as big as AotH, but considering I stitch mainly all smalls, all year, every year, this is big for me.

I was not going to begin this project for several months yet. I have had this pattern picked out for over half a year. It is from the Spring 2016 issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine. It is called ' Forever Be my Always' By Emma Congdon. Have you seen it? It has lots of pink! ♥ I am stitching this as an anniversary gift for Brian. It needs to be done and framed by October 3rd. That is our 25th wedding anniversary. :)

Thank you for stopping by today. Thank you for such kind comments my friends! Have a great week in the Lord!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie





45 comments:

Brigitte said...

Such a lovely ornament for Brian. And the mistake you made is only a mistake when you know the original chart :)
The choice of fabric for such a big project as AotH is always something that needs a lot of consideration. When you put so much work into a project the fabric must be perfect.
Looking forward to seeing your start on the Emma Congdon piece.

Carolien said...

Oh wow, Vickie, this ornament is so sweet! And in nature not everything is perfectly symmetrical, right? I wouldn't mind one bit, it's lovely!

Have a good day, my friend.
Waves across the ocean, Carolien

Annie said...

Super cute ornament and so appropriate for a tea lover. Love the teabag and the great backing fabric.

Good luck taking the plunge into big projects. I know you have the perseverance!

gracie said...

Of course Brian loves the ornament...special tea tag just for him! Lovely idea. I am not remembering the project from JCS so I will look it up but I am sure it is perfect for you to stitch.

Margaret said...

I love Brian's ornament --- so so pretty! No one would know you made a mistake. it looks perfect. Love how you did the tea bag paper, so clever! Hooray for AotH! So are you stitching it all on one big piece of fabric? Hope you are feeling well and headache free!

Mii Stitch said...

What a delightful finish Vickie!

Maggee said...

What a really nice ornament! Love the tea bag hanging out--really cool! Look forward to seeing your 'big' project! Hugs!

Stasi said...

Love the "tea" ornament; the backing fabric is perfect!
I bought the charts for AotH a few months ago; I'm sure it will be residing in my stash for awhile. Look forward to seeing yours.

Vicki said...

Terrific finish on your ornament! I'm eager to see your two big projects.

Tiffstitch said...

Great finish and interesting plans!

Robin in Virginia said...

Vickie, I love the ornament you stitched for your husband. I didn't mark it as one to stitch, but will go back now and mark it. I like that you left the wording off and added a tea bag. Look forward to seeing your 2 big projects as you get them underway.

Angela Tucker said...

Good morning, Vickie. I love the ornament and would have never noticed the vine placement. I've made a few of those pattern changes myself. LOL

AotH is HUGE!! I picked up a few of the patterns, but not all called my name. Thank goodness, I would have felt obligated to stitch them. Not really, I have quite a few patterns that are really just eye candy. LOL

Have a wonderful week!

diamondc said...

Vickie: I love the Poodle photo so cute.
I would never have seen the stitching you have talked about, the ornament looks perfect, I like the backing material, it reminds me of my Sister-in-law who likes peppermint tea.
We say Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays, I too change the word Xmas to Christmas.
I am really looking forward to seeing your big projects, I am like you I have to find the right material for a project which sometimes puts me behind.

Manuela said...

Hello Vickie,
what a lovely little ornament for Brian.
Wonderful new project.
Best wishes Manuela

butterfly said...

What a great ornament you made for Brian I love it .
Love tea too.
Enjoy your week .

Andrea said...

Love the ornament and a great idea of the tag. I not a great fan of "Xmas" either and I never write it like that in Christmas cards. looking forward to your new BIG projects.

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

I love Brian's ornament...as a tea drinker of all sorts of teas from different countries I appreciate such a lovely piece.

Linda said...

Congrats on the cute finish Vickie.

Linda

Linda said...

It is gorgeous, Vickie! God bless you, and Happy New Year. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)

laceystitcher said...

I am a tea drinker too so I love the "tea" ornament you made for Brian; it is perfect!! Love the tag and the finishing! I am looking forward to seeing your two projects that you are planning. It is always fun to see what others are stitching no matter how many times you may have seen a pattern; I always love seeing them. Sometimes I just sit down and look through my "many" patterns; I have been going through lots of them and getting them entered in Xstitch app on my phone. That has helped me avoid buying patterns twice since I have been using it; but not before that! LOL Glad you are stitching; enjoy your day.

