A Birthday Finish

I wanted to share a special finish that I had a while ago, but couldn't share until the birthday girl received her parcel. I didn't have a lot to go on except that she likes scissors, the colors purple and pink and smalls. HMMM, whatever shall I stitch her? Okay, smalls it is.

I chose a design by Indigo Rose, her Victoria's 2 pence Scissor Fob. I enlarged it, changed it around, added to it, and came up with this set: a scissor fob, needlebook and biscornu. I also used her Rhodes Heart to decorate a scissor sheath. I used R and R's linen in Breast Cancer Pink and Belle Soie silk in Empress purple. I added beads to the edges of all pieces except the sheath.

I loved working on this. Loved changing it, making it bigger by adding an extra row of rice stitches, and loved doing the finishing on it. I think its taking a blank piece of fabric, a soft piece of silk and making something lovely out of it. Something three dimensional out of it. Something that can be used. And don't we all love using pretty things? And because the birthday girl works giving Mammograms, I added the pink ribbon scissors. I think it made a sweet set. What do you think? Oh, it might help if I add a picture of the set?

The beaded counter was made by my son Chad to match the set I stitched. Isn't it pretty?

I have other finishes to share but the camera batteries need a recharge. I'll be back soon with an update and some pictures that I've just finished framing and a couple of tin necklace finishes. Until then, happy stitching!

Another Just Nan finish, Hooray!

I was so happy at finishing the previous UFO of Just Nan's, that I thought I'd give a try and finish this up. It's Just Nan's, "And Many More" needlebook, to match her "20 Flowers". I had started it years ago. I so totally loved the look of this piece, with its many flowers, sheepies, but with so many flowers, so many color changes. Way too many color changes, if you know what I mean. I felt like I spent more time threading my needle than stitching. But, now that it's finished, I love how it looks. And it was stitched totally with silk thread. This is the front, isn't that rose on the flap gorgeous?

And the back, with the over one blue birds, the pretty sheepies, and all those flowers. If you look closely at the backstitching at the bottom, on the hills, you'll see a 'S' and a 'N' hidden, for Silver Needle.

I ordered the finishing kit but didn't follow many of the instructions, preferring to finish by hand, instead of by machine. I did follow the instructions for completing the inside flower, which I thought was a really cute idea. The way you sew the top and bottom flower together makes tiny pockets that can be used for needle threaders, charms, buttons and such.

Our house is home to three pets; a dog named Boo, (a black lab/chow mix) a black cat named Spooky (can you see a theme here?) and the newest member of our family, a grey cat called Shadow. We love all our pets but Shadow is something special. She lives to be loved on. She'll sleep in my lap despite me having a lap full of stitching and pillows. The night she decided to use my chart as her pillow, I just had to take a picture of it. So, here she is, Shadow, my stitching buddy. Isn't she adorable?


Now, if I can keep her from playing with my threads, I'll be happy. Sometimes I wait until she falls asleep before I start stitching--saves my silks. I have several charts with tiny teeth marks on the edges. She loves to cuddle. Next post, I'll try to find pictures of the other two beasts that live in our house and our hearts.

Once I finished stitching and finishing this project, I got started on Little House Needlework's "The Angels Sang" and its about half done. That was the chart that Shadow was sleeping on. I put it aside to start a project for a birthday exchange for next month. Most of the stitching on that is finished, just have to get started on the finishing for all the different pieces.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and I hope you manage to get some stitching done, in between taking the pies out of the oven, basting the turkeys, and slapping husband's hands that sneak tastes. Until next time, happy stitching.

I have attempted, several times, to edit this post. The last three paragraphs should have spaces between them. Blogger won't allow me to do that, and I don't know enough about code to do it myself in the edit mode. Someone advised me to add the pictures last, and then blogger will allow editing--but when you add pictures last, they all go to the top. I'll try it next time, see if I can manage moving pictures without leaving off much needed code. You'd think that Blogger would make it a little easier to insert pictures, or edit, wouldn't you? Thanks for reading!

I can't believe I actually finished it!

Yes, indeed I did! I finished it all by myself. I simply can't believe that I not only finished stitching this piece but did a decent job finishing it into an ort box. This is Just Nan's TrickorTreat Box, a specialty design she did for the Silver Needle cross stitch shop. Isn't it cute? It's done on linen stitched with lovely spooky shades of silks, a bit of sparkly metallics and finished with two really cute charms.

