Thanks a million ...

Thank you for such kind comments re. the project completed by Nicholas. Poor kid became ill yesterday w/stomach flu & headache. I'm tip toeing around the house this morning.

Aside from having Tori home from college and the Thanksgiving meal preparation, I've been busy going thru drawers, closets, cupboards, shelves, etc., cleaning pitching junk & rearranging. Sure was a wonderful feeling taking out extra bags of trash this a.m. I have a pile to donate, too.

I plan to go thru every box in this house before sitting down with a good book or a stitching project.

Will be back to blogging soon.

Meanwhile, I'm bossing around the dust bunnies and pitching 20 year old junk clutter. Sound like fun??? Send some spare energy in my direction. These old bones need it!

Nicholas finished!

Yay :D This is Lavender & Lace "Fairy Dreams" by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum. c.1996 Told in a Garden. Nicholas finished over the week-end. (Nicholas is our 16yo son). After final exams (Wed, Thus, Fri) this week, he hopes to get working on the Sampler Gameboard.

I set aside EVERYTHING in order to get a couple ornaments stitched for my inlaws & my Mom. Plus, I need to get this household in order. The dust bunnies seem to be taking over.

SAL news

I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. [earlier this morning] trying to get the set finished. After pinning the cord in place, I quit for the day! Needed some sleep. Tonight, I plan to sew the cord on after the evening meal.

This is the first time I've used Dinky Dyes threads. This project was stitched with Red Dust (silk) & Nullabor (cotton) 'Hand dyed Australian threads'.

The scissor pocket and needlebook are all done. ta da! I used the lighter color silk for the cord on the scissor pocket. Other than changing the cord color, I followed the finishing directions on the scissor pocket provided on the pattern.

This is the inside of the needlebook & the scissor pocket. The scissors fit nicely inside.

Myrna: Thanks again for sending me all these materials. If you look at the 1st picture, you'll see I used everything (but a couple strands of thread). The kit was excellent! The lining material matches nicely. I'm thrilled to have this lovely set!

"Finishing" Part One

When Myrna & I started the weekly scissor pocket SAL, we were guessing 2 weeks for stitching and 2 weeks for "finishing". For me, it took 3 weeks to stitch & this is my 2nd week for the finishing. This photo shows: Interfacing has been ironed inside + the cotton fabric is pressed & pinned, & idea where to sew the button in place. Myrna suggested adding the button & cord before sewing the lining in place [sounds like good advice].

Second Photo: Shows the needlebook front, scissor fob basted together, and the 'french vanilla' color felt. I want to finish the needlebook similar to the one in the top-middle of the photo ... I plan to use a buttonhole edge with the light silk. Using a sharp needle, I'd stitch thru the linen & lining at the same time. Inside will have the cotton lining (currently folded on the edges & pinned in place) AND the felt added last.

This is the back of the scissor pocket. I like the progress I've made so far.

To do: Tonight, I want to get the button sewn on, make cording & tack on the pocket, sew in the lining, stitch the sides shut. PLUS, I want to sew the fob shut, make a cord for the fob & attach it in place. The needlebook will need a buttonhole edge with silk & add the felt. With DH at a meeting tonight, I just might have this all completed.

Pine Cushion

This is part of A Stitch in Pine. The cushion uses all the specialty stitches which are in the larger sampler. This is excellent. I get the chance to practice! Last night I practiced the corner eyelet, pin stitch, and mosaic stitch.

The other stitches used are: Queen stitch, Diamond stitch, 4-sided stitch, Smyrna cross, Continental stitch & Diamond Eyelet. Kewl.

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy the radio? The Justin Timberlake song is playing now. I guess with the teenagers in the house, I find myself singing along, mindlessly, memorizing the words to all these crazy tunes. Isn't that odd? A 48yo SAHM singing "bringing sexy back". I wonder what the neighbors think? Yeah, yeah, I like other music too -- like classical, blues, rock, folk, etc. Music makes me happy.

