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.

April Finish and a New Start

Boy did I need a finish this months to keep myself motivated.  So, here it is:

A Perfect World by The Scarlett House

I changed some of the birds to match the ones in my yard better...and I changed the dogs trying to make them a little more like my own (whippets are hard to stitch I think)

All in all, I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  I have ordered some overdyed threads in various shades of black to see if I want to do the bottom.  It does look kind of bare without the bottom portion (where the large flowers are) being filled in.  And if I can find one, I would like to add a couple of bluebonnet looking flowers to it since I have sort of made it resemble home on the river.  The sentiment is me all over so that is why I stitched it.






A new Start on April 17 is a Stitch-a-Long with StitchingMae for her Birthday.


Vintage Birds by Jeannette Douglas

I enjoy her designs because I usually learn alot of specialty stitches (or refresh them).  Her instructions are very easy to follow.  Most specialisty stitches I know I learned from either Chatelaine Designs or Jeannette's designs.  This is not a big project so I should be able to get a finish in May.

Here is my small start



Progress made:

Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea Samplers

   I am making progress, however it is pretty slow.  I think I need to calm down about it.  This is a 25 page pattern and I am on page 3......


Out on a Limb by Scattered Seeds

I was wanting something small to work on since the rest of my WIPs are really big.  Am doing well on it.




Elizabeth Jones by La D Da

Just plugging along.  Still struggling with the fabric a little, but this is going well for the little time I spend on it lately.

Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery

This is taking me alot longer than I had anticipated.  I seem unable to count some days and end up doing LOTS of frogging which gets a little frustrating




The Library by Little House Needleworks

I really like this project and I like the evenweave fabric.  It IS 2 over 2 which I have been avoiding lately, but it is relaxing to stitch.








For a while I was not sure all this COVID stuff was affecting me, other than not being able to get bleach for a week or so.  I am getting really, really disgusted with all the price gouging that I notice happening.  I decided to start a list of folks I will not longer frequent due to their current practices.  I am sure they won't miss me, but it will make me feel better.  Maybe.

The other thing that has just started happening for me is that simple things like some DMC floss is really, really hard to find.  I know GAST has stopped production.  It is not that I don't have enough projects kitted up.  I need to just be greatful for what I have and stop trying to support the economy by kitting up more and more projects.  I think it is stress that is making me get ahead of myself.  I am more than a little tense lately....need to focus on these projects and stop loooking for something else!

Our weather has improved and we have sunshine and warmth so I am sure that will be a help to my mental health.

That is all for now.    Stay safe, stay well.

Thanks for visiting.