Breaking up is hard to do

February 2012:  Is there anything in your stash that you are ready to end your relationship with? (submitted by CinDC)

Oddly enough, this ties in nicely to the January SBQ about the oldest patterns.  I started stitching in 2002-2003, and over the years, have acquired several charts, patterns and kits I am now willing to part ways with.   In some cases, my tastes have changed, such as with these snowmen, Mr. Mittens and Frosty.  They're very cute, and I stitched them both as gifts, but they're not really my thing anymore.

I also have several birth and wedding records in my stash that I stitched once and will most likely never stitch again (more from my early days of stitching, when I stuck to pre-packaged kits.)  Now that I regularly modify things to personalize them, I've moved away from kits and I'm ready to make room in my collection.

There are a few charts I'd be happy to send along to a new home for more personal reasons.  I bought them at a different time in my life, with the intent for stitching them for people who are no longer a part of my life.  There's nothing wrong with the charts - some of them are brand new and have never been out of the package.  They just don't fit with my life, and in fact, going back to look over them as I was writing this post kind of annoyed me, that minor annoyance you feel when you look back at mistakes you've made along the way, ones you didn't realize were mistakes at the time. but can see them in hindsight.  No point in kicking yourself over it, but no point in keeping reminders around either. 

Along with these charts, I have a collection of Aida cloth taking up space.  The more I stitched, the less I relied on what came in the kits I was still purchasing, and I branched out.  I started by substituting fabrics, exchanging a 14 ct. Aida for a 28 ct. evenweave, and going from there.  

Don't get me wrong - sometimes those pieces of Aida come in handy for some projects, but it's now become a design choice I make, instead of having it made for me.  Sometimes I like the chunkier, more obviously stitched look that Aida gives to a piece, and I have two birth sampler charts that I've used several times that I stitch on Aida fabric.

These are "Snips and Snails" and "Sugar and Spice" from Serendipity Designs.  I like them because they stitch up quick, and done on a 14 ct. fabric, fit perfectly in a 5x7 frame.  They're my go-to design when there's no specified theme for a nursery.  So while I may not chose kits anymore, there's still some room left for Aida fabric.  Perhaps just not all of it though...

So, that's my story.  If you're interested in any of the charts I have listed, please let me know and we can work something out.  You can see them all here: Stash for Sale or Trade

A Star Danced

A good friend of mine gave birth to her first son just a few short months before our son arrived, so part of our pregnancies overlapped and we were able to share our experiences. Rachel was a tremendous help and a source of support for me, so I wanted to make something for her son as a thank you for some very nice things she did for me.

The trouble is, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do, so I stitched both! First up is a simple birth record.

Snips and Snails by Serendipity Designs
Stitched over 1 on 14 ct. white Aida with DMC Threads

I purchased the boy and girl versions of these designs as they're a handy piece to have around. They stitch up quick and are super easy to personalize, plus they're not overly cutesy. The original design only calls for the first name, but whenever possible, I like to include the middle name as well as it fits nicely into a 5x7 frame. I don't generally stitch on Aida anymore, but I do like the slightly chunky look it lends to this piece.

I also knew I wanted to stitch up this piece, ever since the first time I saw it way back in January.

A Star Danced by Sharon Bennett (Daffycat Designs)
Stitched on 32 ct. linen with my own hand dyed threads
Name blurred for privacy

I fell in love with this design that Sharon created for her daughter's 21st birthday (you can read the story on her blog by clicking on the link to the chart). I personalized the back with the complete information, then finished the piece into an ornament. I followed Nicky's tutorial for ruched ribbon, and stitched it on the finished pillow by hand. I LOVE how it came out.