No one thinks about Christmas gifts

 this early in the year, but if you craft them, it's time!!

I started making bookmarks a few years ago for bazaars.  This one never made it out of the house.

I found this amazing website to help with the print.  It's free so play with it to your heart's content

chose your Aida cloth,

choose your thread.....this time I pulled my Wonderfil thread and used it.  It's Canadian BTW

then choose your felt for the backing.  This time I chose a dark blue.  I really wanted this to pop a bit!

There are two Fabricland stores in Canada....Canadian owned and operated.  The first "felt" link takes you to Fabricland locations and the second "felt" will take you to Fabricville, located in Quebec and eastward.  (I hope that is clearer than mud!!")

I actually bought my felt from Fabricland located in my hometown  

Now we get to work.

Find the center of the aida cloth and I always insert two pins.  I work in one direction and then go back wards to the other end.  It's up to you.  If you want this particular one, just take a screenshot of it.  The better one is closer to the top of the page.

When the stitching is all done, I trim back 3/4" from the edge of the longest letter.  In this case the "J" and the "p".  Fray off the final row and then I apply Steam a seam to the back of the stitching.

then I press that to the felt.  Trim this back to 1/8" with a rotary cutter as it gives a nicer line

so it will look like this

Now it's ready to gift:

This was the second one I finished.  I have one more to make.  It is going to our grandson to go with his new cooking book, so he can mark his favourite cookie recipe.  

Here are some "freebies" for you.  A screenshot should work for you.....

There are lessons online for cross stitching.  They were all on "youtube" and I wasn't sure how to apply them here.  

If you scroll down to the right hand corner you will see a new

feature on the blog.

Book of the Month

These are or will be all children's books and you will 

learn about this in January.  

Well, I have to keep you coming back, you know.

This month's book was recommended by 

Henry, age 7, on the Indigo website.  He gave it 110 stars out of 5.

Two more children absolutely loved it.  I didn't read it, so now I'm kicking

myself.

Stay tuned.  Only 13 more days and another book will be recommended.