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Blue roses for a bride-to-be
What we love about stitchers is the amount of thought they can put into a project, and the way they can turn a design into something really unique. Whenever we can, we like to share these stories with fellow cross stitchers, as we know a creative idea tends to trigger more creative ideas.
We were puzzled recently to receive a very particular request. Could the roses of Perrette Samouiloff's Singing Bird Rose Heart be adapted so the roses would be blue?
Why on earth would you want blue roses when the pattern's colors are so pretty, with roses a gentle mix of pink and yellow, and a lime green singing bird and foliage? Helen A. explained: She was stitching for a bride-to-be and the young lady favorite color was blue: "I just knew pink wouldn’t work with this bride….she is more of a back-to-nature person… but I loved the pattern!" said Helen.
Now here at Creative Poppy we are very much appreciative of designer's work, and we admire the talent and expertise of our Designers. Perrette Samouiloff has a very special way of selecting colors you wouldn't expect to work in a pattern, but amazingly they work wonders when you see the stitched piece!
So we responded, certainly not encouragingly:
"It is very delicate to switch colors in a design with several color families. The careful balance of colors typical to Perrette's designs might be lost.
If you still intend to switch the 4 pinks:
- Pull out a skein for each color in the original design
- Using a DMC color card, select several ranges of 4 blues in the same intensities as the 4 pink.
- Check each range against remaining colors to see which range works best with remaining colors."
A couple of weeks later, surprise, we received a picture of the ... blue roses!
 | Singing Bird Rose Heart | Counted cross stitch pattern by Perrette Samouiloff Original on the right, reinterpreted by Helen A. on the left |
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Well Helen made an amazing job of selecting the colors. I must admit I had serious doubts but Helen "took the gamble' it turned magnificient and the blues blend in beautifully with the yellows and greens.
We still wouldn't advise to change colors in a pattern, but thought this is quite an interesting story to share.
Congratulations to the Bride and Groom, and thanks so much Helen for sending the picture!
>> see all Wedding patterns by Perrette Samouiloff
More Wedding Patterns
>> see all Wedding patterns (all designers)
Portrait of a Woodpecker, by Lesley Teare
While you may know Lesley Teare for her Cross stitch and Blackwork designs, she is also an expert birdwatcher - and it shows when she tackles the complex work of creating a portrait of a woodpecker, more often heard than seen, as it hammers a half rotten tree trunk, searching for food by chasing out surprised insects. Seen in profile, this is a wonderful portrait mixing cross stitch and a tiny touch of Blackwork.
More Birds patterns by Lesley Teare
>> see all Birds patterns by Lesley Teare Designs
A Summer House and Garden by Lesley Teare
Brought to you by Lesley Teare, here is the second in a series of classic cross stitch samplers featuring a typical georgian House in the English countryside. The Summer pattern features a potted apple tree heavy with fruit and rabbits leaping across the green lawn.
More Houses patterns by Lesley Teare
>> see all Samplers by Lesley Teare Designs
More Summer gardens
>> see all Gardens patterns (all designers)
Barbara Ana's Winged Dreams against a mountain sunset
We love it when we hear from a stitcher who comes up with a lovely personal interpretation of a design. It shows how stitchers really appropriate a pattern, coming up with the most brilliant ideas.
In this case, Nona J., having decided to stitch Barbara Ana's Winged Dreams came across a lovely Etsy shop selling printed Aida fabrics in a great variety of atmospheric backgrounds, including this colorful sunset.
"It had all the best colors and a oncoming night sky at the top which was perfect for tones chosen by Barbara Ana." Kindly Nona agreed to share it with us.
 | Winged Dreams | Counted cross stitch pattern by Barbara Ana Designs Original on the right, reinterpreted by Nona J. on the left |
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Congratulations Nona on the awesome piece. We sent it to Barbara who approved "The fabric is stunning and it's perfect for Winged dreams, it's so creative and pretty"
Underwater worlds
Barbara Ana's latest dreaming girl is actually a mermaid. But look closer and you will discover several surprise landscapes among the luxurious underwater life. Like all her designs, this cross stitch pattern by Barbara Ana's is a lot of fun to complete, each new part filled with wonderful surprises, stitch after stitch.
More underwater patterns by Barbara Ana
More patterns with Mermaids (all designers)
>> see all patterns with Mermaids (all designers)
Tiny yet stylish William Morris style mini motifs
It's amazing how much Lesley Teare manages to incorporate into such tiny motifs. The expert designer has already tackled much larger design inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, but these tiny ones, involving full cross stitch only are proof of her talent.
More patterns suitable for Beginners
>> see all patterns for Beginners (all designers)
Nautical inspiration
Can you resist stitching these cute little sailors, practicing nautical knots in pairs, and getting seemingly a bit entangled on the way. A cross stitch pattern brought to you by Perrette Samouiloff.
Additionally, at the request of her fans, Perrette has created a matching Birth Sampler designed for either a Girl or a Boy.
 |  Nautical birth Samplers
For Boy (on the left) or for Girl (on the right) | Counted cross stitch pattern by Perrette Samouiloff |
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>> see more Baby and Toddler patterns by Perrette Salouiloff
More nautical patterns by Perrette Samouiloff
>> see all Seaside patterns by Perrette Samouiloff
Summer garden joys
Summer days are here. Beans are ready for harvesting. Dahlias are in full bloom. Part of the vegetable patch is already empty - time to add some new compost. Designer Samantha Purdy captures the simple joys of life - in cross stitch - in a series of very personal contemporary-style patterns. These new summer garden designs are her latest addition to a wonderful collection of snapshots of life's happy moments.
More Summer patterns by Samantha Purdy Needlecrafts
>> see all Summer patterns by Samantha Purdy Needlecrafts
More patterns with Wheelbarrows (all designers)
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