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.

Change of Plans

As is usually the case, October comes to Texas and I cannot bear to leave.  So, I will stay on the bend until some time in November.   We had such a great time with our visitors.  I forget how I enjoy having them.

The fall is so terrific.  The deer are out and all the critters are getting ready for winter.  This is a year for pecans so the squirrels are staying busy.

I have made a little stiching progress this month.

Hatching Christmas, Good Housekeeping

Just have to work on the border.  I am considering changing it to a more Christmas themed border.....perhaps holly leaves.  Turned out pretty cute for my chicken raising DIL.

Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework, Homespun Elegance

Once I got the lettering done I just winged it on the motifs around the outside.  I think it is finished.  This is a project that I may stitch again and follow the chart a little more closely.

Books Reading Books, HAED

I just started Page 15 so I am almost halfway done.  I will not bore you with another photo.


Woodland Wonder, Glendon Place

I am thinking that perhaps this fabric is a little too sparkly (if that is possible).  Interestingly, this fabric is a little more difficult to stitch on that I would have thought.  However, I still love it and will keep going.  The pattern calls for combining 2 strands of white and one strang of the Kreinik metallic but I don't know.  Seems like it will be bulky.  I decided not to put the metallic on the snowflakes around the border (since the fabric is so sparkly) and am still pondering the snowflakes inside the border.  I may wait until more of the reindeer and trees are done to make a finaly decision.

Bee Keeper, Plum Street Samplers

I am enjoying this project in spite of myself!  Alternating the large blocks of color with the other details and border.  It is going well.

Comet, Nora Corbett

This project is kind of interesting.  I like it, but not as much as I thought I would (and I ordered 2 other reindeer.......I cannot imagine that I will do all of them)   It may be one of those projects that I like better once I get it done.  Who knows.

A FINISH!!

O Canada, Jeanette Douglas

Although this project has proven to be far more tedious than I would have thought, I really enjoy doing it and it has given me a new appreciation for samplers in general.  There are so many errors in it I cannot even remember most of them....but it will be off to it's recipient in a couple of days.  I have not "signed" it and am not sure that I will.  So I am hanging onto it until next week.

Planning a Busy October

Lots going on this month.....I hope I get my stitiching fixes!

Two sets of company and the trip back to California.  I have a tendency to plan, replan and overplan before I even start packing things up and getting the house ready to leave.  It makes me a little sad to leave the bend, but after a day or two on the road I will be looking forward to getting to the West Coast for the winter.  We have alot of plans for the months that we are there so the time should go by rapidly.

WIPS

Books Reading Books, Heaven and Earth Designs

The never-ending wip.  Making progress, but it is slow.  About 500 stitches left on this page.

Bee Keeper, Plum Street Samplers

Enjoying this in spite of the awful fabric.  I did her face 1 over 1 and it makes her look like she has a big long nose.  I am not sure I will re-do it.

O Canada, Jeanette Douglas

I have still not received the thread I need to finish this.  It is kind of depressing.  I am going to look for a replacement I think.  I have ordered it from two places (ABC Stitch Therapy and Stitching Bit and Bobs) and have heard nothing so I broke down and ordered it from Canada and they are waiting for it to come from the supplier.  Grrrrr.  This may not be completed by Christmas after all.

Hatching Christmas Cheer, Good Housekeeping

This is turning out really cute.  The fabric came in a Stitchy Box a few months back.  It is a cream color opalescent by Fabric Flair.  Lots of back stitching should help make it really pop.  It is a pretty easy stitch.

NEW STARTS

Woodland Wonder, Glendon Place

This is on 28 ct. Lugana,  a solo from Silkweaver.  It has gold flecks in it....I love this fabric.
Just barely started the border.  I am not so happy with the border snowflakes (white DMC....), but they are OK for how.

Comet, Nora Corbet

I ordered the fabric called for but did not like it, so I am doing it on 28 count Dwarf Twilight opalescent by Picture this Plus

The border of this piece is in white DMC but it is so unforgiving  I ordered pearl cotton #3 and #5 and will use that when it arrives.  Not to file:  Never do a project that has alot of white stitches on it....!  I am not sure if I will do all 8 reindeer and rudolph, but I am watching anotherh stitcher doing Santa's sleigh and it is amazing.

Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework, Homespun Elegance

I just could not resist this sampler pattern.  I had purchased a bag of silk threads Waterlilies from Caron) over a year ago and had not figured out what I could do with them, so I used them on this sampler.  I am really pleased with how it is turning out.  It is on 28 count Prairie Grain linen.  It is a little stiff, but not too bad.  I am really liking the "homespun"  rustic look of the sampler.

Months ago I ordered the Coloris set of DMC.  It finally arrived today.  I am not sure if I will do the sampler that is included but the colors are really nice.  It is odd to me that the sampler says "Sweet Home"  and not "Home Sweet Home".  Just kind of sticks out to me.

I also took advantage of the month end sale at the local quilt shop and loaded up on fat quarters for finishing.  I think I have all the fabric I could ever use for finishing!

It dawned on me that for the first time in years I do not have a Chatelaine going.  Seems odd.  Of course there is Gardens of London but I have completely lost the love for some reason.  I have several kitted and ready to go, but will try to wait until 2017 to start a new one........maybe.


I will probably not post again until we are on the road.  Depends on if I get anything accomplished.

Thank you so much for visiting.  I hope you enjoy visiting as much as I enjoy creating the blog.

September Fades Away

It has been a busy month heading into an even busier month.  Good things, however; grandgirls are coming from California for a visit and some dear friends from California are coming for a visit, then we are off to California for the winter.  This is the month of California I suppose.

I did make a little progress on stitching:

FINISH

Mini Mandala 05, Chatelaine

All done.  As it turns out, I ended up enjoying the specialty stitches and beading and even the subtle color pallette.  I wish you could see how shiney it is...you will have to use your imagination.  I am really happy to have this finished.

I probably will not have a chance to frame it before I leave so it will go with me I suppose.

WIPS

Books Reading Books, Heaven and Earth

This is still going slowly.  I try to work on it a little every day, that way all the confetti does not get so overwhelming.  I decided only to post photos of page finishes.

O Canada, Jeanette Douglas

I am still really, really enjoying this piece although it is somewhat tedious.  I think because I am gifting it I am attempting to be extra careful.  Or perhaps because it is the first thing I have done using only one thread.  It is pretty different and has inspired me to do more samplers.  I am still waiting for the thread to complete the lettering, then I think it will go really fast and will be off to its forever home before the end of the year.

I did a couple of NEW STARTS this month

Hatching Christmas, Better Homes and Gardens

Am doing this as a gift on 28 count Opalescent  from Fabric Flair  but I am not sure of the color (looks ivory to me) using DMC threads.  I may or may not put all or part of the lettering but I do like the border even though it may take a while.    I am planning to do this as a flat fold so I will consider the size before I make a final decision.

Bee Keeper, Plum Street Samplers

I really HATE the fabric that came with this, but I am afraid if I do not use it, I will never use it for anything else so I am going with it.  It is very, very stiff.  I am, however enjoying it. The sample was stitched on 35 count Natural Northn Cross Linen  but I am not sure if that is what came with the chart.  It uses Weeks Dye Works threads.  I picked this up while we were in Canada over the summer from Traditional Stitches in Calgary.

I have not picked up any other WIP in the past couple of weeks.

I will be moving into Christmas projects in October  (hence the Hatching Christmas start) and I have several that I want to do so I am trying to get them kitted up and ready to go next week.

While I was picking up some missing DMC for my projects I ran across these two Kreinik sets and simply could not resist.  They are so colorful and sparkly!  They reduced them to half price so how could I resist 18 spools of kreinik for $25.00?

I have whittled my current WIPS down considerably (I am less than 10 now) so I am planning on more new starts.  I also decided that I am going to leave the Americana projects and Halloween projects (as well as some others) rather than taking them back and forth with me.     I typically work on those two types of projects while I am in Texas, so I will see how it goes this year.

Yes, I am already planning the trip West.  At least my needlepoint projects will get some attention!

If you have comments or questions do not hesitate to post them.    The blogosphere is becoming more and more sophistaced and I am still not that good at it but will do my best to find and answer your comments and inquiries whether they appear here or not.

Thank you so much for visiting.