How to mount Cross stitch onto a canvas

Still procrastinating about packing (the moving truck arrives in 3 days!) so I thought I would frame up my cross stitch before it gets buried in a box. Here is what I did...

These are all my bits ready to go. I have chosen a canvas with a nice thick edge and have my trusty staple gun - I love using this!

I decided to put a bit of padding behind the cross stitch as the fabric I stitched on is quite thin. I think they call this Pellum (please correct me if I am wrong) and it is used in quilting. I have cut it to the same size as the canvas.

After taking the plastic wrap off the canvas(!) I used fabric glue to stick the padding on. Just enough to secure it place really.

Then I place the cross stitch of the canvas and basically eyeballed the correct position. The I flipped it over very carefully and placed a staple on either side.

Then I flipped it back over and made sure it was still in the right spot, flipped it back and stapled at top and bottom. I then repeated this process of adding a staple and flipping it back to ensure it stayed where I wanted it. I pulled the fabric tightish as I stapled but not too tight.

I would have added more photos of this process but my stapler was spitting out 2 staples at a time and it didn't look so pretty. But hey its at the back so nobody will see it!

Then I tucked in the fabric to make neatish corners. At this point I thought it was all looking a bit to white so decided to jazz it up with some lovely grosgrain polka dot ribbon.

I measured around to make sure I had enough to overlap slightly.

I backed the ribbon with double sided tape....

I peeled back a little and then just floded the end of the ribbon over. Then starting a the bottom left corner of the canvas I peeled and stuck as I went around. It is much easier to peel as you go rather than peel all the tape of and then stick as it can get a little messy!

At the end I tucked the end of the ribbon under the ribbon where I had started - does that make sense?

I had a bit of ribbon left over so I decided to make a flat bow and add it to the top!

As you can tell from this photo I should have spent a bit more time ironing the finished piece before I started mounting it - oops.

You can find the pdf pattern to stitch these 9 Russian dolls in my etsy store.

Happy stitching!

Kim xxx

Flying Duck Cushion

Always on the look out for all things of 'Flying Duck' I stumbled upon this treasure this morning on Trade Me (for international readers Trade Me is New Zealand's equivalent to ebay).

Click here for the actual auction listing

Now I got particularly excited about this cushion as I have this tapestry and have been stitching it on and off (mainly off!) for a couple of years. My intention was to finish it (before I turn 40!) and attach it to a canvas but now I am thinking a cushion would be cute.

This is currently what my duck tapestry looks like...

...as you can see I am only about a third of the way through.

Maybe if I print out a picture of the cushion it might inspire me to finish stitching my ducks..if only there were more hours in the day.....

Cath Kidston cowboy fabric buttons

We are moving house in a few days so I have been furiously packing as I have left it all until the last minute (I work better under pressure!) and I keep unearthing all sorts of craft market stock.

These are a selection of buttons I made using Cath Kidston cowboy fabric - cute.
I have just listed them on Trade Me here if you are intersted.

I have hundreds (no exaggeration) of buttons which I will slowly be listing soon either in my Felt store or on Trade Me.

I know I also have felt cupcakes, needlebooks & pincushions, stitched bags, memory boards and more buried in boxes so stay tuned and I will let you know when I list them and you can grab a bargain becuase I am serious about moving the stock on.

I will probably start listing as soon as I start procrastinating about unpacking!

Babushka pattern complete & a giveaway

Finally I have finished!!!!
I feel like I have been stitching for months (probably because I have!).

So here is my new completed Babushka Sampler design.....

I would like to say I have been very efficient and whipped out the sewing machine to make it into a cushion but I would be lying! I have just (not so) artfully draped it over a cushion to look like it is one!

Eventually I think it would make a nice cushion or maybe I will stretch it over a canvas....

Anyway the pattern is tried and tested and ready to go and you can find it in my Etsy store here.

But I thought after all my hard work and to thank all my lovely readers that a giveaway was in order.

