The Peacock's Feather

Lo, How a Rose Sampler Update

As I have had several questions about this Lo, How a Rose sampler I thought I'd mention exactly which book it is found in.  If you're interested in stitching it as well, the book is out of print, but there are inexpensive used copies available from Amazon.  Look for: Better Homes and Gardens: A Cross Stitch Christmas.  The ISBN is: 069621363x.  It's nice for once to be able to share a sampler where the chart is still available!

Here's the section I have been working on.  The colorful words are stitched first and now the rest is more or less stitched in a color called London Fog--so lots of variations on grey!  It's quite pretty, though, with lots of little motifs to add it dashes of color.  Hopefully I'll be working on it more this weekend.

Finally Back to Stitching!

If only summer could be as nice as the last few days have been!  It has finally been nice enough for me to want to pick up my stitching again that I managed to get most of the middle section finished and add a few motifs to the bottom area.  I'm dreading filling in the bottom with white, but I am so happy to be near the end I think maybe I won't mind so much.

Here's a close up of the middle.  I will also need to do a little backstitching, but nothing too extensive.  This would have been perfect to work on in the heat since it is a snowy scene--I hate to think cold weather is only around the corner, but I plan on enjoying the nice, cool fall weather as much as possible.

On the spur of the moment I decided I wanted to start something new and happened to pick up this sampler which I had kitted up ages ago.  It is from a Better Homes and Garden Christmas book.  I'm using Antique White linen and overdyed floss.  

I'm not sure if I am just in a stitching mood or if I like the feel of my materials and the type of designs I'll be stitching, but I think this is going to be a very enjoyable design to work on.  The verse is from a German Christmas carol that was translated into English.  I've seen this one finished by other stitchers and think it's a very elegant design.  I'm hoping I can finish it by Christmas!

Rose Quaker Sampler - First Stitches

It's really way too hot to stitch right now, but I broke down anyway and recently ordered "Rose Quaker" Sampler by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg and the supplies to start stitching.  I've been lusting after this for quite a while now.

Here's my very large cut of linen.  I didn't think about how bit it would ultimately be, but this will be a Long Term project I guess.  It is a soft white color (don't remember exactly which) in 30 count.  I will be stitching it with DMC colors.

And here are a very few first stitches.  Two and a half motifs finished out of....loads.  I have stitched a little more than is shown here, but it has been so hot and humid and my house so warm that I haven't really felt much like working on any of my projects and having a piece of linen sitting on my lap.  I'll try and finish the partially stitched motifs and maybe add one of the letters (there is also an alphabet scattered about).

So, a small start, but something new to look at!

February in July

After a little hiatus I'm back to working on Prairie Schooler's "February".  When winter was dragging on I set it aside as the sight of snow was just too much for me.  But now that it is July and hot and humid and I am wilting, I'm only too happy to think of snow again!  I have actually stitched a bit more on this since I took the photo, but I wanted to share  my work as I had a photo ready.  I also have a new project, which I just started but I want to put in a few stitches before I share it here.  Soon!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, and those celebrating the Fourth have a safe holiday.  I have a long weekend with a few extra days off from work, so I plan on reading, stitching and watching a movie or two.  I think I'll stay in the air conditioning however.  It's a little too hot for my tastes!

Sampler Progress

Well, this month is quickly disappearing and I've not posted a single time here.  I've been very remiss in updating my stitching blog, and I do apologize but this month has been an awful month for stitching for me!  I have made a little progress on my Mystery Sampler, however, so I thought I should share it with you.  The grassy area was just finished today--complete with smyrna stitches, which are very fun to do.  I'm dreading the roof as eyelets are in the 'don't enjoy them' category for me.  Also the symbols for the colors in this area are very similar and therefore hard to see/differentiate.  I've been dragging my feet.  I think I may work on the vines a bit before moving on to the roof.

Not sure if you'll be able to make out those smyrnas, but here's a close up.  I  made a slight change to the door as I didn't like the 'S' shape.  This has been a stitch intensive section, and I am glad I am getting a little nearer to finishing it!

I am in the mood for a smaller project so I may dig around in my stash and see what I have to work on that is small and will be an 'instant gratification' type project.  Maybe I need to work on another month for my Prairie Schooler year.  I think I'll go look now and let you know later what I came up with!

A Roasted Marshmallow House

I've finally got enough of my Blackbird Designs Mystery Sampler stitched to share.  Well, I've been sharing along the way, but it is starting to actually Look like something, don't you think?  My house, stitched mostly with roasted marshmallow floss only lacks a roof!  I've got the vines left to stitch as they branch out over the house.  They have grape bunches hanging from them, which will be stitched with eyelets.  I'm not sure whether to do the eyelets first or fill in the color first and then add the eyelets.

