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