Things have been super busy in my work room in recent weeks.
One of the most exciting developments was the arrival of a box of Sullivans embroidery floss. (Thank you, Sullivans USA!) I've noticed that a
lot of designers who contribute to Just CrossStitch magazine use Sullivans, so
I wanted to give it a try too. For my first project, I designed this little
flower necklace, which looks like a swatch of tapestry fabric.
Before I get into the project instructions, here's a little information on Sullivans floss. First off, Sullivans isn't available at my local craft stores, but it can be purchased online at mynotions.com (for a very reasonable price, I might add). All 454 available colors have a comparable DMC match. In fact, the DMC color number is included on the label, so it's easy to make substitutions. As far as the floss quality goes, I was really pleased with the color vibrancy, thread sheen, and coverage. Now that I've finished my Sullivans' mini review, it's project time!
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To stitch the flower design, follow the chart and color key above, which includes color numbers for both Sullivans and DMC floss. (Orange, plum, and avocado--sounds yummy, don't you think?) I used two strands of floss and a piece of evenweave fabric that's been hanging out in my stash for a while. You could also use Aida, linen, or any other evenweave fabric you have on hand. For the backing pieces, I used WoolFelt from National Nonwovens in Fuchsia #0960 and Moss #0730.
To finish my necklace, I trimmed the finished embroidery to
about ¼" from the outer edge of the stitching and sewed it onto a slightly
larger rectangle of fuchsia felt. I created a fringed border on the evenweave
fabric by pulling a few threads away from the raw edge. Then, I used running
stitch to sew the fuchsia felt piece to a same-sized rectangle of moss felt, sandwiching
a jump ring between the pieces at the top. Since my jewelry-making skills are limited, I used another jump ring to thread the finished pendant onto a ready-made necklace cord.
I just love these colors! I guess it's not a coincidence that they reflect what's blooming in my garden right now. Happy stitching!