The Peacock's Feather

So Neglected

Here is my poor neglected Mystery Sampler I!  If nothing else, I thought I would pull it out and look at how nicely it was coming along until I ran out of extra stitching time!  I really want to work on this one again.  I have seen photos of this all finished and it is really very pretty.  Also, I want to join the Midi Mystery that is currently going on, but I try to make myself look at this UN-finished project (and think of my credit card, which is supposed to be on sabbatical) to stop myself!  However look at Dani's Blog and Nicki's Blog (she took a slanted photo and you can really see the texture), and you will be able to understand my dilemma.  I really want to join in this mystery...

And on a different note, I have heard that there is a Little House Needleworks freebie out there that is called Miniature Home Town Game Board that can be had from Stitches N Things.  I am sending a SASE for it.  I can't wait to get it, as it sounds like a fun chart, and I pretty much love anything by Little House Needleworks.  The best part is it is a free--just the cost a stamp and whatever supplies.  This is more along what I can afford right now....even though I want the Midi Mystery...

3D Stitching

Today on Vero's blog she posted a photo of a very cool looking book.  Small houses that are made of fabric.  I believe it might be a Japanese book?  I think Patchwork is very popular over there.  It looks very tempting, and I am going to have to do a little searching around for it.  But that book reminded me of a book I bought ages ago.  It is on 3-dimensional cross stitch.  There are sachets (as on the cover--I may try making one of those), an entire little village as well as other boxes and such to put trinkets in.  I had this one put away as when I bought it I was so new to stitching, let alone finishing techniques, that I didn't dare give anything a try.  Also everything seems to be stitched on Aida fabric, which I no longer use.  Ever since learning to stitch on linen, I just can't go back.  I think the projects could be converted to linen or evenweave at least.  I saw some very lovely "houses" that were stitched by the Swan Sampler Guild.  I think you had to be a local member to take that class--they were so cool.  It seems as though I have only seen actual 3D stitching projects as class pieces.  Other than this book is anyone familiar with any 3D designs?

Which Project to Work On?

The problem with having so many projects going at once is having to decide which one to work on.  Exchanges make it a little easier as those generally come first.  I haven't shared any updated photos of John Foster lately.  I am a bit slowed down on the house.  The rows are not identical, which means you have to really pay attention, and more than once now I have had to rip out stitches.  Maybe it would be easier if I highlighted each row as I went.  Or maybe I need to enlarge this section of the chart, as I am having a hard time getting those red bricks in the right places!  I think it will be easier once I get in the windows as they break up all those long rows!  Slowly but surely it is getting there.

Last night I did work on the Little Paradise Sampler.  I think I know why I set this one down--I like smyrnas--but there are so many of them in the alphabet--and all over four threads.  Luckily I am on the last row.  I started working on the Herringbone row, and also the "wrought by" row.  Before I only would stitch one section and complete it before I moved on, but lately I just work on what I feel like.  It is nice to change around on a sampler.  I haven't worked on my My Beekeeper class project.  I had wanted to get a little start on it, so maybe that is what I will pull out tonight. 

Maybe I need to work on a rotation schedule.  What do other stitchers do?  Any recommendations?  I just pull things out a bit haphazardly.  Now I am off to stitch a while.  I worked on my second exchange project this afternoon, so I think I need to stitch on one of my own projects tonight!

By the way--I was just reading some blogs--I didn't get in much blog reading this weekend, and I have found a fun new place that will be holding exchanges:  Blogging Exchanges.  I have added this site to my sidebar, so hop on over there.  It looks like KiwiJo will be hostessing a Halloween exchange and Vero from France will be organizing a Fall/Autumn exchange.   Too fun!!

Ensemble a Couture

Look at what I got in the mail today.  I have been wanting the chart to make these accessories for a while now.  I think they are lovely.  After stitching and finishing This Too Shall Pass, I feel confident that I can make this scissor case as well, as it appears to be the same shape.  I was so excited when I saw it as I have not seen any other designs like this one.  I know I can make the fob, but the needle case  will take a little help as I have yet to stitch one of those. 

I am going to have to ask any French stitchers who stop by (or will ask on Legacy) about a few French/English conversions.  Is 14 fils au cm about the same as 28 count fabric?  I wonder if Atelie floss can be purchased anywhere here in the US?  WyndhamNeedleworks may carry it-- I will have to check.  The designer offers the DMC conversion, though, so I can always stitch it all in DMC.  And another quesion--is there more than one type Atalie floss?  There are three rows for the floss type called for in the chart--Atalie, Atelier Du Pic Vert (is this another type floss--this one is a new one to me), and DMC.  The model is stitched on "Dune" fabric by Annie Cicatelli, which looks a bit like a natural linen.  I will have to see what I can come up with here as a substitute.  I am really excited about stitching this set!!

