Crazy Quilting Diamond
I recently joined the Crazy Quilting for Newbies yahoo group and got involved in a few swaps.  Here's my very first Diamond for Sue U, who wanted a Garden theme.  One of my favs!

For this CQ diamond I was in the mood for Bullion stitches and knot stitches, such as the Coral stitch and French Knots.   

I decided this diamond needed a little tree, especially one with  French Knots for leaves. 

 The tree's trunk is made from 6 strands of brown DMC floss held in place by couching with 1 strand of orange floss.  The 6 strands were divided to make the branch, each branch consists of 2 strands of DMC floss.  I had to cheat a little and borrow some floss from one branch.  Next time I need to figure out in advance how many branches, multiply by 2 (or how ever many strands thick I want the branches) and then start out with that many strands of floss.

this is the seam above the tree, which I think is made from the fly stitch with French knots

I also love the Bullion Stitch and tried my hand at making a sheep.

  I think he came out pretty cute!  

The white fench is made up of the coral stitch.  

I added some echinachea using lazy daisy stitches and French Knot for the center.

The pink roses below the echinacea were made using the Bullion stitch.

I made a floral border along the seam of the blue fabric 

using different color groups of French Knots that were interspersed 

with green French knots for the leaves.

and some more coral stiching, bullion stitch (light blue flowers in between green coral stitch)