The Snow Queen

Even though it is spring time, my mind is stuck in the winter months when it comes to designing cross stitch patterns. My latest cross stitch design is this Snow Queen who prances around in the sky while creating the falling snow.

(c) Shannon Wasilieff 2015, Snow Queen

She is covered in Kreinik and Mill Hill beads and is stitched using DMC threads. I am currently waiting on some hand dyed fabric so I can stitch the model of her to show off all of the beads and sparkle.

She is currently available on my Etsy site.

Christmas Elegance Upate

It has been a hectic few days. I have been busy house and dog sitting and yesterday I got surgery done on my neck to remove a swollen lymph node that has been there for well over a year - I am doing fine though! Came to pretty quickly afterwards and now just dealing with a little pain but nothing unbearable.

I have been working on my Christmas Elegance by Mirabillia the past few weeks. She is getting so close to being done I am excited! Maybe this will be the year she is done for Christmas.

Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia

I won't be doing all of the beading in the sky since the flecks of sparkle in the opalescent fabric already looks like falling snow. I have changed out the beads to be petites to they fit better in their spots and won't crowd too much. All of the skin will be done over 1.

I have a feeling I will be fighting some people off to keep her on my walls. I already know of a few people with an eye on her! She will probably hang next to my Joan Elliott Christmas Lady....they look as if they are going to the same party :D

Christmas Project 2013 Day #2

This time around I have decided to keep track of exactly how many days it will take me to stitch this piece, unless of course I get distracted again which is a huge possibility after the latest Mirabilia release "Ella, Princess and the Frog" yesterday. It is already in my shopping cart but thankfully it will take a week or two to get here so plenty of time to finish this up.

Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia Day #2

I was actually pretty pleased with the colours. Originally I thought the dress would be more of a blue green but it has turned out to be more emerald in colour which I am loving even more! The colours seem more blended than in the model photo but I guess that's what happens when 20 years have passed since it was released and dye lots have changed. I am going to change majority of the beads to be petites, I prefer working with petites, and may add a few crystals in some areas. We shall see!

Christmas Project 2013

Every year I try to pick one new Christmas cross stitching project. This doesn't necessarily mean I will finish it for that year (or ever) but I like the feeling I get working on the project leading up to my favorite time of the year.

This year's project is Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia. Instead of using the suggested blue fabric I opted to go for an opalescent purple fabric. I picked purple because I find when it snows in the evening right before nightfall there is a purple ambiance all around. It is truly a beautiful sight of the serine purple and fresh falling snow.

Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia Floss Toss

 The fabric is 32 count Zweigart Lugana in the colour Dragon's Desire. In some lighting it looks like a pastel purple and in other lighting it looks like a greyish purple.

Here is my progress so far after one day:

Day 1 progress on Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia

 I am loving this project. Nora Corbett has some amazing patterns out there and I hope to get around to stitching all of the ones I love sometime in my life time.

I Think I Can!

After telling myself multiple times that my Victorian Christmas Lady would be for me and my own enjoyment I have crumbled and decided nope, my nan would love it. As my mom said "you should just give in and surprise her by giving it to her" She is constantly asking if I have finished it yet and bringing up how she wants to open the green present. Not only is it her colors but she loves ladies and trees. I enjoy seeing her face when I surprise her, she is so cute and shocked that I managed to just finish a project!

So with that being said....I have started a new project in hopes that I finish it in the next 2 or so weeks so I will have my own Christmas cross stitch to hang up in the dinning room! I am working on Joan Elliott's 2012 Christmas Angel

It is not overly Christmas either so I can hang her up for the winter season if I want to. I am not too sure about the wings and might end up leaving them off having her as a Winter Maiden instead. I am also planning on doing her skin over one!

Here is my progress so far:

This is after just one day of stitching. She is on white 32 count linen and uses some of my favorite shades of teal. It is far from my nan's colors so I know this one is for keeps for sure!

Page 2 Completed!

Sorry been away for a little while, the heat sure has gotten to me and in turn made me super lazy and not wanting to move much hehe. However I managed to finish page 2 of my Victorian Christmas Lady. That makes 12 working days invested into working on her.

Victorian Christmas Lady

She is so beautiful and I can't wait to finish her! I compared her to my Christmas Angel (also by Joan Elliott) and the two of them really compliment each other. I am not sure the last time I updated on my Christmas Angel though so here she is:

Christmas Angel by Joan Elliott

The lighting of the two pieces isn't the greatest but in person the vibrant colors look amazing together. They are about the same size too so they can be framed similar if I want to do that.

Joan Elliott's Victorian Christmas Lady

This lovely Victorian Christmas Lady pattern was given to me by a fellow stitcher from the cross stitch forums I belong to. She decided she wasn't going to get around to all the patterns in her stash and decided to give them to people who would enjoy stitching them instead!

"Victorian Christmas Lady: by Joan Elliott

I received her in the mail on Friday afternoon and raided my stash that night. I have spent a total of two and a half days on her and still haven't lost interest! I think she will be a nice sister piece to my Christmas Angel that I am oh so close to finishing!!

July 17 2012 Update

In order to keep the pattern in great condition I am working from photocopies and keeping the magazine portion in a plastic sleeve to reduce exposure to my hand oils so I can have the pattern for many years to come in case I want to stitch it again!

I will admit it, I am addicted to Joan Elliott's patterns. Including the two patterns mentioned above I also have all four element goddesses and Cinderella to do! Not to mention all the gorgeous flower fairies!