Here you can see the side with the witch in her striped leggings and a pumpkin with a bat hat. A witches hat charm is the closer. (don't mind the price tag on the candle holder I used to prop up the piece--sorry, I didn't notice the tag until after I uploaded the picture.)

This was my favorite side to stitch. I just loved the pumpkin with the mask, and the spider sitting on his head.

Isn't that cat in front of the moon cool? Spooky? And the ghost holding the monster head? And the bat? Yes, I do love Halloween. This is the back of the piece.

Here is the box open, and you can just barely see the witch hat and the copper moon charms. The witches hat is on a stretchy ribbon and fits over the moon to keep the box closed. But, do you know what's hiding inside?

A pumpkin shaped pincushion. I thought it was a cute idea, and I'm very glad to have this finished. But I will need to keep a close watch on this piece, my eldest son has 'dibs' on all my Halloween stitchings. I'm not sure what he would do with this, but he's been watching my progress with keen eyes.

All in all, I'm happy with my finishing on this. It's not perfect, by any means but I'm still learning all these new and different options besides framing.

In my last post, (which was over a month ago, so sorry but its been a long 30 days) I said that I had planned on stitching another Little House Needlework piece. Isn't this pretty? While I was stitching it, Indiana was having spring weather, balmy and almost summer like. Mid to high 70's. This piece was so soothing to work on--oh, and it's the one that I had to frog the entire left side border. Okay, so the frogging was NOT soothing, but the stitching and restitching was. This is Strawberry House, one of the All Dolled Up series.

I had planned this next one as a welcome to colder weather but that didn't happen. The piece got stitched but I'll always think of being too warm while it was being stitched. This is Holly and Berries by Little House Needleworks. It's a very simple piece but charming in its simplicity. It makes me think of stitching by the fire, with the snow swirling around outside.

Okay, so I guess I need to explain why this past 30 days seemed so long. Hubby was home for nearly three weeks of it. Yup the truck needed fixing, the company didn't want to give him back any of his escrow money to do it so he sold some junk (recycled metal) to buy parts, and then quit his job. Like I said, it was a long 30 days. (He's now working on his second run for a new company after a three day orientation to learn how this company wants their paperwork done.) I had more than two weeks of him coming in with black and greasy hands, bottles of anti-freeze and oil thrown all over our front yard, and the garage light left on for hours at a time. Unless you know big trucks, you'd never believe how much oil and anti-freeze those monster vehicles take.

I have started a new project a few days ago, Little House Needleworks, The Angels Sang. Haven't gotten too far on it yet, but after the month I've had, I needed a new project. Time for me to get back to it. May all your stitches be soothing, and in the right places.

Two New Finishes

This is my first new finish, Heart and Home Sampler by Little House Needleworks. Isn't it cute? I loved working this piece, it seemed to soothe me somehow. Why is it that some pieces you fight with, trying to make headway, and some pieces fly way too fast off your needle? This was the later, too soon finished. I opted to go with just stitching the berries instead of using beads. Just liked the way it looked stitched. I used the called for colors, DMC and Crescent Colours Cottons. I'm thinking of doing the tiny, over one thread necklace too.

This is Two Cabins by Nancy's Needle. I finished the sky and windows last night. Really enjoyed stitching on this but it will never take the place of cross stitch for me. I found it difficult dealing with the mounting frame, trying to hold it and stitch at the same time. I would like to do a quilt this way, but a really big one, to hang over our four poster bed. I think that would really be prettty. But, in thinking of that possible project, I think that I could design a geometric quilt in shades of colors and stitch it on linen. Think I'd enjoy it more, also.

I'm almost finished with LHN's Strawberry House. I totally mis-counted on the border and had to frog the entire left side or it would have been finished by now. I think I'll use the buttons on that one to "doll" it up like the designer intended. After that, I have a birthday exchange to decide a project for and a Shepherd's Bush (several in fact) that I want to do. It's been way too long since I've done one of their projects. And I'm several sheepies behind on their sheep series.

Stitch on dear friends. I'll try not to take so long for my next post.

I have tried, several times, to edit this post and put spaces between the paragraphs. For some reason, Blogger won't let me do this. And since my dh is hoping for dinner that will actually be served sometime tonight, I have to let this post stand as it is. Perhaps some other time Blogger will allow some changes, and editing. Thanks for reading.

