Thank you so much for highlighting these books! My husband gave me the Percival Griffiths set for Christmas. What a treasure. Had I not seen your flosstube I wouldn’t have known to ask for them. Love your flosstube, great content and enthusiasm for historic needlework. Can't wait to meet you at sampler Symposium 2025.
Thank you, that's so incredibly kind! And what a fabulous Christmas gift - I'm so glad you got the set and are enjoying them. They are wonderful books, a great addition to any collection, but didn't seem to get much press unfortunately.
I have stopped your video at minute 11:59 to speak on behalf of every person who watches FlossTube. YES, a crystal felt dove kit is a must!!! I have looked endlessly to find something similar to the doves you shared on Instagram and in your Flosstube videos, and it just doesn’t exist. In conclusion, the people demand a Katie Strachan crystal felt dove kit. 🕊️ Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.😉💜
The people have spoken! I will plan on doing a dove kit assuming the practical issues of making it into a kit can be worked out - I think so, I have some ideas about that already...
Loved the blue you picked out for Thomas. Definitely the correct colour. The orange tail feathers are better being staggered throu😅. You solved the Thomas riddle. I adore your linen and hopefully you will send me the stash for my next ornament. Silk wrapped purl finish ideas will have me watching more of your floss tube
Another wonderful flosstube video!! 🎉 Oh my! Your cardinal change of thread is gorgeous!! I'd love your kit. I love Thomas! I truly love the colors you chose for him as well. For me anyways I love your color change on him as well as the fabric! Oh he's pretty darn handsome!! That tail!! 🤣 I could see him strutting his tail as he walks too! Jack's House too!! I just love it so I say YES to a kit!! Thank you Katie for another fabulous tutorial!! 🎉🎉 I never thought I'd be able to stitch on linen. I never have but kept going back to it & now it's my all time fabric to stitch on!! Thank you Katie for sharing your talents! I would love the color conversion for Stacy Nashe's Deck The Halls Pinkeep!! Love this pattern. WOW!!! Your AKGIT by Modern Folk Embroidery!! Jacob really had a gift doesn't he! So happy for you! Happy Thanksgiving Katie! 🦃🦃
Thank you! Thomas is such a diva, he truly does strut with his fabulous, lightly sparkling feathers - he gave me fits but it was worth it in the end. Happy Thanksgiving!
I loved the finished Thomas. Even though the stitched the colors looked muted, your threads didn't. I admire the time you take to find just the right color.
Thank you! It is always so interesting to see how colors shift - there can be a world of difference between how something looks on the spool, and how it looks stitched.
Nicola Parkman, in her flosstube #336 at about the 35 minute mark, starts explaining how supply and demand works in the fabric / floss / pattern world of needlework. Very informative and helpful, especially for viewers who are frustrated with supply and demand. It isn't a simple thing. The crystal felt dove is glorious, but probably way out of my price range. I do hope you can put together a kit for others. Sorry, but Thomas doesn't inspire me in any way. Just as well! Hope your allergies go away soon! Have them as well, and wouldn't wish on anyone! Your love and talent are awe-inspiring, Katie. Thank you for sharing them.
Thank you! I do understand that supply and demand issues can be frustrating for individual stitchers when something they want to stitch is delayed or unavailable, but another way to look at it is as a sign of the vibrancy of the stitching community and the health of the industry overall. Being short on thread means lots of people want to buy and invest in a quality product, sustaining it in the long term.
@@marciaclifford7107 Thank you so much - that means more to me than I can say. I only put my name behind things I truly love and believe in, but it's never a guarantee that it's seen that way!
Linen. I would never have picked Thomas’ colors, but it absolutely works for you. This is why I enjoy your videos, you show projects so out of my wheelhouse. Gets me to thinking about my choices and yes, love the dove!
Katie, this was such a fun and full floss tube today. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it just had my head spinning with all the exciting possibilities of upcoming stitching I want to do. Thomas the turkey is great! The first thing that actually caught my attention was the sequins you added to his tail feathers and I LOVE it! I can’t wait to have him become our fall kit to stitch. Your dove is a must, I love it “A Lot” and I do hope there’s enough interest that will allow you to offer it as a kit for next year. Jack’s House looks wonderful. I can’t wait to see how the house looks when you start stitching it. I love your holiday stitching patterns you want to work on. I have both those patterns and also have been wanting to stitch them, but now I want to hold off until I see how you change them up. I’m looking forward to your next tutorial release at the end of the month. I love your scrap linens and appreciate your wanting to share them with us. I always learn so much from you and it’s exciting that it allows me to grow and expand my stitching skills as well as my finishing of them. Thank you so much Katie for sharing your talents with us ~
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you! And I'm so glad that you're learning and trying new things - it can be so rewarding. I do think there will be a crystal dove kit, the ayes definitely have it!
Thomas is beautiful, and I am glad you put the sequins on his tail. What a grand fellow, and I will keep that in mind for my own stitching. I lasted to the end of your video. I told Liz Mathews the other day that I don't knit or crochet, but I love watching what other people are doing. I thought your purchase of the historical needlework books was amazing and interesting, even though I would not be interested in doing that kind of needlework. I admire anyone who can do it so well, and you are fabulous. I love seeing your embroidery and casket work. But I do love history, so that part of it is interesting to me. And ideas, you have so many ideas. It's wonderful. You are one very talented woman.
Thank you so much! There is a very rich history attached to that entire area of needlework, one that I think we're only just getting started with - sadly, it has been overlooked for a long time as the work of women and girls. There is still so much to learn about these wonderful pieces...
First, Thomas Turkey is beautiful! I would describe his color palette as tinted which, for me, brings a feminine, elegant feel to the piece. And the fact that you prefer a lighter coverage for your cross stitch contributes even more. Not the direction I would have taken for him but if you decide to re-home him, he would sit proudly next to his butch big brother! 😊 I would happily use your pallet for a “Thomasina.” For Thomas, my threads (silks!) would lean toward bold which would mean saturated, bright colors with heavy coverage (which is, as you noted is not the look of our poor, homely, wild turkeys). I really love and appreciate your style, probably because it is the total opposite of mine. My favorite topics that you talk about are your projects that are not cross stitching. I have been cross stitching and quilting for 40+ years and I’m ready to expand my horizons to the “big girl” stage. You and your videos are the perfect platform for that next step. Thanks for that. I would love to see kits for both of the dove ornaments you have shown. And a family of to Theadoras would make me swoon. I admire your talent and cannot wait to see what creations you have in the future. Blessings to you!
Yes to the crystal dove and yes to Jack's House! I've been doing more work with gray linen because we just painted our walls gray and changing the linen allows my work to stand out better. Thank you for your videos. I always learn so much from them and love a different perspective. I'm grateful that you share your insights and help me see things differently.
Katie, Yes please to the crystal dive ornament , it is lovely! I just love the carnation on your casket piece , the blending of colors is beautiful. Thomas turned out extra special with his tail feather bling , so interesting how much the linen played with the thread colors . Thank you for all you share!!
Thank you so much! The linen was a real wild card on Thomas - fascinating, since I have used Cloister Cream many times and it's never presented any color difficulties before. But there was just something about those orange tones in particular that made it a real challenge here...
Katie, your casket stitching is breath taking. I love the crystal dove and would purchase a kit. I have the angel from last year and she is exquisite. When you first showed Thomas, I had no interest as I thought the colors were more muted than I like in my Autumn stitching. But, the addition of the sequins, which I would not have thought to do, on the finished piece made me change my mind, Cannot wait until the materials are available.
Thank you! I love hearing that you changed your mind - it mimics my own journey with Thomas which has swung wildly between 'I hate this turkey and I cannot solve this color problem' to 'those are some awesome tail feathers'!
Love, love your sense of color. I learn something new with every video. Would love to see the sparkle dove if it’s under $50. Totally interested in the special threads, edging tutorials. On the fence for the turkey..don’t typically lean towards primitive styles. Keep the little beauties coming. 🪄
Thank you! I can't really guess where the dove will come out until I assemble all the materials and write the instructions, but the ornament kits are necessarily a little more expensive because of the work involved in producing such detailed instructions - I did want to explain what goes into the price in case it is too high.
I just love seeing how you “sparkle prim” everything you stitch! And, the casket stitching is STUNNING!!! You are a master stitcher, and I love seeing your work! The books you got look so interesting, and would be so much fun just to look at the beautiful photos! I think Thomas looks fantastic! Interesting observations about color! Thanks for a great video! YES to the doves!! The linen colors you use are so pretty, and are great colors for any stiching as they are lovely neutrals!
I am so looking forward to all of your 2024 kits and conversions….to include Thomas, Jack’s House and the gorgeous white Dove!! And, don’t forget This Happy Morning! Your book on the Percival D. Griffiths Collection sounds fascinating.
Sweet Katie, I hope your allergies don’t take the joy out of Thanksgiving, which I imagine is a true family affair for you and your family. Your Thomas’ color interpretation is absolutely beautiful. You have a way of using color that is inspiring. The sequins added a subtle beauty to an already beautiful finish. Jack’s house is looking beautiful. The different orange hues you used for the pumpkins and the flower are beautiful. Orange is such a beautiful color! If you had a waiting list for it, I’d be on it already! And the crystal dove is yes, please for me! i am loving using the silks and the color palettes you have chosen for the kits you've created. Beautiful work and Happy Thanksgiving!
A giant YES to a crystal dove kit!! As usual... your video rang all the bells! I love your sparkle Thomas and can't wait for your next tutorial. I'm in full Christmas stitching and finishing mode and would love to try the scalloped edge on an ornament. Thank you for all of the inspiration Katie! Happy creating!
Absolutely love the dove. Please plan on doing the kit. I am so interested in Jack’s House and your thread choices. Thomas is a dazzler. Can’t decide about the grey. The LINEN is so tricky. Thank you, Katie! Really enjoy your floss tubes.
Thank you so much! I think the gray is still twinging a lot of people - the two different browns provide an excellent second option for the body, and I hope some people do try them as I think it would actually make for a really lovely, tonal stitch. I didn't want to stray too far from the model and the gray is a feature of it, but I think a brown body could look really great on Thomas.
Katie - Thomas is wonderful and maybe its because his tail feathers are so colourful and sparkly that the solid grey colour is a real contrast! I think he is great fun :)
Just wow for your casket that you are working on. Be still my heart, it did skip a beat. The verlande sampler, you are making such good headway and it is looking astounding. And yes to all the things that you want to get us kitted up and make ourselves.😍
YESSSSS to the dove. Lol. Sign me up. Great video. I think Thomas turned out beautiful. The books are intriguing and thank you for sharing about the content. I always enjoy learning. Thank you for sharing everything. Linen
Thank you so much! And I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing about the books - I was going on and on half wondering if anyone would even last that long! I find it absolutely fascinating but I'm not sure Professor Katie's Book Club makes for great flosstube!
Love the crystal dove and yes, interested! And Thomas turned out perfect. Your choice of silks complemented the entire piece. Jack’s House is beautiful, however, I would have liked brown stems and fall leaf colors. Just my opinion. I live in NY and the colors here are vibrant in the fall. Linen is my fabric of choice for all my projects. Can’t go wrong with linen! Wonderful floss tube and can’t wait for the next!
Thank you so much! I admit I was just thinking about what colors I liked most on Jack's House, and how they looked together - and I can never resist using green, although I understand the appeal of the brown stems. I love what I did, but when I look at the model photo I'm half tempted to stitch it again with more brown tones!
