Wild Olive Stitch Swap

Back in March I signed up for Wild Olive's stitch swap, and what a lot of fun it was! We each received the name of someone, and had to send a small piece of stitching in a four inch hoop, ready for hanging; we could add a few little goodies, too. And of course we'd each receive something, too, although from a different person.

I got Beka, who loves earth tones and birds, especially owls. So I found this nifty, somewhat retro owl from Urban Stitches and traced it onto batik fabric. For thread I picked a Watercolours skein from my stash in the most earthy tones I could find, and started stitching:
Only, I didn't like the way it came out -- the thread worked in stem stitch produced a corded effect I didn't want. I thought of back stitch, but that would produce a neat, more discrete look that would not work with the natural, woodsy feel I was trying. So then I tried split stitch:
And that worked much better. Plus, split stitch would make it easier to navigate all the tight curves and points.

Here is the finished product, with a few specialty threads and ribbons and a little stone charm:
I had a lot of fun stitching, especially in a style I would not normally do.

I received this from Kami:
I love it, especially the vibrant red heart in the center of an old tree. The magnets, mirror, and beads were a treat, too. Thanks, Kami!

Wild Olive mentioned doing this again in the fall, and I can't wait.