A Pear for June

When I saw Marly's original Pear Sampler (now Pear Sampler 1) back in the middle of last year, I knew it was a project I wanted to do. So I stitched it up and then did another one of my own design with a number sampler.

Marly's posted patterns for quite a few pear samplers since that first one. While most of them really appeal to me, I haven't quite gotten around to stitching any others . . . but her pattern for June really grabbed me! So out came the needle, threads and fabric . . .

Once I'd finished stitching I decided I didn't really need another "ornamental" pear, and instead appliqued it onto a journal cover.

While it was . . . nice . . . it seemed . . . hmm . . . not quite right.

So I unpicked the applique and did what I should have done in the first place - I made it up into a "pear". And I'm really glad I did, because I'm so happy with how it's turned out!

I've filled the pear with a mix of fibre fill (at the top around the stalk) and then crushed walnut shells and silica sand. This gives it a nice, heavy, substantial feeling, which I really like. Now I've got the bug again, the big question is . . . which one will I stitch next???



Pattern: Pear X
Designer: Marly - Samplers and Santas
Publication: http://samplers-and-santas.blogspot.com.au/p/pears.html
Fabric: 27 count linen
Threads: DMC 3041, 3042, 611, 3023, 3053, 3820

A Pair of Pears

I really did enjoy stitching the cute little alphabet sampler . . . so much so, that I just had to chart up and stitch a numbers sampler to match!

I've used another variegated thread, this time a Cosmo "Seasons" thread. I really love the brown, blue, green combination of this one.

And the felted woven wool is just a pleasure to work with. If you haven't worked with this before, and you get the chance, you really should - it's quick and easy . . . and it looks great. In fact, I think it looks so good, you could easily make up a batch of these pears in just the wool, front and back.

Filled with the silica sand, these pears are nice and heavy. Great for pincushions or paperweights. Or just looking pretty!


Pattern: Pear Alphabet Sampler
Designer: Samplers and Santas
Publication: http://samplers-and-santas.blogspot.com.au/
Fabric: 27 count linen, overdyed, Four Ewes Hand dyed felted woven wool
Thread: Cosmo "Seasons" 8050

What A Pear

As soon as I saw the sample of this on the Samplers and Santas blog I knew that I wanted to stitch it.

And now I have.

And I love it!

I haven't used traditional pear colours, but I can live with that. It's only little - about 5 1/2" to the top of the stalk. But it's got a bit of substance to it from the silica sand filling.

This project's got all the elements I'm loving at the moment . .

Vintage.

Cross stitch.

Variegated thread.

Felted woven wool.

Heavy pincushion.

Now all it's missing is a mate . . . a numbers sampler pear-haps???




Pattern: Pear Alphabet Sampler
Designer: Samplers and Santas
Publication: http://samplers-and-santas.blogspot.com.au
Fabric: 27 count linen, overdyed, Four Ewes Hand dyed felted woven wool
Thread: Weeks Dye Works, Holiday Collection, 4105, Noel