Startled Superstition and Hayride Happenings

Can you believe how quickly the summer months have passed?? - I can't believe it is September...where does the time go?! Halloween items are popping up everywhere...and stores are already getting out their Christmas holiday displays...personally, I'd be content to keep the summer months here just a little bit longer...but it is time to start working on Halloween and holiday items, if you want to have them completed in time to display this year...

I have a couple new cross stitch designs in the current issue of Just CrossStitch Magazine (October 2018) that will fit right into your autumn stitching schedule!

The October issue features a Halloween Ornament Spooktacular that includes six ornaments to stitch up and decorate your Halloween tree....and yes, you can find Blue Ribbon Designs in this feature. My Halloween ornament this year is titled "Startled Superstition" and is a fun, quick stitch!  You can locate my ornament and all the details on page 43. The entire ornament is worked in cross stitch - with a few back stitches and some long straight stitches for the cat whiskers (NOTE: I used French knots for the bat eyes, but I see the magazine omitted them from the pattern - I'm not sure why). I used Weeks Dye Works linen (Confederate Gray) and Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (a DMC conversion is also provided). There are TONS of fabulous ways to finish your Halloween ornaments - for this particular ornament, I chose a flat-finish....and I used two-tone twisted cord in green and black for a special touch. Please also note - the color photography in the magazine for this ornament is WAY off and completely over-exposed - the colors aren't even close - I am including a photo of the actual ornament laying on the magazine for reference - I am not sure why they lightened the photo so much that the colors are muted and barely resemble the actual piece (I was extremely disappointed in how they represented this project)....

This is the autumn issue, so you will also find a Designer Q & A and a seasonal project I created especially for this issue. If you turn to page 50, you can read a short question and answer session with me, followed by my autumn project titled "Hayride Happenings" starting on page 51. This fall-inspired pincushion is stitched on Weeks Dye Works linen (Beige) with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (a DMC conversion is also provided) and is stuffed with crushed walnut shells and trimmed with lovely hand-dyed chenille (Jack) from Lady Dot Creates.

 You can find this issue of Just CrossStitch magazine at your favorite needlework shop or on newsstands now...

Blue Ribbon Designs is also featured in the Just CrossStitch Ornament Issue, which is arriving in homes and shops now - I'll be back to share details soon!