Autumn Days

There is no better time for quilting than the Fall. Never mind the flawless color scheme literally growing on trees, but the chill in the air makes you reach to hide under that quilt, and Christmas jingles around the corner have you brainstorming and playing with holiday project ideas. Quilts are MADE for this season so I am thrilled.

Anyway, let me tell you about my non-quilting project.

I’m sure you’ve all noticed me branching out and playing with threads, specially since I became an Aurifil artisan. Well, there was only so long I could dodge it: it was time to cross stitch.

Let’s shout-out Aurifil for providing the stunning Aurifloss and Fat Quarter Shop for the challenge and sending all the rest of the materials.

Now LOOK at what I had to work with!

We’ve got the Autumn Days Ornaments Pattern (which was a great physical size, by the way!), eight gorgeous spools of Aurifloss, a pink-splattered 25 count cross stitch cloth, and some darling mini tart tins to pull it all together!

First up was the pumpkin. I used a 4 inch hoop and this needle minder my daughter got my at the Birmingham Festival of Quilts, and dove in. Here are a few discoveries I made: first, when you're separating your floss, go slow to avoid knots and don’t cut anything longer than the length of your shoulder to your finger tip. I liked twirling the threads so they came apart smoothly. Next, the pattern recommends you use two of the six stands of your floss at a time. Having only used a lower count cross stitch fabric before, I foolishly tried to use three instead. My needle pricked fingers are a testament to the fact that you should listen to the person who wrote the pattern… use two. Trust me.

I went one color at a time for these, making sure I did everything of a color before moving on to the next. That doesn’t mean I did it all in one go; the less of a mess you have on the back of your fabric, the easier it’ll be for you when you move onto the next color.

I found the smoothest method was to start at the top right and work my way down, only skipping a maximum of four stitches when gaps were needed. 

Now for those of you with a keen eye for detail, you might notice that all of my finished versions of these ornaments have teeny tiny differences from their patterns. Counting is paramount in cross-stitching, and sometimes I left one space too many between rows or something of the like.

In the spirit of embracing little mishaps instead of stressing about perfectionism, I went the Bob Ross route and rolled with it. So maybe my pumpkin is a little wider, or my mushroom has some extra spots. In the end, I actually really like the little details that set them apart.

Finally, there was a fun little section at the very end of the pattern that has you design your own Autumn Days Ornament. This is where my eldest son came to mind. He’s always been on my team when it comes to cold over heat, and huddling up by the fire. He’s also always loved owls, the cute little ones and the big ones I think are kind of terrifying. But in his honor, I designed a little Autumn Days Owl, cocking its head to one side.

All in all, this project was an absolute delight. These are the six ornaments I made: which one is your favorite?