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Here's a small sampling with a Pennsylvania Dutch flavor by The Workbasket. Delightfully different than so many other samplers, I especially like the two long designs, as they are so full of color, neat motifs and such cool shapes!!! |
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Have Carrots... Will travel!We fell in love with this design at Market... SUCH a fun piece! Check out that dashing rabbit.. he's going at least 50 miles per hour! And... check out the carrots on the Carrot Express Wagon... I'd be rushing to stash these babies as fast as I could, too, because they're so plump and deliciously knarley! The greens are all Rhodes Stitches of green -- so they're all little bumps on here -- an awesome texture treatment! (pattern doesn't tell you to do that, but I remember the model and you can kind of see some different detail in the cover pic.) Design is stitched in one strand of Belle Soie Silk on hand-dyed 28ct Week's Blue Jeans Gingham Linen, so neat, this finishes an impressive 8 x 14. (Easy for us to convert to Crescent Colours cottons, if you'd rather, and gentle on the budget at approx $18... but I'd get an extra ecru and orange... so maybe $22.50!) | |||||||||||||||||
Memory KeeperWorkbasket has a wonderful design... a large, square envelope to hold friendship notes -- inspired from the early 1800's Netherlands custom of creating a lovely box to hold notes and poems. They have combined it with the French custom of Postal Art... stitched envelopes that were actually mailed through the post, using real stamps! (I've seen stitchers do this NOW... they stitch things and then MAIL them LOOSE, to get that ink postmark ON the needlework!!!) This 12 x 12 envelope keeper is awesome! Stitched on Week's 35ct Parchment Linen, with dusky, softly faded shades of Belle Soie hand-dyed silks, the design is coded for DMC floss as well. When you fold the corners in and finish this, you'll have a lovely 2--sided envelope. The front design includes the 'stamp' (the bunny in the upper right-hand corner.) The Address -- To a Friend's House. Notice the Quaker motifs on the left-hand edge... when we turn over the piece, they are the tops to a heart! On the backside, you'll find the envelope flap, decorated with a valentine and smattering of antique buttons from your stash! Offered as the chart, this is SO unique! I absolutely fell in LOVE with it when I saw it. So beautiful to hold in your hands, so different, and actually very functional -- if you have special cards and notes you really want to hang on to. Stitched on a 31 x 31 square of linen... you'll have some generous corners left-over for smaller ornaments or sewing cases. Such a pretty presentation for needlework! | |||||||||||||||||
Little Seasons & Les PetitesThe Workbasket has a couple of new leaflets -- both feature small designs --with lots of different finishing ideas and presentations. Tiny cushions, thread 'tags', a few framed versions... you can really raid your stash to find all sorts of pretty fabrics and threads to make these any way you wish! Charted for silks, overdyed cottons or regular DMC flosses, just fun little designs. | |||||||||||||||||
Cat RoundelOne of The Workbasket's 12 new desigs, this one is a cat... running round and round in a paradise of hearts and paisleys. Simple crosses in one color of Belle Soie, (you can choose any one you wish!) this finishes approx 6 inches round on 36ct. Pretty as pillows or framed pieces, there is a Swan and Rabbit Roundel in this particular set of designs. Offered as a chart in leaflet format, each main design has a smaller element that they've taken out and stitched into a tiny scissor fob. On Cat Roundel... it is the 'leaf' design at the bottom. Stitch it in dark on light fabric, or light on dark! The Workbasket also offers a charming set of Quaker animals. Almost a dozen different leaflets of those... the Owl and Bat are favorites, along with Santa (who isn't technically an animal!) Make sure to scroll down to see everything! | |||||||||||||||||
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Rabbit RoundelWhat an enchanting piece! Designed by The Workbasket, this is a paisley-inspired design... round, busy, delicate and graceful.. just like the bunny running 'around' inside! Simply cross stitches, the cover model is stitched on (actually anything you want) 36ct Creme Linen and finishes approx 6 x 6. Choose any color of hand-dyed thread -- some of the Crescent Colours Belle Soie would be luscious in this -- and mount it into the top of a round box or finish onto a basket lid, there are lots of options with this. On the back cover, Mary and Candy offer an additional paisley motif that coordinates with the main design, and show it finished into a scissor fob, along with the 'empty bunny' on the front that is now stitched solidly, all by himself. Offered as a leaflet, (it is a little on the pricey side) very, very pretty! | |||||||||||||||||
