The Peacock's Feather

New Christmas Stash!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas yesterday.  The run up to the holiday is always so hectic and then the day goes by so quickly!  I spent a nice day with my family.  I received a few needlework gifts, which I thought I'd share.  One chart is actually from another stitcher.  "Mrs Darby of Derbyshire" by The Sampler Girl is from Mary Kathryn.  I loaned a needlework chart to her, and she was kind enough to send this chart as well as a skein Belle Soie by Crescent Colours in Attic Tea to me as a thank you.  That was very kind and I send my thanks back!

My mom bought a couple of charts that I had on my wishlist.  Little House Needleworks recently came out with "Brave Hearts", which I saw and fell for.  It calls for Belle Soie floss, but I think I will use the regular cotton floss for it instead.  It is stitched on Natural Raw Linen, which I think I have in my stash.  I also have had my eye on Just Nan's "Bellemeade".  I have the other two houses in the series (as yet unstitched...).  I only asked for the chart as the silks and floss was a little too pricey to ask for all at once.  I love Just Nan designs, but they are definitely not cheap these days!  Since I probably won't stitch it anytime soon, I thought I could put off kitting it up for a while.  It's a lovely design, but I suppose I should try and stitch the other two first?

This is a nice little splurge, but I am hoping to not buy much new stash this coming year.  I've heard that a new Hawk Run Hollow design is forthcoming, so that may be my one big purchase.  I suppose I should try and make some progress on the first two however?...At the moment, though, I am working on Toccata #1.  It would be very nice to finish it before the end of the year!

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...

Vacation Goodies

Although I didn't go anywhere exciting this summer on vacation, my mom visited my sister in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  There is a lovely little cross stitch shop there (which I have been to as well) called Everything Cross Stitch, and she brought home a few goodies for me.  I did recently buy a Just Nan kit and the new PS charts, but otherwise I really have not bought very much stash at all this year.  I gave my mom a little list of charts I had been admiring, and she surprised me with quite a few!  I'm not sure where to start!  I now have: The Primitive Needle: Kindred Spirits, Little House Needleworks: Captains Inn (I really wanted this one!), Gourmet Garden, Fruit Game Boards, Two White Houses, Cherry Tree Inn, and Country Cottage Needleworks: Home Sweet Home. 

I hate to admit that for as many LHN charts that I now own I have yet to stitch any of them!!  I think I definitely need to get started on one soon.  I think I will stitch one of the Game Board designs first.  It calls for supplies that I should have on hand.  A question, though.  It calls for 16 count Lambswool Heatherfield.  How is this different than regular Lambswool?  Do you think I could just substitute the regular and have the same effect?  The finished size is 4" x 6".  I will have to measure things out and see how the sizes compare on the different linens.  I may have to try and stitch the Home Sweet Home design for her and finish it into a pillow--it could be a Christmas gift--since she was so generous in buying these for me!  It would probably take that long to stitch it and finish it! :)

I also would love to stitch the Kindred Spirits design.  It calls for 40-count Days Gone By linen by Silkweavers  and uses Soie silk by Crescent Colours.  I have never used either of these.  I wonder if I could find adequate substitutions in my stash.  I am trying very hard not to order any new supplies.  I am not the best when it comes to making linen and floss substitutions.  Is anyone stitching this one by any chance? 

I managed to finally finish Blackbird Designs' The Quaker Garden over the weekend!  I plan on pressing it tonight and will try and take a decent photo of it and post it in the next couple of days!!  I am quite pleased with it.  It's been a popular design and I feel like the last person to stitch it!!  And I started stitching a new design today...but more about that later!   

New Goodies and a Small Finish

I had hoped to finish this before the Fourth of July, but I put in the last stitches yesterday.  It is a Bent Creek design called "Pop".  It is meant to also have three blue star-shaped buttons, but I don't have them and I might just finish it as is.  It is a smallish design and I am not sure how I am going to do the final finishing on it.  Any ideas? 

I also received some new stash in the mail (sorry for the oversized photo!).  I splurged and bought the new Just Nan limited edition kit, "Queen's Bluebird Box".  I even started the backstitching.  I also started filling in the cross stitches, but I see that I have already made a mistake, so I will need to go back and see where my error is.  I am not too far into it, so I hope I can fix it easily.  I also bought the new WhimZi design, "Summer Spell".  To round things out I got the supplies for Little House Needleworks freebie, "Summer House", as well.  I am hoping that at least the WhimZi and the freebie will be quick stitches.  Though quick for me is never as quick as I'd like.  Now that it is July, I need to concentrate on finishing the little gift I was stitching for a birthday exchange.  Luckily I am nearly done, and I will just need to decide how to finish it.  Finishing is always a problem!   

