The Peacock's Feather

Sampler Lust and Other Miscellaneous Bits

I had heard of Reflets de Soie before and I might even have one or two of their designs in my stash, but I came across two of their reproduction samplers this week and am now experiencing severe sampler lust.  I think I have tracked down "Anais Curveur 1896",

. . .  and Heloise Cornu 1896 and am contemplating adding them to my stash in anticipation to stitching them.  They are both so pleasing--they are really lovely. 

Of course the last thing I need to even think about is adding to my stash when I have this massive piece of linen just waiting for "L'Automne' by BOAF!  Why didn't I think about how big it really is?  Oh well, maybe this will in reality stitch up quickly?

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On a side note, I do have a couple of questions.  I am going to be going to Fort Worth, Texas at the end of the month for a short work conference.  I won't have much free time, but is anyone aware of a local needlework shop in Fort Worth?  May be just as well if there isn't one as I really don't need to buy anything new!

I will, however, have time while flying and while waiting for connecting flights to find something to occupy  myself.  I will, of course, be taking a couple of books with me, but I would love to be able to take a needlework project, too.  It has been ages since I have even thought of traveling with pins and needles let alone scissors.  Are these things allowed on planes these days?  I would hate to have them taken away.  I will have to do a little research to see what the TSA allows.  Has anyone traveled with scissors recently?  It would be prime stitching time, if it works out. 

Next time--a progress report on my bee sampler!

In the Works: More BOAF

I read a lot.  As a matter of fact when I wasn't stitching I am sure I filled whatever extra free time I had with reading.  I am a more than one book at a time reader and I must admit that even when I am enjoying a book, I keep in mind (or at least begin to think about) what my next book will be.

Unsurprisingly, I am doing the same thing with my stitching.  I am making steady progress on my bee sampler and thoroughly enjoying stitching it, but I have been thinking about what I will choose to stitch next.  I was going through my stash and came across the Birds of a Feather chart, l'Automne.  I have the autumn and winter charts and opted for autumn as it is my favorite season.

So here is my floss toss--I decided to stitch it on a 32 count fabric as 36 count is a little too small for my not-as-good-as-when-I-was-younger eyesight.  The kind ladies at Elegant Stitch helped me choose.  Lambswool is a nice neutral color, and a nice stiff linen.  It is actually my fabric of choice generally.  I would have loved to stitch it on BOAF fabric (I think this design calls for Barn Owl?), but I am not sure it can still be found?  I am using the suggested WDW over-dyed floss colors.

The linen came in the mail a couple of days ago and I was a little flabbergasted by the size of it.  I ended up getting a fat quarter as it was actually cheaper than a slightly smaller cut.  It's huge!  I keep telling myself it will be fine--the 36 count is really only about 1-1/2" to 2" shorter, but this is going to be massive.  I have put in a very few stitches (I couldn't wait or resist) and as I work in hand, it will be interesting to see how this goes. 

Just in case this design catches you eye like it did mine--I was told the company is now defunct and that one of the designers passed away not too long ago.  I think that once the BOAF charts are gone, they are gone.  With that in mind I have ordered the other two seasons to fill out the collection--though it is going to take me a really long time to stitch this--I might just want to stitch the companion pieces eventually, too, and now I will have them on hand. 

I've never stitched anything in outline like this before--it should be interesting (and fun, I hope, too).  Has anyone stitched this?  Any advice?  Any photos to share?  I may need inspiration to keep moving on this one.  I am always up for a little stitching company if anyone is interested by the way!

A 2014 Finish: BOAF Valentine Holiday

It's been a while, hasn't it?  I'm still here.  I've not been stitching so much since my last post, but I am hoping that I can once again pick up my needle and thread and am going to try and post my updates here once or twice a week again!  I finished this BOAF design "Valentine Holiday" in February.  I've not yet done the finishing but hope to soon.  It will be a cushion if I can find some nice red and white check fabric!

And a little closer look.  I stitched this once before but gave it away so am pleased to have one for myself now. 

I have a few other finishes to share if I can dig around and find the photos I took of them.  And I have a couple of new projects started, too.  All to follow soon!

And how are you?  Is anyone out there still?  I feel very adrift these days but I hope to become part of the stitching community again.  Not sure where to go now or who is stitching these days, so I will have to have a look at my sidebar and do a little visiting!  If you are not on my sidebar list, please let me know and I'll add you.  Until then, happy stitching!

And on to Something New!

No rest for the wicked as they say.  I actually started this just before I finished PS's "February".

And now that I am officially finished I can concentrate on Birds of a Feather's "Valentine Holiday".  I stitched this once before but I gave it away.  This time I am stitching it for myself.  If I work as industriously as I did this past weekend, I might even be able to finish it by Valentine's Day!

Finally a Few Updates

I was holding off posting here until I had finished my Prairie Schooler "February Sampler", but as I am still working on it, I thought I had better just share  my progress before January slips away entirely.  I still want to try and finish this before next month, and I am getting close.  I only need to finish filling in the snow/white under the houses and add a bit of backstitching.  Almost done!

All that white fill in was getting tedious, so I pulled out my poor "Mystery Sampler" by Blackbird Designs.  It has been untouched for months and months.  I wasn't looking forward to those eyelet stitches for the grapes, but I need to just knuckle down and do them.  I don't like how  my eyelets look, but I think once they are done they'll be okay.  There was no explanation on the chart about how the eyelets are to be done or how many plies of floss, so I have been using two--not sure that is right, but the smyrnas called for two plies, so I decided to keep it all uniform.  I'm ready to move on to section three, so I am stitching away on this one now. 

