Marcy’s Musings

Everywhere I go, I’m seeing Halloween stuff–even the pet store! That means we have only a month to get our cards, jar lids, fingertip towels, bibs, or any other decorations made prior to the big day. I’ve provided a very simple Halloween pattern for you in my embroidery patterns. Please note that I was having trouble with my printer today and had to color in my pumpkin’s orange. As a result, he looks a bit…well, varigated. If you prefer this look, you can probably achieve the affect with varigated orange floss. In fact, I think that might be pretty cute!

Spotlight: Links to Additional Halloween Projects

Here are some other quick and easy (and some free!) Halloween projects you might enjoy:

Halloween Redwork

Free from Craftzine

Mouse & Pumpkin

From Feeling Stitchy

From Secrets of Embroidery

Machine Embroidery Designs

Tea Towel Patterns

Halloween Gift Bag to Knit

Cross Stitch Patterns from The Floss Box

Marcy’s Musings

Hi, there! I’m so excited about the upcoming release of Stitch Me Deadly.  In honor of the event, Gayle’s daughter Lianna made a wonderful trailer for the book.

Project Spotlight:

If you’ll recall, in our last issue of Sew Deadly, Gayle was going to attempt to recreate my new pattern on a tote bag. Just looking at the photo at the left, her recreation is cute, but has a big flower instead of the bunny…. Gayle, what’s up with that?

GT: In my defense, Marcy, I put the bunny on the bag. But since I didn’t have the actual cross-stitch grid on which to work, it was really hard to keep my lines straight; and I wasn’t satisfied with the bunny’s appearance at all. So, I got the seam ripper and ripped enough of the bunny out to be able to put this huge applique flower over the rest. Hey, it’s the right color!

MS: It is the right color, and I think it looks good. I’m glad you showed some initiative and fixed the tote instead of just trashing the entire project. I’ve been guilty of that a time or two!

GT: So have I. And I have a number of “unfinished symphonies” in my repertoire as well.

MS: Unfinished symphonies…I like that. You did a good job on the writing. It doesn’t appear you had any trouble with the text at all.

GT: That turned out to be really easy. I took a blue fabric pen and wrote the text onto the bag and then simply embroidered over it. Had I done the bunny that way–rather than try to cross-stitch it–I think it might have turned out a lot better. I should have asked Lianna to draw the bunny for me–she’s really talented in that area.

MS: And in movie making! Tell her I LOVE the book trailer.

GT: I will.

MS: If anyone else has created any of the new projects, please let me know! And please also check out the new website feature, Marcy’s Shop. Talented web designer Steve Matda made it possible for you to actually visit The Seven-Year Stitch! Check out the page, and hover your mouse over objects in the store to link to free projects, Gayle’s Facebook page, embroidery supplies, the Oregon coast, Irish wolfhounds and PetFinder. Please note that some objects have more than one link, so you might have to move your mouse around a bit to find them all. Have fun!

Hi, Marcy here. I’m sorry I’ve neglected to post for a couple weeks. Things have been hectic. Anyway, I want to update you on Gayle’s Christmas tree topper angel. Here is what the finished project is supposed to look like:

Pretty, right?

Here is what Gayle has so far:

So, she’s getting there. She only started the project this past week, and she has three needles going.

Stay tuned….