A little pattern with a well-known maxim that sums up the essence of the Montessori method.
“We can sum this up in two sentences; the first actually said by a child to his teacher: ‘Help me to do it by myself’. The other is one we gave: ‘Every useless help is an obstacle to development.”
Maria Montessori - Citizen of the World
About a year ago I made a note to myself to use a specific Christmas themed design from my Alpursa vignette album for my next ornament. The pattern is rather small and simple, so I knew it needed a little something more, and I tinkered with the idea of stitching it in tent stitch on canvas, but after a couple tries decided against it.
Hardanger is just so lovely for small, decorative items, and a blanket stitch edge is a nice finishing option. I gave it a couple of tries, then settled for this design.
I stitched my ornament on a small piece of 28ct linen, and with threads I had in my stash - Small ornaments are a great way to use up leftovers. It is also possible to stitch the Christmas tree motif alone, or to work it in Assisi.
Have fun being creative!
The pattern
in PDF format is available as an instant download here: https://www.roland-designs.com/free-christmas-patterns
For photos of the Alpursa album see this blog post: http://roland-designs.blogspot.com/2013/05/more-alpursa.html
Video of the album on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXaiS0jb4Qc
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| Roland-designs Christmas ornament 2023 |
If you stitch one of my patterns, and share a photo on social media, you can tag your work with #rolanddesigns
Like most needlework interested persons, I have far too many UFO’s (UnFinished Objects). Such as the sweater I started knitting a year ago, the large sampler that has sat on my desk for a couple years, and ‘shame, shame, shame’, a glorious cross stitch picture from Lavender & lace which I started over a decade ago and never got around to finishing.
With a full time job, and studying (almost finished though), I have found that 24 hours days are just too short for doing all that one needs, and wants to do. That is why a little while back I started on a spot sampler. When the need-to-stitch starts to itch my fingers, I can stitch a small motif and not feel guilty for not completing a large project. I would definitely recommend it to others who like to embroider, but don’t have much time.
The newest addition is a little anchor pattern, re-charted from an antique bookmark in my private collection. The anchor was stitched in cross stitch on punched paper, then sewed on a decorative ribbon.
I stitched the flowers in petit point, and the rest in cross stitch.
The pattern is available on the website, and for those who are curious, here are the colours I used:
DMC 3346 – Medium green
DMC 3348 – Light green
DMC 3328 – Medium pink
DMC 776 – Light pink
DMC 3371 – Dark brown
DMC 801 – Medium brown
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| Antique punch paper and ribbon bookmark |
In the Victorian era, an anchor was a symbol of hope and was often paired with a
heart, and cross to symbolizes Faith, Hope, Love.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love!”
1 Corinthian 13:13 NIV
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| Close up of the original embroidery |
Link to pattern: https://roland-designs.com/free-patterns
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| Super easy filet crochet ornament |
These small filet crochet ornaments look pretty and are really simple to make. I tried different types of think crochet threads, Perle cottons and crochet hook size, and you can absolutely do the same, but I did find that I got the best result with DMC Cebelia size 20, and a 1.00 crochet hook.
Filet crochet in itself is pretty straight forward, yet when it comes to increasing and decreasing, most find that the decreasing is easier, while increasing, especially a solid block can be a little fiddly. This is where a little ‘trick’ I learned years ago, was used with these small ornaments to keep the edges crisp, something that is not always easy to accomplish when working with very thin yarn.
The ‘trick’, or ‘hack’ as people now call it, is quite simply that you start on the widest side, work you way down, then pick it up again from the top and finish the ornament. This way, you only have to worry about decreases, which are really easy to do.
To decrease, you make 1 ch in the air, then slip stitch (sl st) into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stitch. Next make 3 ch and continue with the pattern, when you come to the end, just turn you work and start the next row.
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| "....pick it up again from the top and finish the ornament." |
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| Ornament before and after blocking and stretching |
The little ornaments will need to be stretched and possibly starched. For mine I made a simple solution of corn-starch and water, soaked them a few minutes inside, then stretched them on a cork pot holder covered with a plastic film. Once dried they hold their shape pretty well and can be used as single ornaments or hung together to make a garland.