Beth's Fob

When I made my last post, I thought I had posted a picture of the fob I made for Beth, the Purple Three Penny Scissor Fob by Indigo Rose. NOT! So, here it is. The different shades of purple, the white beads to match the handles of the scissors--I think it turned out quite nicely. This was part of her birthday gift. I was going to try and post these pictures in my last post, but I just can't seem to add pictures where I want them to go. If I don't add them at the beginning and then write my blip, the pictures always end up at the top. If someone can tell me how to put pictures where I want them, I'm all ears.

Happy Stitching everyone.

A little this, a little that

I can not believe it's been over a month since I last posted. Seems that life has kept me very busy. We finally have a new shower and it only took a week to install. We are having a problem with the caulk curing, so might have to remove it all and re-caulk with a different brand. You'd think that after two days, it would be dry and stay dry. Nope, it gets tacky whenever it gets wet, and seems to wash away. Really annoying.

Summer is nearly over. Isn't that the best thing you've heard in ages? Autumn, with its lovely colors, and cooler temperatures, is just around the corner. Last night, I turned off the a/c and opened a window--was to get down to 45 degrees. Must have because I was very comfortable--and I like being cold when I sleep. Really cold. Don't believe me? I once slept in the truck, parked on the top of a hill in Northern Illinois in the middle of January--and the temps were below zero. (and the truck was not running!) I had no trouble sleeping. And why on earth would I do that? We were visiting my husband's parents and as they are getting on in age, they like to keep the house REALLY warm, like 85 degrees. So, I'm very happy to see the end of summer. The grandkids are back in school and it should be reported that they all like their new teachers. And all they can talk about is Halloween coming. Oh, and birthdays--three of them have birthdays this month.

So, in amongst all the busy-ness of life, I did get a bit of stitching done. First up, Little House Needleworks Reading. I do not know why the fabric is showing up blue because it was stitched on Antique white Belfast, with Crescent Colours. I really enjoyed stitching this one. When these charts were previewed, I decided then and there I was only going to stitch the Quilting one. I am a reader, but the Quilting piece was the only one that really interested me. Guess I changed my mind. Looks like I'll be stitching all four in the series. Am I a sucker for LHN designs, or what?

Here is my stitched piece, Little Women Reading by Little House Needleworks. It was a fairly quick stitch, and has been done for days. (Just kept forgetting that the batteries for my camera needed to be recharged.)
Next up, Indigo Rose's Three Penny Scissor fob. For my birthday, my friend Beth gave me a pair of scissors. She bought the same pair for herself. For her birthday, I stitched her this very same fob, in a purple over-dyed silk, Empress Belle Soie by Crescent Colours. Since the scissors matched, I made myself the same fob, but in my favorite color of blue, Blue Lagoon Belle Soie by Crescent Colors. (side note, if you've not stitched with Belle Soie yet, give it a try. You'll fall in love with this lovely silk floss.)

I did change the chart somewhat. I enlarged the design size from 4 stitches by 4 stitches (woven) to 8 stitches by 8 stitches. On the front, I left an area in the middle unworked to have a place to stitch an initial, this time, mine. The back was worked as Indigo Rose designed it, just a bit larger. You can't see the lovely sheen of the beads--here they appear white but they are the exact color of the darker part of the silk floss. The cording is made of the same silk floss. It's filled with plastic pellets for weight.

Seems like quite a few stitchers have been trying canvas work. Beth has been working on canvas for about 6 months and she is thrilled with it. Nicole has done a few and her's have turned out so pretty--her's look like mini quilts and that always makes my mouth water--so I thought I'd give it a try. This is Two Cabins by From Nancy's Needle. I'm enjoying the work, the learning something new but it will never replace my cross stitching.

If you notice the pine green on the outside border, I've finished up with that green tonight, and the last snowflake has been done. It's very small, only 4 inches by 8 inches but there is a lot of detail in that small piece. And can you believe it? I've had trouble doing the counting. Do I count the threads or the holes? I am finding it hard to understand how I can count wrong so often, when I don't do it very often in my stitching. A lot of frogging went on to get this far.

So, what is next? I'm thinking it's time for another LHN design, and I've chosen Heart and Home Sampler. It's charted for DMC but I think I'll try and find some Crescent Colours overdyed cottons to stitch it in.

