OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern: Teresa Wentzler Freebie, available here 
• Materials: Scrap 28 count white monoco, DMC, Kreinik, Mill Hill
• Size: ~3″ x 4″
• Time to stitch: 3 days since March 2020

Presenting my second TW finish!  

The pattern is well done, beautifully designed and clear, but it sure is fiddlly especially in the finishing stages.  There are a few blended colors, fractional stitches for the circular medallions, specialty stitches including diamond eyelets (which were fun), satin stitch (not bad), and lazy daisies (ugh).  Miles of backstitch and beads which are challenging to place due to the density of the stitches.   It’s super sparkly, practically glows with the metallics.  There’s couching and tacking, and straight stitch too.  It’s a gorgeous Celtic cross and perhaps a good introduction to the TW style.

The material I used, 28 count monoco, was a little problematic as it’s very densely woven and the work got pretty tight with the fractionals and specialty stitches. Cashel linen would work better, I think.  Most of the threads are DMC in several colors plus 2 blended colors. 2 types of Kreinik are used. Gold #4 braid is couched in a knot pattern on the arms of the cross, which was a slow process.  The thinner gold cord is used for the straight stitch diamonds in the borders, and the diamonds are tacked down at the points with DMC.  The 40 petite beads, in 2 colors, took almost an hour to sew down with full crosses amongst the lazy daisies.  I spent a lot of time making the lazy daises even and neat, and beading was a painstaking process to avoid those threads.  And then in the end, after the beading is done, you can’t see the lazy daisies as clearly.  

Overall, I really adore the color scheme and the Celtic knot detail is pretty.  I like the Satin stitch and the diamond eyelets too.  It’s a lovely chart and I have a cool idea for full finishing.  It’s not exactly a quick little ornie, however.  In any case, it’s great to get a finish during Maynia.