The Peacock's Feather

Why I haven't been stitching...

It's been a terrible week for me and stitching.  I have thought about it, but I just haven't done it.    I have spent several days this past week absorbed in Stephenie Meyer's New Moon, which is a sequel to Twilight.  These are young adult novels, but I know quite a few adults who have been drawn into the story.  The novels revolve around a high school student, Bella, who falls for a vampire, Edward.  Of course she doesn't know he is a vampire until it is too late, and has fallen hard.  These are not your typical vampire stories (the only other book I can remember reading is Bram Stoker's Dracula, and perhaps an early Anne Rice book).  Anyway, once you start reading them they are really hard to put down, so what would normally have been my stitching time I spent reading!  One more book is going to be released sometime this fall (I believe it is called Eclipse), so I am sure I will go through this yet again!  However I did finally finish the book, and will hopefully get back to stitching tonight.  I will probably work on "The Quaker Garden", though I should really pull out "Miss Valentine" to work on!!  I am also contemplating starting "Toccata I"!  Decision, decisions!

My Last Splurge of 2006!

When I heard about this book, Quaker  School Girl Samplers from Ackworth by Carol Humphrey, I had to get on the list and order it.  I am glad I did as it is a lovely book and well worth the money.  It is filled with many color illustrations and quite a lot of text, so it should be a very good resource to have on hand.  It seems like needlework books tend to have small print runs and when they are out of print, it is very costly to try and find a copy.  I am looking at this purchase as a bit of an investment as it would cost me much more later if I tried to find a copy, right?!

As a little temptation in case you didn't buy this yet, here is what the inside looks like.  I am looking forward to looking at this in more detail and reading it.  I seem to be in a Quaker mood lately, so this should be an excellent reference to have!

Although I said this is a last splurge for 2006, I really do need to be more cautious about spending money in 2007.  How often do I say this?  Unless I want to be beholden to credit card companies for the rest of my life, I am going to try and limit my spending when it comes to cross stitch.  I have plenty of stash to choose from anyway, and lately not much time to even stitch anyway!  I was good and even avoided The Silver Needle's annual end of the year sale, which I had planned to take advantage of!  I am not sure if I will set any goals for 2007 in terms of stitching, but this will have to be #1 on the list!

I haven't gotten in much stitching over the holiday break, but I hope to do little tonight.  It is cold and snowy out where I live, and I am not much of a New Year's party person, so I plan on staying in and watching movies!  I may work on "Miss Valentine" (which I finally started) or perhaps my "Qauker Garden" later!  Last night I went through my stash and kitted up a few things with supplies that I already have on hand!  I hope to share more stitching news more frequently next year, too!

I wish everyone a very Happy and safe New Year!  All the best in 2007!

A Little Disappointed...

I gave in to the urge to do a little shopping.  I was looking around Criss Cross Row (making up my wishlist), and I happened to look at her books and found this Ackworth book was out of print, but she still had five copies.  I need to read descriptions better, I guess.  I thought I was getting something completely different.  This is in actuality a rather price-y engagement calendar.  I thought it was a book full of motifs that I would be able to use in my stitching.  While this is nice, it only has photos of the ladies who went to the Ackworth schools.  Needless to say I was disappointed when I pulled this out of the envelope.  Please tell me there was some sort of Quaker motif book published in the recent past?  I am sure it is out of print now, though.   It  has one lone photo of a lovely sampler--but that's it.  That's what I get for buying on impulse!

I also bought a little kit.  I thought "The Pin Keep Inn" by Milady's Needle (sorry, I wanted to link to it, but I must have bought the last one--I can't find it now), was a sweet little design.  On the front is a little house and on the back it says "In this keep, my pins may sleep".  It looks like it will be fun to stitch.  So not entirely a washout of an order!

A Little Diversion!

There will be no stitching for me tonight.  I have been completely absorbed in this book, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, for the last week.  I am on the home stretch--less than 100 pages now.  If you like reading and are in the mood for a good story--wonderful for Autmn (nice and atmospheric!), I highly recommend this one.  It is really a story within a story.  A young woman is asked to come and write a biography of a famous novelist.  Of course there is more than meets the eye....what has she been hiding?  There are many elements of the gothic here--madwoman in the attic, ghosts, strange deaths--can you see why I don't want to put this book down?  I had been stitching on my BOAF witch earlier at work, and I was thinking how much I would enjoy stitching on it tonight, but I am afraid it is going to have to wait another day!

