LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD from Casa Mia

CHART: link

MY PHOTOS: link

MY RATING: 5 stars without the ribbon

I found this chart on Pinterest and gallery.ru. I can't find it on the designer's site so I have no idea what it cost or the copyright date. It's called "Ribbon Frame (le petit chaperon rouge aka Little Red Riding Hood)." 

MATERIALS- It used two 8.7 yard skeins plus almost one yard of a third skein of DMC #890 ultra dark pistachio green floss. I didn't know how much to buy so bought three. The 14 count Aida fabric is called 'natural' and is by Charles Craft (DMC). I'm very disappointed in it because it's a bit yellowish, which isn't at all the color is was showing online. You can see it's yellowish in the photo of the close up of the wolf. It's very stiff and sturdy, which is how I prefer Aida. This design had an ugly bow on top and some ribbon or something on the bottom and I chose to leave both off. The finished size on 14 count Aida without the ribbon detail is just over 7.5" long by just under 7" wide. I used an 8"x10" black wood frame for this. 

I used one black Mill Hill glass bead for the wolf's eye instead of a stitch. I think the bead is 2.5mm. Their petite beads are 2mm. The bead gets pushed upward when I frame it no matter how many times I fix it and I'm not happy about that but there's nothing I can do about it. 

Price for three skeins of floss, fabric, and 8"x10" frame was only $11.00.

SUNNY DAY FAIRY COUNTED CROSS STITCH KIT #1563 by Riolis

COPYRIGHT: 2015

RETAIL PRICE: up to $15.99

PRICE PAID: $12

FINISHED SIZE: 5 1/2"x7 1/4"
MY IMAGES: link

MY RATING: 4.5 stars

Beads- No brand given

Aida- Zweigart

Floss- Anchor

Measurements- They even tell you right on the cover of every kit and in the instructions to measure the finished piece first before buying a frame because their measurements could be off, and they are, by 1/2" in each direction in this kit ! Once you get a kit you can put the chart's stitch count into an online calculator to get the finshed size before you even begin stitching. 

This was so much work. Lots of ight blue half cross stitches were used, using just one strand of floss, and some light blue full cross stitches using one ply too. Three strands of a couple colors are used too. None of the floss is as dark in person as it shows up online and in the photo that's in the kit and that's disappointing, especially with the lightest shade of blue. I absolutely love the full color chart. It made it so much easier to read. I don't know why the artist gave her green hair or why clear beads are used on her wings when clear iridescent or colored beads would have looked, and showed up, much better. I used 31 beads and have 11 left over, so they included plenty, and included a beading needle. I had plenty of floss left over too. No color names or numbers are given for the floss. I like that the floss comes on a cardboard card because you can keep the extra floss wrapped around it securely at all times. 

A 9"x7" frame is ideal for this but I couldn't find one so used an 8"x10" black one. Pardon the awful glare that's on my framed photo, posted below. I have no idea how to not get a glare on a piece of glass. There's barely any fabric to wrap around my piece of cardboard for framing, maybe 1/2" border to work with. I'm new to using beads and used one strand of floss, as instructed to do, to put them on with but should have used two. Some of them won't sit upright after framing but I guess it's no big deal since you can't really see them anyway. I'll do better next time I use beads. 

I think her dress is beautiful. I love the straight blue and green lines on them. I like the blue swirls in her hair too. 

Total price including frame, $17.

PUMPKIN CROSS STITCH CHART

LIST PRICE: $3.50

FINISHED SIZE: 7"x8.25"
MY IMAGES: link

TOTAL PRICE: $26
MY RATING: 5 stars

This chart came from Etsy. Search JPCrossStitchPattern's store and you'll find it there on the first page. I used a piece of 15"x18" 14 count oatmeal Aida from Design Works, which was bigger than needed. Finished size is 7"x8 1/4". I framed this in an 8"x10" black frame. I used one 5 yard skein and almost 4 yards of a second 5 yard skein of Weeks Dye Works floss, Clockwork #2230, for the pumpkin. I used almost 4 yards of a 5 yard skein of Collards #1277 just for the top part. Round it up and you'll need 13 yards of floss to complete this. Both the orange and green floss is slightly varigated. It shows up better in person than on camera. The design is basic and uncomplicated and I think it's beautiful. I can't wait to display it come September. 

You can see more of my images here.

 
Total price for chart, fabric, three skeins of Weeks Dye Works floss (one skein is 4x the price of regular DMC!) and a frame is $26. 

ROOSTER COUNTED CROSS STITCH KIT #1417 FROM IMAGINATING

LIST PRICE: Unknown

COPYRIGHT: 1998
MY IMAGES: link 

MY GRADE: 5 stars

This old kit is out of print. It sold under the name Up At Dawn by Diane Arthurs too and the chart sold by itself under that name. The chart also seems to be out of print. Janlynn sold it in 2001 under the name Up At Dawn.

Finished size is 7"x12.5". I used an 8.5" by 14" frame. The chart is easy to read and of decent quality though the ink could be darker. It came with 14 count oatmeal Aida. The brand of Aida wasn't specified but it seems to be Zweigart. 13 colors of DMC floss are used; colors 356, 434, 729, 816, 902, 919, 921, 934, 3051, 3052, 3371, 3712, 3790.

There's a slight glare on my frame's glass causing it to have a cloudy/washed out look. Cameras never do framed things justice anyway.