When I received the blank canvas from Kayla at Fire and Iris I was stunned how simple it looked.  The beauty in this winter wreath was derived from that simplicity.  Kayla’s stitch guide details the process for adding the base sticks onto which three layers of greenery were overlayed and finally the berries were added over the greens for the perfect touch.  If you are choose to stitch this creative piece Kayla’s fabulous stitch guide is a must, it is in fact equally as important as the canvas!  

In the fall of 2023 Kayla organized a stitch along for those that purchased the winter wreath and her guide.  I participated in a wonderful zoom meeting where many of us in the stitch along were able to share our experiences stitching the piece.  It was wonderful to meet others stitching the same canvas, seeing the ways we each choose to personalize it as well as seeing the many ways people planned to finish them.  

I am not going to give away the secrets of Kayla’s stitch guide here but I will say that for the purpose of finishing the piece into a square ring tray it is best to stick the background side to side and include a solid row of tent stitch on the outside column.  This ensured that there was good coverage behind the open stitches and gave me something to anchor to when finishing.