Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse

Jolly July First Day!

It's the first day for Jolly July.  This is an event that Kimberly Jolly from the Fat Quarter Shop is running for this month.  It is all about cross stitch and all about Christmas!  Each day you can start or work on a cross stitch ornament pattern for the coming Christmas season.

I will be participating and posting once a week or so with the projects I am working on.  Some of my projects from my April Insanity list will work well for Jolly July!  Today, I started with one of those projects.  It is Glitter House #1 from the Glitter Village series by Country Cottage Needleworks.

Working on 16 count Aida fabric, color Country French Latte, the houses will be about three or four inches square.  Those stitches are pretty small!! In my April Insanity post for this project, there were six houses available and I had them.  Now there are three more!!  They will just have to wait.....no adding to the pile until I have some done!  That's my April Insanity rule!  I have to say that though this may be small stitching, the fabric is so soft and easy to work with, it could become my new favorite.  Getting the first row done went fairly fast.  I wanted to see how big the patternn would be.  It seems small enough to get several houses on the same cut of Aida.

 

 

Here's my first row of stitching.

My next project is from a set of three ornaments called Christmas Ornaments from The Little Stitcher on etsy. I started with the Mittens and am stitching on 14 count Aida...a little easier on my eyeballs! I stitched around two sides of the ornament and will finish up the outside frame so I know where everything else will be by using the frame as a reference point.

So gather up your supplies and patterns and get started on your Christmas ornaments.  Doesn't matter whether it is projects that you set aside some time ago or you want to try something new.

Not a fan of cross stitching?  Why not consider sewing or quilting some Christmas ornaments for your tree this year or, better yet, give as gifts!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Jolly July with the Fat Quarter Shop

The Fat Quarter Shop is getting ready to start their Jolly July event.  This event is for making Christmas ornaments with cross stitch patterns.  You can start a new ornament each day in July or as many as you want to do.  They can be Christmas ornaments, Halloween ornaments, Patriotic ornaments or any kind of ornaments you'd like!

I am going to participate this year but I haven't determined yet how many ornaments I will be starting.  While I'm participating in this event, I will be posting my progress on my April Insanity list!  Have you been working along these last couple of months on your projects?

Back to Jolly July!  Here is a link to print a calendar for the month of July where you can write in your projects.  I'm downloading mine today to get started writing my Christmas ornament patterns in so I'll be ready for July 1st. 

 

This is a fun event as Christmas ornaments are small projects and look so pretty when they are done.  I am going to be using Jolly July to start cross stitch ornaments I want to do as Christmas gifts.  It would be nice to have some gifts done early so I hope to get several ornaments done each month.  It's a good think I have a small family!!

If you need some inspiration or cross stitch patterns, check out this cross stitch pattern at the Fat Quarter Shop. It's called "Fa La La" from Country Cottage Needleworks. 

I just bought the Alphabet Sleds from Foxwood Crossings so I can do one for each person in my family with their initial on it!  Also, these patterns are stitch on cross stitch paper!  I'll be sure to tell you all about it in July!!

How about Tree Farm from Hands On Design?  It's a really cute pattern!

With so many cross stitch ornaments, it's hard to pick just a few!  Be sure to download your calendar from the link above and check out the cross stitch patterns at Fat Quarter Shop or your local needlework store so you can stitch along!

Guess I'd better find a project box for my Christmas ornaments!!

Keep stitching,
loreen

\