October Halfway Gone

Had a productive couple of weeks even though it was tremendously frustrating.  I seem to be terribly distracted and I am wondering if I do not have too many projects in the works.....

Finished:

Witch's Brew by  Pineberry Lane

Witchy Harvest by Barbara Ana Designs

This was the most frustrating project this year.  Not because of the chart or design, but because I just am not able to focus and make huge mistakes in counting which required me to either rip out the entire witch, start over, abandon the project entirely or make alterations.   So I altered the project.  I cannot say I am happy with it, but it is done.  Will not fully finish it this year so perhaps by the time I decide what to do with it next year and I will not be so disgusted with myself.  I may restitch it next year for Halloween and I really do like it.

Lila's Studio seasonal pieces

Autumn all finished.  I will probably start "Winter" soon but am still awaiting one of the threads it requires.    I could substitute, but I am not good at doing that!!  I really like these little guys and have plans to do all four ......  Am using aida (18 count I think) mocha.

I look forward to having a few more finishes to post by the end of the month. 

I hope you are staying well.   This months seems to have particularly difficult for me and I hope I am the only one.  I am ready for this year to be over and have decided that I am going to embrace some Christmas stitching.  I have not done any for a couple of years an am hoping it will help my mood embrace the end of 2020!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  

Be safe, be happy, stitch like crazy.....

September Sampler Month

 Managed to get the baby sampler finished other than the birthdate and the name.  It was a really fun stitch and went by more quickly than I thought it would.

Wonderful Life by Heart in Hand

I am just waiting for his official name and birthdate.  I think I will also add a Texas flag and some bluebonnets and some other little customizations....we will see.  

Got some smalls done for Autumn stitching.  Not sure how or when I will turn them into something, but they are done!

Pumpkin Topiary by Scissortail Designs

Autumn by Rosewood Manor

This patterns came with threads of House of Embroidery.  They are some beautiful threads that are lightly variegated and are just amazing.  The colors are so vibrant and it has some nice specialty stitches.   I just adore it.

Automne by Collection Tralala

I also worked on a couple of my WIP samplers but not much progress .....

Victoria's Garden by Heartstring Samplery

Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea

May Health and Peace Attend your Days by Milady's Needle

All in all, a pretty productive month so far.   I will probably do some Halloween stitching for the witchy Stitchy challenge through Embroidery.com.    I like the motivation to stitch at least 30 minutes a day even though I am stitching most of the day anyway.   

I hope you are all staying well and safe.   Stitching has certainly helped me maintain what is left of my sanity in these difficult months.  

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I appreciate every one of you.  

Summer's End

 The end of August already.  Hard to believe.  In some ways time is flying by but in other ways it seems like we are going to be stuck in this 2020 rut eternally!

At least I have a finish for this month!

A Scottish Sampler by Downunder Designs

This is a design from 1990.  In fact, the DMC that was pulled for it was still in the black paper wrappers.  Since I probably would never have started it without the "incentive" of social isolation/quarantine I decided to go with the original 1990s colors and mark it with COVID.  Not that any of us will ever forget this year!

I also did a little finishing   I am so bad at it and I really don't enjoy it in the least.  I am exhausted by the time I get one thing done.  I don't know how all these stitchers finish their things so beautifully.  I have watched alot of tutorials, but simply don't have the patience or the talent.  I can frame things OK, but finishing all those cute this things....not so much.  When I earn my next million I think I will have all my projects professionally finished.  

I am going to be concentrating on a birth sampler for the month of September since the baby is due in October.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.   I will post photos and information as soon as it arrives. (the chart, not the baby)

Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate your visits very much.  I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.  

Summer Overwhelming

Linen & Thread 2020 SAL

Completed  Part 8.  I am amazed at myself for getting through all 8 months.  So far, so good.

 The Little Red Chair by the Scarlett House

I was really not happy with the red DMC tha was called for (498) It looked more fuschia than I wanted.  I went through the silks I have and was afraid I did not have enough....I had none of the Weeks Dye Works that were called for, and the Gloriana Silks are not available (probably a good thing since they are so costly).  So, I changed the red to GAST Buckeye Scarlet.  I like it better but it still is not as rich a red as I would like.  But I have several skeins of it and this is the odd dye lot that is more red than the other two so I am going to use it.  The blue that is called for seems odd to me.    I substituted 814 DMC  for the blue in the rose and used Toasted Barley (GAST) for the vase and seats of the chairs.   If I had it to do over again I would use a richer, darker blue.  Then again, I am so bad with color it is probably better than I go with what is called for.  

