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Beauty, Macarons, and a Moat

 

Photo by Melanie Kreutz on Unsplash

Macarons

If you could embody happiness, prettiness, and dazzling colors on a plate, that plate would have macarons on it. They come in all the colors of the rainbow, and just as many flavors. If I could write a definition of the word “Macaron” in the dictionary, it would say, pure bliss. Of course, if the shop where you’re buying them packages those delightful snacks in a wonderfully pretty box, this is an added bonus. You could just wrap them in white paper, but that seems to border on disrespect for the moment/ macaron. Allow me to explain. To purchase a macaron is an experience. It’s a joyful ritual. The moment demands a pretty box filled with pastry jewels. However, if there’s some good reason for the macaron to not be packaged as they deserve, their beauty can carry that white paper, like a graceful model can make a simple dress look all that is elegant. Currently, my favorite macaron flavors are pistachio and Earl Gray. What are your favorite flavors?

WIP Updates

Aurora (Treasure Mermaid by Mirabilia)

Dear readers, prepare to get your socks knocked off. Here’s what Aurora looked like the last time you saw her: 

Treasure Mermaid by Mirabilia

And here’s what she looks like now:

Treasure Mermaid by Mirabilia

I’m immensely pleased with the progress I’ve made since the beginning of last month! Here’s how happy I am; I don’t even mind working with the green filament in her fin. There are so many shades of green and blue, it gives her such a lovely shine. I’m a little sad that I haven’t been able to stitch more pink petals yet. Those pinks are so pretty. But at least I’ve made it to the medallion at the bottom of the chart. It’s blessedly simple to stitch after all of those color changes I was working on. It’s fun to work with a bunch of colors, don’t get me wrong. But when you’ve been doing that for a while, having blocks of cream and dark blue floss is a palate cleanser. It’s also stitching up really quickly! I think this medallion will be done in no time flat. Of course, once the medallion is done, I think I’ll have to move the Q-Snap. I’m still deciding what direction to go, so stay tuned for that. If I go to the right, I’ll be working on a big swoosh of her fin, that eventually goes behind the fin in the middle that I’ve already stitched. If I move to the left, I could aim for a mini finish of one of her smaller fins and maybe stitch another pink flower. I don’t want to go up, because I want to finish the bottom half of the chart before going to her torso and face. We’ll see! 

Leilani the Hula Dancer

I made a YouTube video of my finish on Leilani the Hula Dancer, which you can watch here:


Once Upon a Time 

Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale?

Once Upon a Time by EmnEllie

Again, DMC 816 is such a scene stealer. Because this chart is monochromatic, it lends itself to people choosing whatever color or fabric they like! For example, you could use black fabric with neon pink floss. I’m pleased with how that “a” looks IRL. It’s trickier than you think to make a medieval font via a cross stitch program, let me tell you. That line at the bottom edge of the chart was really fun to make, and I was inspired to add it to this chart by my love of fantasy art. The motif above it is the blade of the sword, and I’m wondering if I should start stitching to the right so I can reach the sword’s hilt, instead of going north and stitching the stylized “O”.

Since my last post, I’ve decided to finish this as a sleeve for my faithful Kindle. Of course, I’ll post pictures here when I get to that stage of this project!

If you'd like to stitch along with me, this chart is available instantly from my Etsy shop. The link to the chart is here. Feel free to share your progress pictures in the comment section or tag me on Instagram or Substack Notes!

Odds & Ends

The Tower of London is getting its moat back! I think I’ll add a moat to the Castle, too.

The Tower of London Is Planning a Multimillion-Dollar Renovation and Expansion

After reading Robin McKinley’s fantastic book, Beauty, a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, I was in a fairy tale mood, and I designed a new chart for my Etsy shop. It’s a Beauty and the Beast chart, and if you’d like to stitch it, the link to the chart is here: Beauty and the Beast Cross Stitch Pattern





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