Birthday Gifts and Stash

Fair warning, this is going to be a long post. If you need to grab a cup of tea or coffee, or a diet pepsi, go on, I'll wait. . . . . are you ready now? Well, here goes.

My last long post concerned having a tooth extracted and the aftermath. I weathered that ordeal fairly well, and then. . . . wait for it. . . . promptly got sick with a horrid sinus infection. The last time I had something like this was three years ago and it nearly landed me in the hospital. I just can't eat, which is not good when one is diabetic. So, there I was, just days from my birthday and so sick I couldn't even eat, let alone stitch, or read, or make merry with my family. My eldest son tried very hard to help me, before he went off to work and when he got home at night--he works second shift. Hubby finally came home to get the truck in for some repairs and stayed until I was able to do for myself. During that time, I had three days of feeling pretty good and his gift to me for my birthday was a trip to House of Stitches, in LaPorte, Indiana. We made the most of that day, let me tell you.

I've uploaded many pictures so you can see some of the things my family gave me for my birthday. They were all thoughtful gifts. First up, the ones from my eldest son. He knows that I collect Boyd's Bears Treasure boxes and resin figurines, so that's what he got me. The little hats below are Treasure boxes and the figurine is the new Halloween piece.

There is the Snowman Hat, Witches Hat and Santa Hat. The hats all have tiny mice figures inside. My favorite was the Snowman hat because the little mouse figure has a snowman.
See the close up of the snowman. Isn't he cute? He also gave me a pair of lovely earrings, and a book I've been wanting to read. But, the biggest gift he gave me was the care he showed during this difficult time.

Next up were the gifts from my youngest son and his family. They got me three pairs of earrings, a cute pair of capri pants and two really cute, dressy tee shirts. And I have the promise of a cook out this coming weekend with a cheese cake to celebrate.

The next picture was a surprise gift from my dear friend, Nicole. This package arrived the first day I felt human and knew I was going to live. LOL.

Nicole sent me five cuts of linen, all of them specialty linens. Aren't they gorgeous? And look at that ton of Crescent colours. She also sent the JABC buttons for LHN "All Dolled Up" Strawberry House. But what really topped everything is the beaded scissor fob she sent. Isn't it gorgeous? All in shades of blue, my absolute favorite colors. I put it right away on my scissors and have been using it ever since. Thanks Nicole.

As I said before, my birthday gift from my hubby was a trip to House of Stitches. We decided to take the entire day to ourselves. We enjoyed the trip up, all 2 1/2 hours worth, with a stop for lunch at KFC. We talked like we haven't been able to talk in months. Sadly, music went by the wayside because we were jammering so much. The weather was clear, bright and really warm.

I was thankful that we went on a Thursday because the shop wasn't crowded, as it always is on the weekends. Hubby decided he'd do best to take a nap in the car while I shopped and visited, and shopped some more. So, here is what I walked out of the store with:
Just Nan's Gilded Dragonfly and silk thread pack, the Halloween ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch and the Autumn issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework.
A large bag of Best Way floss bobbins, a package of thread drops, a pair of scissors with handles shaped like the Eiffel Tower, a pin cube kit and Crescent colours for 4 new projects.
Four cuts of specialty linen, a skein of Belle Soie in Empress, and a few Kelmscott pieces in the mother of Pearl: ruler, thread rings, and a winder that looks like a butterfly.
Twisted Threads Tin Pin Flag and a Just Nan frame accessory of a bat, for a project I'm making my son. If anyone has made the Tin Pin Flag, please let me know. I have a few questions for you, LOL.

It was a wonderful day. I had a lovely visit with Linda and her daughter Sarah. With hubby napping, I could take as long as I wanted to, browsing the store, chatting, looking at everything. I think Linda got a chuckle --there is so much you can't see when you browse online, as opposed to being in the store proper. Linda is not just a great shop owner, she's a lovely hostess. I enjoyed my time there immensely.

Hubby got a really nice nap, nearly two hours, so we opted to take the long way home. We took the back roads all the way, and most of it was through Amish country. We passed lakes and lovely hilly land. Saw a sunset fit for royalty and enjoyed each other's company. We ended the day with dinner at Ponderosa.

It took a few more days for me to feel fit and healthy but I'm doing better now. Thanks to all who emailed to see how I was feeling. And thank you, all of you who stayed to the very end of this very long post. I wish I was better at describing things.