The Scotish Sampler

The colors are very "1990" but I am going with it anyway.  The photo did not look anything close to the actual colors that are called out.  It is quite a change of pace from all the brown and gold tones that many of my recent projects have included.  This one actually has light blue and light pink.....makes me think of a birth sampler.  But I do like it in a wierd sort of way.  I hope to finish it this month.  

Friends of the Heart

This project is a joy.  Not sure if it is the design, the color, the fabric or the blocks of color that are so much fun.  It is going to take alot longer than I originally thought but that is OK.  

Victoria's Garden by Heartstring Samplery. 

 It is one of those where the border is not a set pattern.    Have to really pay attention and follow the chart but I think I am going to enjoy it going forward.  I am using the called for threads (I must have bought them when I bought the chart) which are a combination of Gentle Arts and Weeks Dye Works.   

So, halfway through the year now I have had 20 starts and 16 finishes, some bigger than others.  On track for my 20 in 20 goal for finishes.  I must admit I am a little overwhelmed and need to stop starting new projects until I get a few more finishes.  We will see if that happens.

Meanwhile:

Life goes on here on the Bend!

This is the second little tank of destruction we have caught this year.  Last year I caught 10 or was it 12, I cannot remember now.  The Armadillo is not native to Texas even though it seems it has been adopted as a symbol of the state.  Who knows why.   Probably because they are everywhere it seems.

That is all the news for now.   Still staying home, still isolating, still avoiding the news at all costs so I feel kind of out of the loop.  Not sure it is a loop I want to be in anyway!!

Stay safe.

Thanks for visiting.

  

Midsummer Start-a-thon

It seems I have the start bug again and I have been kitting projects like crazy.  Probably because we are having record heat and I am staying indoors as much as possible.

Friends of the Heart by Plum Street Samplers

Started using Anchor 403 instead of the DMC 310 and I am not happy with it at all.   It seems fuzzy for some reason.  I am not going to re-do it, but not sure which black I will use going forward.  I am using basically DMC as I don't have the called for Gentle Arts threads, but am substituting a couple of GAST for the pomegranates because I like the variegation.  I am using Ruby Slipper that is left over from some project or another and am happy with how it turned out.  

Harvest Garden by Scattered Seeeds Samplings

I am not sure about this one as the entire alphabet is one over one.  I am looking at this as a discipline exercise although I have not started it yet.   The photo is so much different than in person.  The fabric is very dark.  Interesting how it photographs.  

A Scottish Sampler by Down Under Designs

I have had this for so long the DMC in it is in the black paper labels (some time in the 1990s).  Figured I better get going on it!  I am enjoying this more than I thought I would even through it is on that really stiff Wichelt fabric that likes to fray the thread.  This is a 40 count so I am doing 1 over 2.  

Of course I still have other WIPs hanging around, Isaella Uffindel; The Library and Blackwater Hollow to name a few.....

Kitted:

Garden Club Series by Blackbird Designs that I have been collecting.    I am going to do them on 32 count evenweaves from my stash using DMC 2 over 2.....my plan right now is to stitch them together once they are done, but we will see how far I get.

Am anxious to start these, but on the other hand, I really like to get some finishes done before I start even more.....

Little Red Chair Sampler by The Scarlett House

Fine Feathered Friends by Willow Hill Samplings

It has definitely been a strange and long summer so far.   I am ready, like everyone else, for this year to be over....on the other hand, in some ways it has been a productive year.  I hope I will look back on it with more positivity than I am feeling right now.

Stay safe, stay kind.

Thank you for visiting.  i wish you all the best whatever you are doing.

July

It is definitely July in Texas.   Hot and Humid; and back under a stay home order.    Good  reasons to stay inside and stitch.  As if I need a reason!!!

So far July has been a productive month if not a difficult one.

