Elizabethan Cross Stitch pt4

This is the last one in the series.

I'm now on a hunt for something similar. 

Please let me know if you are aware of a pattern like this because I am keen to add more to this little collection. 

Elizabethan Cross Stitch pt3

This is the third one in the series.

There is one more to follow.

Elizabethan Cross Stitch pt2

Here is the second cross stitch in the series. I just adore the golden swirls, birds and bugs in this. 

Elizabethan Cross Stitch

This is the first in a series of patterns taken from one of my all time favourite books on cross stitch called Elizabethan Cross Stitch by Barbara Hammet.

More pictures in this series will follow soon. 

My Finished Upcycled Embroidery Frame

I make my own accessories because I've never been able to find tools that are right for me on the high street or online. This is my latest experiment. Only time will tell if I find it more comfortable to use than the original wooden clamp frame...

The final stage was to choose a cover for the padded frame. 

I was going to use a fabric that I have in my stash. It has little houses and black cats on it. I think it would make a pretty cover. I also have enough for a matching bag to store the frame and my work in, but I decided to do something completely different.

I adopted a more personal handmade approach. I chose two Donna Kooler designs called 'Birds' and 'Squirrel' and stitched them up really quickly on 18ct aida. Then, I simply back stitched the long edge to make a tube and inserted the frame.  

The hardest part was deciding where to 'position' the embroidery on the frame. 

I didn't want it where I will attach the 'small' to the frame for stitching, so the top and the bottom of the frame was out. Also, I didn't want the embroidery where I hold the frame. 

I worked out where it was most comfortable to hold the frame and put the embroidery higher on that side and lower on the other. 

I love the two little designs and I'm pleased with the 'look and feel' of the finished embroidery frame.