I love love the 2024 Christmas Dove a lot!!! My sister and I take turns making our mom’s fruit cake for our brothers and mom. That cake is a lot of work. I’m glad I was able to acquire the cardinals ornament kit. Thanks and take care. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Alas, I'm the only baker in the family so fruitcake falls to me every year, but I'm always so happy at the end of the day when my house smells like Christmas, and I have a gift for my father! He's impossible to buy for, but he looooves fruitcake.
Linen: I like Thomas. The colours seem very Autumnal to me. I love the sequins! I also like the colours in Jack - the mix of green and orange leaves works well. Looking forward to seeing the finished piece! I would love to do a dove, especially if it include instructions on how to do the beaded leaf. You probably used antique beads. I think some Czech charlottes would look great - they would add some extra sparkle to the ornament. Thanks Katie, I always look forward to your flosstubes.
Thank you! Unfortunately, the beaded leaves won't be included - it would double the length of the instructions, I can't source beads small enough - modern Czech charlottes are the smallest beads available, but still too large here - and it would add a lot of components to the kit. Unfortunately that's one of those small details that I love doing, but just isn't practical for a kit.
I love your Thomas, the sparkle on his tail really adds to it! I think all of your color conversions are just dreamy. I need Jack’s House and the dove! And the linen colors are so beautiful! Would love to stitch on them
Thank you so much! Getting the tail right was so important, it's such a feature of the pattern, and I thought the sequins just added the perfect final touch!
Hi Katie, happy thanksgiving! How sweet of you to make a fruit cake for your father for Xmas. Your turkey cross stitch piece turned out very lovely. How amazing are you that you gave it to your mom for the holidays? I am grateful for the silk shading book that you gave to me as well as the crystal scissors fob, floss drops as well. I like the silk floss colors that you chose for the turkey and I think that he turned out beautiful. The sequin embellishments that you added to his tail look great. The dove 🕊️ ornament looks beautiful. I would like to see you offer it as a kit next year. I am still working on kitting the first box that you had a tutorial for on this channel, so far I have the linen and the box, I agree with you that choosing colors of silk floss to use is sometimes a very difficult decision. 61 videos…congratulations! You are doing fantastic. I love your videos. 🍁🍁🍁Enjoy your holiday with family. You’re the O.G. of flosstube.
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Thomas is quite the diva turkey - he led me on quite a chase but I think the little bit of sparkle in his tail ended up pulling it all together!
It’s a wonder on how the human eye absorbs the colors when they are side by side on a spool vs integrated into a design. Thomas looks fabulous, I wouldn’t change anything that you’ve done. Love the sparkle and it’s definitely Katie’s Thomas 😊 Yes please on the dove ornament and kit for the Jack’s house pinkeep 😊 Both those would definitely help feed our stash 🙃
Isn't it? It's why choosing colors can be so time consuming, you really do have to test them and stitch to know what you'll actually get. But worth it in the end I think!!!
Thomas came out nice, especially love the sparkle. I will definitely look forward to your Jack's House fall kit next year and Crystal Dove is beautiful. Your linen choices are perfect as well. Thank you for your constant inspiration.
Thomas is lovely. I love the colors, strong but don't scream. I just discovered your floss tube. And I ordered the Thomas pattern after seeing you stitch this. So beautiful!!!
Love all of the pieces you do! When you presented your crystal dove, I gasped! My mother created Christmas tree skirts with embellished ornaments on them. They are breathtaking and the hundreds of hours she spent creating them with such love is such a heartfelt memory for me - seeing your dove moved me to tears. Although I can’t post a picture here, I’ll try to post on Instagram and tag you. As for Thomas, I love your choice of colors and linen and, when you paired him with the velvet gourds in the dough bowl, he seemed to pop even more! I love Jack’s House pinkeep and hope you make a kit available! If not, sharing your conversion would be so appreciated! And I hope to take one of your classes in the future…your embroidery is exquisite! Look forward to your next holiday flosstube! Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much, that's so incredibly kind of you! Was this in the fifties, by any chance? My mother and grandmother made sequined and embellished ornaments and tree skirts then - it's actually what started me on the whole sequined felt ornaments thing many years ago. And happy Thanskgiving!
@@katiestrachanembroidery - although she was a seamstress all of her life, she started the sequined and beaded tree skirts in the late ‘70s. She started with a Bucilla kit but, quickly changed those up with her own designs and embellishments. I wish we had kept track of all the skirts she made for family and friends…I know it must be in the hundreds. Making these brought her so much joy…for half of her life she was quite I’ll and due to a shoulder injury and surgery, left little mobility in her right arm.Yet, with the help of my Dad, contrived ways to continue to make these intricate designs and skirts. At her “celebration of life”, we laid out some of her skirts and asked attendees to bring pictures of theirs…it was quite beautiful and overwhelming. It’s been 5 years since her passing and it gives me so much joy when I see people post pictures of their trees with Mom’s skirts beneath them…Dad doesn’t put a tree up since she passed but, lays out his favorite skirt she made them over his round coffee table with a picture of the tepee of them in the middle. Oh, sorry to ramble on! But, it’s quite amazing how your beautiful dove moved me❤️
@@georgiaobrien8393 - Thank you so much for sharing your mother's beautiful work - I saw your instagram post and it was spectacular! I love how much texture she created, and of course the sparkle, just my kind of thing but I have rarely seen other work like it. It's a really beautiful legacy, and my best wishes to you all - you must miss her terribly, but she's still with you and in your heart
Yes -- I would definitely order the crystal dove ornament kit. Thanks for sharing all your holiday finishes, whether on felt or linen. I really like the sparkle on Thomas' tail, and I think your colors look great.
Yes please to the crystal doves. I’ve decided to make one ornament a year for my personal tree, hoping that maybe my son will treasure them when he is an adult!
I am sure that he will! I think the memories we make with loved ones during the holidays - especially traditions around making, and decorating - really carry a lot of meaning. I had never thought my brother was particularly interested in Christmas, my mother and I are really the nuts about decorating and making things. But a few years ago he remarked offhand that he'd like to put up a tree but didn't have any ornaments. The next year I gave him a tabletop tree complete with handmade tree skirt and an array of ornaments. I really wasn't sure if it would be his thing at all, but it is his pride and joy - he puts it up every year, he shows all his friends, and apparently is the envy of all for having the coolest sister! I think when we make things with love, others can feel it. I'm currently trying to think of what ornaments I'll make my brother for gifts this year, as those have become his favorite thing to receive at Christmas! Amazing.
You are such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. I truly enjoy your flosstube. Answers to your questions: 1) Thomas, the colors are still muted; however, they looked perfect in the wooden bowl with the gourds/pumpkins, 2) Jack, absolutely yes, put it on the kit schedule, and 3) I’ve not done an ornament of yours and would n]be thrilled to do the dove. Great linen choices on your projects as well.
Thank you so much! He is muted, but somehow it works I think, especially as part of a full fall display. My mother kept telling me that muted or not, they were certainly fall colors and it would all come together...
What an amazing video, I really enjoyed the color education throughout this video. Sparkle Thomas with the blue is awesome, I honestly couldn’t envision how the blue would work but it does! Of course it’s a yes to a Crystal dove and Jack’s House pinkeep! I was able to get a lot of charts when we were on vacation at the beach. Jack’s House was one of them. I do thought of you when I got the email from Hoop and Frame about new linen. I got the Smoke Signal and the two new 48 counts they had. Starting to get excited for the holidays and stitching all the ornaments. Can’t wait to see how the Renaissance gold ornament turns out. Looking forward to watching the tutorials, thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much! Hitting on the exact shade of blue was tricky but it really does enliven the finish and works really well. And you've beat me to the punch on 48 count! I have them both on order but they haven't arrived yet - I can't wait
Hi Katie, I look forward to you videos. I love your choice of linens and your silk conversions. Yes to crystal dove, it would make a beautiful Christmas decoration.
Back from my Bay Area trip, just starting to catch up on UA-cam… Tom looks great to me! The colors really work. It's very interesting to see how the blue showed up on the fabric! The orange ended up working well, especially with the added sparkle. The orange looked particularly good when you showed it with the gourds. I'd love to see a dove kit next year. (You may have noticed that I finally broke down and ordered Theodora today.) Claire and I ended up spending three hours at Needle in a Haystack. I found the threads I needed for the mermaid box I'm making and stocked up on fabrics (linen, mono canvas, and a piece of congress cloth), but then I also ended up buying a book and a bunch of cross stitch charts and of course all the threads for those charts… well, you know how it is. 🤣 I spent a few minutes drooling over the new Witney Antiques catalog but eventually decided I didn't really need it. The next day we spent the better part of an hour at Tinsel Trading (our first visit there) and I picked out some very cool vintage metallic threads and picked up several sizes of spangles (perhaps to bling up my casket?) And of course I also picked up some sparkly beads and some cool little christmasy charms and buttons and Claire found some Christmas gifts for people. Then we spent a ridiculous amount of time at Lacis. I picked up some tools and some variegated pearl cotton and both of us found books we wanted. (Dragging Claire out of the book section was tough!) I'm probably forgetting other things too.
You made the rounds! Needle in a Haystack has that effect on people, I always leave with more than I planned to buy. But I have to admit Tinsel Trading might be my very favorite because they have such interesting things, and you never know what you'll find. I make it over there about once every four years and am always meaning to go more often!
I think a dove Christmas ornament would be wonderful! I like the sequins and the blue on 39:16 Thomas, but I would like to see him with a brown body. Linen Can’t wait for your next tutorial. I think the wrapping looks nice and am interested in how it is executed. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you! I hope you'll stitch him with a brown body yourself - there are two excellent options in the kit and I wanted to highlight that because I hope someone will do it. I was pretty tempted myself, but didn't want to stray too far from the original pattern. It would certainly be more true to the tones of a real turkey!
Love your Tom Turkey, you are so good with color. I agree with the cover photo never looking like the called for colors on most patterns. I also would love to see the crystal dove next year. Thanks for the chance to win the beautiful linen.
OMG! This episode was engaging, exhilarating, educational, enriching… the latter both for me and the merchants I patronized as a result, so many of them, too numerous (and embarrassing) to mention!! A saving grace was that I’d already acquired the new Witney Antiques catalog, ‘Choice and Precious Work.’ Indeed, Elizabeth Hall’s pieces are remarkable in their rarity, originality, condition, and then some. Relative to your questions, first, Thomas has turned out to be the most dapper turkey of them all. He wears his colors well and the perfectly placed bling puts such a swagger in his strut. Love, love, love! Gathering over at Jack’s House next year sounds grand and as far as the charismatic Crystal Dove, let’s say I’m interested, make that captivated, this MUCH!!! Following your current casket project is always enjoyable and that carnation today-what a marvel! It was also exciting to see the progression of skills from the basic blending techniques to be learned in Queen Anne’s Pyn Pillow. Couldn’t be more grateful to you for everything …oh, yes, even the enabling!! Have a very happy Thanksgiving. Wishing you and your family, a harvest of good health and good times!
Ditto Ditto Ditto! Such a thoroughly enjoyable video - truly shows how much love you have for stitching. I love your choices for linen, some I had already ordered for the very purpose of making ornanments with previously purchased MFE patterns. Please add your crystal dove to the 2024 list - it is beautiful, unique and truly special. Although I drool over your color conversions, I would love to learn something new. I finished stitching the Cardinal Kin kit and am excited to spend this weekend finishing the pillow. Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
Katie, love your videos! While I will never make a casket I’m in awe of your work and fascinated to see your progress. I’m still thinking over Tom Turkey. I think yours is beautiful but I would probably use brighter colors. I love the luxurious feeling of the Legacy linen! Looking forward to your next video.
