Finished - A Day at the Beach (and Some New Frames, Too!)

Hello, readers, and welcome to AUTUMN!

I finally finished my last summer-themed cross stitch piece for the year, and it's about time!  Here is "A Day at the Beach," designed by Nikki Leeman.

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

Close-up of seagulls

Close-up of seashells

Close-up of seashore panel

Close-up of sailboat panel

I stitched this piece over two threads on tan 28-count Monaco fabric.  It measures 6" x 11.5" (15.2 cm x 29.2 cm).  The panels were stitched with three different kinds of embroidery floss: DMC floss, hand-dyed Crescent colors floss, and hand-dyed floss by The Gentle Art.  The hand-dyed threads are variegated, so they give the stitching wonderful depth.  The pattern and floss are available from Stoney Creek.  It may be a little late to start this one this year, but if you are looking for a fun summer piece for 2013, I recommend this one because it stitches up so quickly, and it has a very charming, nautical feel.

I was a busy bee this weekend; I also framed some pieces I had finished previously!  I used the method I posted on Daily Dose of Handmade a while back.  The framed pieces give my Etsy shop a very finished look; it is probably easier to sell something that is "ready to display," as opposed to selling something that people have to frame themselves before it can be hung.  Here is an "after" shot of each piece.

"Twilight Angel"

"Bee-Wildered Cat"

"Butterflies on Nine Patches"

Each of these frames was only $1 from Goodwill, and they are solid pine and include mounting fixtures.  The last piece I had custom mounted and framed cost almost $30, and it was only about 6" x 12".  If you are framing a piece that is a standard size (4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", etc.), it is really worth it to track down an inexpensive frame and frame it yourself.  Unfortunately, "A Day at the Beach" is not a standard size, so I will probably have to make a frame for it myself.  But that is a blog entry for another day...

Until next time, happy crafting!  Thank you for reading and for commenting.

-Erin