The Peacock's Feather

SAL Anyone?

There was a very nice post on Dani's blog last weekend.  It made me think about all the stitching friends I have meet over the internet.  I feel bad as I am not able to "make the rounds" daily and read what everyone else is up to and comment on their blogs, but I am trying to make more time to do so!  I know I always greatly appreciate it when others leave comments, or give help or suggestions when I am stuck on some particular project!  She also mentioned how much she enjoys doing little SALs with other stitchers.  I know in my recent wanderings I have noticed others who are also SAL-ing: Mercedes is working on SANQ's "Alphabet Samplings Book" with a few others, Von is working on the Drawn Thread "Spots" with a group, Merumo is SAL-ing with two French stitchers a sampler they chose when they took a Merry Cox class together.  I am sure there are many other SALs going on as well!  My Prairie Schooler monthly projects are actually the result of a SAL as well.  It started at the beginning of this year on a bulletin board, but there is not much interaction going on there.  This has made me wish I was in some sort of a SAL as well. I was wondering if there was any interest in starting a little SAL with me?  I don't really have a particular project in mind--maybe one of the new Drawn Thread designs?  A Carriage House Samplings design (she has some small ones)?  Merry Cox (something that has been printed in SANQ perhaps)?  Or some small project that has appeared in Fine Lines or SANQ?  There are so many things I would love to stitch, but really it is the comraderie that I would like.    It is just nice to know you are working on something at the same time others are and you can chat about it or share progress on your blogs once a week or so.  If anyone is interested, please let me know.  Otherwise I certainly have plenty to keep me busy alone or in a group!

Shamrocks are Good!

Not much to share yet, but here is my tiny start on PS-"March".  It feels good to be stitching something other than hearts and with a color other than red!  I think I am going to enjoy these little shamrocks!  It would be nice to have the stitching finished by St. Patrick's Day next Friday (since I am usually late!).  I really like the linen I am using--32 count Siena, which I received as a gift from a friend in Italy.  It is a nice shade (just natural really), and it is a bit stiffer which I find easier to work with.  I didn't get in any stitching last night, after I had hoped to get  a nice chunk of stitching time (I had problems with Typepad-my blogging service).  Maybe tonight--even if it is just a bit more of my shamrocks!

A Little Clock for January

I have finished stitching January from the Prairie Schooler chart A Prairie Year.  I can't decide whether to just choose some plain fabric for the back, or use linen for my backing.  It depends on how lazy I am feeling, I guess.  It would be nice to stitch a border on a backing piece of linen and add the date and my initials.  Of course it would be a bit quicker to just use some nice plain fabric, too!   I want to do the finishing on this over the coming weekend.  This is for a SAL that I am in, and I would love to be able to keep up with one of my goals this year!  Next month the design has four hearts.  The design is nice and symmetrical, so I think I will use a 28 count linen and finish it as an eight corner pillow.  I loved making the one I gave away.  I think February is the only month I will be able to finish it that way--every other month the design is more of an object or an animal.  Now I need to get to work on Mystery IX!!!  It amazes me how quickly some people can stitch and get each installment finished so quickly!  Oh well, I still have three weeks to work on it!

Gearing Up for Some New SALs!

I am getting ready for three new SALs!  One is a SAL for this Prairie Schooler chart - A Prairie Year.  This has been in my stash for ages, so it will be good to pull it out and get working on it.  I am actually in charge of organizing this, so it is going to be very laid back!  Theplan is to just stitch each design for each month.  I plan on doing each as an individual project.  I might finish them as small cushions or pinkeeps or whatever catches my fancy for that month.  For the January design I have out my lambswool and the DMC floss is ready to go!  I think I will make it into a cushion this time around. 

Sarah Tatum from The Scarlet Letter is also on the agenda.  I have had her in my stash for a long time, and I am sure I have mentioned her recently.  There is a SAL on the Legacy board starting on January 1, 2006.  I had planned on stitching her as one of my larger projects next year, so hopefully this will give me the impetus to keep up with her!  I am using the 35 count fabric that came with the kit.  I had ordered the DMC floss kit, but I have ordered the AVAS to use instead. Needlecraft Corner was having a 25% off sale on the first 12 items (and 20% thereafter), so I ordered my floss from them.  I hope to get it before the holidays and I will start it over the break!

And of course there is the Walking in a Winter Snapperland that I have been talking about.  A formal SAL has been organized starting January 1, 2006 for this one as well.  I am planning on starting it sooner though.  I have my supplies ready to go--I am just trying to finish up two little gifts to get in the mail!  I have to finish them this week, and as it is they might not arrive in time!  I guess I'd better go and stitch!! (And I have not forgotten my Angel of Tulips.....)!!!

A Winter Wonderland

Dulce is helping me contemplate what materials I need to start my Walking in a Winter Sanpperland project.  Karen and I are going to have a mini SAL for this project.  I just need to go through my floss stash and pull out the overdyed floss for the chart.  I think I will have all but a couple of colors, and for those I will substitute the DMC colors.  I hope to do better on this series than I have on the regular snappers.  I am still back in Summer on those.  I hope to pick them back up in the new year.  Actually it looks like I was still working on the Spring section.  I was in the middle of stitching April.  I think I messed up on the color of border.  I  was stitching it with the same color as the vine, but I think they are meant to be different.  I may change that, but I guess I will worry about that one later.

