My January completed project - Heart cross stitch

When I wrote about my crafting plans for the year ahead, I shared how I was intending to work on one unfinished project each month, with the goal of completing it during that time. I'm pleased to say that January got off to a good start with my first project finished - the Heart Love cross stitch by Awesome Pattern Studio. 

I only started this project in mid December so I've not been working on it for long, but I bought the pattern a while ago at the beginning of last year and was waiting until I'd finished my Christmas cross stitch sampler before I started it. 

The design is a simple heart surrounded by butterflies, but it wasn't so simple to work on at first - there are lots of different colours which make up random groups of stitches and it was very easy to miscount and make a mistake! I used thread from my stash, trying to match the colours in the pattern as well as I could, so it looks slightly different to the original. I'm really pleased with how well the colours work together.

I agonised for ages over how to frame the finished work. When I originally saw the design it was displayed in a circular hoop, but when I bought the pattern the image on the front of the pattern shows a square frame. I decided on the circular frame but I haven't cut the fabric at the back I've just sewn it across, so I could re-frame it as a square in the future if I want to. My photos really don't do the piece justice, the colours are really vibrant and I love seeing them.

Now I can go for a complete change of craft and work on completing my next unfinished project - this paint by numbers seaside scene! I find painting very relaxing, and although the paint by number kits can be quite fiddly and don't end up looking quite like the picture on the box, I am enjoying the process of painting it. Hopefully I'll be back with a completed post at the end of February!