Saturday, April 17, 2010

Sunflower Santa



When I first saw this whimsical Prairie Schooler chart, I wasn't sure that I wanted to stitch it, but as I studied it further, it really began to grow on me. I love the idea of Santa taking a rest and tending his sunflower garden during his "off" season! My April ornament, from PS Book 48: "A Christmas Visit," is stitched on 32 ct. natural light linen with the recommended DMC threads. This was the first round ornament I ever attempted and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. At four inches in diameter it is a bit larger than I would have liked and I think if I stitch any more patterns from this book, I'll try stitching them "over one."


Like many of you, I'm stitching an ornament a month and I'm so happy to be keeping up with my finishing. It would be so easy to stick them in a drawer and move on to a new project, but I know I'll be thrilled when December rolls around and I have twelve already finished ornaments to add to our Christmas tree. Pictured below are the four I've completed. See how large the newest ornament is in relation to the previous ones? The earlier ornaments were all stitched "over one," so they're all quite small... Do you have a favorite? I still love that tiny stocking the most...


I was overwhelmed by all of your kind comments on my PS Spring sampler last week! Did any of you notice the mistake that I made in it? If you look carefully at the upper left leaf next to the robin in my previous post, you'll see that I forgot to fill it in with the light green. Luckily, I noticed it before I got around to framing it!


Have any of you ever framed a piece and then noticed a mistake? Well, I have--or more accurately, my then ten year old son noticed it! It was on one of my earliest works from back in the '80s--a pair of pictures with two doves nestled in a cherry blossom tree in each. Well, my oldest son was walking up the stairs one day, and I don't know if they were just at his eye level or what, but the next thing you know, he is running to gleefully tell me that I made a mistake on one of the borders. (Click on the photo above for a better look and see if you can spot my mistake... By the way, those mats on the pictures are both the same shade of gray as is shown on the left--not sure why they look different!)

Sure enough, when I went to examine it, he was right! If you look at the bottom right corner of the picture on the left you'll see that I forgot to close off that part of the border...I can laugh about it today, but at the time, I just cried. I think those were the first pieces that I had paid to have professionally framed and I was just sick about spending all of that money and time and then they weren't even stitched properly! A few years ago, I gave them to my mother-in-law because they fit in perfectly with her decor--she is thrilled to own them. She asked me to write the entire story about my son's eagle-eyed discovery on the paper backing of the frame so it will be there forever. That little bit of family history actually makes the pieces even more special...

Last month, I received my lovely pinkeep as part of Andrea's PIF... Now it is my turn to pass on the kindness. Since there were more than three people who wanted to participate in my PIF, I did a random drawing and the following stitchers will be receiving something from me within the next 365 days:

Lee from New Zealand!

Shari from Indiana!

Melanie from The United Kingdom!

I will be emailing the three of you to get your addresses very soon. I'm really looking forward to creating something special for each of you!


I am so very appreciative of all of your comments and visits...thank you all for being such a wonderful group of friends. Wishing each of you a wonderful and relaxing weekend...

46 comments:

Kathy A. said...

Sunflower Santa is wonderful and your finishing - perfect. I, too, like that little stocking.

Theresa said...

I love your ornaments!!!! They are super cute~~~

Ok, maybe it's just me, but I just cannot seem to find the mistake you are talking about..... Your boy is really sharp!!! I love the story, and just like you said, this make these pieces that much more special~

Lesleyanne said...

Lovely story. I don't think I have ever stitched anything where there is something wrong so don't feel bad. Lovely ornaments - can't choose a favourite.

KarenV said...

I saw the mistake, but only after you pointed it out - your son has very sharp eyes! I stitched a large canvaswork design a few years ago; it took me ages and I was really pleased with it and had it professionally framed. And then I noticed one day that I'd left one teeny tiny bead off the border! It's barely noticeable, but irritating, all the same. I'm sure I've done other similar things on other pieces too. Your MIL is right, that makes a great story about your stitching for future generations :)

I love all your ornaments but I think January is my favourite! Congratulations on keeping up with one a month.

Nima said...

good to see your lovely ornament finishes...

i couldn't locate the mistake on the framed piece...until i read the mistake....lol...i usually think we need to do a proof reading by someone else to find those missing parts...

Lynn Bourke said...

Lovely stitching! I love the ornaments...

Viooltje (Violet) said...

Hi Carol :o)
My favourite is stil falala ♥ and...
WOW(!), how do you manage to do SO much!?
I love your garden and Spring flowers and the Spring PS with the lambs *Ü*!
btw FYI our tulips are getting their colour (instead of being a green bud).
;o)
I only saw the forgotten stitches after I clicked on the photo.
:o)

Lois said...

