Joy And Peace...New L'il Abby's

L'il Abby's Joy

L'il Abby's Peace

I guess they sound like Christmas Designs...but they're not!  It's just the names of the next two L'l Abby's to be released this week.  If you have been following along with the series, we are now up to 4 and 5.  I had planned to hold out and release one a month but since everyone seems to be enjoying this series and asked for more, I will release them a little quicker than I had planned.  They are easy to stitch...a couple of evenings or a long weekend and you will have one finished.  To show you the many ways you can finish these, I have had a couple finished by Faye, the Carolina Stitcher...and oh what a beautiful finisher she is.... and  I have had a few framed, and then of course, if you purchased number one, Love, there is a placement chart inside so you can stitch them all up as one design!
All are on 30 count linen....that I hand dyed with coffee.  It is so simple.  If you happen to have some left over white linen from another project, try your hand at dying your own.  It is fun and really doesn't take a lot of time and will save you precious stitching funds!  This is what I did to dye my own.  I have a flat plastic container with a lid that you use to store items in....like blankets, or shirts or flat stuff.  I use this container for all my dyeing processes.  I usually use left over coffee from the morning.  The longer it sits the better...I use the grounds too, so don't throw them away.  First, I lay my linen flat inside my container, then I rub the coffee grounds into the areas that I want to have a stained look.  You should try to use a random pattern...it looks a little more natural.  Do not put the coffee on the linen first!!!  For some reason, the stains from the coffee grounds will not take if the coffee has been applied first.  Don't know why, but I have tried it, so I know!  Allow your coffee grounds to sit on the linen for an hour or so, just to get a good stain.  Then pour enough warm coffee, not hot, it will damage your linen, to cover your linen.  Then put the lid on and let it sit for at least an hour.  The longer the darker the linen will become in the process.  Now, rinse...not too much, or you will rinse out your hard work.  Hang to dry...then give it a good ironing.  I use sizing when iron, I like the stiffness it gives the linen and it helps to iron out all the wrinkles.  That's it....not hard.  A couple of weeks ago, I tried my hand at aging my linen with walnut shells.  I'll show you my experiment on another day....It was different!

To stitch L'il Abby's Joy, you will need the following:
30 count linen
Stitch Count is 75x75
GAST thread in the following colors:
Pecan Pie, Corn Husk, Garden Gate, Carriage Black,Faded Rose, Harvest Basket, Old Hickory, Country Redwood, Piney Woods, Victorian Pink

WDW thread in the following colors:
Baked Apple
Whiskey
Confederate Gray   
and good ole DMC white

To Stitch L'il Abby's Peace, you will need the following
30 count linen
Stitch Count is 75 x75
GAST thread in the following colors:
Pecan Pie, Corn Husk, Garden Gate, Buckeye Scarlett, Pomegranate,Faded Rose, Old Hickory, Age Pewter, Wood Trail, Piney Woods

WDW thread in the following colors:
Bull Frog, Onyx, Whiskey

* Many of the colors used run through the entire series!

Thanks again to everyone who has purchased an Abby Rose Design!

Here's a picture of my little precious Coco...who is always by my side!

Happy Spring!  From Coco!