This project was stitched from a free chart found on the Waxing Moon website. It's a cute little witches hat surrounded by stars and magical bursts. The chart calls for a couple fibers from Gentle Art, but I didn't have them in my stash, so did some substituting. Instead of using "Soot" for the hat color, I used a DMC variegated (#53) Steel Gray.

And instead of using "Hyacinth" for the words, I used another DMC variegated (#102) Dark Violet. I also used the Steel Gray for the outlining instead of using a stark black. I'm really pleased with the results! I'll be keeping this piece for my family for an annual Halloween decoration.

The framing on this piece is noteworthy because it was a new framing method for me. One of the gals in my EGA showed me how to do this method last year, but I never put that knowledge to work until I tried it with this piece.

Instead of using the standard foam core, matting and framing, this method uses a wooden frame (made by me with 1 x 2s), a base of mat board, some thin fiberfill, and the "frame" is made with fabric sashing. It also involves a lot of stapling and a fold-and-tuck thing involving mat board strips on the edges. It's sort of a complicated process, and since it involves staples and such, not recommended for "important" pieces. But it is an alternate, less-expensive (though time intensive!) method of framing not-so-critical pieces.

I am fairly pleased with the outcome, but I don't think I'll frame many more pieces this way just because it was a fairly frustrating process for me. And please don't ask me to explain how it's done — it's way too complicated for a posting here. Besides, after I learned to do it, I found out that the method has a patent or copyright or something and I was supposed to have bought a book and/or taken an official class to learn it rather than have this gal-pal teach me.

Pattern name:	Best Witches
Designer:	Waxing Moon Designs
Stitch Count:	57 x 61
Fabric:	28ct White Monaco
Floss:	DMC variegateds and DMC stranded cotton
Original Cost:	Free
Copyright year:	2001

Waxing Moon Designs
609 Mechanic Street
Osage, IA  50461

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