january finish

Have you seen the Word Play stitcheries from Country Stitches?  They came out last year and there is one to correspond with every month of the year.  They are awesome!  (have I mentioned before that I love seasonal things!?)  I just finished the January one....and there's still some days in January left to enjoy it!  Yeah for that!!  Who knows, it may just stay up into February if we get some more snow.

These are stitched on Abecedarian Linen with one strand over two threads....makes my eyes go crossed if I don't sit in direct sunlight when I'm stitching.  But I like the primitive, natural look of the finished piece so much, that all the eye strain was worth it! I finished it off with a piece of cotton on the back and used two rusty safety pins to attach a hanger made from linen tape.

The only thing I would change if I were doing this piece again is to switch from the white floss that the pattern calls for to something that is a bit brighter and pops more on the fabric.  The Shaker White that the pattern calls for is subtle....maybe a bit too subtle.  (But not subtle enough for me to rip it out and re-do it!)

I tried using a lighted magnifier so I could stitch at night when I really have more 'free' time, but the magnifier took more getting used to than I had patience and it made me feel a bit granny-ish.  So, by the window I sat with my coffee and my stitching - just a bit in the mornings before the crowd got rolling.  It was a fun project to work on....I think I'd like to start one for the spring...maybe April or May?  Which one do you like the best?