TIMELINE: 1/18/2026-3/7/2026 (Hours unknown)
I received two Mill House cross-stitch and beadwork kits from a stash redistribution from a friend who passed. All of us in her group got a little bit from her sister. I’ve never worked with this type of kit before, but the friend adored them so I thought I would try. Beadwork AND embroidery in this manner is a little modern to my tastes and I have never worked with Perforated Paper before. Learning process combined with stitching in the memory of a friend.
1/18/2026 I started poking around with he Mouse Kit was work on first. As you can see thread, PERFORATED PAPER, directions, and beads were provided in the kit. The gray face had a big area to stitch at the speed my mind was willing to work.
2/27/2026 The Mouse embroidery and beadwork are complete. Much of the embroidery was done at FenCon (Friday Feb 20- Sunday Feb 22), including the pink beads on the ear. I experimented with how to attach the beads using three different techniques from beadwork I have done in a historic manner. I used technique two on the pink bead on the ear look different from all the rest; it didn’t result in the look the Mill Hill was after, but I like how it looks like an ear piercing so I kept it.
1/18/2026 Like the Mouse Kit, the snowflake kit came with beads, embroidery floss, two needles, and instructions (the stork scissors are mine). As mentioned, I inherited this kit from a friend who passed. She had started the Snowflake doing one color of two radials for the snowflake. I will be completing her project for her. It is interesting to lay stitches alongside someone in their memory.
I have previously repaired two quilts made by my grandmother who died before I was born. Matching stitches, reaching back through time and memory with projects worked on by other people is an experience.
2/27/2026 Completed the Snowflake while at an embroidery retreat (Feb 27-March 1) with other people who knew the lady. The embroidery was done on Perforated Paper, which I had never worked with before (and likely won’t ever work with again – it constantly caught the thread while I stitched). I sewed the “treasure” bead on the bottom and added the loop as directed to the top. When done I cut out the project as directed by the instructions. – and, yes, cutting a beadwork project on paper is exactly as nerve-wracking as you expect. 3/7/2026 I debated backing it and decided to do another new thing. First time using self-glued felt. Just pull off the packing paper and attached. DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS AFTER CUTTING OUT THE SNOWFLAKE. Oh boy was that a mistake. But what is done is done.
3/7/2026 The mouse finishing was more of a challenge in that the instructions didn’t tell how to finish it off except maybe an magnet on the back. I liked the loop on the Snowflake so I recreated it here with a mix of beads from the two kits as I only had exactly this many extra red beads (20!). Having learned the lesson with the glue-felt, I applied it while the mouse was a square and then cut through both. Much better finish. I should mention, I did a special mix of threads for the tail, breaking from the instructions because the gray by itself was not showing up. Three times I went “off” from the instructions, but I think the end result is worth it.