The Peacock's Feather

Pink Hill Manor Takes Shape

Since I've made steady progress on Pink Hill Manor, I thought it was time for an update!

A little time lapse photography...here it is at the beginning. 

. . . a few stitches and a few weeks later...

It's finally beginning to take shape.  I'm wondering if now I am being optimistic about possibly entering it into the State Fair next month.  It may yet happen, but I might take a look through my bin of "finished" but not Finished projects and see if there is something I might be able to sew up quickly to enter.  We'll see.  I might have to think about this one for a possible entry next year!  The problem is more that it will need to be framed and as I don't do my own framing I might not have enough time to pay someone to frame it.  It doesn't matter really, as the important thing is simply to enjoy stitching, right?!

Pink Hill Progress

Has it really been so long since I checked in here?  Rather, gave a proper update on what I've been working on?  I do check in and read comments, which I am very appreciative of receiving by the way.  I was hoping I could post updates at least twice a week and then a month will flew by so quickly.  But I have been stitching.  I've mostly been working on Blackbird Designs' "Pinkhill Manor" which I am very much enjoying stitching.  I take it to work with me and try and spend at least fifteen minutes or half an hour before I clock in.  Even though it's not a huge chunk of time the stitches really do begin to add up.  Will I be able to finish it before the end of the month (and have it framed) is the question.  I need to check on the deadline for entry into my State Fair in August.  Fingers crossed.  I had such high hopes of finishing several projects and now I think I will be lucky (and happy) to have just one entry. 

There is still a chance that I can stitch the Just Nan biscornu that I mentioned last time, but even a small project of JN seems labor intensive--so many color changes.  But biscornus are just about my favorite thing to stitch and finish, so I might give it a try. 

I've been working on my Mystery Sampler, too, and hopefully will give an update of that soon.  My digital camera is practically dead and I need to invest in a new one, but I've been able scrape by so far with the poor (very old) HP that I've had for years. 

I hope everyone is having a great summer and not wilting too much in the heat.  We finally got a break from the near (or over) 100F days we've been having here in Nebraska, but mid-80s with humidity is still not as nice as I wish it could be.  Summer in the Midwest, though, what can I expect, right?

State Fair Material?

Over the weekend I ordered supplies to stitch this sampler, "Pink Hill Manor", by Blackbird Designs.  I've owned the chart for about a year and am in the mood now to stitch it.  I've also got an ulterior motive as I have decided to enter some of my recent needlework projects into the State Fair.  I've never entered my work into any sort of competition, and haven't a clue whether anything I do would be good enough to win anything, but it sounds like it could be fun and might even provide motivation to me to make better progress on my work.

To that end, I need to decide what I want to enter.  The work has to be something completed within the last three years.  And it has to be something that I think might actually have a chance of catching a judges eye.  Do you remember my "Mystery Sampler"?  It is also a Blackbird Design and I am more than halfway finished with the stitching.  I think the last two sections would go fast if I could just get past this more labor intensive (lots of filling in of stitches) middle part.  Once it is sewn together and framed I think it would be a pretty striking piece.

This biscornu would be easy to finish, and maybe fairly quick to stitch.  The designer is Just Nan and it's called "When Barnabee Met Bella".  Barnabee and Bella at bees and they are recurring 'characters' in a series of needlework designs by Just Nan (I've got a number of them by the way).  This is one of my favorite ways to finish a design, though it might have to go into a "miscellaneous" category.

And there is a sampler category, in which this would fit nicely.  However, it is only perhaps a third of the way finished.  The State Fair is in late August, which means I don't have a lot of time and should really concentrate on just one project (or one project and the little pincushion).  

How to choose?  If you were a judge, which would you be most impressed with?  Has anyone entered needlework into your local state fair?  Any suggestions or advice?

The Work Continues

It's amazing how trying to add just a letter a day will speed progress along.  Which is what I've been trying to do--at a letter or row here and there.  I'm itching to spend some time stitching this weekend--hopefully I can make time for it, as stitching time seems to be hard to come by on weekends lately. 

By the way, are you on Pinterest?  I am.  You can visit me here.  If you tell me your username or give me your link, I'll follow you--have just recently discovered it and find it hugely addicting!

Working on . . .

As much as I liked working on something small, like my last finish, I'm happy to get back to my Lo, How a Rose Sampler that has sat untouched for far too long.  I have several WiPs that really do need some attention, but this has been th emost enjoyable and easy to stitch on.  So, I've pulled it back out and have been trying to add a letter a day at the very least.  Once I get this right hand side of the sampler filled in, I think it is going to fly by--at least I hope so!

