Stitching

Dough Bowl Dreams

January 21, 2013

This past Christmas, more than ever, I was wishing I'd had lots and lots of stitched ornaments or pin pillows to put into the large dough bowl my mom had gotten for me last summer. It seems that dough bowls are the new Longaberger baskets, and I love seeing what people put in them.

Here is a collection Mom had out on her coffee table this past December…

RB and SS-1-2

And if you love Brenda Gervais' Word Play series, then you'll have to check out Carol Sims' bowl full of them!

So I've decided that in an effort to fill my own dough bowl with yuletide goodies, I'd stitch only Christmas patterns each Sunday this year. Hopefully, by the time the Christmas decorating season rolls back around, I'll have several to show for my time spent on Santa Sundays.

If you have Instagram downloaded on your iPhone or Android, then join in the fun! Siobhan, Tanya, my mom, and a few others have been participating, and we've been using the hashtag #santasundayxs.

This was the first ornament I finished for the new year…

RB and SS-1

It was the Samplers-and-Santas blog that inspired me to get moving on these. Her home is fabulous, and every time I visit her blog I want to stitch my figgy pudding guts out.

Anyway, my first ornament is Black Santa by Birds of a Feather (no longer in print, but will pop up on eBay occasionally). I changed my colors to a darker palette, but only because I didn't have many of the called-for colors. Here is my conversion, if you're interested…

Fabric used: 36 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens.

Threads (with original colors on chart in paretheses):

GAST Old Red Paint (WDW Liberty)
GAST Soot (WDW Charcoal)
DMC 758 (DMC 3778)
GAST Grecian Gold (WDW Metallic Gold)
GAST Oatmeal (WDW White Wash)
DMC 3774 (DMC 3771)
GAST Grecian Gold (WDW Whiskey)
GAST Dried Thyme (WDW Hunter)

Notice I used Grecian Gold for both the Metallic Gold and the Whiskey, and I didn't sew on the white pearl beads for the falling snow.

My next project for Santa Sundays is Green Santa by BoaF, and I'm almost finished with it. I've changed the colors on this one as well, and have been enjoying it very much!

By the way, when I finished Elizabeth Sheffield, I moved on to my poor Ruth Bacheler that's been waning in the closet. I've decided that once I'm caught up with all the samplers I've started in the past few years, I'd like to never have something take me longer than 2 years to finish, because I don't like losing interest in them. It was hard to get back to Ruthie, but once I did, I really enjoyed her. However, I may need to take a break from her here and there, because I've got Irish Chain Stitches up to my eyeballs and see no end in sight.

RB and SS-2

I'll be back very soon with news about our newest addition to the family! But if you're on Instagram, you may already know about her. 😉

13 Comments

  • Dot

    January 22, 2013 at 2:53 am

    “stitch my figgy pudding guts out”
    Bahahaha! Love it.
    I think Santa Sundays is the very best idea I’ve seen on the internet in a long while. I’m just gonna have to join you. I’m doturi on IG.
    That santa is so nice, I’m going to order him right now. 123Stitch has him.

  • Irene

    January 22, 2013 at 4:04 am

    Now look what your mum has done – I’ve got that ‘figgy pudding’ feeling too. Her bowl is lovely. That chain stitching looks never-ending to me too, but I doubt the fairies will come and do it for you, so you will just have to go to it! Irene xxx

  • Siobhan

    January 22, 2013 at 5:03 am

    I’ve got ‘now bring us some figgy pudding’ going through my head right now!! Yeah, between Marly’s Santas on her blog and your mom’s dough bowl full of Christmas goodness, I’m pretty much wanting to stitch my figgy pudding guts out, too! LOVE your Santa! I need to get a picture of my latest #santasundayxs stitching up now that it’s bright outside. LOVE your Ruthie!! It is so pretty.

  • Carin

    January 29, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    Great idea to display them in a bowl. I had mine all hanging in the tree. Just finsihed my 36th from a series this week and posted all 36 today on my blog :-0 … that tree is going to be full by the end of the year LOL

  • Lynn Jones

    January 30, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    I have a dough bowl just like your mom’s and I’m working on getting enough finishes to fill it at every season.
    If I had a smart phone I’d join in with you on the Santa Sundays. I’m just so far behind the times plus Sundays are often my busiest day what with singing in the choirs. Your Santa finish is lovely and I can’t wait to see the green Santa.
    Ruth’s colours are gorgeous!! I can’t wait to see more of this one.

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