My other exciting news--I finished the stitching on one of my exchange projects.  It is for the Sampler House Exchange. I have to say--I am quite pleased how it turned out.  I chose to stitch a freebie, and sometimes it is hard to tell what it will look like when completed!  I may have to stitch it again for myself!   It is due to be mailed on the 25th, so I have this week to do the finishing on it.  I will start it this weekend, but there should be no problem getting that done.  I also have a few little goodies in the mail coming that I plan on including.  I love exchanges.  It is so fun getting/giving gifts from other stitchers!!  Now I will be working on my Summer project.  I have a good start on the stitching, but I still have a bit to do on that one.  That one is due to be mailed Aug. 1, so I have two weeks to get that one finished.

I have decided to work on my Little Paradise Sampler.  It is really too pretty to let sit any longer.  So expect to see my progress pictures here.  I will post as I get work done on it.  As a matter of fact, I plan on working on it tonight as a reward for getting my exchange stitching done!

Should I Resurrect this UFO?

When this appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of  SANQ, I knew I had to stitch it.  It is called the Little Paradise Sampler and was designed by French designer, Virginie Menzildjian.  I am stitching it on 36 count cream Edinborough linen with Thread Gatherer Silk 'n Colors.  At the time Shakespeare's Peddler was selling the floss in shorter lengths a bit cheaper.  It is a lovely sampler, and the floss is wonderful to use.  SNC is one of my favorite types of silks--it is so luxurious, and the colors for this sampler are especially pretty.

I am not sure what happened.  I did get a good start on it, but I guess at some point something else caught my interest and I set this one down.  I didn't just set it down, but it was relegated once more to one of the plastic bins I keep my stash in.  In the last few days I was trying to catch up on my blog reading and I spotted this over at Carol's Stitching Blog.  And this reminded me how lovely it is, and why ever did I put it away??  And now I just took a peek at her blog once more and I see she is also working on The Houses of Hawk Run Hollow--another project that I started,but I have not worked on lately.  I am on about house #3 on that one.  My goal was to stitch six squares by the end of the year.  Hmmm...

Here is the work I have done on my Little Paradise Sampler.  Aren't the colors pretty?  After reading Carol's blog, I decided to go and search for it and pull it out.  I just have one line left of the smyrna alphabet, the "wrought by" and I would be ready to start on the house.  So, we'll see what happens.  I may just try and get this one into my rotation again!!

They're Blooming

Okay.  Here is my wee little start on my May snapper.  Maybe if I post a few photos of my works in progress I will get more motivated to get some things finished!  These are not too large, so really they should not take all that long to stitch.  I am finding that the more I work with Lambswool fabric, which is definitely on the stiff side, it is hard to work on softer, more "floppy" fabric.  My snappers are on one large cut of Country French Cafe Mocha linen, which is not at all stiff.  And it is long, so there is all that extra fabric to contend with. 

I have also discovered that the border was meant to be stitched in Bark, and I am stitching it all (vine included) in Dried Thyme.  I suppose it doesn't really matter as it is for me, and I can do whatever I like.  I do like how it looks in one long row (though I have seen some other lovely variations with the squares in multiple rows, etc), but I haven't a clue how I will ever finish this one.  I can just imagine how much it would cost  to frame it.  But imagine a long, long cushion!  Any ideas are welcome.  Maybe I can get in a few stitches on it tonight.  My goad is to get May, June and July caught up by the end of the month.  Now, I need to get going on my other monthly project....my Chatelaine Sampler Mystery I....

Homework!

I have been thinking about my next online class, which is in September.  I know I am not finished yet with the Indigo Rose pinkeep, but I do need to work on this one soon.  This class is more about learning how to finish than learning new or special stitches.  The first class is September 7, so I really need to have all the stitching finished by then.  While that is still a couple of months away, I am not the fastest of stitchers!  I think if I can get it started and work on it a few hours each week, I should have it ready to go and can concentrate on the finishing aspect.  I believe it is all satin stitches, but there are a lot of them and going on various directions!  My plan is to get a few stitches in this weekend to at least get it going.  Is anyone else taking this class?  Have you started stitching yet?

As for other projects, I will post some photos this week.  I have made a bit of progress on John Foster, but I am very behind on the Bent Creek Snappers!  Is anyone else stitching them, and stitching them in a long row?  I think I have used the wrong border color...I also have been working a little on the IR pinkeep.  I am working on the first pocket.  And of course I am stitching away on my exchanges, which I will share after they have been mailed out!!  I am posting early for once, and hopefully I can stitch for more than 15 minutes tonight!!

