The Peacock's Feather

Not sure what to think...

I spotted the two new Birds of a Feather designs at Elegant Stitch today.  I am not sure what I think about them.  When I first saw them, I didn't feel right away that I had to have them (which is usually the case with BOAF!).  But this one is definitely growing on me.  I have noticed that they seem to be selling the fabric now to go with the chart, which makes things a tad bit more pricey, though it is nice not having to track down the linen!

This is the other design, which is okay, but honestly it doesn't seem very different than any of their earlier Halloween designs.  If  I get either, I would be more apt to order the above design.  For now I will stick to the little witch that I finally got to start today.  It isn't as though I don't have plenty of other BOAF designs to stitch (several of them Halloween charts!).  What do you think?  Wonderful or so-so? 

And now the corners...

The middle of "Miss Kitty's Dragons" is now complete!  I have moved on to the corners now.  The opposite corners are actually the same,which should make things go fairly quickly.  Sorry this photo is slightly dark, but you will get the idea.  The bottom left row of leaf stitches took three tries before I got it right.  I was a thread off, which had I left it no one would have noticed I'm sure, but I want to make this as perfect as possible.  And they are fast to stitch up.  Now they are correctly done.  Even though so many little color changes within borders and flowers can be somewhat tedious, they turn out very nicely when they are done!  I may just have to pull out the finishing instructions soon and start studying them...

Today I received this piece of linen in the mail from Chelle who very kindly shared some of her Belfast linen in the lovely color of "Cognac" with me!  I plan on stitching this little witchy for Halloween, and it called for a linen color that is no longer made.  I thought I would have to settle for a substitute that I was not entirely happy with, but Chelle had it in her stash.  Thank heavens for stash, eh!  The photo is again a tad bit darker than in reality--I think this color is going to do quite nicely for this design!  I would even like to finish it into a pillow similar to the chart photo complete with the gingham fabric!  We'll see how it goes.  How many projects is that now that I am ready to start....?

Sneak Preview

Today I stopped by the bookstore to pick up a book, and I had to swing by the magazines hoping that I might chance upon the JCS Ornament issue.  I haven't ordered it online as I usually luck out and am able to find it at a local bookstore.  Alas, no luck today.  I am not sure when it is due to come out.  I am out of the loop lately (haven't stopped by any bulletin boards in the last few days), so I haven't heard if anyone has gotten it in the mail yet.  I know it takes a bit longer to hit the newsstands.  But I did come across the October issue which is a "ornament issue preview", so of course I had to get it.  There are not many ornaments included (or many previewed either really), but I do like a couple in this issue that I might very well stitch.  My favorites are the Little House Needleworks ornament and the Prairie Schooler design, which is geared more towards Autumn.  The penguin design is even kind of cute, though I don't know that I would ever stitch him.  Generally I don't buy Just Cross Stitch, as I usually don't find much in it that I want to stitch, but this issue was worthwhile.  And there is even an article on organizing your floss stash!  I'm not sure I am in an ornament mood yet or not, but I need to think about it as I am in an ornament exchange!  Luckily there is plenty of time to plan yet!   

Apples for the Teacher

Not much to see yet, but here is my September start for my Prairie Schooler SAL.  It is easy stitching.  Some designs are like that.  They don't take a lot of thought, not many color changes--they are simple and relaxing.  Not to say they are not as nice as more difficult designs, just different.  My "Miss Kitty's Dragons" is turning out to be like that though it is much more detailed.  I have been working on it every morning before work, and it is a nice way to start the day.  I did begin "Spring in the Square" last night, but there is nothing yet to see (once again I got too involved in a movie and didn't make much progress).  This week I was meant to start the last Bee class (from Its Fine-ally finished).  They are accessories to go with "My Beekeeper", but of course I never did get around to any of the pre-stitching.  Like the others I will simply have to print out the instructions and hope to get to it eventually.   I don't think I will get any stitching done tonight, as I am nearly finished with a book.  I don't want to wait until tomorrow to find out how it ends!

A New Project!

I know, wrong season, but I am in the mood to work on another of Just Nan's Seasonal Squares.  The autumn design is out now, but I haven't ordered it yet.  I have the chart for summer, but this is the one I have all kitted up, so spring it is!  I really like this particular series.  I know I shouldn't start something new and should get to work on some other projects, but oh well.

Last night I did work on my Wee Fancies.  I am finished with the three that I had planned to stitch.  I am still contemplating working on the last one.  It would be nice to have a complete set.  And I need to give some thought to the finishing, but that won't happen this weekend.  I also started on the September design for my Prairie Schooler ornaments.  It is a basket of apples with A-B-C at the top and 1-2-3 on each side.  I might finish it as a pinkeep.  I also went back and put in a few stitches on the May design, which is a basket of  flowers.  That will only leave June not yet started, which is a very cute nest of birds.  I can't say that I accomplished much, but at least I got to stitch for a while! 

I joined a Christmas ornament exchange last week.  As a matter of fact I should be finding out who I will be stitching for soon. It has been a while since I joined a proper exchange and I am inthe mood for it.  (Yes, I know I still have three little birthday gifts to finish...).  It is an ornament and a $20 gift that we are exchanging.  I am looking forward to it.  Just think....those holidays aren't too far away...

Getting There...

