Joy to the World

This is the ornament I stitched for Sarah this year.  It's from the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue, appropriately titled Joy to the World.  The designer is  Fancy Work, and I used DMC floss.

The design was supposed to be finished in this shape -


 

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                                                         ---------

- but because I used 28 count evenweave (what else do I ever use?), instead of the 30 count that was called for, the template provided for finishing wasn't the right size, and no matter how I fiddled with it, I wasn't satisfied, so I gave up and went with the oval instead.

When I finish pieces, I always check my collection of Spellbinders die templates to see if I have one that will work.  Then I cut three or four pieces of lightweight cardboard - from empty cereal or cracker boxes - and glue them together to form a thicker piece.  This way I get accurately cut pieces, which is especially helpful when I am making a pinkeep or flatfold which require two identical pieces of matboard or thick cardboard.  Yes, it does take a lot of die cut pieces, but I find this method works well, especially because accuracy isn't always easy for me.