Rose of Hope by Indigo Rose

My first finish of 2012!  A little sad that it has taken me all the way until April to complete something, but I'm pleased with how my "Rose of Hope" scissor case by Indigo Rose turned out.

I finished the stitching a while ago, but I've not had much time this year to do much stitching and I am a slow 'finisher', so I knew better than to start this when I wouldn't have an afternoon (or in this case--afternoon and part of an evening) to finish it.

The finishing was a little more challenging than I anticipated.  It seemed fairly straightforward, but the case has a wool lining that made it a bit bulky to work with.  Also, the instructions weren't explicit about the seam allowance and what to do with it.  I had to go back and rip things apart when I saw how it was all going to lay out.

I do like finishing with backstitches and then whipstitching the sides together, but there were a lot of layers to work with.  It was very slow going.

But here it is.  It always amazes me a little how clunky it can appear during the finishing process, but once you tuck away all the unseemly edges and bits that were starting to fray, it ends up looking quite nice.

I decided to stitch my initials the the year over one on the back, but otherwise it is pretty plain.

I love making Spider Web stitches!

Aside from the corners, which are always a little tricky, the stitching looks fairly even.  So it was all worth the effort and moments of frustration.  I've completed several from this series of smalls that Elegant Stitch sold several years back.  I will have to share my finishes thus far sometime soon.

Although I want to keep working on these projects (though small doesn't always mean fast!), I am looking forward to getting back to one of my larger projects now.  Hopefully I can start making time for my needlework again.  A finis always gives me a little burst of energy!

A Shamrock for Luck

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!  This is a little March pinkeep I stitched years ago from one of the Prairie Schooler "Prairie Year" charts.  I still need to finish stitching most of the rest of the months.  Life has been hectic lately, so I've not even gotten in any stitching time on the weekend, but I do hope that changes soon!

Miscellaneous Items

The stitching is done and now I am working on the backstitching.  I was too tired to finish last night and found myself counting and counting but too afraid to make a mistake so set it aside.  Now that is tonight's job.  I'm thinking of stitching my initials and the date on the back as well.  Almost there.

Is anyone else out there on Postcrossing?  I joined a couple of weeks ago and am finding it awfully addicting.  In case you aren't familiar, people from all over the world are part of Postcrossing.  You send out five postcards and as each one is received you are entitled to get a postcard from someone else in the mail.  It's all random, so you don't know where your card will come from.  I've sent out a total of eight cards now.  Three have been received, five are still traveling.  And just this weekend I received my first two cards in the mail.  Such excitement.  I never get real mail these days, which I miss.  I used to love writing letters when I was young, but this is nice as it is a quick message, and then you get something special in the mail in return.  I've even created an online album to log my postcards.  You can see it here if you are curious.  And if anyone is interested in swapping postcards with me, so drop me an email (literarycat@hotmail.com).

Now, not sure if anyone else is as addicted to Downton Abbey as I am, but I am off to watch the finale to season two.  Something else that I have found very addictive.  I try and stitch as I watch, but I find I am usually glued to the TV to get much work done!

What I've Been Working on and New Stash

It's been far too quiet here lately, but I have actually been working on a new project.  I am actually finished stitching this and am working this weekend on doing the backstitching in anticipation of finishing it very soon!  This is an Elegant Stitch Breast Cancer Charity piece that I was on automatic years ago.  I have a pile of these projects--some are done and others (like this) just waiting to be worked on.  This particular design is by Indigo Rose called "Rose of Hope".

And I took advantage of the Super Bowl Sale over at The Silver Needle a few weeks back and got everything on my wishlist.  I love the little fobs by Drawn Thread, Peace" and "Love" and had to have my birth month, "February".

More February designs.  I don't generally go for mushy sorts of charts, but when you're born in the month with Valentine's Day it's hard to get around all the hearts and gushy stuff.  "A Little Love" by Lizzie Kate is another instant gratification project.  It's small and I think it will be another pincushion.  "February Wordplay" by Brenda Gervais will be another to add to my collection and will likely finish this as a mattress pincushion.

I have wanted "Pink Hill Manor" for ages, though.  I love designs with houses on them.  And I am a pushover for just about anything Prairie Schooler comes up with and "A Farmer's Almanac" was no different.  And I promise...the next needlework post I share will be about something I have finished.  I still have snow to fill in on my PS "February" Sampler.  I vowed to complete it by the end of the month, which is now quickly approaching!  Of course I have itchy fingers to start one of these new designs, but I don't have anything kitted up and had better stay focused on my 'almost finished' projects anyway.

Finally a Few Updates

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!