Catch up on cross stitch finishes

I've been stitching a little faster than I've been blogging recently, so I have a few finishes to catch you up with.

True Friends is the design from my first ever Cotton and Twine Subscription Box back at the end of January.  I absolutely loved stitching this and enjoyed everything about the subscription box, from the pattern and threads to the frame that was included and the little sweet treat and gift heart too.  I will gift this to a friend later this summer, but for now I admire it as it awaits being passed on.

This design is from a new-to-me designer called Jeannine McGowan who designs under the name of The Blue Flower.  Jeannine released a number of patterns at this year's Needlework Online Expo in March and this is just one of three that I purchased.  It's called Language of Flowers: Spring.  

I stitched with the DMC alternatives to the silk recommendations.  It was a little too dense perhaps to use two threads on this 20 count fabric, but I needed double strands for the blended colour ways that were charted.  Next time I'll know better.  Gives it great texture and it still looks nice.

I also achieved a finish on the Shine On Sampler cross stitch SAL a teeny bit ahead of the Fat Quarter Shop SAL schedule.  I love that Bonnie and Camille made a cross stitch design of their new sampler quilt from the Quilt Bee book.  It was deceptive though - so many more stitches than I had imagined are in that piece, but I don't regret a single one. And, of course, the actual quilt sampler from the book is on my to do list, hopefully for 2022 ;-)