July Was a Blur

This month just whipped by.  I am still in California.  Have been doing quite a bit of stitching.



FINISHES

I finished Star and Stripes and famed it with a thirft short frame.

I also finished a couple of other patriotic smalls and displayed them.

I also whipped up a little piece for a family cabin.   This is done on a piece of 32 count linen called Winter Veil by Fabics by LJ.  I had the frame from a thift store.  It has two flaws in the front so I glued little trees over them!

I finished Servian Proverb and am really pleased with it.  It was a relaxing stitch of only a few colors and lots of repetition.  I framed it with a frame I got off Amazon.com and really like it alot.

Serbian Proverb is all done

Fresh Eggs, Cricket Collection

I am doing this piece for my daughter in law who raises chickens and supplies the entire neighborhood with eggs.  I do not know the name of the fabric or where I got it.

 It framed up and those wrinkles came out.

And I did a couple of summer pieces to display.

Started on my display for fall

And finished a Prairie Schooler for Halloween  I plan on making this a flat fold

Not sure why I am having so  much trouble getting my postings together.  Perhaps in the fall I will calm down and get better at it.  I am looking forward to being a little more organized the second half of this year!


Thanks for visiting!

June Already

Usually I think the year flies by because I am in Texas....this year I am in California and it has gone by double fast it seems.

I am feeling much better.  I have to say, I never thought much of anemia....I mean really, take a pill, right?  Well, I don't know how an overweight 65 year old can be "critically anemic" but it happened to me and I am quite amazed.  I went to the doctor (which I HATE) because I was just feeling bad and wierd.....well, every single thing, including a heart murmur was due to anemia.  Odd.  So it has taken almost 4 months to get it under control and start feeling better.

A bit of advice....do not take being anemic lightly.

Now to stitching.

FINISHES and FFOs

I got the Afternoon in Paris project framed for my little niece and she loves it.  Whew.  You just never know with teenagers.

I got a couple of patriotic things done.  I had left all the patriotic stuff in Texas thinking I would be there in the spring.  What to do?  Why shop of course.  So I got a couple finished and have a couple in the works.

And I got a couple of small samplers styles framed.

This is Alice Merryfield and Dancing Deer.  The frames, including mats were hanging around the house so I dug them and and tried to work with them.  Not bad.



WIPs

Have started a couple of other Patriotic themed pieces....... I have been able to get close to a finished on Stars and Stripes Forever by With Thy Needle and Thread

This has been great fun to stitch for some reason.....using 36 count linen, one over 2, so I am using my magnifier lamp, but it is going pretty well.

And I am making good progress on Serbian Proverb although it has sort of been on hold during my patriotic phase!

This piece is done in DMC.  I really like it, but have a way to go.

 And I started "Home of the Brave"  (I gotta be out of my mind)

Very small start on all this black.....am going to use this as a traveling piece so I probably will not get it finished by July.  It is on a piece of 32 count linen dyed by LJ fabrics called Resolution.  It is much more yellowy/goldish than the photo.....not as brown as it appears in the photo.  Am doing 2 over 2 using Anchor Black rather than DMC.  The rest will be DMC.

And one more Patriotic Piece called "Love Liberty" by Chessie and Me......Lots of 1 over 1 so it is going very slow....I tend to put it off.......

This is on a piece of 28 count Ivory (or something close) evernweave that I tinted with some brown dye and coffee so it would not be so beige.  I am happy with the way the fabric came out....hard to tell from the photos.  Very subtle.

That is it for now.  I am staying busy and hopefully will get more stitching done now that I am on the mend.

Thanks so much for visiting.

April and May

I have been dealing with some minor health issues which has certainly taken time away from my stitching an posting.   It is depressing to feel bad and it makes me very mad.  I do not handle "sick" very well.    I am well on the mend and back to actually getting some things done!  Anyway......on to the stitching.

April went by in a blur so I am moving on to May.

WIPS

I started trying to work on one WIP a day for the firt 15 days of the month.  Did not work for me, but I did get some work done on a few but nothing to write home about.


NEW STARTS

Serbian Proverb

I really like this piece.  I will probably change the one of the colors but I am not yet sure.  The aactual colors that are called for are not quite the same as what is in the picture.  I like the semi-monochromatic color scheme and the mutted colors and, of course, the frame is just perfect.

FINISHES

I finished Afternoon in Paris by Country Cottage Needelworks.  Since I am determined not to buy any fabric I used "Silver Moon" 32 county linen instead of the Star Sapphire that is called for in the pattern.  Luckily I only had to sub out one of the threads.   I ordered the frame for it but it has not arrived.