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

Pay It Forward again

Here it is, the 1st of August. I'm sorry to say that I only had two takers for my Pay It Forward but we're going to make the best of it. By August 1st of 2009, I will send a handmade item to Amy and Peg . Thank you, Ladies, for offering to be a part of this PIF.

There is someone else who really did want to join, so I have included you anonymously. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

Okay, so Ladies, please email me your physical addresses, or leave your email in a comment and I'll contact you.

P I F

Deb has selected me as one of the recipients for her PIF and so I am offering the same from me to . . . the first three who post a comment on this particular blog post. I will do the draw on August 1, 2008 and post the lucky three here so watch to see if you are it ;-). The three selected will receive a handmade PIF gift from me within 365 days and the only condition is that they in turn do the same thing on their blogs.

Gifts and new stash

Its my birthday this Saturday, and my partner for the birthday exchange sent me this lovely Etui. Isn't it just gorgeous? The first picture is of the front of the etui and the extra gifties Dane sent. Aren't those threads lovely? The second picture is the back of the Etui, with my initials--and please, anyone that can translate what else it says, please tell me. (I flunked out of high school French.) The last picture is the inside of the Etui, and what a superb job she did. There is a little pocket with a ribbon that holds a pretty pair of scissors, a needle and pin page with a gold needle and a special pin with a heart on top. On the other side, a heart shaped pocket with several heart shaped charms inside. The two small sides have heart-shaped mother of pearl rings for threads. The finishing is exquisite, and I love how it folds up to be another heart shape. I was very impressed with the gift and the package. Also included in the package was a chart by Atalie called Mon Petit Jardin. So, does that translate to "my little garden" or "my little heart?" The instructions are all in French, of course, so a visit to my sister is in order. My niece Katie is fluent in French.

A little side bar to the first part of my post. This package arrived last Friday but on Thursday, I had a really bad day. I had an infected tooth, and the infection had spread to my jaw. Now, that's bad for most people, but I'm diabetic, and as such, my immune system isn't as strong as it should be. This was bad enough that my husband, dear sweet Shawn, came home from Chicago, and took me to the dentist--who not only extracted the tooth, but put me on a very high dosage antibiotic. Now, we live 20 minutes away from the dentist office, and were still 7 or 8 miles away when the numbness wore off. Poor Shawn, I kept saying "hurry", and he was already doing above the speed limit--he thought I needed to use the bathroom. Anyway, he got me home, put to bed after taking some pain meds, and went to fill my prescription. He let me get up for a bit of soup for dinner and then back to bed. Friday, still on pain meds but feeling a tiny bit better, and in he comes from the post office with the package from Dane. It made my day.

This week, reality set in. Diabetes has lost me most of my teeth. The tooth the dentist pulled was the last molar I had on the bottom. My doctor has me on a high protein diet--but now what do I eat? I refuse to live on soup the rest of my life. (Receding gums was the first indication that I had a problem. My dentist asked me outright if I was diabetic--NO! but guess where my next stop was? You guessed it and yes, I was!) My gums have receded so far that I don't have a bone ridge for a denture to sit on. So, I was feeling really low today. Hence, the reality setting in. (do you know how hungry one can get without chewing? Even if your stomach is full.) Today's mail brought another package. From my friend Beth, the friend of my heart.

This is what she sent me for my birthday. The Shepherd's Bush kit, Queen Sheep and the gorgeous--I need to find another word--pair of Sajou scissors that look like Mother of Pearl. I was totally in shock! I love these scissors. And won't they look perfect in a sewing box with the Kelmscot thread rings, winders, and ruler? I feel so spoiled. Of course, I had to open my gifts early, just couldn't NOT open it. Isn't she a thoughtful friend? We do all the SB sheepies together. Now it's my turn to put together a lovely package for her as her birthday is just days after mine.
My package also included my latest order of Shepherd's Bush items. The leaflet, She Tends, with the charms--won't they make lovely scissor fobs?--Happy Pumpkin NR, Into the Night Sampler, which is a really cool Halloween sampler, Mermaid Sampler and Sail Away. I'm happy, even with soup for dinner.

Until next time--and there will be a next time, I have ring tags to show off--Stitch on, and have a great summer. Thanks Dane and Beth.

