Summer on the Farm: Chickens, Rabbits & Geese
Elevate your finishing skills with this trio of designs. Featuring full cross stitches with strategically placed long stitches and a palette of rich colors, the projects are finished into hoops and attached to wooden spools and candlestick holders for a creative display.
Skill Level: Intermediate Stitch Count
Chickens: 54H x 71W Rabbits: 87H x 89W Geese: 70H x 81W
Design Size
Chickens: 23/4" x 31/2" Rabbits: 43/8" x 41/2" Geese: 31/2" x 4"
Materials
• One each: 9" x 10" (Chickens), 10" x 10" (Geese) and 11" x 11" (Rabbits) pieces 40- count raw linen Newcastle linen from Zweigart®
• One skein each DMC® or Sullivans®
USA six-strand embroidery floss
• Size 28 tapestry needle
Instructions
Cross stitch over two threads using one strand of floss.
Work backstitch and straight stitches using one strand of floss.
Finishing Materials & Instructions
• One each embroidery hoop: 4"
(Chickens), 5" (Geese) and 6" (Rabbits) • Various wooden candleholders* • Wooden disks*
• Wooden dowel rod*
• Wooden dowel rod caps*
• Hot- glue gun
• Hot- glue sticks
• Brown aging wax (optional) • White wax (optional)
• Felt for hoop backing • Small decorative nails • Hammer
• Craft glue
*Note: Purchase unfinished wooden items to achieve look shown.
Create pedestals for hoops from various candleholders and other pieces. Option 1: Cover the open top of an unfinished candleholder with two glued-together wooden disks; secure with hot glue.
Option 2: Insert a dowel rod into a candle base and secure with hot glue; attach a dowel cap to the top of the rod with hot glue.
Option 3: Cut off the bottom portion from a small candleholder and glue it to the top of a larger base.
If desired, rub each candle base and embroidery hoop with brown aging wax. When dry, apply a light coat of white wax to highlight specific areas.
Press stitched piece from reverse side, straightening as much as possible.
Place stitched piece in hoop, centering design and positioning hoop screw at center top. Trim excess fabric to leave a 1" border around edge. Carefully fold excess fabric to back of hoop; use hot glue to secure fabric to inside edge of inner hoop.
For options 1 and 3, separate the inner and outer hoops and attach the outer hoop to the base with a small nail through the bottom of the outer hoop and into the top of the base. Add hot glue under the hoop for added stability.
Reinsert the inner hoops with the stitched pieces into the outer hoops.
For option 2, drive a small decorative nail into the dowel rod just below the cap; hang the hoop from the nail.
Glue felt to back of hoop, trimming as needed; allow to dry overnight.