I haveh been practicing making cording for my projects and think I am finally getting some that I can actually use!  This is a small pattern (a freebie I think) that I did playing around with some variegated thread.  I filled it with crushed walnut shells.  Again, Vonna, the Twisted Stitcher and her tutorial video on cording has worked a miracle and I can actually make some pretty decent cording!

ADVENTURES IN FRAMING

I decided I had way too many projects that were done and just rolled up so I went to the Michaels frame sale.  I framed several pieces and they are ready to go on a the wall in my bedroom.  I feel better knowing they are "up".  The nice thing about framing them myself is that, although they are by no means perfect, if I change my mind or find a frame I like better I have no hesitation to take them out and re-frame them.  If I had paid to have them framed I would not touch them I can tell you that!

The three on the right side were finished prior to 2017 and were just sitting around.  I still have one more to complete.  I am waiting for a large piece of foam core for it.   I did not plan my trip to Michaels very well or I would have picked up the large piece I need.

Another life update......we decided to stay in California for the summer rather than going to Texas as we usually do.  This means that all of my patriotic stitching is in Texas so I guess I am going to have to do some shopping!  I certainly cannot expect to go through June and July without doing something in an Americana theme!

That is it for this post.  I am planning the next one in my head already!  I am trying to get this updated and post at least every month if not every two weeks.  Depends on show much I can get done.

March

I have been so remiss with my posting.  I decided to go ahead and post the March update and move on to April rather than try to combine them.  Sorry all.  Hope you enjoy.

March is shaping up to be really, really busy for me.  Have lots of company coming in for a wedding the one of the weeks, I had some emergency dental work done last week (yuk) and that will be finished off this month, a granddaughter birthday and packing to finally get back to Texas.  Perhaps that is why I have been stitching and finishing like a crazy person for the first two months of the year. Everything stitch related will surely slow down from here on out other than my opportunities to get in some stitching time since the NASCAR season as begun and Sundays are race, laundry and stitching.

FFOs to finish out February

This was a little freebie from somewhere.

Woodland Wonder by Glendon Place.  Finally found a frame at a thrift store that it would fit into.  No glass but it has alot of beads so I am not too worried about it.  Also, will probably only have it out during Christmas.

A little flat fold done for Halloween.  This is by Trilogy but I cannot remember the name of the pattern.   Thanks to Vonna, the Twisted Stitcher I am getting a little better at flat folds!


Finishes

Delivery Spring Blossoms by Homespun Elegance.  Pretty fun little stitch that I made into a little pillow I am sure.

And since I was playing with the ribbon technique I learned from Shepherd's Bush on the Utube I decided to fully finish this little project from last year.

WIPs

Linen and Threads 2017 SAL: No real progress, I am at least a month behind

Ship's Manor Beautiful Sea SAL: So close to a finish, but no progress


NEW STARTS


Afternoon in Paris by Country Cottage Needleworks.   I am doing this for a niece that loves all things Paris.  I am using Silver Moon linen instead of the blue linen that is called for on the pattern (thanks for Stitching from Stash challenge) and I ordered the frame that is pictured with the sample.


I will be posting April and May soon.  I hope.  At any rate.....I am hoping to get caught up.

thank for visiting

Mid February Update

NEW STARTS

Delivering Spring Blossoms, Homespun Elegance

This is a fun stitch.  I am doing it on a really lovely piece of 28 county Lugana from Silkweaver called Astor.

FINISHES

I finished the Valentine from Sitchy Box on the fabric that was included in their 28 Days of February box. I used GAST Cranberry.

The photos is terrible as far as the fabric color.  

I had to use tea to dye the lavender fabric for this FFO.  The fabric was much more "antiqued" that I thought.

ANOTHER FFO

Thrift store frame.  No glass, so I padded it heavily.

I also framed the Beekeeper by Plum Street Samples.  I used the tea to darken the mat a little.  I got the frame and mat at a local thrift store and the mat was too white.  It is a little better now as it looks a little more brownish/yellow in person.

WIPs

Excursion #1 Scotland, Amy Mitten Designs

Well, I am just sick about the progress of my current sampler that I am enjoying so much.  I did not measure accurately and the fabric is not wide enough as a result.  I am going to make adjustments to the pattern as I simply cannot bear to give up on it and I am certainly not going to frog all that I have done and risk running out of the silk threads.  It will be off-center, but what the heck.  I think I will be OK, but what a mess I made for myself.  I am hoping it does not damped my enthusiasm for this piece.  So I have decided to complete the house which is the main focus of the piece, then the border  and worry about the other motifs when I figure out how much room I will actually have.