Same house, but this time I took the photo next to a lamp.  Isn't it funny how the light can change the colors so drastically?  And neither shows the true color of the linen.  It's going much quicker now that I have the house mostly filled in.  I've got lots of vines and grass to stitch next.  Somehow I can already see the end in near for this third section! 

And More of the Same

Just one updated photo to share at the moment.  I actually took this photo a few days ago meaning to post then, but I didn't get around to it.  I've added more to it since, but I will save that for another day.  It seems like such a small area, though I feel like I've been working on it for ages.  I almost want to start something new just so I would have something different to share.  But I will persevere! 

Back to Mystery Sampler

I've started working on my Blackbird Mystery Sampler once again.  It had been sitting for too long without even a glance, but over the weekend I had a sudden urge to get moving on the house.  I am working on filling in the front with "marshmallow" and hope to begin work on the side of the house soon.  I think once I finish the house the rest of the vines and grass will stitch up quickly!  I took a photo of Prairie Schooler's "February" only to realize I had not added any new stitches since the last photo!

By the way, I have joined Twitter.  I'm not sure if anyone happens to belong, but do let me know if you are on Twitter and what name you go by.

And a Little More Progress

I thought it was time to check back in and share my "February" progress.  I'm getting there, though I had actually hoped to finish this in February.  Now I am trying for the first day of spring.  As that is only two weeks away, it may be wishful thinking, but I'll keep working away on it.  I think I am ready to work on something a little more colorful, but I don't want this one to turn into a UFO.

I'm just about ready to begin the finishing on this little bee skep.  It is another Prairie Schooler design.  I just need to stitch my name or initial and the date, which I think will go on the back side.  I'd like to stitch over one, so we'll see how it goes.  I think I can manage this one before March 21.

And then there is my poor "Mystery Sampler" which I have completely stalled on.  I don't think I have picked this one up once this year, so I am hoping to pull it out and start working on it again.  There's quite a lot of filling in on this section and I'm just not motivated with that house! If I can just start adding stitches, I think I can fall back into the rhythm of working on it once again.

I though you might like to see the books I received for my birthday, which I just recently celebrated. 

The top book is Rebecca Stott's Samplers, which is a survey of the history of samplers from the 17th through 19th centuries both in Britain and America.  "This book, written by one of Britain's leading experts on the subject, and illustrated with superb photographs of a great range of samplers from Britain and the USA, provides an ideal introduction to these amazing embroideries, for collectors, and those interested in social history and the history of art."  Connecticut Needlework: Women, Art, and Family, 1740-1840 by Susan P. Schoelwer is another lavishly illustrated book with selections of needlework from the Connecticut Historical Society.  There are seventy examples of needlework.  With each plate is a detailed description of the piece along with its history.  I'd forgotten how much I love these sorts of books.  It's been a while since I've bought myself anything so nice.  A good friend gave these to me.  I need to get back into the habit of reading these sorts of books--I miss them.

The bottom book is not one I had come across before and was a lovely surprise.  Collect Raindrops by Nikki McClure is a book of the four seasons.  At first when I flipped through I thought it was illustrated with woodblock prints, but these are actually intricate paper cuts.  In her introduction, artist Nikki McClure writes:

"I make my pictures by cutting away at black paper with a knife.  The paper becomes lacelike and everything becomes connected.  What remains is a paper-cut, just black and white.  Color and texture are added later.  My words are letter-pressed or cut out by hand."

As the book is on the bottom of the pile (due only to its size), I'm not doing much justice to it.  You can see her work here.  I might just have to go back to collecting art books!

More Band Sampler

It's been a while since I've shared my Band Sampler, and as you can see I've completed a few more rows.  I'm a bit stuck on the eyelets--if I could stitch just one a day I could finish that row in no time.  Easier said than done it seems.  Now I'm working on yet another alphabet that is made up of four sided stitches.  I'm not entirely sure I'm doing them right, but they seem to look okay in any case.  Once I finish this row and the next the rest of the sampler is much more interesting!

I've got five days off from work over the holiday, so I am hoping to stitch--not sure what I'll work on, but this seems to be what I am grabbing most lately.  I'd love to finish the letters.  The next row is a nice, simple satin stitch!

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, have a safe and happy holiday.  If you aren't, have a great rest of the week.

Happy stitching everyone!