Do I hear Santa...?

Pattern Review: The World of Cross Stitch Nov 1999: Christmas Table Linen

Yes, this is a Christmas cross stitch pattern, but too be honest it isn't very Christmassy. It is also very far away from table linen. Behold a seasonal coaster and bookmark!

First up the bookmark. The original design was for a seasonal cake band. The design on the bookmark was to be repeated as necessary to make the length of the band. I have never used a cake band in my life, let alone a cross stitch one. Since I read a huge amount,  a bookmark seemed about right. 


This was a really enjoyable simple cross stitch, and some much needed relief after my complex cross stitched Mai. I interfaced the back of the bookmark and lined it with some cotton lining from my stash. 

The coaster was originally designed to be a candle stick holder. Urm...what? Who has a candlestick holder? Doesn't everyone just use empty wine bottles these days?? Anyway, I thought that it would work well instead as a handy coaster. 


I stitched this up even quicker than the bookmark! I purchased a simple coaster frame for needlework and it was ready for morning coffee and afternoon tea. This photo below is from before it was framed - there is less of a glare from the plastic. 

I have my lovely sister-in-law to thank for the free magazine and the black aida which was kindly donated from her stash. I only had to purchase the threads - win!




Lastly, I have to confess that this was finished back in February and I am only just posting this now! I don't know why I am so bad at posting my finished cross stitch projects. I think it is because photos just don't do the work justice. 

I have also just finished another small design that may appear on the blog before the end of the year...We will see! That said, my backlog of unopened cross stitch projects is huge, so I will get cracking on the next project.

Happy stitching!

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