june at noon

A few weeks ago, I approached Alison about doing some custom work for me for a Christmas gift, and she suggested we do a swap. I can’t tell you what she made for me (which is on its way across the Atlantic; can’t wait to see it in person!), but I can show you what I sent to her.

She likes the sort of “sketchy,” drawing-looking pieces I’ve done on linen, and she thought she might like a stitched Matryoshka. I sat down to draw up a design and ended up getting carried away and drawing three, which is what you recently saw as my newest pattern sets. Alison chose her favorite, and I stitched it onto a sand-colored linen with black perle cotton.

Since it was the first time I’d stitched the pattern, I had to make some adjustments here and there as I decided what sort of look I wanted, but in the end I was quite happy with the result.

I usually stitch freehand on linen, so with this project I discovered that it’s difficult to trace a pattern onto linen because of its imperfect, textured nature. That meant I did a little freehanding on this piece, too, which I rather like since it seems to go right along with the whole “hand made” idea.

When I was finished, I stretched the piece onto some foam board and laced it in place. Alison will be able to hang it up just as it is or frame it that way.

I do hope she enjoys the Babushka, who is currently somewhere between the Northeastern United States and the Outer Hebrides, hopefully making her way carefully through customs and soon to her new home!

I’m excited to do some more creative things with these patterns once I get through my Christmas to-make list. I’m thinking greeting cards, plushies, cushions, bags…. The possibilities are limitless!