Give Thanks cross stitch

My most recent cross stitch project is the Lizzie Kate freebie Give Thanks.  I stitched it twice switching up placement of a few of the colors.  The first piece I finished a few weeks ago and it's stitched on Loops & Threads 14 count Oatmeal Aida cloth that is 51% polyester, 36% cotton and 13% linen.  The pattern calls for Weeks Dye Works floss which I don't own so I pulled some DMC colors that looked close to the colors in the picture of the pattern.  The floss colors I used were 3363 (green leaf & pumpkin leaf), 3862 (stems and quote), 3820 (yellow leaf, bird beak and feet), 938 (acorn bottom), 310 (bird) and 3776 (pumpkin).  The pattern has two colors shown for the pumpkin which I did stitch but didn't like the look so I changed it to just one color.

 
Also, after I finished stitching this piece, I thought the quote was a little too light so I wanted to stitch it in the darker brown, color 938.  This was also a good opportunity for me to give a try at stitching on one of the 6x6 Aida canvas squares which I bought at Michaels a few months ago.

It's by Loops & Threads, is 100% cotton, and comes in a 3 pack in the oatmeal color and also in white.  I wasn't sure of the size (not listed on the package) but it turns out that it's also 14 count.  I had counted/marked out the area on the canvas square to fit a 60x60 stitch count design that wouldn't interfere with the frame sides.  I also couldn't decide which of the patterns to try first but as soon as I saw this Lizzie Kate pattern, I knew it was the one!  The oatmeal background with the fall colors and a stitch count that is smaller than 60x60 made it the perfect design size to test out stitching on the square.  It turned out nice and I covered the opening on the backside with a piece of brown felt.

Here's a side by side comparison of the two finishes.

Happy stitching!

Flosstube #5 - Washing My Stitching, Snag Nab-It tool and Final Finishing

I took the plunge into water, well not me but my stitching!  I had the second cross stitch piece that I've ever stitched, from the 1990s, and my first embroidery piece (stitched in 2015) that I wanted to fully finish.  A video of my washing process as well as additional information and photos can be seen below.  I also used a Dritz tool called "Snag Nab-It" which I first learned about it from Vonna Pfeiffer on a July 2017 episode of Fiber Talk.  ALERT:  I'm not a professional and only sharing my experience with washing a few pieces that needed to be cleaned.  Please consult with a professional before washing any project or it will be at your own risk of damaging/ruining your stitching and/or fabric.

My cross stitch piece is from a Dimensions kit named "Life's Prayer" designed by Sue Roedder.  The closest I came to finishing it (shown in my first Flosstube blog post/video) was to buy a photo mat but after sitting for years it had developed some stains.  However, I decided it was time to give it some attention to finally finish it!  The finished design fits into a 5x7 frame.

For my embroidered piece, it is a crewel embroidery design from a Dimensions kit named "I'm No Quitter" designed by Barbara Ann Kenney.  This was my first time trying embroidery and I'm pleased with how it turned out!  I finished the piece by creating a fabric mat to frame the design, embellished with rick rack trim, and added a fabric backing (lined with a light fusible interfacing), into a nice simple fabric display piece.  The finished size is 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" square.

And here's the video!  ALERT:  I'm not a professional and only sharing my experience with washing a few pieces that needed to be cleaned.  Please consult with a professional before washing any project or it will be at your own risk of damaging/ruining your stitching and/or fabric.