An older finish

A friend reminded me that I hadn't posted a picture of the finish "Morning Berries" by LHN. Sorry about that. I got finished and immediately started working on learning how to do ring tags. And look, my picture is crooked. I take terrible photos, and this one had to be taken while the stitching was hanging over the side of my bed, it's so long. I really enjoyed stitching this one, and the recommended fabric was the greatest to work on but I'm not totally pleased with how it turned out. Second guessing myself on my choices of silk colors. I used Belle Soie, for any new readers.

The ring tags are addictive--I'm doing the finishing today on number 3 and 4, with one more that I want to do. I'm trying to decide if I want to do the stitching for number 5 first, and then finish all of them at the same time. On a recent trip to Wal Mart's, I found more grommets--I used that in the first finish--and found that they come in a host of sizes. Very surprising. Could have used that on my first one--the grommets I had here are very small, and didn't go through my piece all the way. So, you get to only see the front of my piece, LOL.

As soon as I'm finished with the others, I'll scan and post them. I have to say that these are really fun to do--you can choose anything you want to stitch, in any color, with any fabric, or just a lovely motif that you are fond of, and make it into a ring tag. And it's nice to have that little decoration hanging with your threads. Hmmm, perhaps a ring tag exchange is in order. Anyone up for that?

Happy stitching, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.

Little Women "Quilting"

She is finally finished, Little Women Quilting. She took longer than I thought she would, even with being a quick stitch. I had a lot of trouble getting her eyes the same size, but after a few tries, this is what I ended up with. I love her quilt and am planning on stitching it again, just the quilt, for a scissor fob. I will be changing the colors to something with blue in it. She is stitched on Antique white Belfast linen, with Crescent colours overdyed cottons. I finished her yesterday, just before supper and got her all ironed up. I think she turned out very nicely.

Next up will be Morning Berries to finish. That should come tonight. Just have the 7 berries at the bottom to get done. This one should have been done last night, but I got side tracked playing around on the computer, reading blogs, checking updates for online stores. It's very hot outside so I'm staying inside with the air conditioner, getting laundry done and stitching.

Happy stitching everyone, and I hope you all have a great 4th of July.

Oh, the places I've been. . . .

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/map.php

I thought this was so cool that I decided to put one on my blog. Most of the states I've visited were seen from the cab of a truck. Some of the states I've actually lived in: Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada and Illinois. The rest I've either rode through, or driven through, or just stopped to visit. I couldn't figure a way to put in Canada, but I've been there many times. The Detroit area is just a bridge away from Canada. My hubby and I have picked up munition casings in Red Lion, PA, and delivered those munitions to a military base in Iowa; cabinet frames to Talladega, Alabama; window frames to North Carolina. We've watched the ships being loaded in Norfold, VA while our trailer was being unloaded. In Wisconsin, we watched a truck and trailer pull on to a ramp and be elevated so that the wood chips were dumped out the trailer door. (yes, it was totally upright.) And we drove through a bug storm before we got there. (I think we were going past a cranberry bog!) The most remarkable thing I've seen, was going up a mountain in Virginia, heading towards Norfolk. The mountain almost always has fog near the top so there are tiny lights in the road, set right where the lane lines are. At night, it is the MOST gorgeous sight in the world.

Thanks for stopping by and going with me down memory lane. Back to my stitching. Have a great weekend everyone.

LHN Progress: two projects

First up is Morning Berries. I really adore this piece, it's so calming to work on. I think it's the fabric, 28 Natural Pearl. It's really dense and holds the stitches quite nicely. This is coming along, slower than I had imagined but it's nearly done. Tonight or tomorrow should see it completed. I'm not really happy with all the silk choices that I made, the rabbits don't show up real well, and the urn with the vine isn't quite the correct color, but it has a soft look that I do like. But, the reason it isn't quite done yet? I started another project.

Quilting, by LHN. It came in the mail on Monday and I just had to start it. First, I was only going to do the top row of the border, then the sides. I just couldn't put it down and ended up doing all of the one color, Joshua Tree, that was in the border. So, I'm thinking an hour for Quilting and the rest of the time trying to get Morning Berries finished up would work. After that, I can finish up this small piece and on to another project. Maybe their new projects will be out by then, the Neighborhood piece is really cute. Have you seen it?

It is odd, working with the cottons first and then the silks. I'm using two strands on both pieces, but the way they lay, and feel, and the look of the pieces are so different.

Happy stitching all of you, thanks for stopping by. I have to make this post a short one because we have storms going by, and have already lost power three times. Looks like I might be stitching by candlelight tonight. Already have several candles lit, just in case.

