XStitch Xmas

I love giving crafty handmade gifts for the holidays.  I enjoy the excuse to make lots of things and force them on my loving friends and family who do me the good turn of seeming to enjoy receiving them :)  This year of course my newfound obsession with cross stitch (aka XStitch or XS) was in full bloom. 

It's now mid-January and I've just presented my final holiday gift to a friend and so I thought it was a perfect time for a post with the full collection of six cross stitch presents of the past festiveness. 

As you can see I was on a roll with the wordiness, trying out some different letter styles, colours and add ons.

De Omnibus Dubitandum
Question everything (or be skeptical of everything).  Attributed to Descartes and said to be a favourite saying of Marx.  For my boys.

Stop Rob F*ng Ford
For my sister, doing more than her share in the fight against the worst mayor ever.  I designed it, laid it out on graph paper and stitched it up, only to look at it and think yeah there should be an i in F*ing.  Sigh.  Plus the red fabric had a smaller weave so it's a bit less tidy.  Still it's fun and a good message.

Squid Pro Quo
For my lawyer sister in law I designed this latin-ish piece.  I figured out the squid from scratch and quite like how it turned out.

Every Student a Worker, Every Worker a Student
for my fabulous professor friend I wanted something revolutionary slogany.  Figured out the font myself and added the decorative detail.  It was well received by comrades in Winnipeg.

God Hates Shrimp
For a friend from her favourite website mocking biblical literallists.  Sure, it says queers are an abomination, and so is eating shellfish.  The tacky dollar store gold frame was the best part of this.

Last and most importantly of all a special piece for an extra special person.

Love is better than anger.  Jack Layton's inspiring words which forever mark the summer of 2011.