Stitching Friends Forever

November Thanks
Styling with Stitches
Freebie


Can you believe November has come to an end?   I feel like we say that every year because it gets so busy during the holidays.   So we are a bit late showing this post but we hope you can get some good ideas from it.   We have decided to make cross stitch items for our Thanksgiving tables a little at a time. This year we are showing two of them but many more will come. It is such a wonderful holiday to spend time with family and friends and be grateful for our many blessings.


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Styling with Stitches

RJ's silverware holders

For my Thanksgiving table, I made silverware holders.   They are basically pockets to hold your knives, forks and spoons.  The tall back was made with black and cream ticking with quilters batting in between so the silverware would have a soft spot to lay. The pocket is make out of a sweet little black and cream print with cross stitched pilgrims in the center.  They are lined with ticking and pretty cotton lace is sewn between the print and ticking fabrics.

You can find the pilgrim design on the WTNT November word play.  The male pilgrim was shorter than the female so I added some extra stitches to lengthen his legs. These can be made for any holiday theme or with no theme at all.  This is a good way to use small stitches and scraps of fabric and have fun!.  I save the smallest pieces of fabric...yes I'm a fabric hoarder!   I hope you will give them a try.

The bowls hold a napkin, glittered acorn and some bittersweet.  The print fabric on the silverware holder kind of mimics the flower design on the salad plate.  Just good luck!   

Our table needs a runner or tablecloth...could that be the next project for our Thanksgiving table next year?

Closeup of the pilgrims ready for a Thanksgiving feast!

Pilgrims are from the November word play
by With Thy Needle and Thread
Called for Over Dyed Threads
32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha Linen

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Mary's Napkin Holders

I used a complimentary chart by Barbara Cooley from Plum Pudding Needle Art for my multi-purpose napkin holders. 

I thought these could serve a dual purpose as a favor/gift box for your dinner guests to take home.  A cellophane bag filled with candy and tied with a ribbon could be inserted in the box and given as a small remembrance of the occasion.

These can be adapted for any holiday, season or special occasion.  Let your imagination run wild!!

I can't recall where I purchased these, either a dollar store or Michael's. I do recall they were only 1$ each.  They come unfinished and I used a little bottle of acrylic paint on mine. Sticky board for the stitch and a small piece of fabric cut with pinking shears for the bottom layer. I attached the stitch to the backing fabric with Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Spray, and used the same spray to attach it to the box.

Love the crow holding the flower

Tablecloth was a Three dollar and 25 cent find at BB&B! 

Barbara Cooley design
by Plum Pudding Needle Art
30 ct. linen
Called for DMC colors
Substituted 720 for 3853
Substituted 3853 for 3854

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RJ's Challenge

This is my last stitched challenge for this year.   I'm kind of proud of this one because LHN has not done a bakery yet.   So I decided to make my own. I took parts from all the other holiday shops and put together a new village shop...the Bakery. The roof came from the Sweet Shop, the windows and door came from  the Florist , the bench came from Bookstore and the tree came from the Toy Shop.  I used the Needlework Shop as the inspiration to stitch a cake on the peak of my bakery.  Now, I have one more French village shop to add to my Christmas tree.

Just about everything had to be readjusted in size.  I had to make the windows longer to fit a shelf I made up.   Then I was able to add a row of cakes.   I also had to lengthen the door to make the lines work with the longer window.  The roof needed to be wider and taller.  I shortened the bench and turned the cardinals in the opposite direction.

Now, I just have to add a name for my French bakery and sew it up. Next year all of my French village will be sewn into ornaments and I'll be showing them with their French names added.   I'm still debating on how to finish them but look forward to it.

It's hard to see but there is a cake up on the peak of the roof and then the French name will go in the white area.

RJ's Patisserie
Parts taken from several shops of the Holiday Village
by Little House Needleworks
Over Dyed Threads
40 ct. Vintage Country Mocha linen

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Freebie

Here is a sweet fall freebie from Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery.  You can find it here  We really love Beth's designs.   She is very kind and helpful too if you have a problem with your stitch.   Her Etsy shop is well worth a visit. 

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Thank you so much for coming by and visiting with us. We know you are all busy getting ready for the holidays so we really appreciate you stopping by. Are you decorating, writing cards, baking, shopping and wrapping gifts?   So much to do and never enough time!!!  We look forward to seeing all of your holiday stitches.  So you can count on us to be visiting with all of you.  We have two posts coming up in December to share.

                                       The girls from Stitching Friends 

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" Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life "
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