No rest for the wicked as they say. I actually started this just before I finished PS's "February".
And now that I am officially finished I can concentrate on Birds of a Feather's "Valentine Holiday". I stitched this once before but I gave it away. This time I am stitching it for myself. If I work as industriously as I did this past weekend, I might even be able to finish it by Valentine's Day!
It's been a while since you've seen this, hasn't it? I'm almost
finished with my "Pink Hill Manor", and I am itching to put in those
last stitches so I can move on to something new.
Mostly it is only small motifs and a few over one words and letters that I have to stitch yet. As always it's a matter of finding a nice chunk of time to sit down with this and get through the last bits yet to stitch. I've been making slow but steady progress nonetheless. I've been stitching for a few minutes each day before work and it seems to add up, as here I am so close to the end!
I'm not sure if I ever shared this design here or not. It's by
Lizzie Kate. I started stitching it a while ago and am almost finished
with this one as well. Just a little backstitching and a few more
motifs to finish. I want to finish this as a pincushion (like this one).
Have I mentioned lately how much I miss stitching? I can't seem to
get the energy to stitch on the weekends these days, and it goes without
saying I never seem to have enough time to accomplish all the things I
want to when I do have free time (but I know I'm not alone with this problem!).
Of course lack of enough free time doesn't stop me thinking about
what I might stitch next (much like looking ahead in my reading). These
samplers are by Prairie Schooler and are from their "Country Seasons"
chart. I think I'd stitch the "Autumn Sampler" if I can pick one soon.
Or maybe something quick like this little sheep from Shepherds Bush
called "Queen Bee". They have a whole series of sheep designs, and I've
been trying to stitch them all.
I'm not sure how I'll finish them all--little pillows maybe to fill a
basket? Anyway, I think I'm ready to add a new sheep to my collection.
But, first things first. I'm not allowing myself a new project until I finish one first!
I was holding off posting here until I had finished my Prairie Schooler "February Sampler", but as I am still working on it, I thought I had better just share my progress before January slips away entirely. I still want to try and finish this before next month, and I am getting close. I only need to finish filling in the snow/white under the houses and add a bit of backstitching. Almost done!
All that white fill in was getting tedious, so I pulled out my poor "Mystery Sampler" by Blackbird Designs. It has been untouched for months and months. I wasn't looking forward to those eyelet stitches for the grapes, but I need to just knuckle down and do them. I don't like how my eyelets look, but I think once they are done they'll be okay. There was no explanation on the chart about how the eyelets are to be done or how many plies of floss, so I have been using two--not sure that is right, but the smyrnas called for two plies, so I decided to keep it all uniform. I'm ready to move on to section three, so I am stitching away on this one now.
And after seeing Susan's gorgeous finish, I was thinking Hillside Sampling's "Strawberry Fields" might be my 2012 project. My long term project that is. I accomplished very little last year and hope to do better this year. We'll see, so it's best not to make too many plans or assume I'll whip this design out quickly, since I expect it will take me months to finish.
Here's my little start. It looks like a challenging project, so I hope I can stick it out and do it on my own!
Do you remember this? The Needle's Content "Sampler Farm" was going to be one of my February projects. Valentine's Day has passed and I will probably not get to some of the designs I had hoped to start, but I did put in the first stitches on this one.
I'm using overdyed floss as called for in the chart but I am stitching it on 40 count Lambswool. I was happy that I stitched the outline of the heart without making a single error! That doesn't happen often. Now I am starting to fill in the little motifs. It's not too large, so I am hoping I can make quick progress on it. I have no idea yet how I will finish it (maybe a door hanger?), but I love the design!
They're here! Earlier I asked about Blackbird Designs' Mystery Sampler from 2008 and I decided to splurge and kit the charts up to stitch. I guess I didn't quite realize what I was getting (hence the "bonus sampler" note on the charts), but these are four of the Loose Feather charts that have a bonus chart on each to stitch a sampler. I really have been out of the stitching loop for the last couple of years. I feel better about my splurge as I got not only the sampler I wanted to stitch, but four other charts as well. It seems well worth the money now. The charts used for the sampler are Loose Feathers Patterns #31-34.
I opted for the individual linens to go with each section of the mystery sampler. All the linens are 30 count. The first section calls for Korty's Blend, the second uses Irish Cream, the third calls for Old Town Blend, the fourth uses Iced Cappuccino, and the fifth Old Mill Java--all by R&R Reproductions. Now I only hope I will be able to sew each section together without too much problem! Suzanne and I are going to do a SAL for this and I can't wait to start (though I should really try and finish my Sampler Farm first!
On a side note, Kathy of Carriage House Samplings has started sharing photos of Autumn of Hawk Run Hollow! As if I needed any other temptations when it comes to new designs!
