The Peacock's Feather

Mystery IX

Who else is signed up for Martina's next big Mystery project, Mystery IX?  After reading the description for this one, "The topic of this piece will be a 'French Garden' ... think of delicate flowers,plants and veggies.... tender colors and royal shades of blue..gold and beads and preciousness all over....It will be mostly cross stitch with special stitches and techniques, which will be well explained on extra diagrams provided and by online help of me and other stitchers - you won't be alone !", I just couldn't pass it up.  I am getting my supplies in installments.  So far I have my material, and the NPI silks.  This photo is pretty horrible.  The fabric is a very pretty, pale lavender, and so far the silks are many shades of blues and greens.  I have three more supply packages coming.  I ordered them from Drema at Needlecraft Corner.  I should be getting the next set of silks this week.  I had to pull them out and look at the colors against the fabric.  I think this is going to be a really lovely design--at least I love the colors so far. 

Now the problem--every Martina Mystery I have signed up for--I have not yet completed a single one!!  I have been so tempted to sign up for some other upcoming mysteries, as they all sound wonderful.  However, cost of materials is very prohibitive at the moment, and I need to actually *finish* one of these first!!  So one of my goals for 2006 is to really keep on track with this design!!  My idea for next year is to concentrate less on exchanges (though I do really enjoy them--they are very time consuming), and work on more larger projects.  So far my thought is to actually stitch on my Houses of Hawk Run Hollow (and finish that one as well!!), and also work on Sarah Tatum (this one I have not yet started).  Of course first things first.  I need to get those smaller projects stitched up and on their merry way to their new homes!!

A Flower for a Friend

Here is my first Essy's friend all stitched up.  It is a very quick design to stitch.  It is by Mosey 'n Me.  All the projects will be on this RR Reproduction fabric called Awareness Pink.  It is on 32 count fabric using WDW overdyed floss.  I still have to add my little bee button, so I guess I am not technically finished.  I won't get it in its tin pin until the weekend.  I have never made one of those, though I think I have one in my stash (a Twisted Threads kit of a flag if I remember correctly).  So maybe I will actually get these monthly projects done each month?  I will share a photo of the pin--hopefully this weekend!

May Blooms (Late!)

Finally I am one month closer to getting caught up on my snappers.  I wanted to get June and July also stitched this month, but I don't think that will happen!  These are not terribly large, so I am not sure why it feels like it takes me so long to stitch them up.  I think that the fabric is a bit too soft, floppy for me these days and it feels like I am stitching so slow.  I also feel like I am not stitching as neat as I do on stiffer fabric.  But I do like working on these.

Here is a photo of all the months I have stitched so far.  As you can see I have not at all kept up on the border or vine!  I am lucky to get the months stitched actually!  I believe I have also used the wrong color for the border, but I am not sure I will pick out those stitches as this point.  Now, on to June!

So Neglected

Here is my poor neglected Mystery Sampler I!  If nothing else, I thought I would pull it out and look at how nicely it was coming along until I ran out of extra stitching time!  I really want to work on this one again.  I have seen photos of this all finished and it is really very pretty.  Also, I want to join the Midi Mystery that is currently going on, but I try to make myself look at this UN-finished project (and think of my credit card, which is supposed to be on sabbatical) to stop myself!  However look at Dani's Blog and Nicki's Blog (she took a slanted photo and you can really see the texture), and you will be able to understand my dilemma.  I really want to join in this mystery...

And on a different note, I have heard that there is a Little House Needleworks freebie out there that is called Miniature Home Town Game Board that can be had from Stitches N Things.  I am sending a SASE for it.  I can't wait to get it, as it sounds like a fun chart, and I pretty much love anything by Little House Needleworks.  The best part is it is a free--just the cost a stamp and whatever supplies.  This is more along what I can afford right now....even though I want the Midi Mystery...

They're Blooming

Okay.  Here is my wee little start on my May snapper.  Maybe if I post a few photos of my works in progress I will get more motivated to get some things finished!  These are not too large, so really they should not take all that long to stitch.  I am finding that the more I work with Lambswool fabric, which is definitely on the stiff side, it is hard to work on softer, more "floppy" fabric.  My snappers are on one large cut of Country French Cafe Mocha linen, which is not at all stiff.  And it is long, so there is all that extra fabric to contend with. 

I have also discovered that the border was meant to be stitched in Bark, and I am stitching it all (vine included) in Dried Thyme.  I suppose it doesn't really matter as it is for me, and I can do whatever I like.  I do like how it looks in one long row (though I have seen some other lovely variations with the squares in multiple rows, etc), but I haven't a clue how I will ever finish this one.  I can just imagine how much it would cost  to frame it.  But imagine a long, long cushion!  Any ideas are welcome.  Maybe I can get in a few stitches on it tonight.  My goad is to get May, June and July caught up by the end of the month.  Now, I need to get going on my other monthly project....my Chatelaine Sampler Mystery I....