Feeling very festive after watching this. A crystal dove kit would be perfect for next year and I would love to try some sparkle Prim on your lovely linen colours.
Yes, please the Crystal Dove kit . I’ve never used Legacy linen before I find your videos inspiring you encourage me to step outside of the box. Look forward to your next video.
Thank you so much! And I hope you will step out of the box and try something new - the worst that can happen is that you find you don't like what you tried, but the best is that it can open up all kinds of new possibilities. Always a gamble worth taking!
Thank you so much! I won't be able to stock kits in multiple colors - keeping up with the one is quite enough - but silk wrapped purl is available in a whole rainbow of colors and I would definitely encourage you to explore the many wonderful options!
Yes to the Jack's House Pinkeep kit! I would love to say yes to the dove kit too but I'm afraid that intimidates me to the extreme! I do enjoy seeing your beautiful creations though. I love stitching on linen such a wonderful fabric and it would be interesting to have the opportunity to give some of those a try!
Thank you so much! The dove is actually very simple - it's massing the embellishments together that gives it the look, not any difficult technique. If you can take your needle up through fabric and down again, you can do a dove. Of course you don't have to want to, but it really is much easier than it looks
Love the crystal dove! It is gorgeous, and I would love to have one of my own!!! Thomas turned out great. Moving some of the orange to the tips of the tail feathers was such a good idea. Also, happy to see those sequins! Looking forward to the tutorial on using silk wrapped purl. Will need to find the perfect linen to go with that beautiful green. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving 🦃🦃
Thank you so much! I hope you'll try out the silk wrapped purl finishing - I've been having so much fun trying out different variations and I can't wait to see what my viewers come up with - the possibilities are endless on this one. Happy Thanksgiving!
My take on Thomas: He could be wearing a sweater! The more i thought about him this way, the more i could see it. I like it! I love the tail; it really finishes it off. Having only worked on Aida and Jobelin, I would like to try more linen. Love your remnants--beautiful soft shades.
Oh that is fantastic! I love that interpretation of him - I stuck with the gray body because it really was a feature on the original chart, but it is quite a look. A turkey in a sweater look!
I love Thomas and what a wonderful gift for your mom. I would love the colour list you used and where in the pattern!! I would love to make one of the doves as well! The linens are lovely!!
A Crystal Dove! YES, YES, YES! A beautiful Crystal Dove for 2024 would be fabulous Katie. I enjoyed creating Theodora so I know it's a lot of work for you but so very wanted
Thank you for the linen giveaway, Katie. In response to your questions, I love Thomas! I would really like to see Jack’s house added to your kit schedule. And, although your dove is beautiful, I’m not sure I would make it. It looks incredibly hard. Thanks again, Katie. I enjoy your videos, and look forward to seeing the next one.
Thank you so much! The dove really isn't hard at all - you just stitch on beads. It's the effect of massing them together that makes it look so spectacular but the technique is incredibly simple. It's not really very different from block stitching in cross stitch - there are a fair amount of stitches involved, but they're not hard ones. Of course you don't have to want to do a dove, but it is so much simpler than it looks
Congratulations - you are the winner of the linen giveaway! Please send me your mailing address using the contact form here: katie-strachan.com/contact and I'll get them in the mail to you!
Another super floss tube packed full of ideas. The finished Thomas looks great. I originally bought the chart online as I liked the quirky colors. I was surprised to see your muted color conversion and somewhat disappointed as I wanted more color saturation. Then I really studied the chart colors again and decided they were definitely too garish for my taste. I will buy your conversion when available but may consider different fabric to display the vibrancy of the silks fibers. The crystal dove is lovely! How fun to have a miniature tree with 20 doves decorating the tree with gold and silver ribbons entwined. (But no, I will not be ordering the dove.). Jack’s House Pinkeep would make a super kit project and also the Stacy Nash Deck the Halls pinkeep. I do appreciate it though when I can use the abundance of beautiful silks and linens I already own. Your new LINEN grey-toned package would be perfect for upcoming Christmas projects. Also, please put my name on the wait list for the next release of Cardinal Kin. Thank you for all you do and for your comprehensive review notes.
Thank you so much! So on Cardinal Kin you have to sign up yourself, I can't add names to the list manually (you have to consent by clicking the button): katie-strachan.com/kin And yes, my process on Thomas was much the same in picking colors - I looked at the chart, studied the colors, and then when I tested different options on the linen this is what they led me to. It surprised me a little bit as I had originally envisioned a more vibrant interpretation of him myself, but in the end it all came together and the tails really do have a vibrancy to them despite the more muted palette.
I like how subtle and muted the colors are in Thomas. The orange is more present but not over powering. And the blue. Perfection Just the perfect amount and placement to give Thomas a hey look at me. Real turkeys are very bland in coloring I think we expect big color in his tail feathers because that’s how we colored them when we were kids😆😆 Happy Turkey day. I do so much enjoy seeing your passion for 17C embroidery. 🦃🦃🦃
Thank you! I love the muted colors too - I did try out bolder, brighter ones but kept coming back to the more subtle, tonal shades. It seemed to be what the linen demanded, brighter colors just didn't feel right on that lovely heathered gray!
Okay, I’ve finished this episode and can now answer your posed questions. (Hearts still a flutter, though, with the possibility of a crystal felt dove kit.) Regarding Jack’s House, while it’s beautifully stitched, the colors are giving me more of a spring vibe. I’m in the Midwest (Ohio), and we just don’t see a lot of those greens or a lot of any green in the fall sans fir trees. This could also be said for Thomas. He’s giving me spring-ish vibes and not fall. I think the reason Cloister Cream linen for Katie’s Sparkle Prim works so well with the Christmas stitches is because the reds and greens chosen are cool toned like the linen. The warmer tones needed for Thomas just fight that cool toned linen. That being said, the color conundrums and color talk in your videos is what sets you apart from others on FlossTube, and I hope you never veer from that distinction. I have learned so much about color (AND me as a stitcher) through your videos. Thank you for focusing on your thought process for everything you show.💜
Thank you so much! I hadn't really considered regional variations in seasonal color but it's certainly a thing (to be fair, I was just thinking about what colors I liked and would look good on the linen). Here in California we have a ton of green well into winter given our more temperate climate, and plenty of orange as the leaves change as well. Perhaps that's why I like gray greens so much, they're all over my garden. Or I chose those plants for my garden because I'm inclined to gray greens...
Thank you so much! And definitely use the brown - I hope that some people will use the browns for his body, it would look great. I kept the gray myself because it's a feature of the original chart, but a brown body would be lovely and very tonal - also much more like a real turkey!
I am all in for a felt dove kit! I bought and finished Theodora last year and would love to stitch another felt ornament. I loved the addition of sequins to the turkey - they added so much dimension and interest. I am also interested in a kit for Jack's House. I look forward to your next tutorial and will definitely buy the finishing kit. I will need to choose some linen for an ornament 😃 Fantastic job on your casket! I love hearing about your progress, inspiration, and reasoning behind your work. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! The votes are clearly in favor of a crystal dove kit, so I'll get my thinking cap on and try to solve the practical problems moving forward. And agreed, the sequins really brought everything together on Thomas - his tail is really the star of the pattern IMO and getting it right was so important!
one-- love everything about your turkey. I think the colors are just the right amount of interest-- love that pop of blue; the tail feathers turned out great with the choice of color and placement; the addition of sequins was a very nice touch, really takes it up a notch. two-- for the pumpkin heads, i would prefer a little more contrast in the colors. three-- love the sequin dove, looks very timeless and vintage. my only hesitation is the difficulty in making it. The left over kit linen would be perfect for ornaments. Speaking of ornaments, I really hope we see cardinal kin again-- those reds are so rich. I hope to make it some day. very much enjoying your videos. thank you for sharing your knowledge of silks, stitching and finishing. I find it so interesting and inspiring.🌻
Thank you so much! The dove is actually incredibly easy - embellished wool applique is very visually striking, but not hard to do at all. And much faster than cross stitch as well - there's a reason my tree has way more wool ornaments than stitched ones. And Cardinal Kin will be coming back, it'll just take a while to get the thread dyed. You can sign up for a notification of the restock here: katie-strachan.com/kin
So glad that you talked about the books! Thomas' colors are lovely and definitely love the sequins - I just find the design more primitive than I like. I'm leaning toward Cottage Gardens Sampling Turkey Day as a 2024 stitch. The doves are beautiful and I would love a tree full. I will be making my angel this year as I ran out of time lat year. I may design another to go with her. I like the Stacy Nash pinkeep conversion with 6 colors. I can always use some extra linen. And I will definitely give the Woodsmoke linen a try. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Thomas is certainly a whole lot of look, so I understand the reservation. It's a very distinctive design and therefore, not to everyone's taste!
I honestly like Thomas I think he turned out beautifully, yes love jacks house and I want the crystal dove a whole lot. I will also go and sign up for a restock notification for Cardinal Kin. I think the color issues you had with the conversion on Thomas aren’t surprising at all. A lot of us too get caught up in trying to achieve something similar to a cover model and get frustrated when we realize that it won’t look like it with the called for. You are just a true artist and want to achieve what you’re actually looking for. Linen is so fun scraps or yards love it all. Take care and thank you for another great video. Take care enjoy time with your family this week.
Thank you so much! And you hit the nail on the head - sometimes letting go of our ideas about color and what it should be doing are the hardest part. It is definitely possible to get too attached to a preconceived idea, which can be hugely problematic because color so often doesn't behave in the ways we expect. Which is both frustrating and engaging!
I really like the colors you chose for Thomas. Hope you make a kit out of him as I already have the pattern but haven’t stitched him yet. The linen colors are beautiful! Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving.
I would be in favour of a fall kit of Jack’s House. I would like to stitch it anyway, so silks would make it even more fun. And YES to a dove kit! I may have watched a video of yours where you showed them off this past summer and promptly ordered a quantity of sequins to embellish things (note: they are still in the box, because I want to sparkle stuff up, but don’t know where to begin.). I always love your linen choices - and I may be stitching the Stacy Nash pattern along with you, though I haven’t sourced ribbon yet.
Thank you! Sparkling things up is actually incredibly easy - once you get going, you won't stop! The dove is spectacular, but doesn't actually take very long - one of the many great things about embellished wool applique!
Yes, Jacks house should go on the kit schedule! I like Thomas but I’m in the camp that sees him as a bit too muted…maybe it’s the grey body? 🤷♀️ I love the crystal dove but it might be too much work for me. linen ❤ Thanks for another interesting video Katie!
Thank you! Of course you don't have to want to do a dove, but it is actually the easiest, and fastest thing shown in this video. Much, much quicker than stitching Thomas, for example. Embellished wool applique is a lot of dazzle for a remarkably quick and easy stitch - my own tree is full of my wool felt ornaments because they work up so much more quickly!
Yes to The Crystal Dove! I just bought these linen colors but you can never have too much linen! I like Thomas but just for my taste might try the brown body.
Thank you! Definitely try out a brown body - I mentioned it because I think it's a great option and I hope some people will give it a try. I think it might look even better - certainly it would look more like a real turkey!
This episode was packed with so much eye candy! You have me rethinking my plans for next year to add a ton of smalls for testing linen and threads - in particular the Accentuate, Soie Perlee and Soie Gobelins and a bunch of metallics in my stash. Your turkey is a success in how the colors work together even if the gray body still makes me twitch. I’m a birder and have some stunning brown turkeys with red and blue necks that frequently visit which would be my preference, but the differences we all have on color and style are what make the world interesting aren’t they?! Love the doves for next year but I’m not much of a Halloween stitcher so Jacks is a no for me. Also, your recommendation of the Percival Griffiths books was amazing and I hit that sale price hard too! They just arrived and I’m spending this week pouring over them along with The Art of Embroidery: Great Needlework Collections which I picked up on the second hand market. Heaven!! Now I have to get the Whitney catalog. Whew! That’s gorgeous!!
