Crow Bobbin Holder

I spoke too soon! 

I found a big tibetan silver crow charm on line and I had to have it. I added a lobster clasp and attached it to a bobbin holder stitched with, you've guessed it, my favourite crow and strawberry design. 

The charm is for decoration but it is also big and heavy enough to use as a weight when I am separating threads or making cords. 

Totally Crow Crazy!

I used my jewellery making skills to make two pretty position markers. They are made out of silver plated stick brooch pins with caps, small lengths of silver plated chain, black beads, cream semi-precious gem beads and a crow charm.

I used the same black beads in the shape of small hearts to decorate some long dress making pins. 

I think I have got those crows out of my system now!

Matching Crow and Strawberry Pin Cushion

The second accessory is a matching pin cushion featuring my favourite crows and strawberries. 

Inside my stitching project folder

This time I've left the lining plain. When the folder is open it acts as a thread catcher and most threads show up clearly on the brown. 

I've added two little accessories. 

The first is a small needle case. It clips to the folder with a silver plated lobster clasp and it is solely intended to store my needle and a spare. 

I'll show you the other one tomorrow.

Crow Project Folder

The next thing that I wanted to create was a folder for my current stitching project. I didn't want to repeat the same cross stitch pattern but I wanted to keep the crow and seasonal theme to match the Crow Hussif. 

I wanted something that would sit on the arm of my favourite chair that would hold everything that I need to stitch a cross stitch 'small.' 

I wanted something that would keep it clean and safe from muddy paw prints when I wasn't stitching and something that would double as a thread catcher when I was stitching. 

This is what I made. 

For the front I took the ground and the crows from the original pattern and added a scarecrow and pumpkins. 

For the back I chose sunflowers, strawberries, corn and more crows.

For consistency, I used the same thread palette and added new colours where necessary. I also adopted the same green cross stitch frame and the same brown felt lining. 

Inside My Crow Hussif

I stitched the Prairie Schooler pattern on cream 14ct aida using the recommended DMC threads. I then used some iron-on interface to stiffen the back of the embroidery. 

I'd decided to make the interior from brown felt but I didn't want to leave it plain. 

I cut pockets to fit my magnetic pattern board and line markers, cross stitch ruler, scissors, needles, cotton etc. Then I planned where I wanted the pockets to sit in the hussif. I decided to add a needle rest and thought about the decoration. 

Rather than simply surround the pockets I wanted to incorporate the pockets into the design and of course the decoration had to follow the crow theme. 

I thought about the crow and the seasons and came up with the designs for summer (strawberries) and autumn (pumpkins and falling leaves). I considered embroidering pictures into the felt but in the end I tried my hand at felt applique. 

I cut and stitched the applique into place before I sewed the pockets and joined the interior to the cover.

The strawberries are actually the needle rests.

Crow Sewing Set

As soon as I saw the Prairie Schooler pattern called 'As The Crow Flies' I was hooked. There was never any doubt that I would sew this pattern! The only question was what to do with it when I finished it. I don't really go in for framing things and hanging them on the wall. 

I decided upon a unique finish. I made it into a hussif. The main picture forms the front of the hussif. 

I used the second picture for the back but it wasn't large enough and so I added an extra picture using the larger crow with the strawberry.

For the spine I took a smaller crow and a sunflower.

I'll show you the inside of the hussif tomorrow.... there are more crows!