I love your sunflower santa, I think he's going to be another one I have to stitch from the booklet. I don't know which ornament I like best. They're all lovely! Once again, LHN Holly and Berries is one I've yet to stitch and each time I see it I'm reminded that I should add it to my list. You know, it took you saying where the mistake was for me to notice it on both PS Spring and your framed birds. Trust a 10 year old to spot that one! I have an SB band sampler that I've a mistake in one of the bands. I never noticed it for months after I had it framed then suddenly one day it caught my eye. Now, of course, every time I look at it my eye goes straight to the mistake and yet anyone else would probably look and not see anything wrong.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Carol, the Sunflower Santa is so beautifully finished. Jut gorgeous!

How big did Fa La La end up? I'm thinking of stitching that over one as well. It would be my first account. I have the called for fabric and it's supposed to end up at 4".

I love that your mother in law had you write the story about your son on the back to record some of the history about the piece. It's a great idea for all our stitched pieces.

Siobhán said...

I love your framed pieces, all the more special because of your son spotting your mistake. Honestly, I think it is rare for me to have a piece that doesn't have my own, ummm, artistic interpretation of it!!

Congratulations on finishing up your April ornament--love the finishing!--and keeping up with your monthly goals! I need to get going with mine for April. I love PS, especially their ornaments, but noticed that a lot of them are larger than I'd like for the tree. I would do anything to avoid over one, so with my last PS santa, I decided to do over two on 40 ct. I think my two faves of the ornaments that you've done so far are the PS santa & the stocking!

riona said...

I once read that you can tell a genuine Navajo blanket by the fact that the weaver deliberately weaves in a small mistake so that the gods will not be jealous and cut short the weaver's life.

A good a justification for small errors as I have ever heard.

Nancy said...

Such a gorgeous ornament! I love the sunflowers surrounding Santa. Carol your stitching and finishing are so beautiful! Looking forward to see what you will stitch for your ornaments for the rest of the year.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Shari said...

your sunflower santa is adorable! Great job....
what a wonderful story about the mistake in the framed piece. Like you, I would have been heartbroken after spending so much money to have it framed. I love the idea of having the story on the back of the piece.
Wow, thanks about the PIF...this will be wonderful!!!!

Margaret said...

I love your ornaments! They're all so pretty! Speaking of mistakes in framed pieces, I've been wondering if I was supposed to put some hair on the girls in a piece I have in for framing now. Too late! lol!

Lainey said...

Carol your sunflower Santa is adorable and I just envy your beautiful finishing. All your ornies are so beautiful I just couldnt pick a favourite.
Love the story of your son finding the mistake and how your MIL had it written on the back of the framed piece. Most of my finishes are full of little hidden errors, I don;t do perfect..lol.
Congratulations to all the winners of your PIF. I'm a little green here as I so wanted to see my name on that list, hopefully next time.
Hope you have a great week-end. Hugs.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Love your PS santa and all your ornaments. I think maybe I'll do that next year! I love your framed pieces and I, like most stitchers rarely have a piece without something "wrong" in it. My kids or husband would never look at a piece close enough to identify a mistake - even a glaring one - much less a "hardly noticeable" one like yours! I guess it's a compliment that your son liked them enough to study them!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

I couldn't see that at all Carol and I looked and looked :) I have a mistake on my wedding sampler, I didn't finish the backstitch on a dove's tail... :(
Oh Well....

I love your PS Santa Ornament :) I think my favorite one is the LHN Red House one :) But they all are GORGEOUS!

Sweet Sue said...

We share the same sentiments on PS Sunflower Santa. I too stitched him and the finish was more lovely than I thought it would be. Your finishes are great:) Cute story.

xoxo

BeckySC said...

I LOVE the PS Ornament-it's actually one of my favorites :) It looks wonderful as does all your ornaments :) Your framed pieces look great too! I think we have all left something out at one time or another-I left the feet off of one of my PS faires...but only noticed after it was already finished into a pinkeep-SOOOO, she remains feetless :) She's "special" :) :) :)
Have a lovely weekend :)
((hugs))

Martine said...

Hi Carol !
Sunflower santa is wonderful but I think that I prefer "Fa La La" !!!! It is so pretty...
I love your picture with these four ornaments.... and I am so satisfied at the idea of seeing twelve together in december !!!!
I had not seen the mistake on your PS Prairie Spring but I love the story of your son finding the mistake !!! It is funny !!....
I hope you a wonderful week-end, Carol !! Here, we have a beautiful sun ! It is very pleasant and the twins play in the garden !
Hugs.

Mylene said...

I so love your April ornament. Looks gorgeous!

I cannot find the mistake-been there twice and really look at the picture but i just couldn't find, thought i will go back later but i couldn't just leave it so i went back again-DH's wondering why am i looking so close to the PC...and then i've found it!
That is sure a great idea to write the story at the back of the piece.

