THE OLD FLORENTINE STITCH

Sometimes when I watch the movies there are the episodes that look so unrealistic that I say "Oh, yeah, just like in the movie!" meaning that it never can happen in the real life. What happen to me today twice - happened like in the movies: took seconds and if it didn't happen to me I would never believe it. Today in the morning I took my son to the university that is located 20-25 minutes by car from the place we live. After I dropped him off I decided to go to the local bank and deposit one of our client's check. I decided to use the ATM. Just at the end of the transaction, not at the beginning, not in the middle, but just at the end of the transaction when I was ready to click the button "Finish" the power went out. The ATM spited my card but swallowed the check. I spent an hour an half at the bank hanging on the phone trying to reach the customer service. I couldn't believe it happened to me and at the end of the transaction, at the most important moment. The second example happened at the evening and, you will not believe, again with power getting off. As I mentioned, we live 20-25 minutes of driving from that bank, so what kind of coincidence can we talk about? It was 6.00 p.m. and it was time to take our daughter to the chearleading class. The van was parked in the garage. As soon as I started the van (I love driving) and as soon as I A L M O S T touched the garage key to open the garage door (you should understand - it takes less than a second to push the button) - at that same moment power went out. The garage door was blocked. It didn't happen before we sat down in the van, it didn't happen when I started the van, it didn't happen after I opened the garage door, NO. It happened when I almost touched the button of the garage door to open it. My husband suggested to open the garage door physically, I said "No" and we stayed at home. We turned the candles on and spent a great quality time with kids making stories and playing in the dark. 3 hours later the power was back, and here I am with my new project (gladly I finished it before the evening - it could happen that on my last stitch the power would be out, :))))) Talking about luck...

This Santa was adapted from the real size cross stitch project. It was stitched on 40 count silk gauze. The background was stitched with 2 strands of DMC in 2 colors: blue and light blue using the Old Florentine Stitch.

The Old Florentine Stitch is another texture stitch, highly decorative and makes a fine background. Try it, you will like it.



The Old Florentine Stitch (for using only one color):
1. Make one straight Gobelin stitch inserting the needle 6 holes above the hole in which you begin.
2. On the second stitch, bring the needle out 2 holes above and one hole to the left of the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.

3. Insert the needle 2 holes above the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step and bring it out one hole to the left of the hole from wich the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.
4. On the second stitch, bring the needle out 2 holes below and 1 hole to the left of the hole from wich the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.

5. Repeat Steps 1-4 as many times as your design requires to complete the row.

6. On the last stitch of the row, point the needle straight down and bring it out 2 holes below the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.

7. Keeping the thread to the left of the stitches, insert the needle 2 holes above the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step (the same hole that was used in making the last stitch of the preceding row). Slant the needle downward and bring it out 1 hole to the right of the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.

8. Insert the needle 2 holes above the hole from which the thread emerged in the previous step. Slant the needle downward and bring it out 2 holes below and 1 hole to the right of the hole from which the thread last emerged. Pull the thread through.

9. Continue to make alternating long and short straight Gobelin stitches across the row; then repeat Step 6 to start a new row. Continue the pattern as shown for as many rows as your design requires.

If you are left-handed:
1. Start at the top left-hand corner, slanting the needle downward and to the right as shown.

2. On the second row, insert the needle from right to left, keeping the thread to the right of the stitches.