{"id":5954,"date":"2012-12-15T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2012-12-15T06:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=5954"},"modified":"2013-01-01T20:40:20","modified_gmt":"2013-01-02T01:40:20","slug":"saturdays-with-shandy-christmas-edition-prim-christmas-stitcheries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/15\/saturdays-with-shandy-christmas-edition-prim-christmas-stitcheries\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturdays with Shandy: Christmas Edition! Prim Christmas Stitcheries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hand embroidery, particularly primitive<\/span> hand stitching<\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0 is one of the easiest craft projects there are. It’s very forgiving, and is meant to be imperfect. It’s also very rewarding, because in a very short time, you can create something beautiful<\/span><\/strong> for your home, or to give as a gift. You can really take creative license with hand embroidery, and there are many different styles you can create… everything from modern<\/span><\/strong> to\u00a0vintage<\/span><\/strong> to primitive<\/span><\/strong> designs (like we’re doing today!) and anything from pictures to quotes to stitching names and words in your own handwriting<\/strong><\/span>!<\/p>\n

Believe me when I tell you that even someone who has no craft experience<\/span> can do this! I wasn’t taught any specific technique when venturing into prim stitcheries, but instead taught myself. I saw a pricey stitchery in a catalog, looked at it and thought, “I can do this!”<\/strong><\/span> I went to the craft store and bought some inexpensive materials, then I just sat down and started stitching – knotted the end of the embroidery floss and began running the threaded needle under and over until my project was complete!<\/p>\n

I like to put my stitcheries in frames when complete. I buy inexpensive black<\/strong> picture frames, and use sandpaper to distress them. Usually, I remove the glass so the fabric is exposed (like the one on the left) but there is one stitchery I made (shown on the right) where I created a “photo mat<\/span>” by folding the muslin and tea-staining<\/span><\/strong> the middle darker than the border.<\/p>\n

\"stitcheries\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I also create “labels<\/span><\/strong>” to affix to stackable boxes (another project I like to do!) or to attach as tags<\/span><\/strong> on gifts.<\/p>\n

\"labels\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At Christmastime, I display many stitcheries… ornaments<\/span>, table runners, magnets, framed pieces…\u00a0 there’s nothing like a handmade Christmas<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\"have<\/a><\/p>\n

I hope this has given you some ideas of your own! Or maybe you’ve seen something here you’d like to create! Start with something simple if you’ve never made a stitchery before.<\/p>\n

{Last week, we learned how to make “tea-stained” fabric in preparation for this week’s project. If you missed it, you can find the tutorial HERE<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>.}<\/p>\n

Round up the following supplies:<\/strong><\/p>\n