The Peacock's Feather

Progress on the Little Pink House

It's been a while since you've seen this, hasn't it?  I'm almost finished with my "Pink Hill Manor", and I am itching to put in those last stitches so I can move on to something new.

Mostly it is only small motifs and a few over one words and letters that I have to stitch yet.  As always it's a matter of finding a nice chunk of time to sit down with this and get through the last bits yet to stitch.  I've been making slow but steady progress nonetheless.  I've been stitching for a few minutes each day before work and it seems to add up, as here I am so close to the end!

I'm not sure if I ever shared this design here or not.  It's by Lizzie Kate.  I started stitching it a while ago and am almost finished with this one as well.  Just a little backstitching and a few more motifs to finish.  I want to finish this as a pincushion (like this one).

Have I mentioned lately how much I miss stitching?  I can't seem to get the energy to stitch on the weekends these days, and it goes without saying I never seem to have enough time to accomplish all the things I want to when I do have free time (but I know I'm not alone with this problem!).

Of course lack of enough free time doesn't stop me thinking about what I might stitch next (much like looking ahead in my reading).  These samplers are by Prairie Schooler and are from their "Country Seasons" chart.  I think I'd stitch the "Autumn Sampler" if I can pick one soon.

Or maybe something quick like this little sheep from Shepherds Bush called "Queen Bee".  They have a whole series of sheep designs, and I've been trying to stitch them all.  I'm not sure how I'll finish them all--little pillows maybe to fill a basket?  Anyway, I think I'm ready to add a new sheep to my collection.

But, first things first.  I'm not allowing myself a new project until I finish one first! 

Pink Hill Manor Takes Shape

Since I've made steady progress on Pink Hill Manor, I thought it was time for an update!

A little time lapse photography...here it is at the beginning. 

. . . a few stitches and a few weeks later...

It's finally beginning to take shape.  I'm wondering if now I am being optimistic about possibly entering it into the State Fair next month.  It may yet happen, but I might take a look through my bin of "finished" but not Finished projects and see if there is something I might be able to sew up quickly to enter.  We'll see.  I might have to think about this one for a possible entry next year!  The problem is more that it will need to be framed and as I don't do my own framing I might not have enough time to pay someone to frame it.  It doesn't matter really, as the important thing is simply to enjoy stitching, right?!

Pink Hill Progress

Has it really been so long since I checked in here?  Rather, gave a proper update on what I've been working on?  I do check in and read comments, which I am very appreciative of receiving by the way.  I was hoping I could post updates at least twice a week and then a month will flew by so quickly.  But I have been stitching.  I've mostly been working on Blackbird Designs' "Pinkhill Manor" which I am very much enjoying stitching.  I take it to work with me and try and spend at least fifteen minutes or half an hour before I clock in.  Even though it's not a huge chunk of time the stitches really do begin to add up.  Will I be able to finish it before the end of the month (and have it framed) is the question.  I need to check on the deadline for entry into my State Fair in August.  Fingers crossed.  I had such high hopes of finishing several projects and now I think I will be lucky (and happy) to have just one entry. 

There is still a chance that I can stitch the Just Nan biscornu that I mentioned last time, but even a small project of JN seems labor intensive--so many color changes.  But biscornus are just about my favorite thing to stitch and finish, so I might give it a try. 

I've been working on my Mystery Sampler, too, and hopefully will give an update of that soon.  My digital camera is practically dead and I need to invest in a new one, but I've been able scrape by so far with the poor (very old) HP that I've had for years. 

I hope everyone is having a great summer and not wilting too much in the heat.  We finally got a break from the near (or over) 100F days we've been having here in Nebraska, but mid-80s with humidity is still not as nice as I wish it could be.  Summer in the Midwest, though, what can I expect, right?

State Fair Material?

Over the weekend I ordered supplies to stitch this sampler, "Pink Hill Manor", by Blackbird Designs.  I've owned the chart for about a year and am in the mood now to stitch it.  I've also got an ulterior motive as I have decided to enter some of my recent needlework projects into the State Fair.  I've never entered my work into any sort of competition, and haven't a clue whether anything I do would be good enough to win anything, but it sounds like it could be fun and might even provide motivation to me to make better progress on my work.

