A tale of two socks

A stitching friend of mine recently contacted me about working up some ornaments for her young family members that she could have for next year's gift-giving.  She particularly liked the Penguins on Parade series, so I incorporated a penguin within a mini-sock and added a few presents.  When I finished painting four of these for her, I couldn't help myself--I had to stitch this design, too!  Since I'd offered to give her some suggestions for stitches, I decided to show my progress here--some other readers may be interested to see what stitches can fit in small areas, too.

The intended recipients of these two socks are a brother and sister:  a newborn baby girl and her 2-year-old sibling.  I've already begun stitching the one for the baby, with the intention of making it look like a quilted bootie.  I started at the cuff, working it in basketweave with Petite Very Velvet. 

Before starting in on the background, I stitched the outside of the little penguin with black Petite Very Velvet.  Why the black first?  I've used this thread so often that I know some cards can produce a lot of fuzz as the thread passes through the canvas, and I want that fuzz long gone before adding the lighter threads in the background.

I'm using Vineyard Silk Classic "Bright White" and "Blossom" in a Scotch stitch for the background.  When stitched in diagonal rows and alternating colors for each row, it produces a checkerboard effect that works up quickly and presents a soft, quilted appearance.

I need to set the baby's sock aside for awhile and play catch-up with her brother's stocking!