EmnEllie Cross Stitch Blog

  Everything is Caramel The seasons aren't the only changes here at the Castle. Another thing that's changing is my coffee flavors.   I know it's pumpkin spice season for many (psssttt ... if you need a free pumpkin spice cross stitch chart , click here). But it's not really a flavor that I like. Instead, if I could make everything into caramel that would be wonderful. My go-to homemade coffee lately has been a hot cup of instant coffee from Germany, with powdered creamer, no sugar, and an amazing new-to-me salted caramel cold foam. If you're like I was a few weeks ago, and have no idea what cold foam is, here's a great article by the website Fluent in Coffee that describes what it is. The article includes a few recipes, but my grocery store sells a bunch of different flavors in spray cans, of which you guessed it, salted caramel is my absolute favorite. I like using the cold foam on my hot coffee and my iced coffee . Besides being delicious it

  Cross Stitch Meme Phone Stand Project Things have been super busy here at the Castle. I've gone all in on the phone pillow stand project that came to a screeching halt in my last blog post. It required a trip to Michael's and a trial-and-error prototype. A sewing machine needle snapped. But these trials (hyperbole alert) were nothing once I saw my phone and Kindle relaxing on adorable Halloween-themed pillows. There were quite a few photos, so I made a short video:  And here’s the finished prototype!  So, there’s a step in the tutorial where you’re supposed to add the pellets to the bottom of the cushion. I accidently skipped that part… but hey! That’s why you make a prototype. It’s a little wobbly, but that’s OK :) On day two, while the tutorial was still fresh in my mind, I made a second pillow. This pillow is slightly larger than the prototype, because my Kindle didn’t fit in the prototype.  Isn’t that pretty? This time I added the pellets. Here’s a close-up of the ribbon

  4 Cross Stitch Patterns for Readers Here are four cross stitch patterns for readers of all ages. Whether you're on the lookout for a bookish Christmas ornament, trying to gift something to a reader, or you're looking for decor for your bookshelves or your favorite reading spot, read on (see what I did there?) to find that perfect book cross stitch pattern.  My Library Cross Stitch Pattern by EmnEllie This is a great chart for all bookworms, with motifs inspired by Victorian wallpaper and the covers of vintage books. The link to purchase this chart is here.   Jane Austen Regency Silhouettes Cross Stitch Pattern by EmnEllie Period piece fans, I've got you covered. Here are two (yes, two!) free cross stitch patterns inspired by the great Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They are designed to look like classic silhouettes. The link to the charts is here.   Owl and the Pussycat Cross Stitch Pattern by EmnEllie Poetry and cross stitch go together like butter and toast. When I

  Phone Pillow / Kindle Stand Project Do you find yourself reading more once the weather starts getting cooler? I definitely read more- which makes me want to finish this project even sooner, considering it's already Fall. Just when I had set aside time for the project, picked out the ribbon and the fabric, and reached for my other supplies, disaster struck. Yes, dear reader, I didn't have the supplies to make the stand. I was certain that I had everything, but alas, it wasn't so. Don't you hate it when that happens? Until I get the supplies, I won't be able to continue with this pillow stand. But to say I officially started it, I cut the fabric to the proper size. Here are the pictures of my progress:  A New Phoenix Has Arrived Here's the new phoenix! Well, just the top part of one of it's wings ... but we're still going to count it as a new arrival.  Medieval Menagerie by Fox and Rabbit Designs Each day brings me closer and closer to stitching that e

Phone Stand Pillow In my last post, I mentioned making a phone stand pillow. My first step was deciding which fabric to use. After going on an expedition through the Castle's fabric room, I've decided on these prints: I want to make more than one phone stand. One for when I'm reading, stitching, watching TV, etc. While I probably (famous last words, haha) won't use all of these fabrics, I still have to decide who stays and who goes. More on that in my next post, so stay tuned. WIP Update Here's where I got to since last time: Medieval Menagerie by Fox and Rabbit Designs Behold! A finished phoenix! I'm very fond of this phoenix. Don't those feathers look magnificent? As an added bonus for finishing this first dazzling bird, I can move my Q-Snap, which is always a treat. It gives one such a great sense of accomplishment. As for my next steps, I'll start stitching the other phoenix and the remaining motifs in this band before I begin stitching the egg in