Two Trees

I really, really, really wasn't going to start anything else this year, and I think I lasted an amazingly long time (for me, anyway) in sticking to that.

But it couldn't last forever.

I love a SAL, and I've been wanting to expand a little into specialty stitches, so I decided to try out the Tree of Stitches I've seen on so many blogs, and Julie's showing pics. Luckily I made it in to the group before it was removed. It's supposed to be for sale soon. I'll be honest, at first I didn't like it much when the pics started showing up, but I think I was affected by the fact that the first two I saw were in really, really icky color combinations. Or at least, icky combos to me. Someone must have liked them, obviously!

But then I started thinking about cherry trees. I love a cherry tree in full bloom. I love eating the cherries later, too, but that pink-white-red against a blue sky - or better yet, a stormy sky - is one of my favorite things. Odd, since pink is not nearly my favorite color. So anyway, I thought I'd try out ToS as a cherry tree.

Here's my inspiration: a cherry tree rumored to be 400 years old!



Here's my fabric - it was an experiment to see what tie-dyeing would do to cross stitch fabric. The Goth Chick says it looks 'violent'. I liked it but never had any idea what to do with it until now. I think it makes a fairly decent disaster-storm sky.



Here's my basic floss toss - there's an owl, a bunny, and some flowers to be decided on later. I'm using DMC varigated since I'm poor right now XD



And here's my start; one dark-wood cherry tree trunk.



I'll be stitching this on Tuesday only, and I don't expect to finish it until next year.

My other tree was started out of the vast need I have to carry some sort of stitching with me. I only have two projects left that I'm determined to finish this year, Nautical and Frederick, and they are both fairly big, so I wanted something small to take around with me.

I chose The Drawn Threads freebie 'First Snow'



This is my start. I changed the colors a bit and also how many threads I'm using. The wee white stitches are Smyrna crosses, and I didn't think about how they would need to be stitched when I started on aida, but they've been surprisingly easy even if I am having to poke through threads. This one I plan to finish this year, just it will be slow since I don't always have much time out and about!



I really like that little Cardinal!