January February and March

I designed a new set for my bride’s tree because I want it to fit in the afghan that I have on my stash, they are tiny now ( the biggest is 35 x35 stitches) so I’ll be stitching them double as an afghan an also as ornaments.
They are so fast to do that I stitched the first three months in less than a day!!

See you soon with more...

Aury

Little House 2011 January Ornament

My husband did the frame for me-I loved it!

Stitched on 30 ct Cocoa linen from Weeks.

C in DC's full set

Here's my full set of Bride's Tree Ornaments. I started in January 2008. I completed January - July pretty much on time and began November. Then I had my twins, and things slowed way down. Over the next 2.5 years, I stitched August - October, and December. Sadly, November's angel isn't done and probably won't be for several years. It requires too much attention to detail for me to stitch on it much. It goes with me to doctor's and car appointments, when I know I'll be sitting (without kids!) for long stretches of time.

I'm glad I participated in this SAL and am pleased with the results. Except for the angel, all of the charts, materials, etc., came out of my stash or were freebies. (If you click on my name in the tags, you can see the posts containing the details of the designers and materials.) Thanks to Jennifer and Aury for organizing the SAL.

Santa's Bunnies

This is my December ornament of Santa's Bunnies by Vermillion Stitchery from the 2000 JCS ornament issue. I completed this this weekend with the recommended threads, on a Smoky Pearl evenweave.

Workbasket's Quaker Santa ...

... I "abridged" this much larger chart to make my December ornament. I wasn't really crazy about this chart when it was first published a year or two ago. But it has grown on me ... hence this ornament. I'll probably offer the chart in one of my monthly giveaways on my blog, http://oubliette-riona.blogspot.com/ ... the leaflet includes a Quaker Snowman ... I can't see myself stitching the snowman since snowmen are nowhere on my list of favored stitching motifs.

I am a little disappointed in myself inasmuch as I didn't manage to get all 12 ornaments done in 2010. I still have to stitch the November Angel. I didn't really care for any of the Quaker angels I found on-line. Most of the free charts just weren't Quakerish enough for me. I have a very detailed vision of what I want to stitch. I just haven't gotten around to sitting down and plotting out a usable chart. Maybe next month!

July, August, September

July - Blessings
The fish came from Fifty-Five Christian Symbols, Unlimited No. 54 by Designing Women Unlimited. The patterns include the floss numbers for both regular colors and metallics. I chose to use a combination of both for this ornament. The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice cream plastic canvas.

August - Affection
I had quite a bit of trouble finding a rose that I liked that was an appropriate size. It seemed like many of them were either in big bunches or were not clearly distinguishable as a rose, but rather a nondescript flower of some kind. This ornament is the smallest of the set. This rose pattern comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. So does the pattern for the writing. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

September - Hospitality
(This was already posted to the blog back in September, but I figured I may as well include it so folks could see the whole set together.) This teapot pattern, as well as the pattern for the letters, comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

April, May, June

April - Hope
This sweet little rabbit pattern came from 120 Celebration Cross Stitch Cards by Gillian Souter. The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice cream plastic canvas.

May - Joy
These two lovebirds come from 120 Celebration Cross Stitch Cards by Gillian Souter. The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice cream plastic canvas.

June - Plenty
This little fruit basket came from 120 Celebration Cross Stitch Cards by Gillian Souter. The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice cream plastic canvas.

January, February, March

 January - Protection
The house pattern comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. So does the pattern for the writing. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

February - Love
This Valentine-style heart pattern comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. So does the pattern for the writing. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

March - Good Wishes
This is a little bigger than some of my other ornaments, but the new bride went to Hawaii on her honeymoon so I thought it was just perfect. The hibiscus pattern comes from Tropical Flowers: A Designing Workbook (from the Hawaiian Designing Collection). The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

October, November, December

Well, the first and only ornament I've posted here was September. But I've continued to work and I have the whole set completed now. I've very much enjoyed looking at what others have done.

October - Fruitfulness
Like everyone else, I had the hardest time finding a pinecone. I got this one on ebay in a little kit that had to date from the 1980s. Everything in it smelled musty (I threw out the fabric and the thread) but I'm very happy with how the pattern turned out. The pattern for the writing comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice cream plastic canvas.

November - Guidance
I had trouble finding either an angel or church that was both a size I liked and sufficiently detailed. This angel is the biggest of all my ornaments. The pattern comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. So does the pattern for the writing. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.

December - Goodwill
I absolutely love this little Santa, particularly the non-traditional coloring of his clothes. In the book he's actually juggling presents with his outstretched hands, but I thought it also made for a perfect gesture of goodwill and welcome. The pattern comes from Better Homes and Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. So does the pattern for the writing. The ornament is stitched on 14-count Darice white plastic canvas.