The Peacock's Feather

Sampler Possibilities

Thanks for suggestions on samplers to stitch!  I have the charts for Marquoir de Justine, and Dorothy's Garden (Michelle--are you using silks to stitch that?  I would love to kit it up, but I know I can't afford so many silks--does it give conversions?  I must pull out my chart!).  They are both gorgeous and both are tempting.  I looked up all the suggestions--more temptations!  I think I would like to stitch the Sampler Company's (Brenda Keyes) Contented Mind Sampler.  Unfortunately I don't own it.  On the up side, I could use Lambswool (my favorite fabric--nice and stiff and easy to stitch on) and it calls for DMC.  I was hoping to choose something from my stash.  I have been pretty good about not buying anything new this year (only a few things--a few for myself and a few to be added to gifts for exchanges). 

So to my stash I finally went.  I know I could look through my charts, and no doubt I have other samplers kitted up that I could choose from as well.  But here are the majority of what I have.  Now to choose one that jumps out at me.  I need something to keep my interest!  I'd like something not too large and not too complicated. 

Top Row (left to right):

• Manvela Peres (Mexican Sampler) by Threads of Gold (this calls for white linen, which you dye with walnuts when you are finished stitching--I have never tried that--do you dye after stitching or before?)
• Spanish Wine by Wild-Hearts Designs (great idea LauraB--this is gorgeous and tempting, it also looks sort of complicated--there are so many eyelets!)
• Dames Boarding School by Examplar Dames Design (I am leaning heavily towards this one.  I have the called for uneven weave linen--I wonder if it is hard to stitch on?)
• Jane Turner (1668) by The Essamplaire (this one is recommended for Very Advanced Stitchers--I wonder if I could do it?  Maybe to complicated right off the bat--it calls for double running, satin, seed, trellis, spiral trellis, bouillion, detached buttonhole, couching, chain, montenegrin and marking cross)
• The Fishing Lady by The Scarlet Letter (a design adapted from 18th-century American samplers)

Bottom Row (left to right):

• Spanish Sampler by Threads of Gold (I don't have the right linen for this, but I do have silks!  It calls for church linen,which I understand is no longer made.  I need to look for a substitution)
• Spanish Geometrical Sampler by The Needles Content (this is a UFO--I have a tiny start on it.  I'm sort of not in the mood to stitch this color scheme at the moment, though, as it is similar to the needleroll I just did.  Lovely colors, but I am in the mood for something different)
• The Amanda Lavealliere Sampler by The Essamplaire (not too large, easy to stitch, but again that lavender color scheme)
• Elizabeth Tice (1810) by The Essamplaire (this is another fishing lady sampler--lots and lots of words to stitch)
• Ann Kirby Sampler (1790) by The Scarlet Letter (shepherd and shepherdess, and lots and lots more words)
• Maria Ignacia Olivera (Mexican Sampler circa 1850) by The Scarlet Letter (yes, I am very fond of Spanish Samplers!)

So, which to choose.  This is always the hardest part.   I guess I need to pull out the charts and see which one really hits me.  Has anyone stitched any of these yet?

After This... I'm on the wagon!

My supplies came today for my Spanish Wine Sampler by Wild-Heart Designs!  Yay.  I better enjoy them...this may be the last biggie I get for a while!  Now, in my defense I ordered the silks and fabric before I got my last credit card bill.  Had I seen the bill first, I wouldn't be celebrating at the moment (I would have no new silks)!  The fabric is 36 count Navy Bean by Lakeside Linens, and the silks are AVAS.  The silks are on spools, so they must be different than the kind I usually use that come in skeins.  I am assuming you use this as it comes off the spool.  The colors are lovely and bright.  Now that I have everything, it will all join the stitching queue.  As I am working on another Spanish Sampler...one at a time.  At least it is all ready to go!  And I can look at all my goodies--that alone should keep me going for a while!

Not Enough Stitching Time...

Lately I have had very little stitching time in the evenings at home.  Why does it absolutely drag while I am at work, but when I come home the time flies by?  And I most definitely do not have enough stitching time!  It is a good thing I can stitch a little before work and on my break!  Here is my small progress on my Spanish Geometric Sampler.  If I have read correctly on Annemiek's blog, she is coming out with a new Spanish Sampler...Hmmm, I better get going on this one.  She actually has a Spanish Flower Sampler that I want too.  I swear, other than needlework stuff, books, and chocolate, I really do have loads of self control--though it certainly does not show here!  LOL!