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Oh Vickie! I love this one. I'm a tea lover too. For some reason I don't remember this one from the magazine. I'll have to go back and look again. Your version is so pretty!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

I love your tweets rnament, it just darling :) and now I can't wait to see th AotH !!

marly said...

Love the colors and how you added the tea bag. Great idea.

Bea said...

Perfect ornament for a tea drinker and, as usual, beautifully finished. Both your projects sound intriguing, looking forward to seeing you stitch.

Barb said...

Your ornament is beautiful. Glad you didn't feel obligated to frog!

Penny said...

It's a lovely ornament and very appropriate for someone who loves tea. It's important to be happy with your fabric choice for such a large design. I'm so excited to see your start on both pieces! : )

Justine said...

What a lovely ornament for your husband. I love how you adapted it with the teabag tag! It looks perfect.
Did you see Sally's (Stitchyangel's Treasures) recent finish of AotH? It's a stunning piece stitched as one. Looking forward to seeing your different fabric choice!

Hilda said...

Hi, my dear friend - I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your beloved ones!
This Christmas tea-ornament is just darling. I love the idea with the tea-label .... so cute!
You are going to start the Anniversaries of the Heart? Oh dear? I tried my "first start" last year in January. But stopped after finishing the first one.
Should I take your start as a reason to start my own a new? Have to think it over.
Whatever! I am very much looking forward to seeing your AotH!!!

Hugs
Hilda

Julie said...

Such a perfect little gift stitched for your husband with love in every stitch, the tea bag idea is adorable.

Mouse said...

cooo would never had noticed at all the wee personalization you did ;) and oooooo the AOTH I have got the fabric and most of the charts just missing 3,7 and 9 of all things ...lol it is on my to start list too ... Happy New Year to you all :) love mousexxxxx

Astrids dragon said...

What a lovely ornament! No mistakes, only design adjustments!
I'm looking forward to seeing your next projects, I'm sure they'll keep you busy.

Jenny said...

Good Morning Vickie...I absolutely LOVE the ornament you made for Brian! I fell in love with it when I first saw it and now I love it more! Just beautifully finished! And the teabag is just perfect! That was a great idea!

I will be looking forward to seeing the sampler you are making for your anniversary! I made one for our 25th as well!

Oh be still my heart....Anniversaries of the Heart ...stitched all together is one of my very favorite samplers! I have ALWAYS wanted to stitch that one...it is on my bucket list for sure! I will so enjoy seeing your progress my friend! I am also excited to see what linen you chose...that has always been a struggle for me...

Enjoy your day! Sending hugs your way!

Cindy's Stitching said...

A pretty ornament. Most people would never see the mistakes. Happy new year.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Wonderful ornie! Even with the glaring mistake LOL Honestly, no-one would ever know.
I didn't use to like Xmas either but then I discovered that the X stands for Christ rather than being a modern abbreviation and I don't mind it so much!
Can't wait to see your start on the Anniversaries piece. We are both having a year of BAPs!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

ps I also love Emma Congdon's work.

gominam said...

Your ornament finish is so neat and beautiful. Well done!

Irmeli said...

You did such a beautiful ornament for Brian. I like how you finished it.

Carol said...

Such a lovely ornament, Vickie! It's so funny, because my mother always, always hated "Xmas," too, so that is how I grew up and I feel the same way. I don't stitch designs with Xmas on them either ;)

Oh, my--you have a huge task ahead with AOTH!! But, it will be a lovely one and I look forward to following your progress.

Beth said...

What a beautiful ornament Vickie. Looking forward to seeing your larger projects when you are ready to go.

Von said...

Such a cute ornament for Brian, so fitting for his tea-loving self!
Can't wait to see the fabric that's coming for AOTH!

Lili said...

Your ornament is very pretty!!
Wonderful stitching plans!

Linda K's Stitching Corner said...

The Christmas Ornament is really cute and adorable. I love it.

I have done the same thing with the fabric...I buy it and than I don't like the color or the count so I throw it in my bin and go back to my LNS and buy something different. I have gone from 14 count to 28 count so now I try to do everything either on 25 or 28 count Lugana. That is my preference.

Enjoy your Day & Happy Stitching
Linda K

C Reeder PhxAz said...

Love this! I want to try it in purple and grey. Put a pocket on back or leave cup top open somehow to hold real a real tea bag.

Halland House Gifts said...

I'm loving the tea cup ornie.

Sarah in Stitches said...

What a lovely ornament! I'm sure your husband treasures it :D