DT Gameboard SAL & MIOM

I heard from Cathy that she was setting the gameboard aside until after the holidays.

Also from Kay (without blog): "Well, so much for the Drawn Thread game board. I ALMOST finished half way--got 16 houses finished, the border around the top- except for the side where the year and initials are suppose to be sewn, and the little squares between the houses--then last night--I started on the second half--goofed up the pattern--had to cut out half a house--and decided to put it away for a while. Want to work on some little-quick-no brainer things."

OK, so, I put it aside to work on a holiday ornament for my Mom. I think working on some holiday stitching is in order :D I'll pick up the DT sampler in January!!

- - - - -

As for Move It Out Monday ... I still have Country Garden to finish.

I read on Karen's Blog that she was going to start A Stitch in Pine this week. Wanting to launch this ... I spent most of my Monday -- moving my stash around! I did find everything & was happy to start this sampler. Didn't get much accomplished ... just the outside border. If you go to Karen's Blog, you will see the trees just GREW right on her linen!! She is so far along. She may finish it by Friday ... yikes.

One problem I HAD, was the button. I couldn't find it (never mind I bought this pattern, floss, button back in 1998). Lucky me, Tina had charts for button substitutes. Tina has a picture on her blog of "A Stitch in Pine".

As I was working my way thru 'stash', I came across this chart. I pulled out the floss the chart called for (301, 400, 610, 829, 832, 3031) There were Needlepoint Silks listed, too. I thought the floss colors I had in my hand didn't really look like the colors in the photograph -- I was thinking the floss colors looked brighter in the picture. I tried to match floss to the photograph. This will be my next 'Monday' project. And, if the colors I pulled out don't look right -- I can always do it again in the suggested colors. It is 74W x 93H

Now, after working on WIP after WIP, it is really fun to get out THREE new projects to stitch.

Photo added:
See the difference? These are the floss colors the pattern calls for.

Nick's stitching

Progress Photograph - still working on the hemline ...

Nick received this pattern & supplies from my Mom [his Grammy K]. He liked the birds & snowflakes! Once he finished it, she paid for the frame. Because of the glass, the image is difficult to photograph. But you get the idea!

still more to stitch ...

Country Garden c.2004 Blackbird Designs.

Suggested Fibers are: Week's Dye Works: Cocoa, Camelia, & Schneckley. GASampler Threads: Dried Thyme & Straw Basket. I switched the Straw Basket to WDW Angel Hair.

Myreshka

This is a bookmark using Myreshka (Ukrainian Drawn Work Technique)


I took a class by Jane Ellen Balzuweit in September of 2001. Her contact information here.

(Front of Bookmark. As always, click on the photograph to view detail.) The person I was with received permission to teach this to our local EGA chapter.

It is my understanding this technique usually is done in white & off white fibers.
(Back of Bookmark.) I made some examples, for the class, using other colors so the students could have a better idea of working the fibers. I sent those samples to Cathy for the Bookmarks for Literacy outreach program her chapter is doing.


This photo shows bookmarks made with dmc Perle Cotton AND Rainbow Gallery Overture + Encore! color #128.

Cathy was interested in this technique. I found some pictures, instructions, diagrams & definitions on line. Check out these links:

Diagrams, instructions, samples

Diagrams, instructions, pictures, samples

Wikipedia Info

photo

Country Garden WIP

Country Garden by Blackbird Designs was my MIOM* project. I'm using Week's Dye Works & Sampler Threads on 32ct Sand Belfast Linen. The stitch count is 65W x 71H.

I first noticed this project on Chelle's Blog (post dated 21 July 2005). Chelle stitched this TWICE! It is a fun, hard-to-put-down project :D

Thank you Karenv for your linen suggestions. I have double checked my stash & found a linen that might work with the Week's Dye Works - Curry. I think your 'dirty linen' would be an excellent choice for the pear.

*Move It Out Monday