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.

Weekly Progress Report

I hope you are all surviving (or at least getting through) this wierd time with all the isolation.  I am doing great as I am kind of a hermit anyway, but I gotta say my husband is not adapting well at all.   He is such a gad-about that he is struggling.  I offered to get him into stitching (I am not sure that would be a good idea for me in the long run, but whatever it takes to get through this!) but he is not interested.



Linen and Thread 2020 SAL Part 4 (April)

Am enjoying this more than I thought I would.  Still not sure what I will do about the initials.



Elizabeth Jones by La D Da

This is coming along nicely.  Am not so thrilled with the fabric, but it is OK.  Have it on a Rolaframe so I can tightened it as needed and I am enjoying it.


Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea

Page 2 done.  Only 23 more to go!



Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery

Just about halfway through this one.  Interestingly, I have been trying to find another skein of GAST "Apple Cider".  I think it is Gentle Arts that is not dying right now but I cannot remember.  I will either have to go through some of my kitted projects or  hold off on finishing this.





New Start:

Out on a Limb by Scattered Seed Samplers

This is the first kit from Scattered Seed Little Wren Club.  The kit includes the linen (4 ct. Vintage Country Mocha) finishing fabric, threads, ribbon and a little bird nest charm and a tiny little needle...





I have a couple of new starts planned for the next couple of weeks.  I also "retired" a couple of projects that just were not fun at the moment.

Thank you for stopping by.

Back to Texas Stitching

Had a very pleasant, if not a little wierd, trip back to Texas.  It is good to be back on the quiet river with all the critters and birds and all.  The trip out was a little strange because there was very little traffic anywhere and although the 18 wheelers are on the road, we saw less than a dozen RVs during our travels.  Other than the few that were in the RV parks where we stayed, there were very few on the road.

Did get some stitching done!

I finished Tis a Lovely Bird



Of course I had to record COVID-19 on it!


Elizabeth Jones by La D Da


April release of Linen and Threads 2020 SAL.



And made a little progress on Isabella Uffindel but have not completed page 2 yet.  I think I am going to have to give myself a little more time as it seems with all my other projects I probably will not be able to complete a page a week



And I framed Home of a Needleworker.





We are in a mandatory stay home order here in Blanco County.  Does not bother me in the least.

Funny thing......let me start by saying that my sewing skills are EXTREMELY limited.  When the CDC came out with the mask recommendation I broke out the sewing machine and some fabric and thought I could handle it......boy was I wrong.  I have something that kind of looks like it might be a mask, but it is pitiful.  So, I reached out to my niece who is a great seamstress and made a donation to her household for a few masks.

Of course if I have a mask, than I loose another excuse not to leave my property!  HA..

Stay safe, be calm and take care.

Thanks for visiting.....

Stay Home and Stitch!

Wanted to get a final "California Post" done today.  Am going to be busy packing the RV.  We are definitely leaving on Sunday unless they close the state.

Had a finish!!


Frances Pool 1838 by With Thy Needle and Thread/Brenda Gevais

This was a nice stitch and I am really fond of the moderate sized samplers....Most samplers are so huge they intimidate me a little.  The colors are a little wierd, but I find that with most reproduction samplers and try vey hard to resist the urge to change them.  I am happy with the final result and just have to put  my intials and the date on it and it will be ready to frame.  I had to finish it so I could use the Omanik side bars on another project I am starting.




Forgive the messy desk, but I did get Frances Pool framed.




So, of course, I had to start another project;   Isabella Uffindel.  She is HUGE.....the chart is in 25 pages so if I complete a page a week I will have it done by the end of the year, which is the goal.  I am using the DMC threads and 40 count Vintage Butter Pecan by Lakeside Linen.  I have to say the fabric is just beautiful (at the price it should be).  I went back and forth about whether to use the DMC or the silks, but it calls for so many colors that I was not prepared to spring for the silks for this project.

Isabella Uffindel by Hands Across the Sea Samplers





Elizabeth Jones by La D Da.

I am not wild about is the fabric.  It is pretty, but is that flimsy weeks dye works product.  Cannot seem to get it tight enough on the Rolaframe.




