CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CROSS STITCHED ROSE SACHET BAG

Mother’s Day is coming up. Stuck for a gift? Why not cross stitch this rose motif on one or more sachet bags?

Cross Stitched Rose Sachet Bag

Materials: Charles Craft white Royal Classic Sachet Bag, DMC floss as listed in the Color Key, DMC #24 tapestry needle, scissors, rose potpourri

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA - CROSS STITCHED THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAY

As seen in Create & Decorate, Holiday 2012.
Designed by Lois Winston, courtesy of The DMC Corporation.
Sean O'Brien Photography

 As many of you know, author Lois Winston (she who writes the books about me) is also a crafts designer. (I taught her everything she knows, by the way.) 

Anyway, Lois designs needlework projects for several different national magazines. Her “Give Thanks” counted cross stitch design (shown above) currently appears in the Holiday issue of Create & Decorate magazine. This is a project that even a beginner stitcher will be able to complete in time to display at Thanksgiving dinner because it’s stitched with only one color floss, DMC Terra Cotta Color Variations.

Create & Decorate is giving away kits supplied by The DMC Corporation to five lucky readers. The kits include the floss and 14-ct. Charles Craft Aida fabric. You can find out how to enter on the Create & Decorate blog or their Facebook page. The winning names will be drawn and the winners notified tomorrow, so you need to enter by midnight tonight.

The Holiday issue of the magazine is available on newsstands now and from the Create & Decorate website.



Happy stitching!

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA - FABRIC YO-YO GREETING CARD

Author Lois Winston recently attended Bouchercon 2012. While there, she took part in two craft rooms where authors of crafting mysteries teach craft projects to readers. Since fabric yo-yo crafts will be featured in the upcoming Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, the third book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, Lois taught classes in making a fabric yo-yo greeting card. Now, you can make one, too. -- AP

Materials: 6” circular piece of lightweight cotton fabric, 3/4” - 1" diameter button, sewing needle, DMC Perle Cotton, DMC Memory Thread, Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry paper glue, wax paper, 4-1/2” x 6” piece of colored paper, Yarn Tree greeting card and envelope.

Directions for making Memory Thread stem and leaves: Cut one piece of Memory Thread 17” (twice the length of the short side of the sheet of directions.) Using this piece as a guide, cut another piece of Memory Thread four times the 17” length. Fold the longer piece in half, then in half again. Working from one end to the other, tightly twist the four lengths of Memory Thread together. Fold the twisted length in half, forming a “V”.

For the stem, fold the 17” length of Memory Thread in half, then in half again. Center over the “V” of the twisted length. Twist the stem pieces together, starting at the “V” and working to the opposite end.

To form the leaves, coil the ends of the Memory Thread.

Assembly directions for card: Apply a thin line of glue around the front edge of the colored paper. Center behind the card cutout. Apply a thin line of glue around the edge of card flap that folds behind cut-out section. Press flap in place. Place wax paper over the card and weight down.

Apply small dots of glue to back of stem/leaves. Remove weight and wax paper from card. Position stem/leaves on front of card. Place wax paper over the stem/leaves. Weight down Memory Thread until glue dries.

While glue is drying, make fabric yo-yo flower.

Directions for making yo-yo: Hold the fabric circle with the wrong side facing you. Fold 1/4” of the raw edge toward the wrong side of the fabric. Using the quilting thread, begin the first stitch underneath the fold of the hem to hide the knot, then sew a running stitch around the circle. When you reach your starting point, and the circle is completely hemmed, pull the thread tight to gather the fabric. Smooth and flatten the yo-yo so the hole is in the center. This is the right side of your yo-yo. Sew the button over the center hole of the yo-yo. Knot the thread and snip excess.

Glue the yo-yo to the top of stem.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CROSS STITCH TIPS

Ever wonder why I chose a background of embroidery floss for the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog?  Simple.  I love to cross stitch!  I wish I had time to cross stitch more often, but it’s kind of hard to squeeze in a few relaxing hours of stitching when there always seems to be something else that needs doing -- like figuring out how to pay off dead hubby’s loan shark.  Someday I may be able to get back to my favorite pastime and wile away the hours with a piece of linen, a tapestry needle, and all those gorgeous DMC floss colors.  In the meantime, I’ve got some cross stitching tips to share with those of you who do manage to squeeze in some cross stitching time from time to time. -- AP  

To prevent linen, Aida cloth, and evenweave from creasing when not working on a project, roll the fabric in acid free tissue paper and place it inside a cardboard tube.  Use empty tubes from toilet tissue for small projects and plastic wrap or foil for larger projects.

If you prefer to use a hoop when you stitch, always remove your stitching from the hoop when not working on it.  Plastic hoops are preferable to wooden or metal ones which may stain your fabric.  If you prefer to use wood or metal, prevent staining by sandwiching your fabric between two sheets of muslin before inserting into the hoop.  Carefully cut out the muslin to 1” from hoop.

If you’re a mom, chances are you’re also the family chauffeur.  Ever think of keeping a project in the glove compartment of your car?  Pull it out to work on while you’re waiting to pick up the kids from school or soccer.  No kids?  Bring your project along when you have a doctor’s appointment.  You’ll enjoy stitching a lot more than leafing through those outdated magazines in the waiting room.

Here are two tips for take-along projects.  Instead of balancing a chart on your lap, stitch half of each  cross stitch throughout the project when you can do so at home.  Complete the stitches whenever you have a few minutes of “wait” time.  Another tip is to stitch the perimeter of large areas of solid color.  Fill in the areas during those “wait” times.

Look for more cross stitch and other crafting tips in future columns.  Meanwhile, what are some of your favorite stitching tips? Anyone who posts a comment this week is entered into the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP