Category: Embroidery

TIMELINE: September 1, 2025 – October 15, 2025

September 1, 2025 – My local MODERN embroidery guild is working on Biscornu for September and October. It’s a strange eight-sided three-dimensional shape made from two flat embroideries. They are usually used as pin cushions but also can be used from weights and decorations. The guild wants them to be worked on Aida or linen and provided four different cross-stitch patterns – of which I liked none. (I don’t really like the project, but it is small, my first time working a guild project with this group, and the finishing technique does look interesting.)

Onward to an internet search! I finally found a biscornu pattern I liked, mostly. I am going to remove the center work because why do embroidery where the buttons are going to cover the embroidery? It might be needed for strengthening of the fabric; we shall see. Materials and equipment used. A “dull” embroidery needle – these are specifically made for working with Aida cloth so you don’t destroy your fingertips. Since I am working in Aida cloth, I will not need embroidery hoops. I found two squares of Aida in my stash about the right size – finished should be about four inches? One of the Aida is ivory and the other white. I found two matching buttons among my button box that I am willing to sacrifice to the stash-clearing project. The threads are leftovers from cross-stitch and canvas-work kits – threads from unknown sources and dye lots, but standard cotton embroidery floss of six threads twisted; I will be using three-threads on the stitches.

The color choices are going to be very random and the top and bottoms will not match. I did like one of the pattern enhancements on the suggested designs, so I will be incorporating that as well, space permitting. The pattern stitches are cross-stitch and running-stitch; the assembly will include backstitch.

9/1-22/2025 (total time spent 9 hours; 9 overall) – 9/1/2025 First picture is the gathering of materials after the internet search and the stash diving to get materials for this learning project. 9/15/2025 Second picture is after three days/nights, total of about four to five hours. Time count is wonky because I have two conventions to attend in two weeks and things blur. 9/22/2025 Third picture is after another three days/nights, and another four to five hours. I’m really enjoying the challenge of choose the right colors with enough leftover thread to finish an area and not run out.

9/22-26/2025 (giving up on time tracking) – 9/22/2025 (picture 1) – A closeup of the nearly complete red-side for the biscornu. I needed to add the running stitch to make the difference between the pink thread and the white Aida cloth pop. 9/26/2025 (pictures 2 and 3) – Another three or four days of work. I think it was four, with a meeting. Anyway, I made certain to take a picture of the completed green side. The small checkerboard is the first of two borders. The borders will be mindless, so I am saving them for meetings. As before, I am using leftover thread from other kits, so the pattern gets rather random. It is the same exact patter for the two, I just am using what thread I have available and mostly matches what I am doing.

10/1/2026 – Checkerboard border (in black) and backstitch borders (in brown) are now complete. Next is assembly and I am waiting on the guild meeting to walk me through the making of the special shape.

10/16/2025 – Meeting happened. Two flat objects have been converted into a three-dimensional object. Below is the top, bottom, and side picture as well as a video of the object. Note no sound to the video.

TIMELINE: September 1, 2025 – September 22, 2025

September 1, 2025 – Continuing the stash clearout, I am returning to the Dresser Scarf. Still working on cleaning up my stash, but I think I have found all the blue cross-stitch pieces. This final grouping is going to be slower because (1) I am TIRED of doing the pattern and (2) I have other projects I need to get done. BUT it is the perfect project for meetings, once I get all the dark blue cross-stitch and light-blue 2-strand stitch complete.

To recap, these are cotton dresser scarfs, preprinted with a design that will disappear if water is applied (note to self: do not drink anything anywhere near this project!!!!). I am using DMC cotton embroidery floss 809 (light blue) and 798 (dark blue) for the stitchwork, an embroidery needle and a four-inch embroidery hoop. The cross-stitch is worked with three threads pulled from the floss and the additional stitches will be worked with 2 threads. The stitches are: cross-stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, and a chain stitch variation to create leaves, which I will refer to as the leaf stitch.

I believe I picked these kits up at A.C. Moore while I lived in New Jersey so over twenty years ago. … It’s not so much a stash as a hoard.

9/1-7/2025 (total time spent about seven hours (not counting finding all the materials) – 7 overall) – 9/1/2025 Starting point picture. Bottom left is the already completed dresser scarf (See original post).  It took about 20 hours; I figure two scarfs will take about 40 – similar to the pillowcases (see pillowcase post). Above left is the untouched scarf and to the right is the completely folded out scarf I started before I went – STOP EVERYTHING, I NEED PICTURES!!!! 9/4/2025 – Three normal nights of one hour each. Working on the middle patterns. After all the previous work, habit will make this hard. For the pillowcases, it is easy to have all the cross-stitches crossed in the same direction. For the FOUR-SIDES of the scarfs, the middle need to be started slashed left-to-right “\” and the ends need to be started right to left “/” to have everything on the piece to have the same cross pattern when working on sewing them from the edges. I started in the middle to keep it easy. 9/7/2025 – Three one-hour nights, plus one one-hour meeting. Working on the dark-blue cross-stitch everywhere. Total of 8 patterns between the two scarfs. The middles are done with the dark blue (one is completely done!!!), now to break habit and do the “/” cross-stitches.

9/10-22/2025 (convention attendance blew out the time tracking) – 9/10/2025 Another few nights of normal stitching and another of the side-designs is completely done and the dark blue cross stitch is about done which is important as I am about to go to a writer’s con and sit through a lot of panels and need something to do with my hands, just in case. 9/14/2025 A productive convention (ArmadilloCon), but no clue how many hours were spent sewing. North of ten, but also stopping to take notes. The dark blue cross-stitch is complete and the light blue cross-stitch has enormous advancement. With another convention next weekend and a week of meetings this week, I have hopes for completion. 9/22/2025 Second of the back-to-back cons (P-con), then a final few stitches at home and a wash cycle to get rid of the pre-printed design and ALL DONE!!!

Full view of all the stitch-work on the two new desk scarfs with an accordion fold of the material. Also the previously finished scarf is folded and on top.

Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Series
Blog 1: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarf (7/29/2025)
Blog 2: Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Continued (8/31/2025)
Blog 3: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarfs – The Sequel (9/30/2025)

TIMELINE: August 3 – 28, 2025

August 3, 2025 – I decided to clear out the blue cross-stitch projects as part of my clearing out of the stash. I have five pillowcases and four dresser scarfs (one of which I finished and can be found under the July 29, 2025 post: Embroidery – Cross-stitch Dresser Scarf).

The pillowcases only have embroidery along one side, rather than four, so I decided to start with those first. I will be taking pictures every three days.

First picture is the cover photo. Second picture is the chart, the four inch embroidery hoop (it needs to be that small to maneuver inside the pillowcase), and a picture of the DMC thread 809 (light blue) and 798 (dark blue). The cross-stitch is worked with three threads and the additional stitches will be worked with 2 threads. Third picture is the design printed on the fabric. It is about 13 inches long and 6 inches wide. The ink will disappear if water hits it. I don’t know how these have survived all these years. I believe I picked them up at A.C. Moore (which closed in 2019).

A picture of four of the pillowcases and all the materials together.

8/5/2025 (total time spent about six hours) – Third day of project. Sewed the normal one hour on 8/3. On 8/4, I took a little extra time (about 1 and a half hours total) to complete the dark blue stitches on the first pillowcase because I had a phone meeting the next night and if I got that done I could do the embroidery during the meeting because I would not need to pay attention to the chart. 8/5 Over two hours and a half hours of phone meeting, I got a LOT of the light blue done and then I started the pillowcase’s dark blue. I got three more meetings this month, and if I get all the pillowcases prepped with the dark blue cross-stitches at night when I can pay attention to the chart, then I can knock out the light blue during the meetings. The dark blue on the second pillowcase is from one hour of work after the meeting was complete.

8/6-8/11/2025 (total time spent about six hours – 16 overall) – 8/8/2025 The first picture captures the work completed 8/6-8/8 (one hour a night, about). Yes, that is a fifth pillowcase. Guess what I found while cleaning stash? That is right another one. Makes me wonder if I got yet another one for a total of three pair, or if I just have five pillowcases. 8/11/2025 (two pictures) Just a little bit of the final pillowcase left to complete. Then I will work on the LIGHT blue leaf patterns. There are five on each pillowcase. Once that is done, all the things left to do will not need the pattern for reference – all the cross-stitch will be light blue and all the rest (stem, leaf, and satin) will be two-thread dark blue.

8/14/2025 (total time spent about three hours – 19 overall) – 8/14/2025 Three days, about an hour each, of sewing, completed the dark-blue 3-strand cross-stitching as well as the two-strand light blue stitch of leaves. The first picture is the overall shot. The second picture is just the dark blue cross-stitch and the light blue leaf stitch. Final picture is what a pillowcase looks like with the light blue cross-stitch complete. Getting close to having one done!

8/17/2025 (total time spent about three hours – 22 overall) – 8/17/2025 Three days, about an hour each, of sewing, and one of the pillowcases is complete. How I approached this to start was first get two of the pillowcases light-blue cross-stitch knocked out. Now what I am trying to do is work on the more detailed dark blue two-strand stitches (stem, leaf, and satin) in the quiet by myself at night, and work on the light blue during meetings. This upcoming week I got four meetings, so I hope to knock out the rest of the light blue cross-stitch there. First picture is all five pillowcases. Second picture is what a completed pillowcase looks like – yes! one is complete!

8/21-27/2025 (total time spent about twenty hours – 42 overall) – Meeting week. Like, lots of meetings. 8/21/2025 First Picture is a four-day mark. I had a meeting each of those four days where I worked on the project for a little over an hour each time, plus the normal evening work. Total hours is more like ten between all sources. Two of the pillowcases are now completely done. 8/24/2025 Second picture is back to the normal three-day cycle, but two very long meetings this time of about two hours each, so seven hours worked. I also did more stash clean and found a SIXTH!!! pillowcase. In the picture, on the left side is one folded and one displayed completed pillowcases. Then on the right side are two completed cases on the bottom (the original four I started with project with are now complete); I have completed the light blue on the third case and am working on the light blue on the fourth case. I believe I will finish this project this week. Just need to do the embroidery, then a wash to remove the preprinted design. 8/27/2025 Third picture. Another three-day cycle of just three hours. Five pillowcases complete, only finishing dark-blue lines on the sixth pillowcase. Almost there. It has been a month.

8/28/2025 (two hours, including hand wash – 44 hours overall) – Last of the embroidery is completed!!! First picture is a round of handwashing all six pillowcases to get rid of the pre-printed design. Second picture is what the underside looks like. Third picture is everything complete.

DONE DONE DONE – One of the pillowcases with a pillow

Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Series
Blog 1: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarf (7/29/2025)
Blog 2: Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Continued (8/31/2025)
Blog 3: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarfs – The Sequel (TBD)

June 19, 2025 – I broke out my threads and needles again. I am working on a printed cross-stitch piece.  The first and second picture show the designs. The first picture is design printed on both ends of the dresser scarp. The second is the one printed either side of the middle.

This is the full length of the piece.

6/24/2025 – I have finished the cross-stich on one side. I still need to do the loops, stem stitch, and satin stitch., I am using DMC thread 809 (light blue) and 798 (dark blue). The cross-stitch is worked with three threads and the additional stitches will be worked with 2 threads.

7/5/2025 – Deep into the stem stitch, satin stitches, and the loops.

7/8/2025 – Finally complete the project! (Just needs a wash and iron)

Displays – end, side, full length

Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Series
Blog 1: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarf (7/29/2025)
Blog 2: Blue Cross-Stitch Pieces Continued (8/31/2025)
Blog 3: Cross-stitch Dresser Scarfs – The Sequel (TBD)