Sampler Book

Although I have been stitching away on my two projects, I don't want to post any photos just in case the recipients happen by.  I did find a mistake on my Summer project, though, so I may do a little ripping out before I go to bed!  As I have no other progress to show on anything (even though the days feel longer, I feel like I have less time to stitch!!), I thought I would share one of my needlework books.  I bought this one early on when I started getting into samplers.  The book is divided up into five sections: Reproduction Samplers, Schoolroom Samplers, Celebration Samplers, Flora and Fauna Samplers, and a Celebration of Childhood.  While not everything is to my taste, there are some very nice things in the book.  It was a very worthwhile purchase. 

This is my favorite project in the book.  It is a band sampler worked in the style of a seventeenth century original.  I even have this one all kitted up.  It has a variety of different stitches.  My favorite is the bargello band--I think that looks very impressive.  I have never stitched a reproduction sampler such as this, but I do have a few in my stash from The Scarlet Letter and The Essamplaire.  I have thought it would be really cool to stitch a sampler from each era and from each country.  I wonder how many I could come up with (just one representing each country or region say).  Of  course if you want to look at a lovely selection of samplers take a look at The Sampler Cove!  Her work amazes me!   I would love to have so many gorgeous stitched pieces!  I can barely get some small project finished these days!  On that note, maybe I should go and stitch instead of messing about on the computer!

Another Sweet Bag

I haven't had much to post lately--sorry.  I have been working on my two exchange projects.  I am almost finished with the Sampler House one, and I am making progress on my Summer project.  I have not had time to work on much else unfortunately.  Saturday night we went to a cookout at a lake (it was hot and sticky, but the food was good and my niece had fun), so not much in the way of stitching over the weekend.  Sundays are always catch up days for chores--yuck.

In the near future I will be working on another exchange project.  It is for Halloween (okay a bit far away still, but I noticed Michaels already has a Halloween aisle!!), and we are making sweet bags.  I think I am going to use a Drawn Thread Halloween design, and perhaps use the instructions for this bag to finish it.  The Precious Moments design is cute, but it is not really my cup of tea, so I will fill in that space with some DT design.  It looks like it calls for the nun's stitch again (I am working on that for my bookmark!), and some hem stitching and a chain stitch.  I think I will be able to finish it totally by hand.  I have made two other sweet bags, but this will be a new way to finish it.  This one even has beads around the outside of the bag, which I like.  By the way this design appeared in Just Cross Stitch October 2003.  It is amazing what great things you can find in back issues!  Anyway, I like to plan ahead!!

British Cross Stitch Magazine

Yesterday when I was at the bookstore I bought this British cross stitch magazine, Cross Stitch Collection.  The bookstore carries several different stitching magazines, but they do not carry SANQ unfortunately.  I subscribe to that one, though, as it is my favorite.  I wish Fine Lines would also come back, but I am not sure what is going on with them at present.  Usually I just flip through this one, but there were a few interesting things in  it, so I broke down and bought it (as it is on the pricey side--being in import).  It is nice to see what the trends are in other countries in terms of stitching.  I can only find American and British stitching magazines at my bookstore, however.

I have always been intrigued by Henry VIII, and his many wives.  I saw this sampler and I thought it was kind of cool.  I am not sure I will ever stitch it.  It might be fun to do it on a very small count fabric and hang it in my book room.  The magazine came with a pull out chart, which I have pulled out and I hope I don't manage to lose!  While this is not in the magazine, it is along the same lines--look at this Mary Queen of Scots Sampler.  Another lovely one I wouldn't mind stitching.  It is interesting how some designers are offering their charts as PDF downloads--instant gratification!!

I think these DMC kits are kind of cool, too.  I wonder if they make them to represent American historical events as well?  I don't think my Michaels store carries any DMC kits.  They just seem kind of fun, though they are rather different than my usual stitching choices.  The Christian Dior one is the one I found most interesting.

There is also an article on Blackwork.  I have never tried this before, but I do have the Drawn Thread chart A Little Blackwork, which I do want to stitch sometime!  I know there is a special way to stitch when doing Blackwork, but I have always wondered if it is very difficult.  Another thing to learn!

FInally there was a little blurb about this sampler, also by DMC, called Roses Sampler.  I think I may have seen this mentioned before on the Legacy board.  I think it is very elegant.  I would definitely like to stitch this one.  It would look very good in my house.  It looks as though it is sold as a kit, but I wonder if there is just a chart of it available?  Another project to add to my wish list.