April Glooms

So finally I have finished something!  Although technically I am still behind as I should really be finishing the May snapper just about now!  But better something a bit late than nothing at all.  I also worked a wee bit on my John Foster sampler, but not enough to show any updated photos!  I really love working with overdyed floss, but it can be annoying when on the photo on the chart the colors look very different than what you end up with.  Of course this is the nature of overdyed floss, but this chart called for two very different (well they looked quite different) blues.  But even when I tried to look for the most contrasting sections of the floss, they still seem to blend together!  As you can tell from the umbrella (or can't tell in this example!), the ribs should really be much darker.  In this case I should have looked at the DMC and perhaps that would have been darker.  Also there are times when overdyed colors have very little variegation, and then I wonder why I am spending so much more money for overydyed floss...

Here is an updated photo of all the snappers so far.  As you can see I have also fallen behind in working on the vine.  I had planned to keep it going as I worked on each month, but I seem to be lucky just getting the month stitched.  It will all eventually get done!  Now to pull the floss for May's snapper.

March Blows

Okay, it is a little crooked, but you get the idea.  I am a few days late, but here is my March Snapper.  Now I need to work on getting caught up on the border and the vine, which I haven't really worked on since January.  I guess I am semi-caught up on at least one of my monthly projects.  I am not sure if I am going to get any stitching in tonight.  As we just went to daylight savings time, I am always messed up on the first day. I really need to get going on my swap project for my Birthday Buddies group.  I have started it at least.  It is due to be mailed out May 1st.  It is scary to think that is really not all the far away!  If I work on it a little each week, I won't be scrambling at the end to finish it!

Still on Part 2...

Yes, I am still on part 2 of my Mystery Sampler I.  I guess it is good that there are only six parts total.  Part 4 was just posted this past week even though tomorrow is April 1st.  I enjoy stitching this, but it seems to get relegated behind other projects lately.  I had thought of joining in one of Martina's mysteries that is starting tomorrow--one of her new mini mysteries.  The one starting tomorrow will have a castle theme, but I decided against it.  The main reason I am putting it off is finances.  And it certainly is not as if I have nothing else to stitch.  It is also going to be charted for linen banding, and I am not sure how much I like banding.  So I will see how it looks, and if I can't live without it, I can certainly always buy it later!

I am, however, planning on joining the mystery that will start in July.  It is another six month mystery (what chance will I have of getting this done first...?), and it has a Medieval theme.  I thought that sounded interesting.  And for her next big year long mystery, which will start next Jan. 2006, the theme is a French Garden.  Another one I may not be able to pass up.  The thing with Martina's mysteries is, they are not cheap!  She chooses lovely silks and lots of beads.  Of course I love using these materials, but they are certainly an investment!  I guess I should work out some sort of better rotation, so I can at least catch up on my monthly projects.

Even Slower Progress...

Well, I think I am going to have to accept that I am going to be behind in this project.  I should be able to catch up on my BC Snapper project, but not the Chatelaine Mystery Sampler.  I hope at least to get part 2 finished by the end of this month.  Honestly I am not looking forward to all of part 3 as it has over one stitching, which I am not terribly fond of.  At least this mystery ends in June, so I can still maybe get it finished by the end of the summer.  I have been stitching on it for about half an hour each morning before work, but as I have mentioned before, I am not the speediest of stitchers.  It is nice, though, to see each section of it as I get it stitched.  This is part of the reason I love needlework.  You start out with a plain piece of fabric and this design appears as you go, and it turns into something really lovely.  We'll see how far I get by next weekend!

Bent Creek's Snappers

This is one of my monthly projects, which I have fallen behind on...Bent Creek came out with a Snapper series in 2003, which I received automatically, but I did not stitch them at the time.  This year I decided to stitch them in one long row (I think the fabric is a bit longer than is needed--it looks quite long, doesn't it!).  I am supposed to be stitching each month as it comes and filling in the outer border, but as you see, I am not finished with February yet.  I got behind in both my monthly projects when I decided to concentrate on my Peace project.  I had hoped to do a little stitching on February tonight, but now it is getting late, so that may not happen.

This is a close up of my stitching so far.  I had a bit of a problem with the snowman.  The chart didn't really allow enough room for the snaps, but I got them on there nonetheless.  They seem to have compensated for the size of the snaps on the February chart, so that shouldn't be a problem this time around.  The border will also have snaps all along it, but I will leave those until last.  I haven't a clue how I am going to finish this.  I don't think it is somethig I would necessarily frame and hang up.  I thought I might finish it as a long pillow and set it on a shelf perhaps.  But alas, that is a long way off, considering I am already behind!