Tartan Santas - Second Trio

[bk_forever]

I finally got around to taking photographs, so hopefully, here are the other three Tartan Santa designs from the set of six I stitched. As with the first set, these are stitched with one strand of thread on 18 count aida.



First up is Long Santa. This one I've actually stitched twice - I sent him as a Christmas card to a friend a couple of years ago - but I wanted a full set so I stitched him again.









































Next is Man In The Moon Santa. I like this one a lot because of the unusual shape, plus the Tartan background is syrprisingly enjoyable to stitch.

































Last but by no means least is Green Man Santa - so called because the wreath of leaves around his hat reminds me of the Green Man of folklore. This is my favourite of all, but I messed up stitching him and left out one row of his beard - stitching white on white makes it easy to lose track of where you've got to. It meant I had to adjust a whole section of the backstitch on the beard so that it worked. It doesn't show at all, of course, but it was still annoying!










































So there they are. I really enjoyed stitching them and I have plans to use the Tartan background pattern with some other small Christmas designs at some point, but using different colours.

Comments

[royalladyemma.livejournal.com]

I've got these too!! I haven't done mine, tho!!!!

[bk_forever]

They're brilliant fun to stitch! I did mine in one strand on 18 count - the tartan backgrounds are a joy to stitch that way, but the pale grey highlights in the beards were a menace, they hardly showed so after the first two I just used white. In 2 stands on 14 count it would be worth the effort of doing the pale grey, but not on 18 count. Also, it's hard to keep count of rows when stitching white on white, especially in poor light - I missed a row on one santa beard so I had to adjust the backstitch. Doesn't notice, but I'm a bit annoyed with myself.

[royalladyemma.livejournal.com]

I have a pattern & a partially completed project where you can make a tartan design that's actually reversible! It's been years since I tried it, but I do remember it had something to do with skipping every other stitch across a row and then that's all I remember! Everything is in a zip-top bag, just waiting to be worked on!!

Have you ever tried doing your cross-stitch designs on perforated paper? Not only is it really fun to do, but they make great pins, magnets & ornaments. I did a Santa head for my gran that ske kept on her fridge year round for years.

[bk_forever]

I haven't tried perforated paper yet, it's easy to get though so I probably will when I have more time. You can get different colours, which is good. I know how to do it, but I'd have to be careful not to stitch too tight, lol! I have lots of tiny designs in magazines that would make great fridge magnets.

[royalladyemma.livejournal.com]

When my Grandmother taught me how to do all the sewing things when I was a little girl, one of the first things she taught me was that only God can creat perfection. When I got older I thought it was just her way of making me feel better that I'd made a mistake, but now I understand, and to this day, I can find a mistake in any piece I've ever made, in whatever format. Sometimes I think I make a single mistake in each one on purpose, just so it's not perfect!!!!

[bk_forever]

I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so my mistakes annoy me, even though most of the time I'm the only one who knows they're there. I do have a habit of altering most of the patterns and designs I do in some way though, even if I don't make a mistake, lol. It's doubtful that I've ever made anything 100% perfect or exactly the same as the pattern!