The Peacock's Feather

The Queen Bee Has a House

I'm moving right along with Prairie Schooler's "Where There are Bees" sampler.  It's stitching up quite nicely if I do say so myself!

In real life I steer well clear of bees (though honeybees are sort of cute in a fuzzy way), but she looks sort of regal here, don't you think?

And here is her hive.  I like stitching bee skeps generally.  There is something sort of pleasing about them.

I am working now on the lower border which is a little tedious going, but once it's stitched I think the rest will fill in fairly quickly. 

As for the linen color problems I was having . . . I am getting used to the color for the Lizzie Kate Halloween mystery sampler, but I have decided I need something different for the Prairie Schooler Christmas Sampler.  There is still plenty of time for that one.  I have decided I don't like stitching (at least not a large project) on Jobelan too much.  The color is just so-so.  I might stick with plain reliable Lambswool.  Has anyone stitched the Christmas Sampler?  I came across this over one stitching of the design--isn't it gorgeous?  Any ideas of what linen Véro L. might have used?

In any case I have plenty of things to keep me busy while I think about it all.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend.  I'm off to pick up my needle now...

The Problems of (Linen) Color

Earlier this week I was rummaging about in my stash bins and came across this Prairie Schooler chart that I had kitted up years ago.  It is a design I have long wanted to stitch and so pulled it out, thinking why not?  Better to try and add it to my stitching rotation than just leave it languishing in a bin, right? 

It is another Prairie Schooler design (Chart 63 "Christmas Samplers").  I am going to stitch the middle design, which has a bit of "The Night Before Christmas" worked into the design.  I kitted it up using the suggested line, which is 32 count Bay-Leaf Jobelan.  Of course linen colors never show up in their true colors on charts, do they?  I'm used to using Lambswool when stitching PS, but I don't have any extra on hand so will stick with the Jobelan.  What do you think?  I am not sure that I love it--I like it, but feel a little hesitant.  Maybe I just need to stitch more to get a good feel for what the colors will look like against it?

And a while back I splurged on the Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler from last year.  I have the charts, linen (again the suggested count and color from the chart) and overdyed floss.  Once again, however, the linen colors look vastly different--from the chart and what I actually have in hand.  I know hand dyed linens (this is 30 count WDW Tin Roof) will vary by lot, but in reality it much more greenish (and in my photo it looks almost like a muddy color--in reality it is tad darker) than what appears to be a silvery sort of blue on the chart.  Once again--what do you think.

I'll keep going with both and suspect the colors will grow on me.  I don't tend to be very adventurous when it comes to changing colors--linen or floss from what is called for on charts.  When the actual linen color turns out to be so different, it always jars me just a little bit.  A problem with only being able to order supplies online and not have a nice LNS to shop at (and see stitched models up close). 

A Bent Creek Zippie!

Remember this mystery project?  It's finished and it has safely arrived at its new home!  Are you curious what it is?  Or did you already recognize it?

It's an older Bent Creek design in their Zippie series, which I have long had in my stash.  I am trying to stitch more from my stash (though I admit I have been tempted lately by some new designs, too).  I finished it as a cushion and am pleased with how it turned out.

I was afraid I was too rusty to do the finishing and was afraid it would turn out an odd shape, but it mostly came back to me (though my sewing machine does still scare me a little--I prefer to do as much finishing by hand as I can).  It was the perfect design to get my feet wet with once again in stitching and finishing. 

Bent Creek has some really sweet designs and I think they must have been one of the very first cross stitch designers that I ever bought and stitched!  I'll be dipping into my stash bin again looking for more of these little kits to work on, I think.

I'm Back . . . Sort of . . .

I'm back from my work conference in Fort Worth, but I seem to have brought back an uninvited guest in the form of a stomach bug.  Fortunately it came upon me towards the end of my stay, but unfortunately I had to spend Saturday traveling with a nauseated stomach, which was unpleasant to say the least.  I am feeling better but not quite right so am trying to rest and recuperate.

Fort Worth was lovely however.  I stayed in their downtown area and spent most nights walking and window shopping.  I didn't get in as much stitching as I had hoped as I was busy with my class and the hours I spent in the airport coming home were mostly just with my eyes closed hoping my stomach would settle.  You can see more of what I did here, in case you are curious (Fort Worth has some really amazing museums!).

This is the project I did manage to add a few stitches to while I was away (and I had no problems taking my stitching through the security check by the way).  It's an older Bent Creek design that came kitted up.  I am making it for a friend of mine, but I think it is safe to share here as I don't think she knows I have a stitching blog.  I am planning on finishing it as a cushion.  It seems a nice, cheerful spring design, don't you think?

Now I have a translation question for anyone who might speak French or has experience working with French cross stitch charts?

I know "lin" is linen, but if the chart calls for 12 fils/cm, what is the equivalent in US linen count?  And "nombre de brins"?  I'm sure I will have more questions, and I am sure Google translator will help, but sometimes their translations are a bit wonky, if you know what I mean.

One other stitching note.  Remember I was looking for someone who carries Reflets de Soie charts?  I have discovered that European Cross Stitch has "Anais Curveur 1896", so she is ordered and hopefully will arrive in my mail box very soon (because you can never have enough projects to stitch, right?).  I want both charts I shared, but I had best start with just one.  I have plenty of other designs all lined up and ready to stitch already.

Hopefully I can get back to my Bee Sampler, too!