A Small Start and an Even Smaller Finish

Here is my small start. It's Morning Berries by LHN, and it is indeed a very small start. I'm working this on the recommended fabric, 28 count Natural Pearl Linen by Zweigart. I'm really loving the look of this linen and it's wonderful to work on. I am not using the recommended threads. I have substituted Belle Soie silk for the Crescent Colours overdyes. Of course, the substitution isn't a perfect one. For example, the berries are supposed to be done in Blue Moon, a lovely periwinkle, sort of lavender blue color, and I just couldn't find the perfect blue to use. Instead, I used Spring Violets, a more lavender color. I'm also using: Icing, Tumbleweed, Cinnamon Stick, Lily Pad, and Sandy Beach. Some are very good matches, some not quite so good. But I'm happy with how it's turning out. I've stitched the entire border, though it doesn't show in the picture, and have a pretty good start on the top part. I did realize something important when I started stitching the berries at the top; the Belle Soie made the stitches look soft and full, while the Crescent Colours overdyed cottons look crisp and full. I wanted the soft look for this lovely piece. Oh, and if you look very closely, you can see that I'm frogging the row beneath the bunnies because I blended two "v's" into one large one right at the beginning. So, that's what I'm doing tonight, reworking that row.
Next up is my small finish. And it is truly small. This is a piece that is going to Laura, for our Smalls RR. It is Drawn Thread's Holiday Halloween and I used the silks that came with the kit. This was the second time I've stitched this, so I was lucky to have enough thread. The big change is that I stitched this one over one, and it came out really small. I didn't have enough black to work the words so I used the dark olive green. The little buttons that came with the kit were just too big for this tiny piece so I worked tiny spider web rosettes in the corners instead. And just how small is this piece?
This small. I don't think it even measures 3 inches square. I love the detail which seems to show up more on the over one than the regular stitching. Had a great time working those spiderwebs. So, what do you think? Laura wanted Halloween, and I think this is small enough for a scissor fob, or ornament, right?

On the home front, the truck is back on the road, my house is clean again, and I really miss my dh. That's always the problem of having him home for long periods of time. I get so used to him being here, even when he annoys me, that it's twice as hard when he leaves again. And to those inquiring minds who want to know, YES, I did help him with taking out the radiator, and putting the new one back in. (Oh, and that baby weighed like 300 pounds!)I took him up to the truck parts store to pick up special anti-freeze. And I cooked for him. Can you imagine, the man wanted three square meals every day! Big departure from being home alone, and grabbing whatever is available. He's planning on working the weekend through, and won't be home until next Wednesday night so keep a watch for me--I'll be wandering through all of your blogs, trying to keep busy.

Until next time, happy stitching and I hope you all keep cool.

Small Finish and New Stash

First, a small finish. This is Thread Gathering, by Little House Needleworks. It was a limited edition kit, that came with the threads, Crescent Colors Cotton overdyes and a lovely Kelmscott thread keep, made from Mother of Pearl. I stitched it on the recommended fabric, 32 count Natural Raw Linen. The border seemed to take forever to stitch--but then I figured out how many stitches were in it, over a thousand, and that made perfect sense. It was a real joy to watch the colors change, especially the Old Blue Jeans color. I really love the simplicity of the piece and it will be framed and hung over my guest room/stash room/sewing room door. Quite fitting, don't you think?

Next up is NEW stash. I received two packages in the mail yesterday. From House of Stitches in LaPorte, IN, some new fabrics. Pictured is the largest piece, a Lakeside Linen called Tundra, in 32 count, which is my favorite count to work on. What isn't pictured is a small piece of 28 count Linen in Clay, which I'm using for a piece in our Smalls RR and that I started last night. I'm doing a Drawn Thread Witch, from Holiday Halloween. Linda from House of Stitches is the greatest to order from. There have been times when I order one day and have it the next day. Of course, she's only two hours away so shipping time is short, but Linda and her gals are the greatest around. And their store is a stitchers dream. The rest of my order was from the Froggy Stitcher . I ordered a chart which was out of stock but on sale, Thread hoops from Kelmscott (really lovely) and three skeins of Crescent colors cotton overdyes in Black Bird, Blacksmith Blue and River Rocks. Those last are for an upcoming project I have planned. Karen was really great to deal with and got my order out right away.

