Saturday, April 16, 2011

Summer Projects

Despite what the weather has been showing us here in Philadelphia, summer is right around the corner! If your winter projects are finished or just finished (or maybe you're just looking for a new project!), I thought I would compile a selection of canvases that would be perfect for the summer.


A good choice for beginners would be a key fob. We just got a selection of great key fobs that come with a piece of canvas to stitch, a matching ribbon for the backing, and the hardware! Plus, they're so easy to assemble that you could finish them yourself! This watermelon pattern is one of the key fobs available. It's 18m, and is really
sweet. We also got leather keychains, which have a small opening to insert your own design. You can customize it to fit your tastes, so whether you like something like a monogram, or a small design, you can do anything!

A fun idea for an intermediate stitcher would be this canvas, of a lobster dinner picnic! This would be good for an intermediate stitcher because it's stitch painted and on 13m, which is a good size mesh for people still learning. I like the combination of vegetables and pattern that really scream "summer." This canvas would be a lot of fun to stitch and would also look great as a pillow or framed once it's finished.

We have a lot of great canvases, so it was hard to choose one that would be great for a more advanced or adventurous stitcher, but I came up with a few that I think you'll like! This canvas, of a watermelon patch with black birds and a flag is a great folkart themed canvas. I surely love watermelon, and this landscape really reminds me of summer days in the country! Another canvas that would be perfect for a more advanced stitcher would be this harbor scene. I like the warm light that really evokes a "summer" feeling. It makes me want to go to Maine and see the ocean!

A different way to approach a summer project is to start a project for Christmas! This way you know you will definitely have time to finish stitching it and get it finished in time for the actual holiday! There are some really adorable ornaments by Ruth Schmuff that I just love. She has a whole series of "Santa's workshop" themed canvases. We have an ornament for Santa, Mrs. Claus, a cute dancing Elf, and more! Some of these come with stitch guides too, which is very helpful! This Shelly Tribbey ornament of a boy skating is really adorable and would be a great project to work on while you're at the shore or on vacation. Plus, when Christmas comes back around, you'll have an ornament all set to hang!

If you've been wanting to start a large Christmas stocking, this would be the perfect time to start one. We have just received a lot of new fibers, and many of them would look wonderful in a Christmas stocking! They would really bring it life and give it a lot
of originality. This stocking, called Winter Scene by Alice Peterson is just gorgeous. I love classic traditional scenes, especially for Christmas. It's a great stocking that can really age well, so if you intend to stitch it for someone in their teens, they would be able to grow with this stocking and use it for years to come!

One last idea for a summer project is working on a three dimensional project. These projects are great for the summer because if you tend to go away for the weekend often, you can easily bring a piece of the project and work on it in the car or on the beach! We have a lot of great 3D canvases, some of which I've mentioned in a previous post about 3D canvases.
This canvas, called "Mary Mouse" by Sew Much Fun is simply darling, and would be great for travelling because there are multiple pieces, and they're all small enough to be easily manageable on car and weekend trips!

All of these canvases are in stock, but we have many more available in the shop too! If you want to start a summer project, come on in and we can help you find one!

2 comments:

  1. Please open a branch here in Holland! ;-)
    Warm regards,
    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, what a coincidence! Russell and Stephen are going to Holland for their anniversary next week! Where are you in Holland? Maybe they'll be in your town! :)

    ReplyDelete