Thank you! The gray body makes a lot of people twitchy, which was why I wanted to point out the browns as an option - I think it would work really well, and it would make for a lovely, tonal finish!
I love your conversion of Thomas and the blingy tail was a must! A kit of Jack's House pinkeep would be fantastic!! I just adore your tonal colors. And I think your choice of linen is always beautiful ❤
Thank you so much! The sparkle on the tail I think really brings him alive - those feathers are such a feature of the design and it just highlights that.
You amaze me every time I watch one of your videos. Thomas would not be my choice, thanksgiving in Canada isn’t our biggest holiday. Jacks house would be on my list and definitely a beautiful dove designed by you would make that list. Because of you I have bought two of your favourite linen and would love to do Jacks house on one of them. Kit them up please!
Thank you so much! In fairness, I'm not a huge Thanksgiving person myself - we're a small family so it's not that different from any other family dinner. And my brother loathes turkey, so we have mushroom risotto instead. Thomas is safe from being served up on our table at least...
I absolutely love the sequin white dove. I would love to make it. I also have the Angel and I want to start it. I love them both. Your work is amazing and I can’t wait to take your class!
Yes for the Crystal dove kit!! 14:28 on my goodness what a beautiful ornament, the double loop. My copy of Thomas is at my LNS. The finish of Thomas looks great. Thomas, would love a kit. Jack, yes for a kit. Dove oh yes I really want this kit offered. Linen
Thank you so much!! The double loop will be covered in the upcoming tutorial - it mostly focuses on a single loop finish but I will go over how to add a second row to get the finish shown here.
Your choice of linen makes me so happy! After this video, I have now ordered Noah’s Ark kit. I think I was overcome with cardinals and now need NA kit too! lol! I was on the fence with Thomas when you showed him last, but now with the addition of the blue and the sequins….sign me up for that kit! Can’t wait for that finishing video and kit! It’s too bad your word of the day is not kit! It seems to be every other word my comment! 😂😂 and, yes, on the crystal dove too! ❤
You weren't alone in that! The very showy cardinals captured everyone's attention, but you won't regret getting Noah's Ark - it is truly lovely in a way that the camera just can't capture and is my personal favorite of the kits. I can't wait to hang mine on my tree!
Love your finish on Thomas! He’s definitely a strutting Thomas. Definitely interested in a crystal dove ornament kit. Jack’s House is kit-worthy. Love all the linen colors. Thank you for introducing me to these linens.
Thank you so much! They are truly wonderful linens, my very favorite and have such a lovely hand to them. And yes, Thomas most definitely struts - what a diva!
I love Thomas! I don't see a muted composition at all and I love, love the bling! Jack's house is cool and would make a great kit. Color preferences are very personal, but I think you nailed it on Thomas.
Thank you so much! I wasn't always sure I would love him myself but thankfully he all came together in the end - I love the tail! I can never resist sparkle but in this instance I think it provided the perfect finishing touch...
Although Thomas turkey isn't something I want to stitch, in the end the colors you chose work well together. So far I like the changes you have made on Jack's House. I enjoy watching your videos and seeing your creations. You are a very talented young lady and I do admire your craftsmanship. But I don't buy kits for anything. I'm 75 and have done various arts & crafts my whole life. I can easily make my version of almost anything using just a photo. linen
I love linen! I think Thomas is beautiful. The colors you chose are brilliant. The sparkly dove is gorgeous, but I don't think I would stitch it. Jack's house is a winner and would be a great kit for next fall. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Thank you so much! I wasn't sure I would be able to finish Thomas to my satisfaction, but it all came together in the end - those final details made all the difference!
Linen…oh yes! Love Thomas just the way he is… I would absolutely love, love, love a crystal dove kit and would also love a jacks house kit… I happen to have been one of the lucky ones to have received a cardinal kin kit and I can not tell you how thrilled I am about it… keep on doing your ‘thing’ it is absolutely amazing…
I love Thomas. I thoroughly agree with you on the color of floss and photography. Jacks House is a great small for next fall. And I just can’t express how much I love the dove!
Katie, your video was complete Temptation Alley! Those books….. oh my…..must get….. 😂 Perhaps I’m not the only one who saw the lady with lute on the front of the books’ box cover, gasped and said ‘have to have that’ even before you opened it. I mean, a lute in embroidery!! ❤❤❤
You have quite a treat coming to you because that's actually not the only example of a lute in 17th century embroidery. The Senses were a very common theme, and hearing/sound was often represented by a lady with a lute. I'm not sure how many are in the Griffiths book, but if you start poking about museum collections online you'll find many interpretations of that theme. Of course Griffiths had one of the best examples though!
Your choices of linen and thread are, as always, wonderful. I do like Thomas the turkey he is so cute and would LOVE to see a crystal dove next year..perfect.
I love love your videos! Want a good laugh? When you watch this you’ll realize that your shirt is the same color as your couch! I love how your head FLOATS!! It made me smile all day!
Funny enough I didn't see that at all when I reviewed the video! But I was wearing the sweater so I could see more clearly that it's a dark gray, and my couch is blue. Very similar in value though so I can see how it would give the illusion of disappearing into the couch - I suppose I have very predictable color preferences!!
Crystal Dove YES! (Less intimidating than Theodora.) Fruit cake recipe YES! (On my wish list to make.) Jack’s House Pinkeep YES! Linen YES! Musings on Thomas - I have been thinking about what draws me to certain patterns, and for me, when I see a bright blue, especially when paired with another color to create a stunning contrast, I cannot look away. I found your picture on Instagram of your finish of Joy & Good Cheer and that blue next to the red and the white are absolute perfection for me. When I look at the gray and blue spools in your tray, there is so much more contrast than seeing them stitched next to each other creating a beautiful blend. My eye is craving a bright pop of blue and a hint of dramatic contrast. I will say the choice to add sequins is genius. Thank you for being amazing!
Thank you so much! I did try brighter blues on Thomas - there are some wonderful colors in Gobelins that were calling to me - but they ended up dominating the piece. It's quite a thin stripe of blue, and if it's out of balance with the other shades, you're just staring at that blue stripe, which looks like it doesn't belong with the rest of the piece. Color is definitely a moving target and it can be hard to hit it!
Linen. Katie, at first I thought Thomas seemed a little ¨pale¨...not very colorful. But...the addition of the sequins absolutely made it for me! Such a simple solution! The crystal doves are beautiful...and I would buy one if someone else made it, but making felt ornaments is not my thing, so I wouldn´t buy a kit. Thanks so much. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thank you so much, and happy Thanksgiving! The sequins really helped bring him alive - although fully filling out the tail helped that too, the negative space still visible in the previous video was toning him down further. Those fabulous feathers are such a feature, and I wanted to highlight them - not to mention I'm a sparkle hound!
I love the Thomas colours as he appears on my iPad Katie but I so wish I could see the flosses in real life to determine if in fact the grey suits my taste. After you shared the comments from others, l am now developing an obsession with locating an Au Ver a soie stockist in Adelaide Australia so I can see and touch those spools of loveliness.
Thank you! Seeing colors in person is huge - I have spent a full decade building my own silk stash because of the frustration of ordering something thinking it's exactly what you need, and then what shows up is totally different! I do my best to present colors and pieces accurately but there really is no substitute for being able to actually see it for yourself - one of the eternal frustrations of flosstube!
Hi Katie! Your videos are bright spots in my day. Every other Tuesday I actually wake up excited for the day. Thank you so much. To answer your 3 questions: 1. Thomas is wonderful. What are the sparkles on his tail? 2. I would love to see you add Jack's House to your offerings for next year. Last but not least I love the dove!! I am working on a project now with Legacy linen, and love it. I'll have to acquire some for my stash. Sadly, I did not get the Cardinal Kin kit, but I did stop your video mid-stream to order the Noah's Christmas Ark II! Thanks again, see you in 2 weeks
Thank you! You'll love Noah's Ark - it really got overshadowed by the very showy cardinals, but it is truly lovely. The shimmering gold against the heathered gray linen is subtle but so beautiful. As to your question, Thomas has tiny sequins anchored by seed beads on his tail
Yes to Jack. Yes to crystal doves, and I like Thomas better now that he is finished. However, I wonder about the color green coming through on my screen. He seems to have a yellow green tone. I think it is the linen color. He is still beautiful. linen.
That I think must be your screen, there are no green undertones in any of the colors other than the olive green used for the vines, leaves, and mound. The linen is a true heathered gray with brown undertones. I'd actually love to see a Legacy Linen with some green undertones so I can attest that one doesn't currently exist!
Thank you so much for highlighting these books! My husband gave me the Percival Griffiths set for Christmas. What a treasure. Had I not seen your flosstube I wouldn’t have known to ask for them. Love your flosstube, great content and enthusiasm for historic needlework. Can't wait to meet you at sampler Symposium 2025.
Thank you, that's so incredibly kind! And what a fabulous Christmas gift - I'm so glad you got the set and are enjoying them. They are wonderful books, a great addition to any collection, but didn't seem to get much press unfortunately.
I have stopped your video at minute 11:59 to speak on behalf of every person who watches FlossTube. YES, a crystal felt dove kit is a must!!! I have looked endlessly to find something similar to the doves you shared on Instagram and in your Flosstube videos, and it just doesn’t exist. In conclusion, the people demand a Katie Strachan crystal felt dove kit. 🕊️
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.😉💜
The people have spoken! I will plan on doing a dove kit assuming the practical issues of making it into a kit can be worked out - I think so, I have some ideas about that already...
Loved the blue you picked out for Thomas. Definitely the correct colour. The orange tail feathers are better being staggered throu😅. You solved the Thomas riddle. I adore your linen and hopefully you will send me the stash for my next ornament. Silk wrapped purl finish ideas will have me watching more of your floss tube
Thank you so much! The tutorial will be up on Thursday, and does have multiple variations on the general method taught.
Another wonderful flosstube video!! 🎉 Oh my! Your cardinal change of thread is gorgeous!! I'd love your kit. I love Thomas! I truly love the colors you chose for him as well. For me anyways I love your color change on him as well as the fabric! Oh he's pretty darn handsome!! That tail!! 🤣 I could see him strutting his tail as he walks too!
Jack's House too!! I just love it so I say YES to a kit!!
Thank you Katie for another fabulous tutorial!! 🎉🎉
I never thought I'd be able to stitch on linen. I never have but kept going back to it & now it's my all time fabric to stitch on!!
Thank you Katie for sharing your talents!
I would love the color conversion for Stacy Nashe's Deck The Halls Pinkeep!! Love this pattern.
WOW!!! Your AKGIT by Modern Folk Embroidery!! Jacob really had a gift doesn't he! So happy for you!
Happy Thanksgiving Katie! 🦃🦃
Thank you! Thomas is such a diva, he truly does strut with his fabulous, lightly sparkling feathers - he gave me fits but it was worth it in the end. Happy Thanksgiving!
I loved the finished Thomas. Even though the stitched the colors looked muted, your threads didn't. I admire the time you take to find just the right color.
Thank you! It is always so interesting to see how colors shift - there can be a world of difference between how something looks on the spool, and how it looks stitched.