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| Stretched and drying after a light starching |
The pattern (with several variations) is available as a PDF: https://roland-designs.com/free-christmas-patterns
Tips for filet crochet: https://roland-designs.com/filet-crochet-instructions
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| M.E. Sampler |
This colorful sampler is worked mostly in cross stitch, but with some
motifs in double cross stitch, and a long cross stitch basket (?) under
the main initial. It is undated, though most probably dating from the
second half of the 1800’s.
Along with the classic uppercase, and lowercase alphabet and numerals,
the sampler also has four decorative border strips and several little motifs
which could be used for other projects too. Note the large, yellow bee
(bumblebee)
I named it the M.E. sampler, because those were the prominent initials. One
more reason to date and sign your needlework, imagine a collector finding your
piece a hundred years from now and trying to figure out the date it was made
and by whom.
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| With little fading, the back and the front has just as crisp colors |
The pattern is available on ETSY, and the website.
Here is a little cross stitch pattern for you from a vintage Alpursa vignette design.
I did not include a color code, as it uses so little threads that it is best to make use of those you already have in your stash.
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| Here I've added the little rooster to my spot sampler |
Other blog posts about the Alpursa album:
http://roland-designs.blogspot.com/2012/12/alpursa-chocolate-cross-stitch-patterns.html
http://roland-designs.blogspot.com/2013/05/more-alpursa.html
http://roland-designs.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-soldiers-life-cross-stitch-pattern.html
YouTube video where you get to see the complete album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXaiS0jb4Qc
Website:
The Alpursa box and The soldier is available here:
https://www.roland-designs.com/gifts-from-our-past
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| Vintage cross stitched poem |
Imagine being invited to spend the night in a simple, but comfortable guest room, antique furniture, some well read books, and on the night stand an old jug filled with freshly picked wild flowers. Hanging on one of the walls is a framed cross stitch embroidery, stitched in colorful wool on a now faded evenweave, it features a serene, peaceful poem……
A little research let me to find the author of the poem, it was written by Ellen Maria Huntington Gates (1835-1920). It seems our stitcher changed some of the words, as most of the examples I found had a slightly different wording.
Sleep Sweet
Sleep
sweet within this quiet room,
O thou, whoe'er thou art,
And let no mournful yesterdays
Disturb thy peaceful heart.
Nor let tomorrow mar thy rest
With dreams of coming ill:
Thy Maker is thy changeless friend,
His love surrounds thee still.
Forget thyself and all the world,
Put out each garish light:
The stars are shining overhead —
Sleep sweet! Good night! Good night!
Courtesy of the poetry nook - https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/sleep-sweet
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| The free Christmas ornament pattern for 2021 is a sweet little needleroll. |
The pattern is available as a free PDF download here: https://www.roland-designs.com/free-christmas-patterns
This is a pretty little stitched ornament that is perfect for using up leftover linen scraps and those variegated thread I know each of us stitchers have tucked away in our stash, waiting for just that one ‘perfect’ project.
For the roll shown in the photos I used 28 ct linen, and about one skein of DMC coloris 4519. If you are using 28 ct linen I would suggest having a piece that is at least 18 x 12 cm. For stitching up I used a thin crochet thread (100% mercerized cotton), you’ll want to use a good, sturdy thread for the stitching up as there is a little bit of tension on the linen when you fill the roll with polyester stuffing.
Start by stitching the cross-stitch design, then from the sides count 5 stitches (10 threads) and pull out 2x thread. Now count 10 stiches (20 threads) and cut, finish off by unravelling about 4 threads.
Trim your embroidery to about 0.8cm/1cm, fold and start sewing by weaving your needle between 2x threads – see photo.
I started stitching from the middle as this gave me the chance to finish off the ends the way I wanted, but you can stitch it up as you prefer; take extra time on the ends as this is what will give your ornament a nice, strong finishing touch.
Stuff your little roll, and finish it off with a nice ribbon, or yarn.
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| Stiching is finished, threads are pulled in the center, now unravel 4 threads on each sides |
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| Close up of how the sides are stitched together |
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| I stitched a little 'extra support' at the end of the roll to make sure the ends are strong and secure |