A New Project Started...

I promise I won't bore you all by posting a picture of each row I stitch in this sampler, but as I have been so excited to start this--here it is.  These are my first stitches in the Spanish Geometric Sampler by The Needle's Content.  I am starting this in the middle of ths fabric and working my way up and out, then I will finish the bottom half.  Even though Caron silks are pretty expensive, this is not too bad of a splurge since it doesn't call for too many colors.  The silks are lovely and soft--sorry the scan isn't too nice.  It is 32ct fabric, and I am just using one ply, but I think the coverage should be okay.  I can't wait until I get a bit farther and have some of the middle squares stitched at least.  I am so happy to finally be working on a Spanish style sampler.  Now it seems I keep seeing more and more of them--both original designs and reproductions.  I am really glad designers have taken an interest in them as they are really so lovely!  I think there is another Spanish style sampler by The Needle's Content called The Spanish Flower Sampler that I will probably have to invest in as well!  And I better not even mention all the other new ones that are out...

My Floss Has Arrived!

Yay.  The rest of my floss has come in the mail.  I hope to put in  my first stitches tonight, but we'll see.  It is pretty bad to start a new project, but I have been wanting to work on this one pretty badly.  The colors are gorgeous!  In case you can't see the scan well, these are my supplies for the Spanish Geometrical Sampler by the Needle's Content.  It is always so fun to start something new...

No Self Control...

Yes, you have seen this design here recently.  And now I have gone and bought the supplies...something like 19 spools of silks, metallic floss, AVAS floss and the fabric....The design is by Wild-Heart Designs.  I have heard it is gorgeous in person.  So, since I am waiting on the rest of my supplies for my other Spanish sampler, I broke down and ordered everything for this one, too.  We'll see which supplies come first.  Maybe I will just go ahead and start both of them.  And I just got my credit card bill, but we won't go there!!  Pam recently updated her website, and Monday will be posting five new samplers.  They are reproduction samplers, I believe, from her own collection that she just charted out.  I can't wait to see them....

It's Here...Well Almost...

Finally, it is here--or part of it at least.  I received my Spanish Geometrical Sampler in the mail today from Elegant Stitch.  I ordered the fabric at the same time as well as the floss, but they are still waiting for a floss shipment from Caron.  So I have a partial order at least.  I have two of the five floss colors.  I think I will have to wait to start.  I was suprised at how large the fabric was--25" square.  This is going to be bigger than I had pictured it.  I just have to find Mill Hill beads 10029 and 10027.  Anyone know who carries them?  ES called them magnifica beads, which they don't stock.  Sorry, the picture looks pretty washed out, but the chart calls for 32 ct. antique white Belfast linen, waterlilies in olive (shown), jade, and hyacinth, and soie cristale 1091 (shown) and 1092, and of course the beads I will need to track down.  I can at least study my chart, and keep stitching my other projects until I get the rest of my supplies.  Ah, the anticipation of starting a new project...

Spanish Samplers

Lately I have been rather fixated with Spanish style samplers, and you may find me posting a bit about them.  In one of my online needlework groups I actually started a thread about Spanish Samplers, and it got quite a lot of response.  I would like to do a bit of research, or at least track down more information on them. This is a sampler done in the Spanish style, and I think it is lovely.  It is by a new designer, Wild-Heart Designs, and it is hard to believe this is one of her first charts as it looks so elegant and professional!  I have read that she will be coming out soon with some more new samplers including some with a Spanish/Mexican feel to them.  I may have mentioned that I ordered a Spanish Geometrical Sampler by The Needle's Content (which appears on her homepage) as well as the fabric and floss.  I have been waiting for the material to arrive, and I plan on beginning to stitch it regardless of my other ongoing projects (I know I have no self control!).  The design is gorgeous and the colors would look so nice in my house.  Also it is all cross stitch and smyrna stitches, so I don't think it will be difficult to do.  However, I have been dragging around my Spanish Wine Sampler, and I may have to stitch that one as soon as I do the other one.  It calls for a lot of double running stitch, which I have not done much of, so it seems sort of daunting to me.  But I am sure once I got started on it, it would go fast. Until then, I have more than enough ongoing projects to keep me busy!!