Faith, Hope & LoveInspired by the costumes from the Isle of Marken in The Netherlands, this is such a striking piece! It is charted in one color, and when stitched on 36ct, measures 3 x 21! (So... on a 25ct Lugana, for instance, this would finish approx 4-1/4 x 30) Lots of diagonal borders and sampler motifs, it reminds me of all the Quaker designs that are popular right now, but when you look at this... its not Quaker at all! Neat story attached to this, as well; Candy, who lives in The Netherlands, stitched this, and then waited till she came to the US to mail it to Mary in CO -- to lessen the risk of the model being lost in International Mail. Guess what? The original piece is *still* riding around in a saddle pack of the US Pony Express System! So... kind friend, Ruth, practiced the lessons of the sampler, and surprised Candy with a new stitched model for the leaflet cover! | |||||||||||||||||
 Quaker Pig and Rooster Two more cute Quaker-decor animals... they speak for themselves! I just love the face on the pig! Stitch these on any fabric you wish using any thread you like... Offered as a leaflet. | |||||||||||||||||
4 Corner HousesA companion to Four Way House... this piece has such a geometric flavor... I think because your eye is drawn to the lovely, curved trees. Next, you discover the cottage-like houses tucked in the corners, and then all the charming cats, dogs, rabbits and birds out in the yards! Each cottage has its own pair of animals! Stitched on 32ct Belfast, this finishes approx 6 x 6, and is charted for Crescent Colours hand-dyed floss. | |||||||||||||||||
Humble HomeI love this design! Very Quaker feeling, to me, this Humble Home nestled into the mountainside is full of texture from both the geometric patterns in the motifs, as well as the special stitches that are scattered throughout! Stitched on 32ct linen in Weeks overdyed flosses, you can add satin stitches onto the sheep for his wool and the cow for his spots. Stitch the roof and barn planks with rows of alternating elongated crosses... or not! (They give you instructions for all regular x's, too!) Anyway, lots of luscious greens, golds, brick reds, chestnuts and lavenders, there is just so much going on in the yard outside, that every time you look at this, you see something new. | |||||||||||||||||
Sheep FrolicA darling sheep -- he's dancing across hills of grass and roses! Finished as a stuffed stand-up, he's quite large at 4-1/2 x 5-1/2. Again, offered as the design stamped onto muslin... since you have the line drawing, you might want to consider transferring this to onto a more sturdy weaver's cloth. The Weeks overdyeds include Sea Foam, Cypress, Holly, Whitewash, Periwinkle, and Rose Quartz. There are more used... but these are the main ones -- and I just love the combination of them together! | |||||||||||||||||
4 Way HouseThis is an awesome little design!!! Very clever... let me let you read what the designer says in her intro! 'This design intrigues me for several reasons. Some have suggested that each side is a season. I like that the large flower stems and tree trunks share their tops between two houses. Is there an up or down to this design? Because that is not immediately clear, I especially like the finishing on a diagonal. It would also be striking framed on the diagonal. Pretty cool, I think!!! This finishes approx 9 x 9 on any 28ct linen, and is stitched in Crescent Colours overdyed flosses. I think the palette is a bit on the pastel side... and really am intrigued by that 4-seasons idea! You could adapt the colors a bit... the spring side has the sheep, summer has the rabbits, autumn has the peacocks and winter features the reindeer! Suggestions are given for adding special stitches, if you're inclined, as well! Very creative, this is a FUN design! Offered as a leaflet. | |||||||||||||||||
Hunny Bunnies What a cute pair of rabbits... stitched on the two different linen colors... it looks like two different designs!!! The design suggests Rhodes or Eyelets in the basket base, but doesn't include directions for that option in the chart... so you get to be creative! Just something cute! |
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