"Pocketful of Peppermint" - Coming in August

Last week I blogged about the first of three new designs being released in mid-August ("Moonlit Midnight") - today the focus is on "Pocketful of Peppermint". This new release is a companion to the popular "Peppermint Twist" design I released in 2008 - it is a combination of motif boxes that can be stitched collectively for a framed piece or on their own as ornaments or needlework smalls. The pattern contains charting for the entire sampler and detailed finishing instructions for making three types of holiday ornaments:

1. Pillow ornaments backed with coordinating cotton or wool fabric (gingerbread man and reindeer in the photo)
   
   
2. Pillow ornaments backed with linen - with or without a beaded edge (the tree ornaments in the photo)
   
   
3. Flat ornaments using finishing forms (round ornaments featuring the heart and the dove in the photo)

This design was originally a teaching piece for Stitcher's Hideaway Needlework Retreats, so it contains multiple specialty stitches - large diagrams of all the stitches are included...or you can easily replace them with cross stitch. The models were stitched on 28-count Fawn hand-dyed fabric from Lakeside Linens and use Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (DMC equivalents included) and one spool of Kreinik #8 Fine Braid (100) to add sparkle and definition to the snowflakes (this is optional). Also included in the chartpack - an alphabet/numbers and personalization area for adding your initials and the year to your sampler or ornaments. All the details will be posted on my website soon, so keep an eye on the "Future" page for more information. This chart is set to be released at the TNNA Fall Needlecraft Market in mid-August...so look for it at your favorite needlework shop toward the end of next month....

*NOTE*: This holiday design will be part of a very special upcoming giveaway once I reach 500 official followers - so keep an eye out for that, as well.