Little By Little : The Silver Needle, Fine Needlecraft Materials


Ann Pennsylvania Peacock & Idelia Mae Rich Little by Little's Cynthia Bradford has two charming pieces that feature PAPER faces on Idelia Mae and Ann. Ann Pennsylvania is a distant relative -- Cynthia found her name on some old family records -- and knew she just and to design something with that name! Evidentally paper faces in samplers were popular in the 19th century and sometimes painted directly onto the linen instead. Ann's 10 x 11 piece features a lavish tree, beautifully dressed Ann, and her city and place of residence. All the pretty hand-dyed threads just add to the charm. Offered as the chart, Cynthia has a friend who made a watercolor painting of this tiny paper face included with the chart. Idelia offers the same charm. Her red dress is elegant, you can just tell she was a lady of good character! She finishes approx 8 x 9. This pair of pieces is charming -- especially because of those faces.
Alphabet Piddlings An incomplete (or growing!) set of alphabet letters, Cynthia has these all finished into soft, floppy, walnut-shell-stuffed pillows grouped into a wooden bowl. You don't see all the stitching at one time, and if you look... you don't find all the letters. Just a curious little collection of half! As her company name suggests... she'll finish these little by little!
Quaker Faith & Counting Book Samplar Two pieces with similar flavor -- the Quaker motifs and tidy, bold alphabet, Quaker Faith -- especially -- can be split apart into smaller elements, but I really like it the way it is. Faith finishes 9 x 9 on 35ct, and is coded for DMC floss. Counting Book is smaller at 4 x 11... just a pair of pretty pieces.
Black Sheep Sampler I have always liked this design! Not sure what most of it means... but I think the ship and sailboats are neat, the whale, the ducks playing Indians! There is the black sheep up there -- the subject of the verse -- and the couple inside that stone house, the path and that tree on the island. Maybe it's a good conversation piece on its own! Offered as the chart, it finishes approx 8 x 9 on a 35ct. DMC floss coded.
The Birthday Gift This is lovely! Stitch just the vase and flowers, or the verse, too. There is a partial note in here about Birthday being intentionally mispelled as Brithday... but that thought isn't finished! A mystery! Pretty colors... is for my birthday!!! Offered as the chart, 5 x 6 on 35ct.
Star Light Star Bright What a delightful design! Stitched on a blue hand-dyed linen in DMC shades, the verse surrounding the little cottage is the Star Light Star Bright poem! LOVE that lavish flower garden outside the window, the dog in the yard, and those flowing hills. So Sweet! approx 8 x 11 on a 30ct.
Winter Joy This is a neat idea -- an ornament that is stitched on two different fabrics and then joined together to make one piece. Worked in DMC and some overdyeds, those rows of cross stitch around each half half make your finishing look better. The outer edges are turned under, and the seam between the two linens on the front is hidden a bit beneath that stitching. Offered as the chart, you do get both sides in here. Each side is simple... but charming together!