Nicola Parkman, in her flosstube #336 at about the 35 minute mark, starts explaining how supply and demand works in the fabric / floss / pattern world of needlework. Very informative and helpful, especially for viewers who are frustrated with supply and demand. It isn't a simple thing. The crystal felt dove is glorious, but probably way out of my price range. I do hope you can put together a kit for others. Sorry, but Thomas doesn't inspire me in any way. Just as well! Hope your allergies go away soon! Have them as well, and wouldn't wish on anyone! Your love and talent are awe-inspiring, Katie. Thank you for sharing them.
Thank you! I do understand that supply and demand issues can be frustrating for individual stitchers when something they want to stitch is delayed or unavailable, but another way to look at it is as a sign of the vibrancy of the stitching community and the health of the industry overall. Being short on thread means lots of people want to buy and invest in a quality product, sustaining it in the long term.
You always have a quality product, Katie.@@katiestrachanembroidery
@@marciaclifford7107 Thank you so much - that means more to me than I can say. I only put my name behind things I truly love and believe in, but it's never a guarantee that it's seen that way!
Linen. I would never have picked Thomas’ colors, but it absolutely works for you. This is why I enjoy your videos, you show projects so out of my wheelhouse. Gets me to thinking about my choices and yes, love the dove!
Thank you so much - that's such a compliment, I am very touched!
Katie, this was such a fun and full floss tube today. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it just had my head spinning with all the exciting possibilities of upcoming stitching I want to do. Thomas the turkey is great! The first thing that actually caught my attention was the sequins you added to his tail feathers and I LOVE it! I can’t wait to have him become our fall kit to stitch. Your dove is a must, I love it “A Lot” and I do hope there’s enough interest that will allow you to offer it as a kit for next year. Jack’s House looks wonderful. I can’t wait to see how the house looks when you start stitching it. I love your holiday stitching patterns you want to work on. I have both those patterns and also have been wanting to stitch them, but now I want to hold off until I see how you change them up. I’m looking forward to your next tutorial release at the end of the month. I love your scrap linens and appreciate your wanting to share them with us. I always learn so much from you and it’s exciting that it allows me to grow and expand my stitching skills as well as my finishing of them. Thank you so much Katie for sharing your talents with us ~
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you! And I'm so glad that you're learning and trying new things - it can be so rewarding. I do think there will be a crystal dove kit, the ayes definitely have it!
Thomas is beautiful, and I am glad you put the sequins on his tail. What a grand fellow, and I will keep that in mind for my own stitching. I lasted to the end of your video. I told Liz Mathews the other day that I don't knit or crochet, but I love watching what other people are doing. I thought your purchase of the historical needlework books was amazing and interesting, even though I would not be interested in doing that kind of needlework. I admire anyone who can do it so well, and you are fabulous. I love seeing your embroidery and casket work. But I do love history, so that part of it is interesting to me. And ideas, you have so many ideas. It's wonderful. You are one very talented woman.
Thank you so much! There is a very rich history attached to that entire area of needlework, one that I think we're only just getting started with - sadly, it has been overlooked for a long time as the work of women and girls. There is still so much to learn about these wonderful pieces...
First, Thomas Turkey is beautiful! I would describe his color palette as tinted which, for me, brings a feminine, elegant feel to the piece. And the fact that you prefer a lighter coverage for your cross stitch contributes even more. Not the direction I would have taken for him but if you decide to re-home him, he would sit proudly next to his butch big brother! 😊 I would happily use your pallet for a “Thomasina.” For Thomas, my threads (silks!) would lean toward bold which would mean saturated, bright colors with heavy coverage (which is, as you noted is not the look of our poor, homely, wild turkeys). I really love and appreciate your style, probably because it is the total opposite of mine. My favorite topics that you talk about are your projects that are not cross stitching. I have been cross stitching and quilting for 40+ years and I’m ready to expand my horizons to the “big girl” stage. You and your videos are the perfect platform for that next step. Thanks for that. I would love to see kits for both of the dove ornaments you have shown. And a family of to Theadoras would make me swoon. I admire your talent and cannot wait to see what creations you have in the future. Blessings to you!
Thank you so much! There are so many wonderful things out there beyond cross stitch, much as I enjoy it - so dive in and have fun!
Yes YES to the crystal dove. Your videos are not only eye candy but educational. I admire your work and beautiful artistry.
Thank you so much, that's so kind!
Yes to the crystal dove and yes to Jack's House! I've been doing more work with gray linen because we just painted our walls gray and changing the linen allows my work to stand out better. Thank you for your videos. I always learn so much from them and love a different perspective. I'm grateful that you share your insights and help me see things differently.
Thank you so much, that is wonderful to hear! I'm so glad
Katie,
Yes please to the crystal dive ornament , it is lovely! I just love the carnation on your casket piece , the blending of colors is beautiful. Thomas turned out extra special with his tail feather bling , so interesting how much the linen played with the thread colors .
Thank you for all you share!!
Thank you so much! The linen was a real wild card on Thomas - fascinating, since I have used Cloister Cream many times and it's never presented any color difficulties before. But there was just something about those orange tones in particular that made it a real challenge here...
Katie, your casket stitching is breath taking. I love the crystal dove and would purchase a kit. I have the angel from last year and she is exquisite. When you first showed Thomas, I had no interest as I thought the colors were more muted than I like in my Autumn stitching. But, the addition of the sequins, which I would not have thought to do, on the finished piece made me change my mind, Cannot wait until the materials are available.
Thank you! I love hearing that you changed your mind - it mimics my own journey with Thomas which has swung wildly between 'I hate this turkey and I cannot solve this color problem' to 'those are some awesome tail feathers'!
Love, love your sense of color. I learn something new with every video. Would love to see the sparkle dove if it’s under $50. Totally interested in the special threads, edging tutorials. On the fence for the turkey..don’t typically lean towards primitive styles. Keep the little beauties coming. 🪄
Thank you! I can't really guess where the dove will come out until I assemble all the materials and write the instructions, but the ornament kits are necessarily a little more expensive because of the work involved in producing such detailed instructions - I did want to explain what goes into the price in case it is too high.
I just love seeing how you “sparkle prim” everything you stitch! And, the casket stitching is STUNNING!!! You are a master stitcher, and I love seeing your work! The books you got look so interesting, and would be so much fun just to look at the beautiful photos! I think Thomas looks fantastic! Interesting observations about color! Thanks for a great video! YES to the doves!! The linen colors you use are so pretty, and are great colors for any stiching as they are lovely neutrals!
Thank you so much! I can't help myself, I have to sparkle everything! Pure primitive isn't my natural setting...
I am so looking forward to all of your 2024 kits and conversions….to include Thomas, Jack’s House and the gorgeous white Dove!! And, don’t forget This Happy Morning! Your book on the Percival D. Griffiths Collection sounds fascinating.
No danger of forgetting This Happy Morning! Most of the threads are already here, we're just waiting on the last dyelots.
Sweet Katie, I hope your allergies don’t take the joy out of Thanksgiving, which I imagine is a true family affair for you and your family. Your Thomas’ color interpretation is absolutely beautiful. You have a way of using color that is inspiring. The sequins added a subtle beauty to an already beautiful finish. Jack’s house is looking beautiful. The different orange hues you used for the pumpkins and the flower are beautiful. Orange is such a beautiful color! If you had a waiting list for it, I’d be on it already!
And the crystal dove is yes, please for me! i am loving using the silks and the color palettes you have chosen for the kits you've created. Beautiful work and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much! Thomas was quite a journey but I think he came together beautifully in the end, his tail is fabulous. And happy Thanksgiving!
A giant YES to a crystal dove kit!! As usual... your video rang all the bells! I love your sparkle Thomas and can't wait for your next tutorial. I'm in full Christmas stitching and finishing mode and would love to try the scalloped edge on an ornament. Thank you for all of the inspiration Katie! Happy creating!
Thank you Katherine! Your kit went out this morning so you should have it very soon - I look forward to seeing your finishes!
@@katiestrachanembroidery 👏👏👏
Absolutely love the dove. Please plan on doing the kit. I am so interested in Jack’s House and your thread choices. Thomas is a dazzler. Can’t decide about the grey. The LINEN is so tricky. Thank you, Katie! Really enjoy your floss tubes.
Thank you so much! I think the gray is still twinging a lot of people - the two different browns provide an excellent second option for the body, and I hope some people do try them as I think it would actually make for a really lovely, tonal stitch. I didn't want to stray too far from the model and the gray is a feature of it, but I think a brown body could look really great on Thomas.
Katie - Thomas is wonderful and maybe its because his tail feathers are so colourful and sparkly that the solid grey colour is a real contrast! I think he is great fun :)
Thank you so much! The gray body really does highlight his tail even more through contrast, and I just love those feathers!
Just wow for your casket that you are working on. Be still my heart, it did skip a beat.
The verlande sampler, you are making such good headway and it is looking astounding.
And yes to all the things that you want to get us kitted up and make ourselves.😍
Thank you so much! I'm so pleased with how the casket stitching is turning out, the colors just sing.
YESSSSS to the dove. Lol. Sign me up. Great video. I think Thomas turned out beautiful. The books are intriguing and thank you for sharing about the content. I always enjoy learning. Thank you for sharing everything. Linen
Thank you so much! And I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing about the books - I was going on and on half wondering if anyone would even last that long! I find it absolutely fascinating but I'm not sure Professor Katie's Book Club makes for great flosstube!
Love the crystal dove and yes, interested! And Thomas turned out perfect. Your choice of silks complemented the entire piece. Jack’s House is beautiful, however, I would have liked brown stems and fall leaf colors. Just my opinion. I live in NY and the colors here are vibrant in the fall. Linen is my fabric of choice for all my projects. Can’t go wrong with linen! Wonderful floss tube and can’t wait for the next!
Thank you so much! I admit I was just thinking about what colors I liked most on Jack's House, and how they looked together - and I can never resist using green, although I understand the appeal of the brown stems. I love what I did, but when I look at the model photo I'm half tempted to stitch it again with more brown tones!
I love love the 2024 Christmas Dove a lot!!! My sister and I take turns making our mom’s fruit cake for our brothers and mom. That cake is a lot of work. I’m glad I was able to acquire the cardinals ornament kit. Thanks and take care. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Alas, I'm the only baker in the family so fruitcake falls to me every year, but I'm always so happy at the end of the day when my house smells like Christmas, and I have a gift for my father! He's impossible to buy for, but he looooves fruitcake.
Linen: I like Thomas. The colours seem very Autumnal to me. I love the sequins! I also like the colours in Jack - the mix of green and orange leaves works well. Looking forward to seeing the finished piece! I would love to do a dove, especially if it include instructions on how to do the beaded leaf. You probably used antique beads. I think some Czech charlottes would look great - they would add some extra sparkle to the ornament. Thanks Katie, I always look forward to your flosstubes.
Thank you! Unfortunately, the beaded leaves won't be included - it would double the length of the instructions, I can't source beads small enough - modern Czech charlottes are the smallest beads available, but still too large here - and it would add a lot of components to the kit. Unfortunately that's one of those small details that I love doing, but just isn't practical for a kit.
I love the way Thomas turned out, colors are great. Finishing is very nice too. I love your passion and lovely ideas. Thank you for sharing. Linen
Thank you so much! I love him too, I think it's the tail - it just brings him all together!
I love your Thomas, the sparkle on his tail really adds to it! I think all of your color conversions are just dreamy. I need Jack’s House and the dove!
And the linen colors are so beautiful! Would love to stitch on them
Thank you so much! Getting the tail right was so important, it's such a feature of the pattern, and I thought the sequins just added the perfect final touch!