A Perfect World by The Scarlett House

A little progress on this beauty.  Still enjoying it and still not sure about all the black at the bottom.....perhaps I will tent stitch it.  The basket of flowers on the left is the top of the design.  I always feel like I am close to a finish once I start the wording... Don't be fooled, there is alot to complete.  There is alot of black on this project so I will probably change the birds to different colors.    Already did  a little red bird for the cardinals in the yard.  And I changed the dogs to try to match the dogs that I have, and included my brother's dog, Maggie (the little brown one in front of the white house) who is always hanging around with us.





While I have many other projects I have been concentrating on these three for the past week or so.

Will be stitching on other projects that have higher thread counts during the trip.   Will let you know how the trip East goes....have only one stop planned for fuel.  We should be in Blanco in one week.

I have also been supporting local needlework shops because they are closed during this crazy pandemic scare.  Am a little disappointed that I will not get to visit "The Attic" in Mesa, AZ, but perhaps in the summer or fall I will get another chance.  Not sure I will post my crazy buying spree, but who knows.

Try to stay calm.  I am glad we are going to travel for a few days because we are all going a little mental.  Don't worry, we have lots of hand sanitizer, anti-germ wipes and even face masks ready for the trip.

Thank you for visiting.

Pump the Brakes

We are not going to Texas as planned this week.  It is good and bad.  Of course I am bummed about it, but I am the one that needs the dematological procedure that is holding us here in California.  Not because of the corona virus ....

What better reason to start a new project.

Elizabeth Jones by La-D-Da

And the border matched up!!!!! Hurray



I have had this kitted a while so I am glad to start it.  It is all DMC, 1 over 2 on a 36 count Parchment by Weeks Dye Works.   Interestingly, I am finding the weeks linen very, very "floppy".  Anyone else have this experience.   I am enjoying it and will always remember it as my Corona start!  HA


Have made a little more progress on Coffee Quaker

 I am itching for a finish this month to stay on track for my 20 in 20 finishes.  I need to dig out one of the many WIPS I have had going for a long time and get one knocked out before the end of the month.  Lofty goal, but.......

I hope you and your family are all staying safe and healthy.  One thing I cannot find is how long this craziness is going to last.  I fear we are headed for a depression.....lots of folks already out of work, businesses closed, kids at home, store shelves empty and on and on.   I would feel a little more positive if I were not in California, but what can ya do.  On the other hand, avoiding crowds, staying home; my favorite things! .... I don't need to make up an excuse!

Thanks for stopping by.

Mid March Update

Wanted to get a post in before we head off to Texas for the year.

Had a finish early this month:

Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks

Thanks to Sampler Sundays at the Little House/Country Cottage facebook challenge this has finally been finished.







WIP Progress:

Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplers

I gotta tell ya, this project is really giving me fits.  After stitching one of the motifs three times, I found out it was in the wrong place....so time number four a moved it to its proper location....then, as I was preparing for the far right motif, I discovered I had done the "problem" motif in the wrong color....I am leaving it and adjusting the colors as needed.  Holy cow this project has become a pain.  But I am sticking with it.





The Library by Little House Needleworks

This is not on the Sampler Sunday list, but I am still working on this on Sundays




Linen & Threads 2020 SAL

Part 3 for March all done (the bottom three motifs).  I have still not decided on the initials at this point.  Perhaps if someone expresses an interest in having it when completed I can put in initials that have meaning for them.  Who knows.

A Perfect World by The Scarlett House

This project has lead me to discover I am not so fond of stitching houses.  It gets alot of attention, but is slow going.





Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance

Thanks to a couple of hours in a waiting room this bird is coming along nicely  Would like to finish it this month but we will see.



Frances Pool by Brenda Gervais

Once again I am finding the colors a little strange, but I am going to stick with it as charted.  Sage green birds seem a little off to me, as to Red Rock colored squirrels!!  I am enjoying this very much.  I like that is not a huge sampler as some of the projects I have in the wings.

l




Extras:

Another great find that my Mother-In-Law stitched from a Paragon kit in the mid 60's.  I feel so lucky to have it.  It fit perfectly in a frame from Amazon and hangs in the dining room with her other piece.






Most projects will be packed away during our trip and I will work on a select couple.  