I thought it was about time for a little updated photo of my "Miss Kitty's Dragons".  My stitching week was a bit interrupted this week.  It was an odd, short workweek, which means I didn't get in my normal before work and breaktime stitching.  It is still coming along, however.  A few more little motifs and I hope the middle section will be done.  Next will be the upper right corner, and then will make my way around the diamond.  I am pretty pleased with this one, since I seem to be doing most of the stitching at work, and I am making fairly decent progress!  I may have to break out the finishing instructions and start studying them soon!   

Wee Fancies

I still have a little bit more work to do on this Wee Fancy design, but I think I am done with the hard parts!  I like lazy daisy stitches, but I have to say that colonial knots are not really my favorite.  As a matter of fact I think I made too many on the left side (too close together), so I will try and take them out and try again.  I have to say, though, that for me colonial knots are far easier than french knots.  I always pull those right out when working on them--I must not be getting the tension quite right. 

Did I already show you this one?  I finished him earlier.  I love the little crow.  All three of the designs I stitched have a bird of some kind on it.  I am going to save the daisy design for some other time, though really the colonial knots might not be as horrible as I first thought.  The colonial knots went pretty fast actually on the beeskep design.  Since summer is nearly over, though, I am in the mood to work on other seasonal projects.

Here is the last design, which I am sure I shared here a while back.  A nice Fourth of July design.  It will just be a matter of getting them finished using the tiny frames.  I have some serious finishing to get to work on!  To add to it, I started one of the little JN "Crowjackers" designs today.  I am planning on stitching two of the three and then finishing them back to front as a fob.  It is scary to think that Christmas is really just around the corner.  I can't quite get myself to pull out my back issues of JCS Ornaments yet, however!  Soon enough...   

This makes me feel better....

I have been feeling rather cranky lately.  I have had to change my BP medicines (not my idea thanks), and the side effects are getting nasty.  However that is another story!  I received my Prairie Schooler charts in the mail finally, which has made my week!  It is so nice to get a bit of stash.  It has been a while (well since my mom went on vacation anyway and spoiled me!!!), since I have ordered any stitching supplies or goodies.  I rarely pass up a PS design.  While her older samplers are my very favorites, I do like these newer samplers as well.  And they are stitched on Lambswool and in DMC (though the chart photos make them look like the linen is nearly white!).  I am contemplating stitching some of the smaller squares and making them into fobs perhaps.  Actually I am contemplating stitching the larger "Good Saint Nick" sampler--though I am not sure I have enough Lambswool left as I tend to go through it pretty quickly.  I really like how the designer offers not only samplers, but a smaller design and also even smaller ornaments.

I also received my linen and floss for a birthday I am stitching for (and I put in the first stitches on it last night), and lastly the floss for a BOAF Halloween design.  It calls for an orange-y linen called Cognac, which is no longer being made.  Lois at Elegant Stitch sent along a sample of Tobacco as a possibility.  It is perhaps a tad bit more orange than brown (though not by much) than the photo shows.  What do you think?  It isn't really my first choice, but I looked through my linen bin and there is nothing in there that would work.  I thought about something neutral, but the floss colors really don't pop out like they do on a darker color.  Anyone happen to have some extra Cognac (28 count) fabric they are willing to sell or trade?  Wouldn't that be lucky...and I am not holding my breath! :)

A Bit of a Failure

Do you remember this design?  You might not since I haven't stitched on it for literally months and months!  It is my Chatelaine Mystery IX--which is a French Garden design.  I was so gung ho on this at the end of last year and the beginning of this one.  But I just fizzled.  Martina's designs are generally lovely and fairly intricate.  But I have decided that I am terrible with the sorts of designs which are revealed monthly, and that this particular design is just not appealing to me personally.  I think this will be the last time that I do one of these monthly installment sorts of projects without first seeing either the completed design or enough of it to get an idea of what it really will look like.  It is a pity as next year's design is a Victorian Garden, which sounds like it could be quite nice.  It is all too expensive though to guess on something like this.  I am not sure what I will do with this one.  Perhaps when it is all completed and I can see it I will change my mind.  I hate to think of how much money I spent and now it may just sit un-stitched.  I should take out the silks at least and see if they can be used for some other design (however NPI has so many hundreds of colors,what is the chance that another designer will use a similar color palette?).  I finally sat down last night and printed out the charts from May through September, which I had not bothered about once I put it away.  Needless to say in the future I need to be more careful about kitting up designs that are this expensive!  I should go back to Mystery IV, which I have kitted up and stitch that instead.  I prefer that one--it has lovely peacocks stitched over one in it!!

August Ornament Finished

I have actually finished something finally.  I guess it is a matter of working on something straight through for a few days!  That and choosing something small-ish!  This is the August ornament for my Prairie Schooler SAL project.  It is from "A Prairie Year II".  I definitely prefer it over the watermelon from the other chart.  I think I will finish it as a pillow with tassles on the four corners.  I am not sure if I will work on that today or choose something different to work on --perhaps I need to finish my "Wee Fancies"!  I really do need to think about doing some finishing soon.  I have several small items that I could finish fairly easily.  It is just a matter of  getting the backing fabrics.  In most cases I will use the same sort of linen, which means I need to at least stitch my initials and the date (I hate to leave it completely plain).  And then all that backstitching!  The Wee Fancies will go into their frames.  They came with no instructions, so I will need to decide how I am going to do those (the frames are open both front and back, so they are a bit unusual).  As for the PS ornaments I still need to finish April and stitch May and June.  Unfortunately I will also need to do a bit of cleaning today as well--ugh.  Still it is nice having a nice long weekend.  It is amazing how an extra day or two feels so less rushed than a normal work week!