I forsee some serious trouble ahead...

Have you seen the new Just Nan designs?  I have tried to not browse too much.  I am trying very hard not to buy new stash, and I have been very good this year.  What I have bought has generally been for gifts.  I have bought some fabric and I did buy a sampler chart and the supplies (which I need to share a photo of, but just haven't gotten around to it).  But I received the JN newsletter yesterday and when I saw what is new, I'm not sure if I can resist.  I really love that little Queen's Bluebird Box!  And I am going to have to get Bellemeade.  I have the other two (yes, as yet unstitched) designs in the "house and garden" series.  I even like this whimzi design.  The thing is, I am sure all three designs are going to be very pricey.  This makes me think I better not go and read any market reports--it is probably better to not know what I am missing!!  Now I will have to decide which I can afford first.  These are always limited designs, which is great from a marketing standpoint.  Get the consumer stirred up to think they will miss getting it if they don't buy it right now!  But for those of us who would like it, but can't buy it all right away, it is sort of annoying!!

Any other favorites in terms of new designs??

New Stash

I have been very good this year by not buying very much stash.  I feel like I am at a point where I just have too much.  Considering I have been stitching less this year than in past years, it is probably good that I slow down on the new stash acquisitions.   I really need to go through my charts and weed!  There are a few designers that I like so well that I will usually buy all their designs, however.  Prairie Schooler is one of those designers I really like.  I try and buy all her charts as once they go out of print, it is amazing how expensive they become!  So, I had to get her newest designs.  I really like them, though I am not sure whether I prefer these samplers, or her older style (honestly--probably her older style).  I do like those little bee skeps!  I think I will have to make a little fob or two!

Just When I Thought It Was Safe

Just when I thought I had my stash spending well under control--look what Martina (Chatelaine Designs) has gone off and done.  This is her 10th Anniversary design.  It is an Elizabethan sweete bag.  I love sweete bags and want to stitch one (a really authentic one, not just a little plain sweet bag, which I have done before).  I will have to ponder this one.  I told myself no more really big (and expensive) projects as I have PLENTY of things on hand and kitted up (including a few former Chatelaine Designs I have never finished!).  Is anyone planning on joining in on this year long project? 

Finally a little new stash...

It's not much, but I am quite pleased with my new stash.  Thanks to Leigh for the gift certificate to Elegant Stitch.  I bought the Indigo Rose kit "Pretty in Pink" with it.  I can't wait to open up the box and check everything out, and look over the chart.  I have one lone biscornu that I made and another that I received from another stitcher in an exchange.  I just love them!  My SANQ subscription also ran out.  I will renew it eventually, but until then I ordered the most recent issue, which I can't wait to read.  Not a shabby mail day at all!!

Market Favorites?

I love this Indigo Rose design.  I am not even sure it is a Market release, but I found it when I was reading Elegant Stitch's market report.  I am big into biscornus, so I think I am going to have to order it.  I wonder how complicated it is to stitch?  There are lots of tassles, aren't there?  Any market favorites?  Aside from the goodies that Cat's Whisker's Design Studios has come out with, there are not really a whole lot of designs that I can't live without.  I am happy about that as I am trying not to buy much stash these days.  I am happy to see that Prairie Schooler has some lovely new charts (which I will likely buy eventually), and there are a few Just Nan charts that I wouldn't mind having.  I do like the new designs by Carriage House Samplings, but I think I can hold off for a while before ordering any of them.   I thought CHS was coming out with another big sampler--but maybe that is in the summer?  Just as well considering how little of HoHRH and VoHRH I have stitched!!  A few temptations for me, but I think I should be able to resist pretty well this time around.  Did I miss something really big??

Market Goodies

Market is in just over a week now.  I am hoping that there won't be too many things I can't live without, but if I see a lot of designs like this one (which I spotted at Needlecraft Corner), I am going to be in big trouble.  I have actually not really done a lot of looking for new designs lately--trying to avoid temptation.  I did however decide not to order anything at the moment (though I really want to kit up a few things...), as there are bound to be a some charts that I won't be able to pass up.  I am still interested in this dilly bag, and I see that Carriage House Samplings has started sharing photos of new designs.  I am also particularly interested in what Just Nan and Prairie Schooler comes out with!  There seem to be lots of new designers around these days, too, creating lovely little sets like this bag and chatelaine!  In reality of course I don't need any of this at all.  I am having a hard enough time just working on my stash.  But it is quite difficult not being drawn by these new designs, isn't it!