Hi Katie, happy thanksgiving! How sweet of you to make a fruit cake for your father for Xmas. Your turkey cross stitch piece turned out very lovely. How amazing are you that you gave it to your mom for the holidays? I am grateful for the silk shading book that you gave to me as well as the crystal scissors fob, floss drops as well.
I like the silk floss colors that you chose for the turkey and I think that he turned out beautiful. The sequin embellishments that you added to his tail look great. The dove 🕊️ ornament looks beautiful. I would like to see you offer it as a kit next year.
I am still working on kitting the first box that you had a tutorial for on this channel, so far I have the linen and the box, I agree with you that choosing colors of silk floss to use is sometimes a very difficult decision.
61 videos…congratulations! You are doing fantastic. I love your videos. 🍁🍁🍁Enjoy your holiday with family. You’re the O.G. of flosstube.
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Thomas is quite the diva turkey - he led me on quite a chase but I think the little bit of sparkle in his tail ended up pulling it all together!
It’s a wonder on how the human eye absorbs the colors when they are side by side on a spool vs integrated into a design. Thomas looks fabulous, I wouldn’t change anything that you’ve done. Love the sparkle and it’s definitely Katie’s Thomas 😊
Yes please on the dove ornament and kit for the Jack’s house pinkeep 😊 Both those would definitely help feed our stash 🙃
Isn't it? It's why choosing colors can be so time consuming, you really do have to test them and stitch to know what you'll actually get. But worth it in the end I think!!!
Thomas came out nice, especially love the sparkle. I will definitely look forward to your Jack's House fall kit next year and Crystal Dove is beautiful. Your linen choices are perfect as well. Thank you for your constant inspiration.
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you!
Definitely Yes for the 🕊️ dove! And a big yes for Jack’s House. ❤ I love all your linen colors.
Thank you so much!
Thomas is lovely. I love the colors, strong but don't scream. I just discovered your floss tube. And I ordered the Thomas pattern after seeing you stitch this. So beautiful!!!
Thank you so much, and welcome! I'm so glad you've found my flosstube!
Love all of the pieces you do! When you presented your crystal dove, I gasped! My mother created Christmas tree skirts with embellished ornaments on them. They are breathtaking and the hundreds of hours she spent creating them with such love is such a heartfelt memory for me - seeing your dove moved me to tears. Although I can’t post a picture here, I’ll try to post on Instagram and tag you. As for Thomas, I love your choice of colors and linen and, when you paired him with the velvet gourds in the dough bowl, he seemed to pop even more! I love Jack’s House pinkeep and hope you make a kit available! If not, sharing your conversion would be so appreciated! And I hope to take one of your classes in the future…your embroidery is exquisite! Look forward to your next holiday flosstube! Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much, that's so incredibly kind of you! Was this in the fifties, by any chance? My mother and grandmother made sequined and embellished ornaments and tree skirts then - it's actually what started me on the whole sequined felt ornaments thing many years ago. And happy Thanskgiving!
@@katiestrachanembroidery - although she was a seamstress all of her life, she started the sequined and beaded tree skirts in the late ‘70s. She started with a Bucilla kit but, quickly changed those up with her own designs and embellishments. I wish we had kept track of all the skirts she made for family and friends…I know it must be in the hundreds. Making these brought her so much joy…for half of her life she was quite I’ll and due to a shoulder injury and surgery, left little mobility in her right arm.Yet, with the help of my Dad, contrived ways to continue to make these intricate designs and skirts. At her “celebration of life”, we laid out some of her skirts and asked attendees to bring pictures of theirs…it was quite beautiful and overwhelming. It’s been 5 years since her passing and it gives me so much joy when I see people post pictures of their trees with Mom’s skirts beneath them…Dad doesn’t put a tree up since she passed but, lays out his favorite skirt she made them over his round coffee table with a picture of the tepee of them in the middle. Oh, sorry to ramble on! But, it’s quite amazing how your beautiful dove moved me❤️
@@georgiaobrien8393 - Thank you so much for sharing your mother's beautiful work - I saw your instagram post and it was spectacular! I love how much texture she created, and of course the sparkle, just my kind of thing but I have rarely seen other work like it. It's a really beautiful legacy, and my best wishes to you all - you must miss her terribly, but she's still with you and in your heart
YES TO CRYSTAL DOVES!!! love them!
The vote appears to be strongly in favor!
Yes -- I would definitely order the crystal dove ornament kit. Thanks for sharing all your holiday finishes, whether on felt or linen.
I really like the sparkle on Thomas' tail, and I think your colors look great.
Thank you so much! That little extra touch of sparkle on his tail really pulled him together, it was amazing
I think your muted Thomas is perfect. I love your flosstubes and your choice of linen.
Thank you so much! It wasn't originally what I had planned, but it was where the colors led me, and I think it really did turn out beautifully!
Yes please to the crystal doves. I’ve decided to make one ornament a year for my personal tree, hoping that maybe my son will treasure them when he is an adult!
I am sure that he will! I think the memories we make with loved ones during the holidays - especially traditions around making, and decorating - really carry a lot of meaning. I had never thought my brother was particularly interested in Christmas, my mother and I are really the nuts about decorating and making things. But a few years ago he remarked offhand that he'd like to put up a tree but didn't have any ornaments. The next year I gave him a tabletop tree complete with handmade tree skirt and an array of ornaments. I really wasn't sure if it would be his thing at all, but it is his pride and joy - he puts it up every year, he shows all his friends, and apparently is the envy of all for having the coolest sister! I think when we make things with love, others can feel it. I'm currently trying to think of what ornaments I'll make my brother for gifts this year, as those have become his favorite thing to receive at Christmas! Amazing.
You are such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. I truly enjoy your flosstube. Answers to your questions: 1) Thomas, the colors are still muted; however, they looked perfect in the wooden bowl with the gourds/pumpkins, 2) Jack, absolutely yes, put it on the kit schedule, and 3) I’ve not done an ornament of yours and would n]be thrilled to do the dove. Great linen choices on your projects as well.
Thank you so much! He is muted, but somehow it works I think, especially as part of a full fall display. My mother kept telling me that muted or not, they were certainly fall colors and it would all come together...
What an amazing video, I really enjoyed the color education throughout this video. Sparkle Thomas with the blue is awesome, I honestly couldn’t envision how the blue would work but it does! Of course it’s a yes to a Crystal dove and Jack’s House pinkeep! I was able to get a lot of charts when we were on vacation at the beach. Jack’s House was one of them. I do thought of you when I got the email from Hoop and Frame about new linen. I got the Smoke Signal and the two new 48 counts they had. Starting to get excited for the holidays and stitching all the ornaments. Can’t wait to see how the Renaissance gold ornament turns out. Looking forward to watching the tutorials, thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much! Hitting on the exact shade of blue was tricky but it really does enliven the finish and works really well. And you've beat me to the punch on 48 count! I have them both on order but they haven't arrived yet - I can't wait
Hi Katie, I look forward to you videos. I love your choice of linens and your silk conversions. Yes to crystal dove, it would make a beautiful Christmas decoration.
Thank you so much!
Back from my Bay Area trip, just starting to catch up on UA-cam…
Tom looks great to me! The colors really work. It's very interesting to see how the blue showed up on the fabric! The orange ended up working well, especially with the added sparkle. The orange looked particularly good when you showed it with the gourds.
I'd love to see a dove kit next year. (You may have noticed that I finally broke down and ordered Theodora today.)
Claire and I ended up spending three hours at Needle in a Haystack. I found the threads I needed for the mermaid box I'm making and stocked up on fabrics (linen, mono canvas, and a piece of congress cloth), but then I also ended up buying a book and a bunch of cross stitch charts and of course all the threads for those charts… well, you know how it is. 🤣 I spent a few minutes drooling over the new Witney Antiques catalog but eventually decided I didn't really need it.
The next day we spent the better part of an hour at Tinsel Trading (our first visit there) and I picked out some very cool vintage metallic threads and picked up several sizes of spangles (perhaps to bling up my casket?) And of course I also picked up some sparkly beads and some cool little christmasy charms and buttons and Claire found some Christmas gifts for people.
Then we spent a ridiculous amount of time at Lacis. I picked up some tools and some variegated pearl cotton and both of us found books we wanted. (Dragging Claire out of the book section was tough!) I'm probably forgetting other things too.
You made the rounds! Needle in a Haystack has that effect on people, I always leave with more than I planned to buy. But I have to admit Tinsel Trading might be my very favorite because they have such interesting things, and you never know what you'll find. I make it over there about once every four years and am always meaning to go more often!
I think a dove Christmas ornament would be wonderful! I like the sequins and the blue on 39:16 Thomas, but I would like to see him with a brown body. Linen Can’t wait for your next tutorial. I think the wrapping looks nice and am interested in how it is executed. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you! I hope you'll stitch him with a brown body yourself - there are two excellent options in the kit and I wanted to highlight that because I hope someone will do it. I was pretty tempted myself, but didn't want to stray too far from the original pattern. It would certainly be more true to the tones of a real turkey!
Love your Tom Turkey, you are so good with color. I agree with the cover photo never looking like the called for colors on most patterns. I also would love to see the crystal dove next year. Thanks for the chance to win the beautiful linen.
Thank you so much! Photographing a piece accurately is just impossible - I've tried and failed enough times to feel the challenge acutely!
OMG! This episode was engaging, exhilarating, educational, enriching… the latter both for me and the merchants I patronized as a result, so many of them, too numerous (and embarrassing) to mention!! A saving grace was that I’d already acquired the new Witney Antiques catalog, ‘Choice and Precious Work.’ Indeed, Elizabeth Hall’s pieces are remarkable in their rarity, originality, condition, and then some. Relative to your questions, first, Thomas has turned out to be the most dapper turkey of them all. He wears his colors well and the perfectly placed bling puts such a swagger in his strut. Love, love, love! Gathering over at Jack’s House next year sounds grand and as far as the charismatic Crystal Dove, let’s say I’m interested, make that captivated, this MUCH!!! Following your current casket project is always enjoyable and that carnation today-what a marvel! It was also exciting to see the progression of skills from the basic blending techniques to be learned in Queen Anne’s Pyn Pillow. Couldn’t be more grateful to you for everything …oh, yes, even the enabling!! Have a very happy Thanksgiving. Wishing you and your family, a harvest of good health and good times!
Ditto Ditto Ditto! Such a thoroughly enjoyable video - truly shows how much love you have for stitching. I love your choices for linen, some I had already ordered for the very purpose of making ornanments with previously purchased MFE patterns. Please add your crystal dove to the 2024 list - it is beautiful, unique and truly special. Although I drool over your color conversions, I would love to learn something new. I finished stitching the Cardinal Kin kit and am excited to spend this weekend finishing the pillow. Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
Thank you so much! Thomas truly does have so much swgger - he is such a diva and he knows it! And happy Thanksgiving!!!
Thank you! And I hope you enjoyed Cardinal Kin - it really is so striking on the lovely blue linen!
I had so much fun making Theodora. I would LOVE a Crystal Dove kit! The linen wouldn't hurt either. haha
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed Theodora - I absolutely love making the fabulous sparkly angels, and hanging them on my tree every year!
Katie, love your videos! While I will never make a casket I’m in awe of your work and fascinated to see your progress. I’m still thinking over Tom Turkey. I think yours is beautiful but I would probably use brighter colors. I love the luxurious feeling of the Legacy linen! Looking forward to your next video.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed seeing it - I love the casket stitching.
Feeling very festive after watching this. A crystal dove kit would be perfect for next year and I would love to try some sparkle Prim on your lovely linen colours.
Thank you so much!