Have a nice weekend!

Deb said...

I love all your ornaments Carol.

Susan @ Real Girl Designs said...

Your PS Santa is lovely, Carol.

I'm like you - I've framed a stitch piece, only to notice a long time later that I missed a couple of stitches, and now, whenever I walk past the piece, the mistake is glaring obvious!

Pumpkin said...

Gorgeous finish Carol! I didn't realize you were trying to do an ornament a month and even finishing them :o) I love them all. Even though this one may be bigger than the rest, it doesn't necessarily have to go on the tree. You could hang it somewhere else.

LOL! I never even noticed until you said where it was. You know, it's said that a good stitcher will always make a mistake in their work so that just goes to show you ;o)

Andrea said...

Beautiful ornaments and this newest one is no exception.

Catherine said...

Your ornaments all look so lovely - I really adore the small stocking too!

The story to go along with your pictures is priceless - isn't it funny how quickly kids love to point out our mistakes - or as Siobhan says, our artistic interpretations!

Dani - tkdchick said...

Your ornament looks great! I especially love sunflowers.

Myra said...

They are all beauties Carol. I think my favorite is the little stocking too. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a picture of a stitched piece to post on my blog, only to realize I left off some stitches or made a mistake. Arrrgh! We have all done it at one time or another.

Kellie said...

Hi Carol,
Sunflower Santa is so cute! I love it. All of your ornaments are beautiful, but I have to agree with you... the little stocking is my favorite too. It is so tiny and delicate. :)

Ranae said...

I love Santa, I love sunflowers, so I adore this one. The little stocking is a cutie.
I can' see your mistake. That makes it special and makes i yours, who knows maybe it will be worth lots of money someday, lol

Lee said...

Enjoyed another visit to your site and love your latest PS piece As its summer down here at Christmas I love seeing Santa with the Sunflowers. And what a thrill to be to find I am one of the three for you PIF
Have a nice week.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

You are very wise to keep up with the finishing as you go along! They're beautifully done. That stitching over one can become quite addictive!

Cindy's Stitching said...

Carol you stories are so funny. I think all stitchers have made mistakes and thats what makes them special. How funny your son had such and eagle eye and caught the mistake. Love the santa with sunflowers. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers in the summer. I like all of the ornaments.

Michelle said...

Carol, your round ornament finish looks excellent! I like your January ornament the most, but they are all great!

Thanks for sharing the story about those lovely framed pieces.

BrendaS said...

Love your PS Sunflower Santa. Great Finishing! My favorite ornament so far is the Holly Berries, but I like them all!

Isn't it wonderful when your children find your mistakes and can't wait to tell you about them. My daughter noticed a mistake I made on a picture when it came back from the framers. I didn't want to have it reframed so the mistake is still there.

Have a wonderful week.

Carolyn NC said...

Great finish on the Santa - and I think your birds are gorgeous!

valerie said...

Great Ornies Carol...they are all great. It's nice that you are keeping up with your ornaments. One a month was my goal this year and so far, I've done zero! Not even a one! So kudos to you!

I didn't even notice your mistake either. I had to read where it was and then I noticed it! They look great even with the mistake. It happens...it makes it more special and unique. :)

Julie said...

The PS Sants is so cute, i thinks he looks cool in amongst the sunflowers. I think Holly Berries is my favourite of the 4 so far this year.

Well spotted DS, i located it when i enlarged the pics, but only because i was especially looking for something in the border after you gave the clue!

Melissa said...

The Sunflower Santa is just so cute. Imagine you can still have a bit of summer visiting you at Christmas!

I know finding mistakes afterwards is just irritating but this one makes for a good story!

Congratulations to the winners!

Solstitches said...

What a lovely collection of ornaments and all so beautifully finished.
Sunflower Santa is my favourite :)
Margaret

Edit said...

Your Sunflower Santa is absolutely lovely Carol. Just like the story about your framed pictures. Your son must have real good eyes for cross stitch :) Nice idea to write to story on the back, now it is part of your family history :)

Melanie said...

Beautiful stitching as always, I love seeing the PS that you stitch, you can never see them well on the charts online.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me have the opportunity to recieve a PIF from you, I'm so excited.

Sally said...

Your ornaments are beautiful.

Melanie said...

The ornaments are impeccable!! Just love them!

Carol R said...

Beautiful finish of your PS Santa!

I have a Darlene O'Steen sampler that I stitched and had framed in 1995. Two or more years later I noticed that I had left a stitch off the letter H and now my eyes are drawn to this mistake each time I look at the sampler! I don't think anyone else has ever noticed it; at least no-one has ever mentioned it but it does annoy me!

Shirley said...

Your ornaments look wonderful - I can't see the mistake either. Your tree is going to look fantastic at Christmas. kind regards, Shirley