So, there you have it. A finish and some new stash. I've not gotten a lot of stitching done the last few days because hubby is home again, working on the truck. I think I'm going to name this truck TROUBLE since its been causing problems all year. This time the radiator blew out, to the tune of $745. The new one was delivered this morning. Oh, and of course, with him needing to be outside working on the repairs, we have a thunder storm arriving any time.

Until next post, Happy Stitching and may your finishes be many.

Mother's Day Silks and Update to Stash Room

This is what I received for Mother's Day from my darling hubby. Isn't it gorgeous? Its the full line (so far) of Belle Soie Silks, from Crescent Colors. Wasn't he just the most thoughtful of men? He knows I've been wanting these for a long time, since I first used them for LHN Prairie Sampler. Personally, I think they are the nicest silks on the market, and even one strand covers well.

Here is more of a close-up of the colors. I am so wanting to start a project with them right NOW, but I'll be patient and wait until I finish LHN Thread Gathering. I'm enjoying it and its starting to look really nice now. And when its done, I'll hang it up, over the door of my stash/guest room.

Now, on to the update to the cleaning of my stash room/guest room. I have to quantify that all the time because I sort of feel guilty having an entire room, albeit a small room, dedicated to stitching. I uploaded all the pictures in order, but somehow Blogger decided to rearrange them, so instead of trying to upload them all over again, I'll leave them as is, and hope you can manage to see the room as a whole. Okay, so the bed didn't get totally cleaned off. That bag you see at the end of the bed is full of fabric to make two blankets, and very hard to find a place for. I'm just going to have to get those blankets made up and given out, and get that out of the room. You can just see the circle of silks that I laid out, my Brave Hearts laid on the pillow for picture taking, and a few other things that need stowing away. You can also see my wall of Told in a Garden Bookmark stitchings. Am I showing my age yet? I think I did all but 2 of those.
This picture was to show the top of my big Ugly, where I store baskets, stuffing and quilt batt, and its the corner of the room opposite to the bed. This picture was taken from the doorway so you can see that the room is quite small.
This is the same green chest from the last picture--it stores all of my charts and leaflets. I've never found a really good use for this piece, until I noticed that the charts fit in perfectly. This is a handmade piece and I just love it. Would have rather it be a different color though.
This is that library desk that you couldn't see at all in my last post. You can see it a bit better now. My two sewing machines, magazines stored underneath, and a lone bag of fabric that I'm not sure what to do with yet. On the right is my rolling shelves for beads, and I haven't touched it yet. It needs to be better arranged so that things don't fall off so often, LOL.
This is my little ugly, it sits on the wall next to the door, and houses my kits. There's another picture, that should have been right after this one, showing how I've organized the inside. And that is my cheap-o stash room stereo, and right above that, is one of my old stitchings, one of the first I'd done.

Well, what do you know? They actually put the picture in the right spot. It looks messy, doesn't it? But on closer inspection, it really isn't. The top shelf has kits that come in those plastic envelopes and in front, my cord maker. The next shelf are smaller kits, and I have them arranged in three boxes and that green organizer is full of scissors. The next shelf are those kits that come in the hard plastic boxes, mostly silk gauze kits. Also, thats where I've stored the Sudberry pincushions, pretty porcelain boxes, thread keepers by Max Bloom, etc. Bottom shelf is pretty much the same, just different kits, along with my collection of amish quilt kits. Remember those?
And here is the inside of my lovely new china cabinet. I got the baskets at Kmart's also. The baskets hold my stitching fabric, and a basket underneath holds finishing fabrics. The top shelf has my perle cotton balls, and some specialty fibers. The drawers are holding my new silks, some Crescent Color cottons, and some of my newest pretties.
The bookcase in the back holds magazines, for the most part, the small basket, and the large basket hold Shepherd's Bush kits. The little drawers there beside the china cabinet hold specialty fabrics, like linen banding and such.
On top of the bookshelf of magazines is this lovely cabinet--its supposed to be a spice rack, no kidding--I got it at Target a long time ago, and it holds a myriad of things: beads, charms, silk embellishment kits for Drawn Thread kitlets, Just Nan embellishments, Victoria Sampler threads, charms for SB stockings, you name it, its probably in there.

Next post, the start of LHN Thread Gathering. Now, I'm off to have dinner and get in a bit of stitching before Hubby wakes up and starts emailing me. Darn Blackberry! As always, I welcome your comments, and any advise that will help me clean up this room even more.