So I will be giving away the Babushka Cross Stitch pattern to 3 lucky readers. Just leave a comment on how/what/why or where you love to stitch and you will go into the random draw. The pattern is in pdf form so the prizes will be emailed to you which means anyone in the world can enter.

There is one catch however..... I am not drawing the winners until 50 comments have been placed. So round up all your stitching friends and get commenting to be in to win!

Babushka Embroidery Hoop

I have a million projects buzzing around in my head at the moment and most of them are for my daughter's room. It is lovely to have a litte girl to make for.

I am making a series of embroidery hoops to hang in her room. This is the first one...

Just a reminder you can find a free Babushka doll cross stitch pattern (a sister to the above one) on my blog here.

As promised I am trying to use and recycle existing craft supplies and here I have used a jute bag as my background to stitch on. This is what I started with...

I thought I would share with you how I made & framed it.

I used a half cross stitch (or tapestry stitch as I call it) and I love the 'rustic' look that the uneven weave of the bag material creates.

After I had finished stitching I took the outer hoop I am using to frame it and using the inner edge of the outer hoop traced 2 circles onto card and cut them out.

I placed the canvas on top of the inner hoop and just fiddled until I thought it was centred, then pressed down around the edge of the hoop to leave a dent and ensure the doll was in the middle.

Then I added the outer ring and secured it tightly and flipped it over and now you can see all my messiness at the back!

Then I added a piece of card and trimmed the edge of my canvas - not very evenly but it will do the trick!

Then using 6 strands of embroidery thread I used a gathering stitch to pull the back together and knotted tightly at the end.

Then I place the second piece of card over the back and pressed down hard forcing it so it stays in place. Because I used a thick fabric this worked really well but it is probably a good idea to use some glue on the back of the card and then place some weight on it to dry and set.

Now this is probably not exactly how it should be done but you know me I am already eyeing up the next project so if I don't finish things quickly they won't get done!

Now what to start next......

Project Update: New Babushka cross stitch pattern

Yes I am still stitching my new Babushka cross stitch pattern - it seems to have been going on forever. But of course I have abandoned it many times to do other crafty projects which I promised myself I wouldn't. Lets face it I can't just do one project at a time - the more the merrier.

Anyway here it is (I am stitching on waste canvas onto a teatowel).....

Just have to add the final doll and finish the two dolls at the bottom. Had a nightmare with the one on the bottom right - not a good idea to stitch at night when sleep deprived. Had to unpick heaps and of course it has left nasty little holes in my fine fabric...oh well hopefully it will look OK.

So I am hoping to have it finished and listed in my Etsy & Felt stores sometime soon.

Crafty food for a crafty toddler

In desperation for my toddler to eat more vegetables I have resorted to making art out of his food.
I thought I would share tonights creation with you.......Mr Potato Head.....

He ate everything except for a handful of 'hair' sprouts and the mushroom ears. He even ate the Olive I used on the eyes and mouth.

This counts as my something creative for the day!

Embroidery Hoop Art

This is what I have been busy crafting today...

I am loving embroidery hoop art at the moment (refer my post on Three Red Apples) and thought I would have a go myself.

I set myself a challenge to delve into my completed stitchings box and select something I had already made to use...

This is a design I stitched onto a doily using waste canvas - you can find the turorial here

This is a cute bee on a cute wee doily.

First the first one I used double side tape around the edge of the inner hoop, stretched and stuck the doily over it and then secured with the outer hoop. Because you can see through the doily I just trimmed the edges at the back.

Then for the bee I stitched the doily onto yellow felt. Then like the first one I used double side tape around the edge of the inner hoop, stretched and stuck the doily over it and then secured with the outer hoop. I trimmed the felt leaving about 2cm and added another strip of double sided tape on the inner edge at the back of the hoop and stuck the felt down.

Using the double sided tape is a fabulous idea which I borrowed from the Haby Goddess - check out her tutorial here .

What have you been crafting today?