Two Stags and a Star

Summer heat and humidity have definitely arrived and I am not even remotely thinking about the winter holidays...but if you are an early bird stitcher (you know who you are - "one of those" ready for every holiday and always stitching in advance) 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 "Two Stags and a Star" (AKA "Two Stars and a Stag", as listed in the magazine) in the the August 2018 Issue, which is now available.

My 2018 preview ornament complements my woodland ornaments from the past several years and uses Cross Stitch (over-two), Back Stitch, Long Straight Stitches, 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 (DMC six-strand embroidery floss conversions are provided). 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!

Nine Christmas ornaments are featured in this special preview leading up to the annual Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue out later this year...so, if you are not a subscriber, pick-up or download the latest issue (https://www.just-crossstitch.com/) - grab some Christmas colors from your stash and let's get started on those holiday ornaments!