New Books

I know this Jo Packham book, Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women, isn't new to many people now, but I finally broke down and ordered it from a local bookstore.  I had a gift card to use, and I picked it up today after work.  I absolutely love this book!  If you have seen this, can you imagine working/living in such a beautiful environment as any of these women do?  I could be quite happy in these spaces, that is for certain.   I am looking forward to spending more time reading it this weekend.  Maybe there will be small ideas I can incorporate into my stitching area.  Unfortunately none of the ladies in the book is a needleworker, though I think there is one quilter's studio in it.  This is definitely a wonderful book to add to my collection.

The June issue of Just Cross Stitch was also for sale, and I had heard there were some good designs in this issue.  I don't normally buy this magazine anymore, but I do admit there are a couple of impressive designs this time around.  There is an article on Canadian Cathy Jean, whose designs you can see on the Victoria Sampler website.  I have always liked her designs, but I have not stitched any of them.  I am glad to have the design in this issue.   It is a little folk art hummingbird.  I am also really excited to have the "Summer Bow-quet Scissor Case" design by Keepsake Stitches.  Now if they had more designs like this in the magazine I would start subscribing again!  I would love to stitch this and I plan on looking through my stash to see what I have on hand.  The case opens up and folds out to reveal a place to keep a pair of scissors--very ingeniously done. 

I want to learn this...

I really want to learn "cartonnage"--or in English--making those cool, lovely little boxes.  I guess I should start with something small--like stitching something for the top of an Altoid tin.  Victoria Sampler has a few freebies with instructions on how to finish them as tin tops.  It seems as though there was a designer who had quite a few charts out at one time that were solely for tin tops (the name escapes me at the moment, but I will search around for that one).  I am sure some of you have already seen this link to this Tin Can Gallery!  How lovely and how creative. It seems as though there is also a book out in English by Judy O'Dell (perhaps?), on making boxes--that is what I need!  There are so many things I want to learn--I hope next year to accomplish more of these things (like the bags Merumo stitched for Vero and Sylvie)!  First things first, however, I hope to finish stitching ornament #2 tonight!  Tomorrow and Saturday I hope to finish stitching the birthday gift I was working on (fingers crossed!).  Then I will take the last ornament to work Mon-Wed and hopefully stitch that.  Finally the Friday after Thanksgiving is for my mailart!  And that leaves lots of finishing--maybe next Friday and Saturday.  With any luck everything will be in the mail by the Monday after Thanksgiving!!!  And all before Dec 1!!!  If I stay on track--I am allowing myself to stitch something I want on Thanksgiving.  I will be going to my sister's house, and I am sure I will be able to get in a bit of stitching while chatting.  I am already contemplating what I will work on....Such big decisions!

Found a Copy!

I found a copy of the JCS Christmas Ornaments issue finally.  After work I hit the bookstore, and at first I thought they must not have gotten any, as last year they had a stack prominently displayed in a magazine rack.  Alas, after I moved magazines around and looked into the far reaches of the case, I spotted only a few copies!  Yay.  I was afraid I would spend another weekend without seeing all the new Christmas designs.  There is a nice variety--at least I managed to find a few I will hopefully stitch.  I think there are several designers missing that have had designs in earlier issues--BOAF, Just Nan, and Bent Creek--unless they are hiding!

These are the designs I plan on kitting up:

• Lizzie Kate-Sweet Christmas (I like the peppermint colored design!)
• Jeannette Douglas-Love Christmas Ornement (needleroll!)
• Erica Michaels Designs-Merry Yule
• Charlotte's Web Needlework-Peace in the World
• La-D-Da-Christmas Heart
• BrightNeedle-Home for Christmas
• Carriage House Samplings-A York Christmas Ornament (my favorite!!)
• Handwork-Give Love
• Shepherds Bush-As Bethlethem Slept
• Prairie Schooler-Partridge and Pears 2005
• Praire Moon-Noel
• Brittercup Designs-Britty Christmas Kitty
• Little By Little-A Little Gift (sort of different but I like it!)
• Threads Through Time-Peace on Earth

Sheesh--that is more than I thought when looking through the issue!  There are others that I think are nice, but I don't want to stitch right now.  Some are nice (including those on my list), but I may have to change how they are finished.  Now I will have to get out my back issues and decide on an ornament for my exchange partner (from the Stitching Bloggers Board)! What are your favorites???

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?

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!

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.