Focus on Beauty

I found myself enchanted by this rose, and many others, in Retiro Park on the last day of May this year. Hope she brightens your day! :-)

~Shona

All I Want

Stitched from a freebie by Madame Chantilly, though the font is by DMC. Materials used: 14-ct Zweigart Christmas Red aida, Au Ver à Soie Metallics 028, and Nina’s Threads in Absynthe and Champagne. All else: Canva.

~Shona

Snow Cute!

A wintry stitch to cope with the intense August heat! This is from a freebie in the Durene Jones Facebook group. Thank you, Durene, for all your generosity and sweet designs. I LOVED stitching these cool dudes! I used DMC B5200, 310, 741, 991, 992, 3607, and 3706, and added the words with an Emma Congdon font from the August 2020 issue of CrossStitcher magazine. Snowflake-filled background by Canva.

~Shona

A Spiritual Stitch

I wanted to stitch a little something that spoke to me spiritually, and OwlForest Embroidery delivered! I combined one of their cats with one of their floral motifs, both from larger patterns that are available gratis. Materials used: 14-ct Zweigart Christmas Red aida, Au Ver à Soie Metallics 028, and Nina’s Threads in Caramel, Mermaid, and Spring Grass. Finishing touches courtesy of Canva. THIS KITTY IS SOVEREIGN AND FREE! I’ve been feeling trapped for a very, very long time, but one day I’ll be free too. And so will this planet and everyone on it.

~Shona

I Stitched a Free-bee!

I may have squealed when I stumbled upon this absolutely adorable free-bee by Romy’s Creations, available on both Facebook and Instagram. When you live with the challenging condition known as misophonia, you often want only the cutest things to stitch—that way there’s something sweet and uplifting to focus on when you’re being subjected to intrusive sounds! It can help take the edge off, if only slightly. I used Au Ver à Soie Metallics 028, Classic Colorworks Queen Bee, and Nina’s Threads in Champagne, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, and Sea Breeze. I changed the wording—they seem like more than just friends to me hehe—and stitched it using a free DMC font.

Using Canva’s Background Remover feature gives the effect of having stitched the lovestruck little bees on paper!

Have a bee-yootiful week and happy stitching!

~Shona

Kawaii Will Get Me Through

When in doubt, stitch that which will delight your inner child. How adorable is this delectable-looking little burger from the book Cute Kawaii Cross Stitch by Sosae and Dennis Caetano? I used DMC 310, 349, 702, 726, 729, 739, 938, and 3706 and had almost as much fun “framing” this cutie in Canva as I did stitching it! I definitely want to sample more from this magical book—the dessert designs are particularly sweet (sorry).

I added the hearts (from my Véronique Enginger calendar) exactly two weeks ago during the blackout here in Madrid. Thankfully the Spanish sun shone strong until quite late in the evening, providing much-appreciated lighting for me to soothe myself with stitches and not get too anxious about how long the power might be out. About 11 hours as it turned out—not too bad! I am extremely grateful that I had cute cross-stitch designs like this one and also an adorable Durene Jones snowman pattern to focus on and help me navigate the weird vibe of that day.

~Shona

Happy Easter!

Design by Faye Walsh in the April 2022 issue of CrossStitcher magazine. I used Atalie Trémière and DMC Blanc, 434, 436, 700, 702, and 726. Eggy background by Canva! 

~Shona