Friday 14 November 2008

So... how smart am I??

As you know, I have been busily stitching Christmas ornaments, and also some one-over-one scissor fobs, but to make a change from the rectangular Prairie School Father Christmas which I have shared with you, I decided to have a go at Snowbird by La-D-Da designs in the 2004 JCS Christmas Ornaments magazine. I have seen this made up in other blogs and have long admired it.

Knowing that I like the double-sided look, rather than a fabric backing, I decided to stitch 2 and make them up as one bird. So I chose to use my last Weeks Dye Works 'Soot' thread and the chart was easy and fun to do. I was concerned that I might not quite have enough thread and so towards the end, stitched on in trepidation. But I did it - with only 1 thread of 4 strands to spare.
In some excitement (it doesn't take much!) I laid them on the work table ready to stitch them together, I tried.....

back to back,
front to front,
back to front,
front to back
upside down
inside out..........on and on...... in growing disbelief !!!!!

You've guessed it, I had stitched two identical copies, instead of one in reverse. What an idiot!!!

I had no more thread - unless I sent away for some - to make another, so finally found some backing fabric and had a go at using that. But my heart wasn't in it and it's a mess! The stitching is poor, I was too afraid to cut close to the seam so it's all gathered, I frayed back the linen as I put in the stuffing and couldn't stitch the final bit very well. Oh man.

So here they are, two little dicky-birds facing the wrong way!


(By the way, ignore the date on the photo, my camera insists I re-set it every day, but then refuses to accept it.)
I think I'll keep this little snowbird and hide it in the branches of the tree. And that's a shame 'cos it's a lovely chart. So, if you want to try it, have a go - just be a little smarter than me!

Thanks for stopping by and don't give up on me just yet.

Irene