Grant's stocking part 4

The reindeer was stitched in Encroaching Gobelin using a combination of Silk ‘n Cream, Vineyard Silk and Silk & Ivory, matching the colors painted.  I then used a Bunka brush to make her furry and blend the stitches.  The next step involved trimming the fuzz with my Turkey tufting scissors to make the surface even.  Her ruff is Angora and the Encroaching Gobelin stitch.  Angora won’t stand up to a Bunka brush (I’ve tested it myself), so I used a soft toothbrush to bring up the fur.

The reindeer’s basket was stitched in Perle cotton #5 using the Cross Stitch with Beads stitch found in Suzy Murphy’s latest book “Suzy’s Mini Stitches”.  I used the darker brown for the long horizontal cross stitches and replaced the beads with small upright crosses in light brown.  I thought about stitching an open topped-basket with a wire rim, but thought again of wanting a stocking that a child wouldn’t have to use with care.