Yes, definitely love a Crystal Dove kit! The blue is the perfect addition to Thomas!❤ Linen perfect sizes for ornaments.
Thank you so much!
Yes, please the Crystal Dove kit . I’ve never used Legacy linen before I find your videos inspiring you encourage me to step outside of the box. Look forward to your next video.
Thank you so much! And I hope you will step out of the box and try something new - the worst that can happen is that you find you don't like what you tried, but the best is that it can open up all kinds of new possibilities. Always a gamble worth taking!
Love the crystal dove ornament! Also love the sparkling silk wrapped embellishment! Would love to buy kits for that in multiple colors!
Thank you so much! I won't be able to stock kits in multiple colors - keeping up with the one is quite enough - but silk wrapped purl is available in a whole rainbow of colors and I would definitely encourage you to explore the many wonderful options!
Yes to the Jack's House Pinkeep kit! I would love to say yes to the dove kit too but I'm afraid that intimidates me to the extreme! I do enjoy seeing your beautiful creations though. I love stitching on linen such a wonderful fabric and it would be interesting to have the opportunity to give some of those a try!
Thank you so much! The dove is actually very simple - it's massing the embellishments together that gives it the look, not any difficult technique. If you can take your needle up through fabric and down again, you can do a dove. Of course you don't have to want to, but it really is much easier than it looks
Love the crystal dove! It is gorgeous, and I would love to have one of my own!!! Thomas turned out great. Moving some of the orange to the tips of the tail feathers was such a good idea. Also, happy to see those sequins! Looking forward to the tutorial on using silk wrapped purl. Will need to find the perfect linen to go with that beautiful green. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving 🦃🦃
Thank you so much! I hope you'll try out the silk wrapped purl finishing - I've been having so much fun trying out different variations and I can't wait to see what my viewers come up with - the possibilities are endless on this one. Happy Thanksgiving!
My take on Thomas: He could be wearing a sweater! The more i thought about him this way, the more i could see it. I like it! I love the tail; it really finishes it off. Having only worked on Aida and Jobelin, I would like to try more linen. Love your remnants--beautiful soft shades.
Oh that is fantastic! I love that interpretation of him - I stuck with the gray body because it really was a feature on the original chart, but it is quite a look. A turkey in a sweater look!
I love Thomas and what a wonderful gift for your mom. I would love the colour list you used and where in the pattern!! I would love to make one of the doves as well! The linens are lovely!!
Thank you! Thomas will be a kit next fall so all details on the conversion will be exclusive to the coming kit
A Crystal Dove! YES, YES, YES! A beautiful Crystal Dove for 2024 would be fabulous Katie. I enjoyed creating Theodora so I know it's a lot of work for you but so very wanted
Thank you! The ayes have it so I'll see what I can do - there are some practical hurdles but I don't think anything impossible...
Thank you for the linen giveaway, Katie. In response to your questions, I love Thomas! I would really like to see Jack’s house added to your kit schedule. And, although your dove is beautiful, I’m not sure I would make it. It looks incredibly hard. Thanks again, Katie. I enjoy your videos, and look forward to seeing the next one.
Thank you so much! The dove really isn't hard at all - you just stitch on beads. It's the effect of massing them together that makes it look so spectacular but the technique is incredibly simple. It's not really very different from block stitching in cross stitch - there are a fair amount of stitches involved, but they're not hard ones. Of course you don't have to want to do a dove, but it is so much simpler than it looks
Congratulations - you are the winner of the linen giveaway! Please send me your mailing address using the contact form here: katie-strachan.com/contact and I'll get them in the mail to you!
Another super floss tube packed full of ideas. The finished Thomas looks great. I originally bought the chart online as I liked the quirky colors. I was surprised to see your muted color conversion and somewhat disappointed as I wanted more color saturation. Then I really studied the chart colors again and decided they were definitely too garish for my taste. I will buy your conversion when available but may consider different fabric to display the vibrancy of the silks fibers. The crystal dove is lovely! How fun to have a miniature tree with 20 doves decorating the tree with gold and silver ribbons entwined. (But no, I will not be ordering the dove.). Jack’s House Pinkeep would make a super kit project and also the Stacy Nash Deck the Halls pinkeep. I do appreciate it though when I can use the abundance of beautiful silks and linens I already own. Your new LINEN grey-toned package would be perfect for upcoming Christmas projects. Also, please put my name on the wait list for the next release of Cardinal Kin. Thank you for all you do and for your comprehensive review notes.
Thank you so much! So on Cardinal Kin you have to sign up yourself, I can't add names to the list manually (you have to consent by clicking the button): katie-strachan.com/kin
And yes, my process on Thomas was much the same in picking colors - I looked at the chart, studied the colors, and then when I tested different options on the linen this is what they led me to. It surprised me a little bit as I had originally envisioned a more vibrant interpretation of him myself, but in the end it all came together and the tails really do have a vibrancy to them despite the more muted palette.
I like how subtle and muted the colors are in Thomas. The orange is more present but not over powering. And the blue. Perfection Just the perfect amount and placement to give Thomas a hey look at me. Real turkeys are very bland in coloring I think we expect big color in his tail feathers because that’s how we colored them when we were kids😆😆 Happy Turkey day. I do so much enjoy seeing your passion for 17C embroidery. 🦃🦃🦃
Thank you! I love the muted colors too - I did try out bolder, brighter ones but kept coming back to the more subtle, tonal shades. It seemed to be what the linen demanded, brighter colors just didn't feel right on that lovely heathered gray!
Okay, I’ve finished this episode and can now answer your posed questions. (Hearts still a flutter, though, with the possibility of a crystal felt dove kit.) Regarding Jack’s House, while it’s beautifully stitched, the colors are giving me more of a spring vibe. I’m in the Midwest (Ohio), and we just don’t see a lot of those greens or a lot of any green in the fall sans fir trees. This could also be said for Thomas. He’s giving me spring-ish vibes and not fall. I think the reason Cloister Cream linen for Katie’s Sparkle Prim works so well with the Christmas stitches is because the reds and greens chosen are cool toned like the linen. The warmer tones needed for Thomas just fight that cool toned linen. That being said, the color conundrums and color talk in your videos is what sets you apart from others on FlossTube, and I hope you never veer from that distinction. I have learned so much about color (AND me as a stitcher) through your videos. Thank you for focusing on your thought process for everything you show.💜
Thank you so much! I hadn't really considered regional variations in seasonal color but it's certainly a thing (to be fair, I was just thinking about what colors I liked and would look good on the linen). Here in California we have a ton of green well into winter given our more temperate climate, and plenty of orange as the leaves change as well. Perhaps that's why I like gray greens so much, they're all over my garden. Or I chose those plants for my garden because I'm inclined to gray greens...
Thanks for sharing. I like Thomas but would use the reddish brown for his body in my version. The sequins are a nice add. That linen looks lovely!
Thank you so much! And definitely use the brown - I hope that some people will use the browns for his body, it would look great. I kept the gray myself because it's a feature of the original chart, but a brown body would be lovely and very tonal - also much more like a real turkey!
I am all in for a felt dove kit! I bought and finished Theodora last year and would love to stitch another felt ornament. I loved the addition of sequins to the turkey - they added so much dimension and interest. I am also interested in a kit for Jack's House.
I look forward to your next tutorial and will definitely buy the finishing kit. I will need to choose some linen for an ornament 😃
Fantastic job on your casket! I love hearing about your progress, inspiration, and reasoning behind your work. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! The votes are clearly in favor of a crystal dove kit, so I'll get my thinking cap on and try to solve the practical problems moving forward. And agreed, the sequins really brought everything together on Thomas - his tail is really the star of the pattern IMO and getting it right was so important!
Thanks for the tutorials, Katie. I especially love the turkey and the phrase "sparkle prim" completely sums up the look! Crystal Doves is a YES 😍
Thank you so much! I love sparkle prim!
one-- love everything about your turkey. I think the colors are just the right amount of interest-- love that pop of blue; the tail feathers turned out great with the choice of color and placement; the addition of sequins was a very nice touch, really takes it up a notch. two-- for the pumpkin heads, i would prefer a little more contrast in the colors. three-- love the sequin dove, looks very timeless and vintage. my only hesitation is the difficulty in making it. The left over kit linen would be perfect for ornaments. Speaking of ornaments, I really hope we see cardinal kin again-- those reds are so rich. I hope to make it some day. very much enjoying your videos. thank you for sharing your knowledge of silks, stitching and finishing. I find it so interesting and inspiring.🌻
Thank you so much! The dove is actually incredibly easy - embellished wool applique is very visually striking, but not hard to do at all. And much faster than cross stitch as well - there's a reason my tree has way more wool ornaments than stitched ones.
And Cardinal Kin will be coming back, it'll just take a while to get the thread dyed. You can sign up for a notification of the restock here: katie-strachan.com/kin
sounds great! then I also vote yes for the doves next Christmas time 🌻@@katiestrachanembroidery
So glad that you talked about the books! Thomas' colors are lovely and definitely love the sequins - I just find the design more primitive than I like. I'm leaning toward Cottage Gardens Sampling Turkey Day as a 2024 stitch. The doves are beautiful and I would love a tree full. I will be making my angel this year as I ran out of time lat year. I may design another to go with her. I like the Stacy Nash pinkeep conversion with 6 colors. I can always use some extra linen. And I will definitely give the Woodsmoke linen a try. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Thomas is certainly a whole lot of look, so I understand the reservation. It's a very distinctive design and therefore, not to everyone's taste!
I honestly like Thomas I think he turned out beautifully, yes love jacks house and I want the crystal dove a whole lot. I will also go and sign up for a restock notification for Cardinal Kin. I think the color issues you had with the conversion on Thomas aren’t surprising at all. A lot of us too get caught up in trying to achieve something similar to a cover model and get frustrated when we realize that it won’t look like it with the called for. You are just a true artist and want to achieve what you’re actually looking for. Linen is so fun scraps or yards love it all. Take care and thank you for another great video. Take care enjoy time with your family this week.
Thank you so much! And you hit the nail on the head - sometimes letting go of our ideas about color and what it should be doing are the hardest part. It is definitely possible to get too attached to a preconceived idea, which can be hugely problematic because color so often doesn't behave in the ways we expect. Which is both frustrating and engaging!
I really like the colors you chose for Thomas. Hope you make a kit out of him as I already have the pattern but haven’t stitched him yet. The linen colors are beautiful! Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving.
Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving! Yes, Thomas will be a kit out next fall - I wasn't always sure about him as I was stitching but I love the finish.
Yes yes the crystal dove kit would be wonderful. Love Thomas came out great, loved the colors and sequins. Linen
Thank you so much!
I would be in favour of a fall kit of Jack’s House. I would like to stitch it anyway, so silks would make it even more fun. And YES to a dove kit! I may have watched a video of yours where you showed them off this past summer and promptly ordered a quantity of sequins to embellish things (note: they are still in the box, because I want to sparkle stuff up, but don’t know where to begin.). I always love your linen choices - and I may be stitching the Stacy Nash pattern along with you, though I haven’t sourced ribbon yet.
Thank you! Sparkling things up is actually incredibly easy - once you get going, you won't stop! The dove is spectacular, but doesn't actually take very long - one of the many great things about embellished wool applique!
Yes, Jacks house should go on the kit schedule! I like Thomas but I’m in the camp that sees him as a bit too muted…maybe it’s the grey body? 🤷♀️ I love the crystal dove but it might be too much work for me. linen ❤ Thanks for another interesting video Katie!