To that end, I need to decide what I want to enter.  The work has to be something completed within the last three years.  And it has to be something that I think might actually have a chance of catching a judges eye.  Do you remember my "Mystery Sampler"?  It is also a Blackbird Design and I am more than halfway finished with the stitching.  I think the last two sections would go fast if I could just get past this more labor intensive (lots of filling in of stitches) middle part.  Once it is sewn together and framed I think it would be a pretty striking piece.

This biscornu would be easy to finish, and maybe fairly quick to stitch.  The designer is Just Nan and it's called "When Barnabee Met Bella".  Barnabee and Bella at bees and they are recurring 'characters' in a series of needlework designs by Just Nan (I've got a number of them by the way).  This is one of my favorite ways to finish a design, though it might have to go into a "miscellaneous" category.

And there is a sampler category, in which this would fit nicely.  However, it is only perhaps a third of the way finished.  The State Fair is in late August, which means I don't have a lot of time and should really concentrate on just one project (or one project and the little pincushion).  

How to choose?  If you were a judge, which would you be most impressed with?  Has anyone entered needlework into your local state fair?  Any suggestions or advice?

The Work Continues

It's amazing how trying to add just a letter a day will speed progress along.  Which is what I've been trying to do--at a letter or row here and there.  I'm itching to spend some time stitching this weekend--hopefully I can make time for it, as stitching time seems to be hard to come by on weekends lately. 

By the way, are you on Pinterest?  I am.  You can visit me here.  If you tell me your username or give me your link, I'll follow you--have just recently discovered it and find it hugely addicting!

Working on . . .

As much as I liked working on something small, like my last finish, I'm happy to get back to my Lo, How a Rose Sampler that has sat untouched for far too long.  I have several WiPs that really do need some attention, but this has been th emost enjoyable and easy to stitch on.  So, I've pulled it back out and have been trying to add a letter a day at the very least.  Once I get this right hand side of the sampler filled in, I think it is going to fly by--at least I hope so!

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!

Almost There...

I'm hoping to finish this before the end of the week!  I've only a few more motifs to add and then on to the white fill in.  It will be a perfect mindless task for when I am watching movies.  And then it'll be time to pull out another project to focus on.  I certainly have plenty to choose from, but something small would be nice--instant gratification of I can finish early in 2012 and get going in the new year.  I hope I'll be able to stitch more then and complete more projects as I only finished a paltry few this year!

Almost Finished: February!

I seem to be posting all of about once monthly here, so now that it is December I guess I need to share a little progress!  I am almost finished with my PS "February" sampler.  I've actually stitched a tiny bit more but I am too lazy to take a proper photo.  Maybe this weekend I can share another update (Shocking!  Two posts in one month?).  I'm not looking forward to all the filling in of white, but it'll be the last bit I need to do.

And a little close up of the bottom.  Doesn't the little brown guy look a little bit like a frog?  I need to fill in his eyes and mouth and then he'll look more like the ground hog he is!  He'll be holding a flag by the way.

Ooh, and look what I recently started: another Prairie Schooler design--"The Tortoise and the Hare".  When I get tired of filling in white stitches for snow I can come back to some lovely green letters and motifs and think of warmer days.  It has officially snowed (a plowable snow) where I live.  We didn't get much but it was enough to cause problems and as someone who walks and takes the bus to work I had to deal with lots of un-shoveled sidewalks this morning.  I'm hoping for a little warmth and sunshine this week to help melt it away.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Quickie Update

Sorry, I've all but disappeared lately!  I wish I had more to show for my time away, but I do have a little progress to share.  I really like stitching this, and wish I had a nice chunk of time to spend on it, but as usual can just squeeze in moments here and there.  Still, I am making progress, even if it is slow progress.

And a little close up.  I've been lucky as the weather here has been really gorgeous, but I think it is finally going to come to an end (sad to say).  I guess this will be an appropriate project to work on as the days get shorter and the nights longer.  I still would love to finish this by Christmas.  I think I might be able to manage it and think I will try and at least stitch one letter every night. 

By the way--even though I seem to be absent from here a lot lately, I do thank you for each and every comment I get.  They are much appreciated and I do check in behind the scenes daily to see if anyone has dropped by even though I am a very poor blogger of late!

Happy Stitching All!