And after seeing Susan's gorgeous finish, I was thinking Hillside Sampling's "Strawberry Fields" might be my 2012 project.  My long term project that is.  I accomplished very little last year and hope to do better this year.  We'll see, so it's best not to make too many plans or assume I'll whip this design out quickly, since I expect it will take me months to finish.

Here's  my little start.  It looks like a challenging project, so I hope I can stick it out and do it on my own!

Back to Mystery Sampler

I've started working on my Blackbird Mystery Sampler once again.  It had been sitting for too long without even a glance, but over the weekend I had a sudden urge to get moving on the house.  I am working on filling in the front with "marshmallow" and hope to begin work on the side of the house soon.  I think once I finish the house the rest of the vines and grass will stitch up quickly!  I took a photo of Prairie Schooler's "February" only to realize I had not added any new stitches since the last photo!

By the way, I have joined Twitter.  I'm not sure if anyone happens to belong, but do let me know if you are on Twitter and what name you go by.

Mystery Sampler, Part 1: Finis!

Finally, I've finished part one of Blackbird Designs Mystery Sampler, part one!  I added the last stitch last night and tried to press it this morning, but some of the wrinkles still remain.  I'm quite pleased to finish it and am ready to move on to the next section!  (Sorry, am slightly out of focus--will try for a better photo later).

 

Here's a slightly odd angled close up.  The color of the linen is closer to the photo above.  It called for Korty's Blend 30 count by R&R Reproductions. 

 

I'm all set to move on to part two.  It calls for the same floss colors, but now I'll be stitching on Irish Cream linen also 30 count by R&R Reproductions.  It's a slightly smaller section with more blue motifs, which I'm looking forward to.  I hope I  make quicker progress with this section than the last.  And maybe I am close to catching up with Suzanne, who I think is already working on part two!

My Bee Skep Framed!

Just in time for summer I've had my "No Bees No Honey, No Work No Money" sampler framed.  I am quite pleased with how it turned out and the lovely folks at Ginger's Hang Up here in town did a marvelous job on it.  They stretched it perfectly!  And they also helped me decide on a frame, which I am pretty hopeless at doing myself!

 

I have to share a close up of the frame itself.  I love the little detailing on the edge--very subtle but makes it looks just a little more interesting.  And the color works nicely with the brown shades in the wording.

 

See how nice and taut it is?  It really is stretched perfectly.  And to think of all the slight creases in it when I dropped it off (even after ironing it).  There is a slight padding behind the fabric, so it is cushioned.  Unfortunately you can't tell from the photo, but the linen is hand-dyed and there is a lovely variegation to the color of the linen.  It looks a bit more taupe/brown here, but the color of the linen is really much warmer and not at all washed out looking as it appears here.

Here is a close up once again of the design.  This is one of my very favorite finishes!  I think I will hang it next to a Prairie Schooler garden design, which also has a bee skep in it!  Will share photos when it is finally on the wall.  It's so expensive to frame projects, so I am always very happy when I have something new to add to my small collection!

This & That -- Updates

I've been meaning to do a bit of an update all weekend, but here it is Sunday night and the weekend is all but over and now I need to get things ready for work, so this will be a quickie!  I've put in a few more stitches on my BOAF design though haven't used many new colors.  I'm still not sure how I feel about it, and now I've discovered I counted wrong!  I have one too many stitches in her dress lengthwise.  I am putting this one aside for the moment in favor of something else that is working better for me.

 

I had also made a mistake in my "Rain, Rain" design by Prairie Schooler, but I frogged the incorrect color and went back and restitched the wrong letters, so now I am back on track.  So she is coming along nicely and I think I'll try and concentrate on finishing this little design.  I'm in need of some instant gratification, I think.

 

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but it has Already turned hot where I am.  Over 90 degrees today and it's still only May.  This is August weather.  I hate extreme temperatures and someday I dream of living somewhere where the temps are more moderate year round.  In any case, since it is practically summer and already feels like it, maybe it is time to work on my little Just Nan whimzie design that I started, oh, how many years ago now?  This might just be my instant gratification, though there are all those color changes!  I even have the little frame for it. 

And I'm still working away on my Mystery Sampler by Blackbird Designs, but there wasn't  much new to share there.  Maybe later this week?  Once again I am finding it hard to fit in stitching time and even harder for blogging time (both writing here and leaving comments on other needlework blogs).  I am, however, at least reading posts and feeling envious of everyone else's work as I keep things straight via Google Reader. If I can't stitch and blog, at least I can live vicariously through everyone else.

Feed the Birds -- Color Choices

I've started stitching my Birds of a Feather freebie, "Feed the Birds".  I wanted to wait until I had more stitched to share a photo, but as I probably won't stitch  much until the weekend I thought I'd just go ahead and take a photo.  I am stitching on Belfast 32 ct. Raw linen and using a combination of DMC and overdyed floss as called for in the chart.  I prefer all overdyed floss but don't want to take the time to order the missing colors.

Here are the colors I've pulled to use.  I'm wondering if the "fire" DMC substitution (used for the words) isn't too bright?  BOAF designs tend to use bright colors and I haven't got much else stitched to even things out yet, so maybe I am being too hasty?  The flosses at the top right are more overdyed substitutions--using on strand of each color.  I've never done this before and wonder how it will turn out.  I think I'll keep going and if I hate it I can always order the missing overdyed flosses and start over again...

What do you think?  Too bright?  Okay?  Too soon to tell?