Tis the Season Progress

Okay folks.  Here is the latest that I’ve done on This is the Season by Blackbird Designs.  The pic is not great; I had to take it at night, indoors, without a flash to get the colors a little closer to their real appearance.  I just love this piece.  I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I couldn’t resist another start, when I realized just how small it was, and I wanted to have something to swap to that is a lower count… I think I need new eyeballs.  The 40 count slows me down a bit, since most of my stitching time is at night after it’s dark now.  I’ve started Blackbird Design’s “Winter Delivery”.

I’ll be drawing the winner of my giveaway tomorrow… so if you catch this post before then, comment on my giveaway post.  It’s been a crazy week again.  I just don’t know sometimes how I’ll get everything done, and then I remember that when you take care of the important things, the rest take care of themselves.

Have a great week, and be sure to get some creative time in!

 

‘Tis the Season – a new start

I couldn’t resist.  I’ve actually just done a little bit, last night, and tonight.  Here is my progress so far:

This was just taken under my Ott light.  I’ll try again next time under sunlight.  The colors really look great, and I’m having fun with this one.  I’ve also been working more on my first sock… Wahoo!  It’s not perfect.  I’ve learned a little bit, and yippee, I’ve turned the heel!  I actually did it.  I am now working on the gusset.  I am using Lorna’s Laces “Simply the Blues”, which was a February 2009 limited edition color from Jimmy Beans Wool.  I probably should have started out with a yarn that was cheaper, but I just couldn’t resist the colors.  In fact, I learned to knit mainly to do socks!  So, I’ve got a sock yarn stash that pre-dates my first knit and purl. ;0)

I am using a pattern by Knitting Pure & Simple called “Beginner’s Lightweight Socks”, and had some help from Ann Budd when I got a bit confused trying to pick up the stitches after turning the heel for my first time, on my own.

And, here’s something I’ve been working on the past few weeks.  It goes fast, but I’m still not sure I’m going to finish this month.  Oh well, I couldn’t have framed it in time anyway.  But, it’s really a fun stitch.  And, a bit mindless, which is nice especially since I’ve been working on my Mary Busby repro, on 40 count, and now TTS is on 40 count.  It’s nice to switch back to 32 count once in a while.  But, I sure love those high-count linens!

eek!

Wow, two posts in one day.  But, I saw the responses on Legacy to the conversion for TTS, and I thought I’d take the time to post a progress pic.  Have a great week everyone, and make time for creativity!

 

New pics of “Lo, How a Rose”

Okay, for all of you out there in blogland, I am posting pics of my “Lo”, using the Weeks Dye Works threads called for, on antique white linen. It’s still not ironed, so forgive me for that, and I’m taking pics at night.  The colors are pretty accurate in these though.  I’m taking the pic without a flash, under my Ott Light.  One thing, I am using two different skeins of London Fog for the majority of the letters, which are different dye lots.  I am intermingling them though, so that the dye lot difference isn’t as noticable.  I still have some little flower bits to finish here and there in the upper parts where I’ve been working.

 

Long time…no blog!

I know it’s been a while since I posted anything. I’ve been quite busy with being sick! It seems that I’ve had one thing or another hit me throughout the entire month of September. And, at times, it all hit me at once! I’m fending off an ear infection now. But, I have taken some time to stitch while I wasn’t working or in a cough syrup stupor!

I finished “Betsy” and am pretty happy about it. It’s been in my WIP pile for quite some time, and now it’s finally finished. It will hang in my family room when I get the frame made for it, and get it mounted.

I have also started on a little Christmas Sampler by Ewe and Eye and Friends. I’m stitching it on willow green Cashel, with a thread conversion by Shepherd’s Bush. It’s been really fun, and I expect it will be finished sometime next weekend.

I hope everyone has a great week. I will be catching up on homework and work-work. Taking sick leave hours is a blessing and a curse!

 

Odds and Ends

I just love how my “Love Letters” sampler by EEF is coming along. I promised pics so here they are:

And, here’s a close-up. I’m using two strands, and decided that on the fruit, I would do a more textured stitch. Not sure if I love it, but it’s there, and I’m leaving it! I am also changing the phrase on the left side of the heart to “love one another”, instead of “be true”. I’ll leave “be kind” on the other side.

