A huge finish

This was my first attempt of mixing more than two designs together, I really enjoyed stitching it, making the whole design up as I worked, I gifted this cushion to my sister last year, she had been feeling down, so I hoped it would help cheer her up. 

 Looking back, I started this big design last August, post here, and this week I popped the final stitch in, so it took just over ten months to stitch, I have done other crafts along the way, knitting two long cardigans, a couple pair of socks and some sewing using my machine, and lots of garden and reading time. 

I decided to repeat one of my favourite designs as the final bit, I do love the stars. 

Top left hand side

Top right hand side

Bottom left hand side

Bottom right hand side

In the whole piece there are twenty different patterns used, a few have been repeated, mainly in different colours, each pattern I have stitched in its whole before, this way enabled me to do a bit of each, and was really good fun to make. The gold band in the middle is the only design I ran through my work, I thought it would look good, there is a tiny amount at the top, which shows again in the middle and bottom, I did ensure they were all stitched in line. 

The back of my work, it is always hard to keep the back tidy and knot free, which is important if you are framing your work, this will be made into a cushion for our bedroom, I will use a cotton backing when I sew together to keep this firm, it would twist and move without backing. 

The overall size is 44cms x 39cms, or 17ins x 15ins, stitched on 28 cwt linen, using just one strand of DMC silks (floss). I have reused the same colours over, it's a way of holding the designs together, I always keep any colours used in a separate bag, and choose from there first. Having designs which crash into each other takes time, I am never sure how they will fit together, I try and work out the balance and find a spot to start the next design, I do like the creativity this give me, so much freedom to play. I have packed my design folder away, it holds all the different designs in one place, I have no plans to stitch another mix-up.

Cross stitch is my favourite craft, it is very relaxing to do, I can sit with hubby, whilst he reads and we both listen to music. I do prefer to make huge projects, making smaller ones are too quick for me, and then what do I do with them. I am not sure what I will make next, I want to work on the embroidery on my 2023 wheel, I have done hardly anything, I have made the sketches. I also have two big WIP, Winter watergarden, which is stitched 1 over 2, which I just can't get on with and Sleeping cats, neither inspire me. 

I will get my sewing machine out to make this into a cushion, so hopefully I can get things made, I still have my orange test blouse to make, some patchwork, and loads of fabrics in my stash to play with.