Year of the Dragon...my first freebie!

Ever since I started my stitching blog, I have wanted to create some gifts for my followers, and here in the new year of 2012, and the Chinese Year of the Dragon, I have come up with this design for you all!  I hope to put out a new freebie every month this year for your viewing pleasure. Eventually, I hope to begin publishing my own patterns under the banner of Riversong Needlearts!  I have in the works more Chinese New Year animals, as well as many other ideas knocking around inside my brain. I am still learning my software and how to convert PCStitch Pro patterns to pdfs, so bear with me please!  Freebies will be available for your download, but please do not share the pdfs! You may direct friends to my blog instead. All the patterns I create are of course my property and under USA Copyright laws. I reserve the right to remove any freebie if abuse is noticed. Free patterns will be up for one year and then will be added to my catalog for sale once my company is up and running.  Please let me know if you like what you see, and please send me pictures if you stitch this or any other forthcoming pattern!  I'm willing to take requests on small designs, but cannot promise success quickly!

My creative process starts with Google Images. If you add the term "free rights" you get hundreds of clip art and free design motifs one can use with a clear conscience. This design is a compilation of several image motifs I used for inspiration, including a border motif and a Chinese Dragon figure with horns. From there is was just a matter of creating the border/corner sections and adding a fierce dragon face. The final size is 50x50. A gold backstitched line is added only if you wish to make a biscornu as I have done. I have stitched it on 28ct black linen, but you could use any color or count, even Aida, as there are no fractional stitches and only a little backstitch.

Please click here for the link to the pdf, which includes the key and other information about the chart. Save it to your computer and then print. You may need to use the snapshot tool to enlarge the chart, I certainly did! If you click on the first pic below you will see the chart clearly, and could right-click and save I think. You will not have the key unless you use the pdf. Still, a couple of quirks to figure out, including how to get the colors of the stitch blocks to show on the key with the symbols. Let me know if there are any issues with getting the pdf, please!

My stitched dragon.....

In order to make it into a biscornu, I stitched the red border/corner sections again to use for the back. You can add your personalization there as I have shown below. I left off any bead or button to make it dimple. The shape of the biscornu is what makes the finish I believe! You can add a ribbon hanger if you'd like.

Because someone has had issues getting to the pdf here is the floss list.


DMC 726 topaz -lt
DMC 725 topaz
DMC 783 topaz - md
DMC 816 garnet
DMC 780 topaz - ul vy dk
Backstitch Lines
DMC 783 topaz - md
DMC 816 garnet
                                                       

My, my...where has January gone?

I cannot for the life of me figure out where January went!  I've been happily stitching along and here it's down to the last few days of the month, already!  My first finish of 2012 was to complete the stitching on the Prairie Schooler 2011 Schooler Santa.

I am now all caught up on Santas and can begin the process of "ornamentification" (thanks Heather for coining that word!).  I also have tons of other finishing to do, including two class projects, several door banners (all seasonal), and a couple dozen other ornaments. I might have to devote a whole month to sewing machine work to get everything "FINISHED"!

This one at least was a breeze....a Pine Mountain kit called What A Hoot! I was lazy and bought the pillow form after I took this picture. This just slips over the pillow and is tied on. If I ever do any more of their series I can just switch out the pillow form. My kind of easy!

Both of these were finished by January 3rd!  About that time I learned that my dear sister-in-law (DSIL) Ann (hubby's sister) is coming with her family for a visit this spring from way down under in New Zealand!
We were able to go down for a visit way back in 2000, which is when this next project started....she took me to a stitchy shop in Taupo and saw the Heritage Stitchcraft Map of New Zealand and asked me if I would stitch it for her, so how could I say no?  Long story, shortened, I worked on it for a while (and I recall that this was BEFORE I attempted anything that big, like a TW or Chatelaine). My daughter was 6 and time just did not allow for much work on it and I put it away the end of 2001.  Now that they are coming for a visit, I just HAD to get it out to finish so she could carry it home with her. I will make it a door banner too, for that reason. This is what it looked like early this month...sorry the pic is not very good.

Now, the South Island is done!

In fact, most of the North Island is done since that picture was taken a couple of weeks ago...I need to take another picture, and finish the coat of arms floating offshore to the west.....hopefully by the end of the month!

I am also working on two mini stocking ornies for my not-so-little kittens adopted last August. They are my carry-around project.  I also have a surprise coming soon, as I have been working on some biscornu designs of my own creation to share this year on my blog!  I just have to stitch up the first one, and get some help converting the pattern to a pdf to make it easier to download. I am using PCStitch Pro which I just got in the most recent form, and am still figuring out some of the new stuff on it.  Any advice on posting would be appreciated for those of you who have experience in this area!  Happy New Year!