We are planning a stop at The Attic needleshop in Mesa, AZ if time and weather permit.  Since I rarely visit an actual needle shop I am looking forward to it.  The last time I visited one many years ago I was so overwhelmed I did not buy anything!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I have still not mastered the "comments" section of this blogging thing so please know that I read the comments and I do reply, but my replies do not seem to show up!

WIPocalypse End of February

HAPPY LEAP DAY....

This is a long post with lots of photos!  I got on a roll this month for some reason so I have lots to share.

Be sure to check out 2020 WIPocalypse:  What do I listen to while I stitch?  Flosstube and/or some movie or true crime show.  And sometimes, nothing.

The Challenge from Embroidery.com was to stitch for 30 minutes a day (at least) and post progress daily.  That has really helped me get alot done on my projects.  I am going to try to continue the 30 minutes a day on a focus piece and see how it goes.

I have a goal of 20 finishes for 2020 so I need to average about two finishes a month.  I am on my way and have several pieces that are close.  Of course my goal of 20 starts is not a problem since I have so many kitted and ready.

Before I start, I want to show you a sampler that my Mother-in-Law did in about 1965.  Thanks to so many generous and knowledgable stitchers on facebook at Sampler World, I was able to find it (found a kit for it on EBay) and found that the original sampler is called Catherine Ann Speel worked in 1805 and is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania.  So amazing.  I just adore it.  I also found that the Attic in Mesa, Arizona may have the reproduced chart.  Might be interesting to do it if I can find the chart.  What a wonderful family heirloom this is.






February Finishes:

Elizabeth Poole 1838 by Threads of Gold



Good Luck Always probably from Cross Stitch Magazine



And I posted the finish of Easter Parade earlier in the month.


New Starts:

Frances Pool by With Thy Needle and Thread




I am enjoying this so much so far.  I am using the threads as suggested and the colors are a little odd to me, but that is kind of common for me and samplers it seems.  But I am still enjoying them and have many ready to start.

Learning Stitches



This is an on line class I am taking through Sassy Jacks.  These are stitches in a Jeanette Douglas book made into a band sampler.  I am too cheap to buy banding so I took a piece of fabric that was 36" long and created banding for it and am using variegated DMC threads that I have on hand.  I will never use them for anything else.  It is kind of ugly, but it is for learning, not display!  HA


Progress:These projects have my attention at the monent so there has been progress for this month.

A Perfect World by The Scarlett House



This was my 30 minutes a day focus piece for February and I am very pleased with the progress I have made.  I am still on the fence about doing all the black that is called for at the bottom.  I kind of hate to leave it off, but I might hate doing it worse!  Perhaps I will tent stitch it??


Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery



This project was a frogging nightmare so I decided that I would "grid" the motifs before I start them to make sure they are lined up property

Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance



My travel piece since it is on 28 count fabric (I can actually see it).

Still My Sunday Sampler Focus Pices from Little House Needleworks

Home of a Needleworker



The Library





Knotgarden by Chatelaine



I am not making any progress on this for some reason so the goals of finishing it before mid-March is definitely not going to happen.  Not sure why, but I am not feeling this one right now so I guess it will have to travel back to Texas once again.


S.L. 1862 Small Sampler  by Lila's Studio



I tried to do this little sampler with the DMC conversion andd the colors were just terrible to me.  I also was getting a little "browned out" from the samplers that I am doing so I decided to dig out the left over silk threads I had from the Chatelaine and other projects that calledl for various silks.  It is quite a variety of colors and I am just winging it.  Now, bear in mind that I am not good at putting colors together so I am just playing with these threads.   The bad news is that it has really made he remember how wonderful it is to stitch with silks.  Especially with a single thread.  Oh my how wonderful it is to have the thread just gliding through the fabric.....heaven on the needle.

2020 SAL from Linen and Threads


A very small start of Part 3



And finally, I framed one of last year's finishes.  I really like this piece and even with the alphabets (which I am not too fond of stitching) I did enjoy doing it.  I left off the french knots that were called for in the skirt and basket of which is supposed to be donuts...looks like flowers to me.  And this piece has a million "customizations" (my term for errors) but I still like it.  I got the frame from Amazon.

Coffee Saves Lives by  Heartstring Samplery



Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to hop around to other WIPocaplyse posts.