My Gift to Hazel

My "Stitch Red for the Heart" exchange partner received the piece I stitched for her, so now I can show it:

 

The design is "Austrian I" by Joelle Jeunemaitre of Bleu de Chine [featured in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Just Cross Stitch].  I used #815 DMC floss (over one) on 32 ct Antique White Belfast Linen, with cording made of the same floss.  When I started stitching, I hadn't yet decided how I was going to finish the piece- I couldn't make up my mind, whether I wanted an ornament, or a pincushion, or a floss-keeper of some sort, so I ended up just combining them all.

 

For the backing, I used a piece of Weeks Dye Works Wool in Louisiana Hot Sauce-Herringbone.  I used YLI silk ribbon to tie on a pair of 2-3/4" Premie scissors by Premax, and heart-shaped mother-of-pearl thread rings to hold some of my hand-dyed flosses. 

I'm so glad Hazel liked it!