Today is the perfect day to start stitching on the Winter Snapperland as it has been snowing all morning.  Here is a little snowy view out my backdoor.  It was snowing pretty heavily, but you may not be able to see that.  I don't have the most scenic view out my front or back door, so I had to do a bit of creative cropping.  There are lots of trees on one side of my house, but mostly it is just other houses.  I am off now to stitch!

Sarah Tatum SAL

January 1, 2006 there is a  SAL starting on the Legacy board for Sarah Tatum. This Quaker reproduction can be purchased from The Scarlet Letter.  I have had this kit in my stash for ages, and even started it when I originally ordered it.  As it turned out the fabric was cut to allow only a very small amout of extra fabric for the borders.  I did not center it well, and I was afraid I would stitch right off the fabric.  So I ended up ordering a larger cut of fabric, and then I never got back to it.  As I have mentioned before, I plan on working on this Quaker next year as one of my larger projects, so it is great that the SAL is being organized.  I hope this will keep me motivated!  I ordered the kit with DMC, but now I am thinking of getting AVAS instead, as I really love these silks!  Elegant Stitch sells the smaller skeins, which would mean a bit less money than the full skeins, but I am not sure that will be enough.  There must be a formula for figuring floss requirements.  I will have to study the chart.  At least only one ply is needed.  I think I will stick with the fabric that I have.  It is 35 count--a neutral, light natural color.  I prefer 40 count, but I hate to get yet another fabric cut!  Anyone else planning on joining in with this SAL?

I have to share this very cool website with you.  It looks as though a French stitching group had a birthday exchange where they each made a needleroll for the recipient.  I love needlerolls, so I enjoyed looking a the variety of designs!  I wonder if they just adapted various designs to finish as needlerolls?  I really hope to stitch more in the coming year of these as well!

Strawberry Fields!

Here is a very early-on picture of my progress thus far on Hillside Sampling's Strawberry Fields Stitching Bag.  I have only stitched a bit of the backstitching.  It is fairly quick going, but I am going to need a nice little chunk of time to get more finished.  Is anyone else participating in this SAL over on the Legacy Board?  I love these little accessories.  Strawberries are another of those motifs that I like (almost as much as bee skeps!).  Last Christmas I even stitched a couple of Prairie Schooler strawberries for friends.  I would like to make some for myself as well eventually.

There is not much going on with me at the moment.  I hope to maybe get in a few little stitches on my Quaker.  I would love to do the finishing on it this weekend!  I have once again changed my mind on what I am stitching for my Birthday Buddy (another group I belong to).  I had something picked out, but then changed my mind, then went back to the original idea.  But I have been dragging my feet on starting--mostly as I am uncertain on the finishing aspect.  I had a bit of an epiphany looking at a designer website today, though.  It is one of my favorite designers, and the recipient also listed them in her list of "likes".  I feel much more comfortable with this choice.  I know I can do the finishing and it will be fun to pick out some goodies to go along with the theme.  I wish I could tell you more, but of course this is all a surprise!!  Now I just have to wait for the chart to come...(and no more changing my mind!!!).

Lessons Learned on Making My First Pinkeep

This is the aftermath of my pinkeep finishing session.  Sorry, I can't show you the pinkeep in question, as it is for an exchange (such a surprise, eh!).  For me finishing has always been an uphill battle.  I have learned everything on my own--well, through books, online classes, and with the help of other stitchers.  I am such a visual learner, though, the first time around with something new is usually pretty rough for me.  So last night I undertook the finishing for my freebie exchange.

I chose a design that calls for over one stitching.  That alone was difficult, and I am sure you heard me agonizing over the process as well--LOL.  I stitched it on 32 count fabric, and some of the floss was very close in color to the linen, so it was hard adjusting, but I managed to get through it.  On more than one occasion I thought of scrapping this project and choosing another design, or stitching this over two.  I am now happy I stuck with it, though.  In the future I will choose my linen very carefully for over one projects.  I think for me, maybe 30 count would be great, or even 28 count!  Also a nice stiff linen would help!

As for finishing...I decided to base my finishing on the instructions from the This Too Shall Pass II Pinkeep kit.  First I backstitched around the design.  Then  I sewed my batting into place, overlapping the edges over the batting.  I cut two pieces of skirtex for the inside.  When I backstitched I stitched only over two threads, with floss the color of the linen--once again it was quite hard to see the stitches--I won't do that again.  At least had I stitched over four threads, I could have maneuvered my needle better.  Once it was enclosed came the ribbon and glass head pins.  I had a hard time keeping the ribbon very taut--it tended to buckle.  And the bow at the top was almost the hardest part--LOL.  So, in the future, I will be using Vero's instructions that she posted on her blog.  What I am not happy about with my pinkeep--it is not nice and flat, and the ribbon also does not lay completely flat!  In the future I plan on using mat board, as I think that will give it much better definition.  Let's just hope I can cut the mat board straight now!

On a happier note, I started my Hillside Samplings Strawberry Fields bag and accessories.  This is a SAL over on the Legacy board that I joined.  So far we are just working on he top of the bag--backstitching the lattice design.  I hope to try and keep up.  We are taking this slowly, just doing the stitching and saving the finishing for the beginning of 2006!  I love this design and I hope I can manage it!

And lastly, while I was out doing errands yesterday I picked up some Halloween fabric.  I thought I better while there was a selection as the closer we get, it will be all picked over.  I am not sure what I will use, but this way I have something to choose from.  It shouldn't take long to stitch up!  So far, not problems on this project!!