"Flurries in the Firs"

Summer temperatures arrived early in Iowa and I am not even remotely thinking about the winter holidays...but if you are "one of those" early bird needleworkers already working on Christmas ornaments, then you are in luck (and WAY too ahead of the game), because the Just CrossStitch Annual Christmas Ornament Preview Issue is here! If you have been enjoying my woodland ornament series, then you will be happy to see Blue Ribbon Designs included in this issue. You can find "Flurries in the Firs" in the the August 2016 Issue, which is now available.

My 2016 preview ornament complements my woodland ornaments from the past several years and uses Cross Stitch (over-two), Back Stitch, and Smyrna Cross Stitch. I worked the model on 40-count Mocha linen from Weeks Dye Works (same as previous ornaments in this series) and used Weeks Dye Works cotton floss. I opted for a flat-finish with two-tone cord as an embellishment....and as a little finishing tip for those of you using the 40-count linen - I used standard hotel room keys padded with cotton batting (or you could use fake or expired credit cards) instead of the padded mounting board that the magazine suggests...they are the perfect size!

Look for another Blue Ribbon Designs woodland series ornament in the JCS Christmas Ornament Issue out later this year. I'll be back in the next couple days with the sneak peek of my new cross stitch design...I ran out of time to get an "in progress" photo today...I'm going fishing with my hubby EARLY on Saturday morning, so I am writing this on Friday night and scheduling it to post on Saturday while we are out on the water...wish me luck (and yes, this time, I am taking a book and a small stitching project)...maybe this time I'll catch a fish!