My First Cross Stitch Drum

 I made my first drum. I have been eyeing these for ages. I ran into a problem the night we were awaiting Sally, the devil. I needed a floss color for my flower stitch---I had already visited Joann's. I then decided I would pick up another stitch and again, I needed another color. I ended up just doing a floss order...

and switching gears.

I opened up a cabinet and the wool cloth, ribbon, and floss that I had ordered ages ago to do a strawberry caught my eye. I pulled it out and wheels turned. I remembered a pattern I had and I just started stitching. I would call it nervous stitching. We had the local weather on and watched --- waiting to see where that girl was going. There is no way to sleep while it is that close.

Weeks ---Garnet is the floss color.

I stitched and would get up every few minutes to look out the window....

I stitched the top row pretty much in the two days of the storm blowing in.

The pattern was a February 1993 Leisure Arts magazine with a Christmas sampler on the cover. I have looked at this sampler so many times and never stitched it. I liked it but yet, not enough to stitch. For one thing, it was one of those things you wonder where you would put it and it would only be out for a few weeks.

It just came to me that this could work for one of the drums. You can see I took portions of 4 rows to make my two rows. 

I watched Vonna's tutorial, but I did make some adjustments to her margin. I think next time I would even use less margin for the back side and even try to figure out how to make it blend together more.

I think these would be cute on a candle holder.

I definitely will do another one of these. I would love to do a patriotic one. 

One of my biggest decisions was whether to stuff it with fiberfil or sawdust. I think both would have been great. I ended up going with fiberfil.

I definitely want to use less margin on the back side and try to blend them together better.

For a first attempt though, I really like it. I just realized I didn't take a picture of the back. It has about a inch with nothing. I didn't do a stitch down it. It looks really neat, but I would like for it to flow together.

I am busy stitching on three things and awaiting a floss order. I am working on my flowers, my heron, and about to start my sampler.

I am also going to set aside some time to put my Advent calendar together.

It feels cool tonight, but raining again. Our neighbors just to the west don't need more rain. We don't either for that matter. I have decorated for fall. My daughter is a stickler for no fall decor until October 1st, but she texted me the other day that she had decorated. I think 2020 is for breaking rules.

I will share some of that next and a couple of pics she sent me of hers which have my sweet Tucker posing with it all. You will have to force yourself to look away from his cute little self to see her pretty decorations though.

I am so thankful for the many sweet notes, cards, and warm thoughts for my birthday and our well-being with the weather. Thanks so much blogging friends.