The Peacock's Feather

More Toccata

I've been working on Toccata a bit lately.  I've actually got half of the next row stitched, but I took this photo prior to working on it.  I like to stitch on it on the weekends.  It has been moving much faster lately, and I actually feel like I am making serious progress on it.  I figure I am past the halfway mark now, as I am working on the fifth  row (of ten).

I'm not sure if this is a better angle, but if you click on the photos, you will get a clearer photo.   I would be very happy to finish this before the end of the year and start Toccata II!

Ann Kirby Progress

Once again I am being a terribly bad blogger!  I have been stitching however.  Never as much as I like, but I have made a little progress on my Ann Kirby sampler.  It is a large project, so even though it feels like I have stitched on it quite a bit, there doesn't seem to be much finished.  I am also having problems getting a good photo of it.  I took a few photos, but unfortunately they were taken in artificial light.  Here is all my progress, but the lighter colored letters are not showing up very well. 

Here is a closer view (slightly out of focus), but you can at least see the missing letters!  The colors are sort of odd shades, but I like it anyway.  I think earlier samplers didn't always have such pleasing color combinations as we have on ours now.  Truly, though, it is much nicer in person!  This is just a quick update--I will try and update here a bit more frequent this week!

Ugh....

This is the sort of thing that gets me in a lot of trouble.  Tell me I really don't need this!  I haven't barely started stitching her "Queen's Bluebird Box".  I haven't yet gotten her 2007 Christmas Biscornu.  I haven't ordered "Bellemeade".  But I just love these fun little accessories.  Will I kick myself later if I don't get it?  I know I can't afford it. I guess I'll just try not to think about it and work on one of her other projects...

What I'm Working On...

Some time ago I promised a look at what I am working on.  For the last week or so, however, I have not really picked up my needle.  I am really in the mood to get back to stitching now!  I thought I would post a few pictures of the latest projects I have been working on.  A long time ago I was in quite the sampler mood and I decided to work on The Scarlet Letter's reproduction of "Ann Kirby".  This is a sampler from 1790.  It is rather large--in the end it will measure 22-1/4" x 15-1/4"!  It is slow going on this one.  I actually worked on it for a few hours last weekend.  I managed to get in a few letters of the alphabet and get part of the top border done.  My only complaint with The Scarlet Letter is they don't give very much extra fabric to work on.  You really have to make sure you measure carefully and center things well.  I literally have only about 2-1/4" inches left and right for framing.  Hopefully there will be plenty of room at the bottom.  I may have to work on getting the left border finished to make sure!

Ah, Little House Needlework's "Summer House" freebie...and now it is finally starting to feel like Fall!  I better get working on this one.  I was not liking the fabric--it is so flopsy, my stitches look terrible.  I decided to press it and use sizing (not starch) to make it stiffer.  I may also get out my Q-snaps for this one.

And lastly, this one was meant to be my next medium size project after finishing "The Quaker Garden".  I was so excited about it, but after getting one word and one tiny motif stitched, I sort of fizzled.  I just need to have a little chunk of time to get going on it.  I think once I have a bit stitched, it will be more exciting to work on.  Sometimes stitching letters sort of bores me, and this one has a fair amount of words.  I love this Fall sampler though!