Thank you! Of course you don't have to want to do a dove, but it is actually the easiest, and fastest thing shown in this video. Much, much quicker than stitching Thomas, for example. Embellished wool applique is a lot of dazzle for a remarkably quick and easy stitch - my own tree is full of my wool felt ornaments because they work up so much more quickly!
Yes to The Crystal Dove! I just bought these linen colors but you can never have too much linen! I like Thomas but just for my taste might try the brown body.
Thank you! Definitely try out a brown body - I mentioned it because I think it's a great option and I hope some people will give it a try. I think it might look even better - certainly it would look more like a real turkey!
This episode was packed with so much eye candy! You have me rethinking my plans for next year to add a ton of smalls for testing linen and threads - in particular the Accentuate, Soie Perlee and Soie Gobelins and a bunch of metallics in my stash. Your turkey is a success in how the colors work together even if the gray body still makes me twitch. I’m a birder and have some stunning brown turkeys with red and blue necks that frequently visit which would be my preference, but the differences we all have on color and style are what make the world interesting aren’t they?! Love the doves for next year but I’m not much of a Halloween stitcher so Jacks is a no for me. Also, your recommendation of the Percival Griffiths books was amazing and I hit that sale price hard too! They just arrived and I’m spending this week pouring over them along with The Art of Embroidery: Great Needlework Collections which I picked up on the second hand market. Heaven!! Now I have to get the Whitney catalog. Whew! That’s gorgeous!!
Thank you! The gray body makes a lot of people twitchy, which was why I wanted to point out the browns as an option - I think it would work really well, and it would make for a lovely, tonal finish!
I love your conversion of Thomas and the blingy tail was a must! A kit of Jack's House pinkeep would be fantastic!! I just adore your tonal colors. And I think your choice of linen is always beautiful ❤
Thank you so much! The sparkle on the tail I think really brings him alive - those feathers are such a feature of the design and it just highlights that.
You amaze me every time I watch one of your videos. Thomas would not be my choice, thanksgiving in Canada isn’t our biggest holiday. Jacks house would be on my list and definitely a beautiful dove designed by you would make that list. Because of you I have bought two of your favourite linen and would love to do Jacks house on one of them. Kit them up please!
Thank you so much! In fairness, I'm not a huge Thanksgiving person myself - we're a small family so it's not that different from any other family dinner. And my brother loathes turkey, so we have mushroom risotto instead. Thomas is safe from being served up on our table at least...
I absolutely love the sequin white dove. I would love to make it. I also have the Angel and I want to start it. I love them both. Your work is amazing and I can’t wait to take your class!
Thank you so much! You'll really enjoy Theodora - she is spectacular, and just looks amazing on the tree!
Yes for the Crystal dove kit!! 14:28 on my goodness what a beautiful ornament, the double loop.
My copy of Thomas is at my LNS. The finish of Thomas looks great.
Thomas, would love a kit.
Jack, yes for a kit.
Dove oh yes I really want this kit offered.
Linen
Thank you so much!! The double loop will be covered in the upcoming tutorial - it mostly focuses on a single loop finish but I will go over how to add a second row to get the finish shown here.
@@katiestrachanembroidery can’t wait
Thomas turned out cute. Loved the dove. The linen scraps would be great for ornaments stitching.
Thank you so much!
Your choice of linen makes me so happy! After this video, I have now ordered Noah’s Ark kit. I think I was overcome with cardinals and now need NA kit too! lol! I was on the fence with Thomas when you showed him last, but now with the addition of the blue and the sequins….sign me up for that kit! Can’t wait for that finishing video and kit! It’s too bad your word of the day is not kit! It seems to be every other word my comment! 😂😂 and, yes, on the crystal dove too! ❤
You weren't alone in that! The very showy cardinals captured everyone's attention, but you won't regret getting Noah's Ark - it is truly lovely in a way that the camera just can't capture and is my personal favorite of the kits. I can't wait to hang mine on my tree!
All that you do is amazing! Yes to all three questions. Linen.
Love your finish on Thomas! He’s definitely a strutting Thomas. Definitely interested in a crystal dove ornament kit. Jack’s House is kit-worthy. Love all the linen colors. Thank you for introducing me to these linens.
Thank you so much! They are truly wonderful linens, my very favorite and have such a lovely hand to them. And yes, Thomas most definitely struts - what a diva!
I love Thomas! I don't see a muted composition at all and I love, love the bling! Jack's house is cool and would make a great kit. Color preferences are very personal, but I think you nailed it on Thomas.
Thank you so much! I wasn't always sure I would love him myself but thankfully he all came together in the end - I love the tail! I can never resist sparkle but in this instance I think it provided the perfect finishing touch...
Although Thomas turkey isn't something I want to stitch, in the end the colors you chose work well together. So far I like the changes you have made on Jack's House. I enjoy watching your videos and seeing your creations. You are a very talented young lady and I do admire your craftsmanship. But I don't buy kits for anything. I'm 75 and have done various arts & crafts my whole life. I can easily make my version of almost anything using just a photo. linen
Thank you!
I love linen! I think Thomas is beautiful. The colors you chose are brilliant. The sparkly dove is gorgeous, but I don't think I would stitch it. Jack's house is a winner and would be a great kit for next fall. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Thank you so much! I wasn't sure I would be able to finish Thomas to my satisfaction, but it all came together in the end - those final details made all the difference!
Linen…oh yes! Love Thomas just the way he is… I would absolutely love, love, love a crystal dove kit and would also love a jacks house kit… I happen to have been one of the lucky ones to have received a cardinal kin kit and I can not tell you how thrilled I am about it… keep on doing your ‘thing’ it is absolutely amazing…
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the Cardinals, they really are quite spectacular on the blue linen - such a lovely stitch!
I love Thomas. I thoroughly agree with you on the color of floss and photography. Jacks House is a great small for next fall. And I just can’t express how much I love the dove!
Thank you so much!! Trying to accurately capture color and stitching is just impossible, an eternal frustration...
Katie, your video was complete Temptation Alley! Those books….. oh my…..must get….. 😂 Perhaps I’m not the only one who saw the lady with lute on the front of the books’ box cover, gasped and said ‘have to have that’ even before you opened it. I mean, a lute in embroidery!! ❤❤❤
You have quite a treat coming to you because that's actually not the only example of a lute in 17th century embroidery. The Senses were a very common theme, and hearing/sound was often represented by a lady with a lute. I'm not sure how many are in the Griffiths book, but if you start poking about museum collections online you'll find many interpretations of that theme. Of course Griffiths had one of the best examples though!
I’m a little behind catching up on the videos. But, I’d be interested in a crystal dove. I loved making Theodora and she’s sparkling on my tree!
Thank you so much! The ayes had it on the doves so look for a kit net year!
Your choices of linen and thread are, as always, wonderful. I do like Thomas the turkey he is so cute and would LOVE to see a crystal dove next year..perfect.
Thank you so much!
I love love your videos! Want a good laugh? When you watch this you’ll realize that your shirt is the same color as your couch! I love how your head FLOATS!! It made me smile all day!
Funny enough I didn't see that at all when I reviewed the video! But I was wearing the sweater so I could see more clearly that it's a dark gray, and my couch is blue. Very similar in value though so I can see how it would give the illusion of disappearing into the couch - I suppose I have very predictable color preferences!!
I would LOVE a Crystal Dove Kit! Thank you for considering it as a kit option!
Thank you! It's in development so it should be a kit next year barring some creative disaster...
Crystal Dove YES! (Less intimidating than Theodora.) Fruit cake recipe YES! (On my wish list to make.) Jack’s House Pinkeep YES! Linen YES!
Musings on Thomas -
I have been thinking about what draws me to certain patterns, and for me, when I see a bright blue, especially when paired with another color to create a stunning contrast, I cannot look away. I found your picture on Instagram of your finish of Joy & Good Cheer and that blue next to the red and the white are absolute perfection for me. When I look at the gray and blue spools in your tray, there is so much more contrast than seeing them stitched next to each other creating a beautiful blend. My eye is craving a bright pop of blue and a hint of dramatic contrast. I will say the choice to add sequins is genius.
Thank you for being amazing!
Thank you so much! I did try brighter blues on Thomas - there are some wonderful colors in Gobelins that were calling to me - but they ended up dominating the piece. It's quite a thin stripe of blue, and if it's out of balance with the other shades, you're just staring at that blue stripe, which looks like it doesn't belong with the rest of the piece. Color is definitely a moving target and it can be hard to hit it!
Yes to all your creativity and lovely ideas!!!! Your Christmas cake sounds dreamy, I can imagine the aroma! I bet your dad will love it!
Thank you so much! He does, so much that he invariably breaks into it at about 9 am on Christmas morning!!!
I would love the dove as a kit. Thomas is a thumbs up as is Jack, Your linen choices are beautiful.
Thank you so much!!
Linen. Katie, at first I thought Thomas seemed a little ¨pale¨...not very colorful. But...the addition of the sequins absolutely made it for me! Such a simple solution! The crystal doves are beautiful...and I would buy one if someone else made it, but making felt ornaments is not my thing, so I wouldn´t buy a kit. Thanks so much. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Thank you so much, and happy Thanksgiving! The sequins really helped bring him alive - although fully filling out the tail helped that too, the negative space still visible in the previous video was toning him down further. Those fabulous feathers are such a feature, and I wanted to highlight them - not to mention I'm a sparkle hound!
I love the Thomas colours as he appears on my iPad Katie but I so wish I could see the flosses in real life to determine if in fact the grey suits my taste. After you shared the comments from others, l am now developing an obsession with locating an Au Ver a soie stockist in Adelaide Australia so I can see and touch those spools of loveliness.
Thank you! Seeing colors in person is huge - I have spent a full decade building my own silk stash because of the frustration of ordering something thinking it's exactly what you need, and then what shows up is totally different! I do my best to present colors and pieces accurately but there really is no substitute for being able to actually see it for yourself - one of the eternal frustrations of flosstube!
Hi Katie! Your videos are bright spots in my day. Every other Tuesday I actually wake up excited for the day. Thank you so much. To answer your 3 questions: 1. Thomas is wonderful. What are the sparkles on his tail? 2. I would love to see you add Jack's House to your offerings for next year. Last but not least I love the dove!! I am working on a project now with Legacy linen, and love it. I'll have to acquire some for my stash. Sadly, I did not get the Cardinal Kin kit, but I did stop your video mid-stream to order the Noah's Christmas Ark II! Thanks again, see you in 2 weeks
Thank you! You'll love Noah's Ark - it really got overshadowed by the very showy cardinals, but it is truly lovely. The shimmering gold against the heathered gray linen is subtle but so beautiful. As to your question, Thomas has tiny sequins anchored by seed beads on his tail
Linen - yes. Crystal dove- yes, yes, yes. I love Thomas especially the sequins. Your work is beyond beautiful it is exquisite ❤.
Thank you so much!
I love the colors of Thomas and Jacks House should definitely be a kit. The Dove kit is a must! The linen colors are beautiful.
Thank you so much! I do love the doves, they are magnificent and so sparkly
Yes to Jack. Yes to crystal doves, and I like Thomas better now that he is finished. However, I wonder about the color green coming through on my screen. He seems to have a yellow green tone. I think it is the linen color. He is still beautiful. linen.
That I think must be your screen, there are no green undertones in any of the colors other than the olive green used for the vines, leaves, and mound. The linen is a true heathered gray with brown undertones. I'd actually love to see a Legacy Linen with some green undertones so I can attest that one doesn't currently exist!
Love the sparkling silk wrapped purl embellishment. I am making some ornaments, can’t wait for the kits and tutorial.
Thank you! You'll really enjoy it - there are so many possibilities, I keep coming up with new variations!