I’m also working a little bit on the original Snapperville. I’ve almost finished the Easter one, but have set that aside, since I missed Easter and it’s not urgent I finish that anytime real soon. I haven’t gone too far on the original. I’m using one strand on 36 ct over two.

I have also sewn the main pieces of my quilted bag together. Here is what it looks like so far, with the top polka dot peeking… it’s the lining:

Well, gotta go take Chloe for a walk. Have a great week!

 

A Smidgeon of Progress

Hello fellow stitchers! I have made some progress on Ellen Chester’s needlebook from A Needleworker’s Sampler Huswif project. I really enjoyed the class, and was able to finish most of the bands during class. I’ve completed the rest since then. The picture isn’t great, but you get the idea.

And, when I was in Salt Lake last week, I picked up a new Drawn Thread release from the Craft Center. I believe this was something Cynthia taught through Elegant Stitch at one point. It’s the Box of Stitches. I also picked up the chart for these little stocking ornaments by Hands to Work. I didn’t like the drab needlepoint silk colors, so I converted them to some new Crescent Colours, while I was at the Stitchin Station.
I also picked up the Autumn Snapper charts by Bent Creek, because I’m enjoying the other snappers so much and I love the phrase on the chart that groups them all together. And, I picked up a chart and fabric for my friend for Mother’s Day.

I then stopped by Pine Needles at Gardner Village, and found a pattern for a really simple quilted bag. I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I took my friend to a quilt shop here in the valley the next day and we picked out fabrics for three bags. One for me, one for her, and one for my mother. I used fabrics from Blackbird Designs’ Chelsea Boutique for my bag. If these work out (it’s been a while since I sat at a sewing machine), then I will probably make more! I saw a wonderful spa blue and chocolate brown line of fabrics at Pine Needles. Here’s one swatch… they’re designed by Michael Miller. I can just see that big floral on the outside of the bag, with a matching, contrasted polka dot fabric as an accent and the fabric called “word search” in the same line as the lining of the bag. Fun stuff!

Here are the sets for the three bags I’m going to make. Mine, my friend’s, and my mom’s, in that order:

My mom didn’t like the fabric at the far left in her set (pink set just above), because it’s for the bottom of her bag, and she want’s something darker. So, I’ll be looking for something else for that.

Thanks for all of your comments! To answer your question about the Ellen Chester class Deb, it was really fun! I don’t get the opportunity to take many classes, because I’m usually so busy with work and other things that I don’t get away. I also received my Friends in Stitches kit and I love it! The colors are a bit more muted than I thought they would be from the picture, but I like colors that are more muted anyway, so this will work out just fantastic. I won’t be starting it for a while though. I have a ton to do first! For now, I’m off to wash the dog (Chloe the wonder mini-schnauzer), clean house and sew today. Have a great weekend!

 

Recent WIPs and a Purchase

My hands seem to be responding well to the heat packs, the drugs, and the wrist brace… and of course, I like to tempt fate. I know I promised I would be working on The Marriage of Minds, but I got bored, and I think I’m going to shoot for having that done in the year of my sister’s anniversary… sounds fine to me! So, here are some of the most recent WIPs that I’ve been working on: This is just a wee beginning on the Victoria Sampler Christmas Village. And, here is how close I am to finishing Betsy: And, the latest one that I picked up a few days ago is Needle’s Prayse Carnation Sampler. It’s a smaller piece, to be sure, but it’s deceiving, because of the specialty stitches in the dividing bands, etc. And, there’s queen stitches in there too. The more I add, the more I like it. I’ve been stitching this with DMC on a little swatch of Lakeside Linen that I got in a grab bag from Silkweaver long ago. I hope that I can squeeze the remaining stitches on the bottom of this sampler. The fabric was small, and I knew I would be cutting it close and may need to leave a band off, or do some work in hand, and then hemstitch it. But, I liked the linen and was cheap too.

I also was able to get an older Needle’s Prayse chart this past week. I think it’s out of print. I really like it though, and it was a bargain. Of course, I think the person I purchased it from made a killing, since it looks like they picked it up from a bargain bin for 99 cents. It’s the Honeysuckle Sampler. I’m tempted to start it, but I am on the plan to finish items in 2007!