Is it too soon to start looking forward to February? I'm ready to put January behind me (and all this snow!). And it'll mean it's one month closer to spring! I decided to take advantage of the link Annemiek shared and have started stitching Piecework Magazine's freebie 'Quaker Heart'. Here are my first few stitches from last week.
And I made a little progress over the weekend. I am using my very favorite linen, Lambswool. I love the stiffness of the fabric (which is easy for me to work with) and how it becomes nice and soft/flexible with handling. I had a variety of colors set out to choose from but in the end I chose red as it seemed to look the best against the fabric. It is pretty predictable, so I might stitch another one using a different color. It depends on how fast the stitching goes, though it seems to work up pretty quickly.
And I've pulled out a couple of Valentine's Day charts, too. I am not overly fond of the actual holiday, which seems really commercialized, but I will admit to a fondness for Valentine's Day-related needlework designs. This is an older chart by Sheepish Designs called "Valentine Wabbit". I ordered my supplies--well, some of them. I need to read the materials' lists a bit more carefully. I didn't order enough beads/treasures, but I should still have enough materials to start work. And I am also missing a few floss colors and the ribbons (am not sure where I can order those). I think I may change the phrase in the heart--what's there seems a bit cutesy to me (or maybe I am feeling especially cranky this winter). Any ideas? I could just stitch 'love'---something simple.
I stitched "Valentine Holiday" by Birds of a Feather before, but I gave it away in an exchange. You can see a photo in my Picturetrail album in the 2005 Finishes section (scroll down). It's not a great photo as I used my scanner. This was before I owned my trusty little digital camera. I didn't use the fabric that was called for, but did I bother to note what I used? Of course not. This time around I am using the fabric as listed on the chart. It seems very red, but I am sure it will work just fine. I think I will start with this one. I am excited to finally stitch this for myself!
I'll still be working on my GH "Sampler Farm", but I really like having smaller projects on the go as well and being able to switch back and forth. ...And after these I will start thinking about some spring designs! But first things first!
I've still got a bit of stitching to do on my BOAF bee skep, but I am nearly there. Had I not been ill last weekend, I think it would be finished now. Oh well, I'll get there.
I wanted to share my next project. I recently ordered Wendy KC Designs, "Strawberry Bag with 3 Sweeties" and have been studying the instructions. Is anyone planning on stitching this? I have to admit I am a little confused by the instructions. I'm not sure who to ask for clarification. I've not yet stitched and finished a bag like this, though I know more or less how to make the accessories.
In case anyone is working on this and happens by...my questions so far:
There are two pieces of linen--if I understand the instructions the smaller piece is for the bottom of the bag, however the illustration shows the larger piece for the bag, a few of the accessories and the smaller piece is for the rest of the accessories.
The instructions call for basting along the short side on one side. Which side do I choose?
I believe I start stitching on the right side and work to the left and the bag patter gets repeated four times with ten threads in between.
Should I cut apart my linen for the accessories, or wait until I've got everything stitched?
I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go. I also have a feeling that as I begin stitching it will make more sense, but I'm a visual person and wish there were more illustrations on how to do this.
Any help is appreciated!
I've actually made a bit more progress than this photo shows, but I'd like to at least finish stitching another side before I take another one. I'm trying to be industrious as I have my eye on two new projects. And then there is this design I'm tempted to buy and the new Hawk Run Hollow Christmas design (how will I ever be able to afford that one? Will start with the chart first).
Rummaging through my stash (in search of something else entirely), I came across Just Nan's "Summer Spell" which I bought ages ago. I think I need to stitch this one now. It's small, so perhaps I can get it done in a week or so. Will share progress later...
I've made very little progress on my Carriage House Samplings cushion. It may be a small project, but stitched on 40 count linen, there is still a lot to fill in it seems. I'm also not overly pleased with how my stitches are looking, but I think once it is actually finished into a cushion, I will like it much more than I do now.
I had been thinking I wouldn't mind working on something summer-y since the weather is getting warmer and it finally feels like summer. I pulled out a Birds of a Feather chart called "No Bees, No Honey". I love bee motifs and it's been ages since I stitched one. I will have to iron my fabric as it is quite limp and I have a hard time working on limp fabric.
I also pulled out a project I had started ages ago, but didn't get many stitches in. Again it is a Birds of a Feather design called "Land That I Love". It calls for an ivory fabric, but I picked one I had on hand that is closer to a light tan (sorry the color is not true here--I couldn't get the light quite right). I'm not sure I like it as much now as I did when I started it, but I'm not sure I have any ivory fabric to begin again.
I'm being very difficult, aren't I? Not terribly pleased with anything? I think that's why I've not been stitching much lately (and posting here even less!). I want to stitch, but I can't sem to find anything to settle down on that I actually enjoy working on!
