100 Details In 100 Days - Day 27

I've been rather obsessed with grapes lately. Ever since Sharon's Day 24 post where she shared a "caston" stitch technique for doing Wisteria. They're gorgeous as Wisteria but every time I look at them, I see grapes! I'm just itching to do some but I don't think they'll fit on my current Rose Garden project so I guess I'll have to plan on them for my next one.

Grapes have always been a symbol of properity so today, I'm giving you a small counted cross stitch motif for pink and purple grapes.

Again, work on 14 count cross stitch fabric and sew into your foundation or stitch directly on your crazy quilt using 14 count waste canvas. The floss is DMC brand.



Click on the photo to go to my Flickr site where you can download a larger version to stitch from.

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 26

Motif Spiderweb
Originally uploaded by Kitty And Me.

Another popular crazyquilt motif in the Victorian days was the spiderweb. The Victorians believed that having a spider in their house was good luck. I don't share the same sentiment!

Spiderwebs can be challenging to stitch, esp. if a stitcher doesn't know how to do couching. Here a simple charted version of a spiderweb. Use whatever threads you have, I like to do mine with metallic thread, usually a Kreinik #4 or #8 Braid but you can use what you have on hand.

If you use 14 count waste canvas, I would use 3 strands of DMC floss or 1 strand of #8 Perle Cotton or 1 strand of Kreinik #4 Braid.

If using a larger waste canvas such as 10 or 8.5 count, use 6 strands of DMC floss or #5 Perle cotton or Kreinik #8 Braid.

I make my spiders using a large round bead for the body and then a medium round bead for the head. I make the legs using 3 strands of DMC floss and straight stitches.

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 25

Motif Blackwork Shamrock
Originally uploaded by Kitty And Me.

The Victorians were huge on symbols of "Good Luck". Shamrocks, spiders and webs, horseshoes and other tokens of health and prosperity were often worked into their crazyquilts.

Years back, I wrote a poem for one of my published counted cross stitch designs which included a shamrock with roses and lavender, titled "In An Emerald Wood":


Somewhere deep in an Emerald Wood,
a tiny shamrock grows
fragranced by the lovely scent
of a wild Irish rose.

If I should find this clover,
I'll pluck it from it's place
and send it off to you my friend
wrapped in lavender and lace.


The point of this little design is to give you a foundation for embellishing. I see SRE, silk rosebuds, glass leaves and beads. Stitch this little blackwork shamrock, think of my poem and embellish like crazy!

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 24

Motif Blackwork Butterfly
Originally uploaded by Kitty And Me.

First, I'd like to thank everyone who has left comments here at my blog, on my Flickr site and in emails regarding how much they are enjoying these small borders and motifs. I'm enjoying them as much as you are. Just like in building a crazquilt, one idea feeds off the previous design and I know I won't have any trouble keeping everyone stitching for 100 days or more!

Today's motif is another blackwork design. This little butterfly can be worked with whatever colors you want to use or whatever will coordination with your project.

If using DMC floss, I suggest 2 strands for the cross stitch body, 2 strands for the outlines of the wings and 1 strand for the blackwork.

If you prefer Perle Cotton, try #5 for the outline and cross stitches in the body and then #8 for the blackwork.

Again, there are alot of possibilities here. You could work the entire butterfly in black on white fabric or in white on black fabric. You could add seed beads or try using a metallic thread such as Kreinik #4 Braid.

Add your own ideas to it and enjoy!

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 23

Motif Blackwork Strawberry
Originally uploaded by Kitty And Me.

I've always loved combining Blackwork with counted cross stitch. It really makes for an interesting design!

Today's 100 Details In 100 Days chart is a Blackwork Strawberry combined with a bit of realistic cross stitch.

There are lots of things you could do with this chart. Stitch it the way I designed it on white fabric or try working the strawberry with white thread on red fabric or even black fabric. You could substitute light yellow sead beads for the yellow DMC thread. It could be stitched on pink or pastel yellow fabric instead of white.

Lots of options here with this design!

Enjoy!