Today we have a treat for you, a travel sized stash-busting printed canvas. Wherever you are this summer, you’ll need to take a Country Cottage canvas with you. Stick it in your bag, rucksack or suitcase or if you’ll be travelling or going on holiday, or keep it nearby in your wool bag if you’ll be stitching a home.
With 25 colours and no large single areas of one shade, Country Cottage is perfect for using up all those odds and ends of wool that you’ve accumulated over the years.
A little bit of background This fun and vibrant Country Cottage tapestry canvas came about after a challenge from my sister to make her something for her 40th birthday in June. No pressure then! Unsure of what to stitch and with a definite time limit, I decided to have a bit of fun and cut myself a piece of 12 holes per inch canvas, put together a bag of odds and ends of tapestry wool in bright colours, and let the design evolve as I went along, working from the bottom of the design upwards.
I stitched on the train, on the coach to London, in the car (not while driving!), and whenever the odd twenty minutes presented itself. The design soon started to grow. At first I was going to stitch just stars, flowers and hens but I soon decided that a country cottage would complete the scene that was emerging.
I was able to personalise Ashley’s tapestry by stitching her name within the design, but for long names this isn’t such a practical option so in the Country Cottage in the space where I added Ashley’s name you’ll now see another hen and some more bright flowers.
Personalising your own Country Cottage There’s still plenty of space around the outside of the canvas to add a name and a date or message – at least 1.5″ all round before you get to the colour blocks.
You can also stitch a number onto the roof of the cottage (I stitched a discreet ’40’ on Ashley’s), and your initials bottom right by the little white hen.
Incidentally, here you can see that I was stitching Ashley’s tapestry on a 12″ frame. We think a 12″ frame might be a bit tight for Country Cottage, and recommend an 18″ frame CF189 as we’ve been very generous with the canvas border which extends to 13″ all round.
Ashley had specifically asked for something that she could hang on the wall so once I’d finished stitching, I framed hers in a simple white box frame.
Other ideas for making up The canvas would also look great as the centre of a larger cushion, or folded in half as a specs case. However you decide to finish your canvas, it would make a lovely gift for a friend, as well as being a nice quick project to stitch for yourself.
This year is Jolly Red’s 25th Anniversary! Stay in the woolly loop for any secret subscriber treats and news, and sign up for our (roughly) monthly newsletter if you haven’t already done so.
For now, happy stitching!
Kelly x
PS Finished a tapestry? Give us a call. We can help with colour and fabric choices and our team of skilled upholsterers can transform your tapestry into a wonderful family heirloom. Take a quick look here for some fabric inspiration.