I think that is it until March.   While I think I am enjoying the Stitch from Stash 2017A (as is my budget)  I am missing the package deliveries.  Crazy isn't it.  I am also trying to keep my WIPs down and I think I am getting a little bored.  I also realize that I do not have a Chatelaine piece going.....perhaps I will start one in March.

Thanks for visiting.

Finally February

January was not bad as far as productivity.

Stitch From Stash 2017A

I was able to get through the entire month without any stash purchases, and I got $26.00 credit for finishes.  So I begin February with $46.00 and my February budget of $20.00 for a grand total of $66.00.  Go Me.  Hoping I can have another month of no purchases and making progress on some old projects.




MONTHLY NEW STARTS

 Breath of Spring by BlackBird Designs

28 Count Woodvine Jobelan (very definitely a lilac color) using Gentle Arts and Weeks Dye Works cotton threads 2 over 2.

Sampler Excursion #1 Scotland from Amy Mitten.

32 Count Linen, "Fibers to Dye For" silk threads 1 over 2.

I got this kit last year and it comes with everything.....linen, silks, even a needle.  My only issue is all the initials called for in the pattern.  It will take some thought on my part about how to actually do the initials.

WsIP

I am still enjoying the Mystery SAL from Linens & Threads.  Will be making the color choices as each band is released (monthly) using threads from my stash that I have in multiple skeins.  It looks like it is going to be basically a green, gold and brown piece.  This month's band is quite a bit smaller and more manageable so it did not take me too long.

I am caught up on the Under the Sea SAL by Ship's Manor.

FINISHES

Books Reading Books, HAED

Completed Page 15 which is just abouth half way.  I am in year to of this project and my goal is to give it a little more love this year.



Dancing Deer, Cherished Stitches

I thoroughly enjoyed this.  The colors are just fantstic.  I left off the wording at the bottom and hope that by the time I get ready to fully finish it I will have some idea what I want to put there.

I also made a pillow out of a December 2016 finish, Reindeer Games.  It need some emblishment, but I am going to wait until next Christmas when I am more inspired as I think is really needs something.

I am not all that thrilled with how it turned out.  I think I left too much of the linen fabric on the sides.   I used a pillow form .   By the time next Christmas rolls around I may be in the mood to re-finish it.


Completed a couple of ornaments so far this month.  I think because the two releases on the SALs were small I was a little out of sorts at the beginning of the month.  I found myself wanting to do some February/Valentine themed projects, but new purchases are not in the budget, so I got a freebie and did a small ornament.

That is it so far this month.

I am finding that the Stitch From Stash is carrying over to other parts of my life also.  I am a little more conscious about what I am putting in my Amazon basket these days.

Thanks for visiting and Happy Stitching.

So Far So Good

Stitch from Stash 2017A

So far no purchases and no more new starts.

FINISH


Ye Old Coffee House, Little House Needleworks

I enjoyed this, but I must have frogged twenty times and miscounted as many.  How this simple looking project turned out to be so difficult is beyond me.  But, it is done, my first finish for 2017
I made several counting errors and added the coffee cup above the house where it was charted for a heart.

My monthly ornament and  FFO of an old ornament.

That give me $12.00 credit for this month so far in my Stitch from Stash Budget.





SALs

Beautiful Sea, Ships Manor

Was able to get caught up the first week of the new year and just finished part 8 so I am all caught up.  Really enjoying the colors of this.

2017 Mystery Sampler, Linen & Thread

Since I am stitching from stash for the first 6 months of this year, I pulled any DMC of which I had more than 10 skeins and pulled a piece of 32 count Platinum Belfast linen.  I am hoping to have the left side finished today.  The second band comes out the first part of February and I would like to stay caught up, but who knows.  Those large empty spaces are for bird looking things that I think I will do in a different color.  I may wait until the second band comes out before deciding what color.

WsIP


Alice Merryfield, Pineberry Lane

I worked on this for the "red" weekend challenge (Jan 13-15) so I got a little further on it and want to finish out the red part of the border this weekend.  I am probably going to replace the very pale color as it just is not showing up on this fabric.

Dancing Deer, Cherished Stitches

I am still amazed by the colors in this piece when I step back and look at it.

But Happy They Wedding Sampler, Cherished Stitches

I wish I could say I was enjoying this.  It may end up at a UFO by the end of the month.  It just is not holding my interest, although I do like the fabric.  I should probably make up my mind before I get to the personalization portion!

That is it for the first two weeks of the year.  I have a pile of finished things from last year that I would really like to get completely finished, but I just have not been in the mood for finishing.

Thanks so much for visiting.