Finishes:

Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House 

The Witch's Garden by Pinebery Lane  (Part of the Quaint County Ladies from Dying to Stitch)

A fun little stitch that came kitted with 36 count R&R Liberty Gathering Gre linen and weeks threads.  This came with the materials to make a little pin cushion pillow so I may do that later.  The fabric is wonderful to use.  

I kitted up the Garden series from BlackBird Designs (all 12)  with the called for 32 count linens instead of he 36 count I had originally planned.  Not sure when I will start it, but I will be using 2 threads over 2 on the 36 count.  I am kitting in DMC since the overdyed threads are so hard find and pricey.  My plan is to do them all and stitch them together but we will see how that goes.  Stay tuned.

I do have a couple of new starts in mind for this rest of this month and I have plenty of works in progress to keep me occupied in the meantime.

Thank you for visiting.

Stay safe, stay well.

Finally a Finish

So glad to finally have a finish.  

Catherine Sheppard, 1810 by Scattered Seeds

I wanted to get some experience in with silks before I started a bigger project with them.  I really enjoyed this project, although, as usual, I find that my sense of color and thus my conversion from DMC is a little off.  I like it anyway.  I used a piece of 36 count linen that I coffee dyed.

I learned that I need to really work on my cuticles before I start more silk projects.  Yikes

The Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House

Halfway through this project and I am enjoying it.  I really like the blackbirds so I am gladl I did not change them to a different color....what WAS I thinking.     

There is one isue with this....the fabric is so stiff that it tends to fray the DMC....so I went to a size 24 needles and that is helping.  It is a 40 count Lambswool but am not sure of the manufacture or where I got it.  

Thanks for stopping by to check out this quick update.  

Stay safe

Stitching the Summer Away

Well, June is not the finish palooza I had originally planned, but I did make headway on several projects thanks to the June stitching challenge by Embroidery.com where I stitch at least 30 minutes a day.

  

Linen & Threads 2020 SAL June installment done

Making progress on Catherine Sheppard and hope to have it finished this week.  And, yes, the berry bowl on the right is wrong, but I am leaving it.  I chalk it up to COVID brain.

Enjoying Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House

New Starts:

Blackwater Hollow Sampler by Stacy Nash:  

Doing this for my sister so I will be making some alterations to the pattern.  Will be leaving off the wording at the bottom, also changing the house to make it look like her house and will be adding an animal or so and changing the horse to a dog (if I can figure it out.)  I decided since it is on a 30 count fabric (it is coffee dyed so that "stain" is supposed to be there)  I would use Sulky #12 threads.  So the colors will be very different.  I am not liking that yellow so I decided to do eveything around it and then decide on the color to substitute for "chamomile" by GAST.  I am a little anxious about all the changes as thing usually don't turn out to well when I try to create my own color way, but we will see.

I notice you can see where some frogging has taken place!

Just an FYI....

If you have not ordered or checked our Hobby House Needleworks, they have some terrific patterns and they have 37 and 38 count fabric that is simply stunning.  They are also extremely efficient and ship really fast.  Here is what I got this week:  A few charts that were on sale (just what I need, right) and two very beautiful fabrics.   I have several "gift" stitches in this group so I am pretty excited about starting a couple of these.

One more side note:  Blogger seems to have made alot of changes so I am having a little trouble until I figure it out.  Not sure why they decided to make things more difficult for us old folks.  I think it is a younger generational conspiracy to make me think I am loosing my mind.....HA

Please stay as safe as possible.

Thanks so much for visiting.

June Already

I am planning to make June the month of finishes since we are now halfway through the year.  It is hard to believe.  I say that every  month...that it has gone by so fast.  Truthfully, it goes by in its correct time; I just feel like I miss alot of it!   HA


Am only going to post significant progress and finishes for a while.  I look back at my posts and they look terribly boring!

Embroidery.com is having another "stitch 30 minutes a day" motivation thing for this month.  I am trying very hard to stay positive and motivated and I am sure this will help.

FINISHED

Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas

This project was pretty "fiddly" and I made a ton of mistakes and did alot of ripping out of stitches, but all in all, I still really like the project.  The colors are fantastic and there are alot of them.  This is alot smaller than I originally thought it would be....good thing as I think I would have run out of patience with it if it were much bigger.  I have to say that I am really glad I saved the eyelet stitches until the last.  It was really nice to sit and stitch those.

I outlined my initials in the alphabet so I am not sure if I will put something in the "blank space" where the initials are, or if I will leave it.  I kind of like the open space, but who knows what I will do by the time I frame it.







October Ride, Fancy Blacket by Pineberry Lane

Big mistake across the top but I am leaving it!  I have had this in progress since 2017...hard to believe.  Not sure why it took me so long to get it done.



I hope you are well and staying safe.  There is so much chaos right now it is kind of hard to concentrate on anything.  I have sort of cut myself off from the news, posts about the news and folks to like to talk about the news.   I think I am better off un-informed than ill-informed but who knows.  Just like alot of folks, I am doing whatever I need to do to get myself through each day.  Stitching, dogs and plants help!

Thank you for visiting.

More May Starts

Still in the "new start" mode for some reason.  I really need a finish so I gotta get going in these last few days of May.

NEW STARTS


Willow Tree Sampler by The Carriage House

40 Count Lambswool by Wichelt...DMC threads one over two.  I have had this kitted for a long time and am really enjoying it.  It is a relaxing stitch.  Seems like I just thread the needle, count the row and get after it!




Witch by Glendon Place

Am doing just the words for this piece as a gift.  I am using sulky #12 threads in two colors.  This is a piece of fabric that was purple.  I am not sure what I did to it to change the color.  Am using this for my "outdoor" project but it has been a little rainy for patio stitching lately.





Catherine Sheppard by Scattered Seeds

I am doing this on a piece of  36 count Platinum linen that I coffee and tea dyed.   The pattern calls for DMC, but I decided to use Soi dAlger silks instead and I am really, really enjoying it.  This is not a large project (127 x 167) so I hope to get it done by the end of June (HAHA) .  Was going great guns until I saw the one over one for the name and date...yuk....have to be in the zone to do that.


PROGRESS



Home Sweet Home by Pineberry Lane

Am making changes to make the house look like the "house on the bend" and going to add "Est. 2012" along the top as soon as I get it charted.  This is going a little slower than I had expected.  This is on a piece of 40 count linen that came from Stitchy Box years ago and I am using DMC.



Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea Samplers

Not sure why this is going so slowly.  I enjoy it when I work on it, but it seems to be on the back burner for the moment.




Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas

Am so enjoying this...yes, there are alot of color changes.  I really is a great piece though and I am enjoying it.  The colors are fantastic.  For some reason, this project has caused alot of errors and much ripping out of stitches.....seems to be cursed!  ha.





Perfect World 

Finally finished completely and ready for framing.... I said I was using Raven, but it is actually "Black Crow" from gentle arts..  Because I live on a river I am pleased with the blueish variegation that this thread has but it does not photograph as beautiful as it really is.  This is one of those projects that looks better than it photographs.  I really like it.

Got two pieces framed and hung.


I painted a coffee ring over the motif that I thought was too light.  It isn't exactly what I invisioned, but it is close enough for me.  I like this little piece.





I am have a lot of trouble getting into Hannah Longstreth.  I think it is the fabric.  I really like the NPI silk but the 45 count Jersey Cream just isn't working for me.   So, Hannah is in time out.  I may or may not choose a different fabric and start it again, or I may choose to do it on banding.  I think I will take a good look at the pattern and see if there are any motifs I want to use for anything.  But for the time being she is put away.  I have not done this in a very long time.  Giving up on a project is hard for me but I just cannot get into it right now.

Hope you are well and staying safe.

Thank you for visiting.

New Month, New Starts

Am a little late with this weeks update.  Not sure what I have been doing, but I have been busy.  Did some stitching, of course.  Cannot believe it is already Friday!

New Starts:

I have had the start bug lately, so I just went with it.

Hannah Longstreth by Queenstown Samplers

I really had to resist tea or coffee dying the fabric ( 45 count Jersey Cream) because this project looks so stark.  It is a departure  from the other samplers I have been doing lately that are on dyed fabric.  I have to say, so far this 45 count has been a real challenge for me.  I am really enjoying working with the NPI silks.  I think this would be even more challenging with cotton thread.  I have found that I have to be in the "zone" to work on this and I have not been there for a couple of days!






Home Sweet Home by Pineberry Lane


Just a fun little smallish piece.  Am doing this on 40 count fabric so it will be quite small.  I am going to add some personalization on it so stay tuned.





Be Happy, Humble and Kind by Brenda Gervais, With The Needle and Thread


I have been wanting to do this one for a while but I made some changes.  Am stitching it from what I have on hand so the colors are different, and I moved all the words to the top.  As with most of Brenda's patterns there are large areas to be stitched.  There is a house on the giant flower vase and I am not looking forward to it!  Doing this on 36 count Rocky Mountain from JuDesigns one over two.  Not sure how I ended up with this fabric, but it is very nice.




Progress:

A Perfect World by

Decided to put the "black" on this project.  It is Raven by GAST rather than anchor or DMC.  Somehow I ended up with three skeins so what the heck!  It will be a good mindless stitch (as mindless as 40 count can be!).  I am really appreciating the blue tint in the "Raven" thread.  Not sure how I will personalize it at this point.



Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea Samplers

Started Page 4.  I am looking forward to getting the top completed, but that doesn't happen until page 5!  I am trying to take my time because I can be so bad at the counting part of counted cross stitch, but I do need to give this piece some love this week.



Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas

This is going well, but once again I am off in a couple of places by a little.  I am leaving it.    It is really a nice stitch.  I decided to back stitch the letters in the alphabet for my initials instead of try to fit them in.  As with most of her patterns, this one is so lovely, with lots of color changes that are somewhat subtle but really make the piece interesting once it is done.



Finished:

Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery

I started this (well, honestly I had two stitches on it) when I was putting the year on the project first....I was pretty ambitious back then....perhaps I will just note that this is the start date and put 2020  somewhere else on the project.  The only thing I reallly don't care for is the yellow motif in the middle just above all the wording.  It just does not appeal to me and looks like there is a big blank space.  But, redo it....probably not.  I am even thinking of spraying or blotting it with some coffee to darken it up a bit. I am thinking, looking at the photo, that a coffee ring on that motif (as if I set a cup on it) would be perfect.  Yikes, what a thought.





That is it for this week's late update.

I hope you are well and getting along through this wierdness.

Thanks so much for visiting.

May (or may not)

Finish:

Out on a Limb by Scattered Seeds Samplers

This is the first of the Scattered Seeds club projects.  It was a nice stitch, but I don't think I will make a pin keep.  Not sure how I will finish.  I will probably wait to see the other pieces this year to make a decision.  That is the fabric that came in the kit for finishing, by the way.



Oh heck, I see a mistake.....lets just say it is a "customization".  I don't like stitching words so I left off the "Little" that is supposed to go at the top on purpose.

New Start:

Hanna Longstreth by Queenstown Samplers
May 1, 2020

This is a Stitch a Long with Gary and Vonna of Fibertalk.  I wanted to do a silk project and when I learned that all the proceeds are going toward the medical school expenses of the designers Great Niece who is related to and is named Hannah Longstreth....well, what can I say.

The challenge for me with this piece is that is is on 45 count linen....hello magnifiers...and the motifs are spread out with nothin in between....hello gridding.


Progress:

Coffee Quaker by Heartstrings Samplery


Not sure why this is taking so long.  I make alot of mistakes and need to do the gridding for some of the upcoming motifs to try to mitigate some of that.

Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea


Page 3 is complete....starting page 4 this week.


Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas


I am really enjoying this....the letters are very nice and the colors are beautiful.  Am waiting for one of the colors (Loganberry).


Elizabeth Jones by La D Da


I am not enjoying this, so may take it off the frame and put it in time out for a while.  It is not the fabric (although I don't like the fabric) but I just cannot seem to get into the groove so it needs a rest.
I think the photo coming out so wierd is a sign!  HA



The Library by Litte House Needleworks



Trying to work on this for Sampler Sunday, but it is going slowly.  Am using it to practice a couple of techniques so I am not whipping through it.


I am getting a little bogged down I think so I am going to pull some smaller seasonal projects that I can work on.

All the photos seem a little wonky today but I am sure you get the idea!  Will show ou what I choose to start next week.

Thank for visiting.

Stay safe, stay well.