Small series, like the Lizzie Kate Flip-Its and Blocks, Bent Creek's Snappers, and Heart in Hand's Wool Whimsy's, give you a lot of finishing options. Some of these can be tucked into Tuck-Away pillows, made into stuffed blocks, used as quilt squares in a wall hanging, or framed separately. You could stitch a small series like these and hang them on an ornament tree, a feather tree, or even a holiday tree. Attach them to a grapevine wreath or green wreath. Make plant pokes and switch them out month to month in your favorite greens at home. You could make pins, if they're really small, and wear them on your coat. Make a set of scissor fobs to switch out (or put one on each of your many pairs of scissors). Stuff as small pillows and use as pincushions, or plop them all in a basket on a shelf. Stitch them on banding (one long piece), and top with bell pull hardware to fill one of those tricky spaces between doors in your house. Stitch on banding going sideways and make a table runner or dresser scarf. You can stitch smaller pieces from a series on an afghan, too. I'm hoping to finish my Lizzie Kate blocks series in block-style frames, so I can make a pyramid of little pieces.
Sometimes designers will offer a placement guide and border chart to stitch an entire series as one large piece (Bent Creek did this for their monthly snapper series, and Lizzie Kate had a Monthly Block chart, too.) Stitching series as one and framing it as a whole piece is cheaper than framing 12 separate pieces, even though they're little.
Sometimes series are larger, like Bent Creek's seasonal rows, Lizzie Kate's samplers, Twisted Threads' Listen Honey series, or Just Nan's yearly Santas. You can frame these separately, or finish as block pillows or throw pillows. With some, when the sizes match, you can buy just one frame, stretch each piece individually, and with the use of turn buttons on the back of the frame, pop each piece in and out of the frame each month/season. Hanging a whole series down a hallway is a neat way to display it as well. Or think of a half dozen Just Nan Santa's lined up on your couch or under your tree before Christmas. Some of my customers like to keep a series or two at work in their offices, hanging up pieces as holidays or months change.
Some series have different finishing ideas, like Lizzie Kate's seasonal characters like Betty Broomstick and Sally Snow. These are finished as stand-ups, which you could keep with your holiday decorations or keep out year round. Samplers & Such has a large series of mint box covers...make a bunch and put them on a shelf for display. Shepherd's Bush designed umpteen needle rolls. I know a lot of stitchers displayed these either in baskets or on needle roll stands, but you could tuck them into the branches of a tree (or hang them by their ribbons).
When most of my needlework was at home (and not here at the shop), I got to hanging everything gallery style in one room -- pieces in no particular order, from about the floor to the ceiling. (It's probably good they're at the shop now). If you have a stitching room, hang your favorite series and other pieces all together where you can enjoy them.
However you decide to finish your favorite series, I hope you enjoy the time you have for stitching it.
© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com