A Monochrome Finish

My latest finish is a more primitive type of design. I could not recall if I had ever stitched a primitive style Christmas design, so I dug through my Leaflet Silo and found this small design. It took longer than anticipated as Thanksgiving was upon us all of a sudden. Then, DH and I have decided to get sick on top of it. Good times. 

I have also really been struggling to stitch anything at all. This year has been the year of the burn out, I think. I've stitched so much in the past couple of years, I've lost the desire to stitch. Which completely pisses me off as I have all of these lovely and gorgeous projects to choose to stitch. I have a 6 inch binder alone of very rare, very hard to find designs and while I love pawing through them, I have very little desire to stitch. Blea. 

When these occasions happen, I organize and rearrange and take inventory of stock. As there was very little to organize due to my previous forays into organization, I took stock of what I had and what i have managed to finish this year. With this finish, I have only two more projects to stitch up and I will hit 30 projects stitched for the year. Mind you, most of these have been in the small design category, with a few Bin O'Shame finishes thrown in for good measure. That's not too bad a showing. I did hit my unofficial yearly goal of 12 projects, which equals to one per month. 

As of this writing, I will be sticking to just the unofficial yearly goal of 12 projects stitched to completion. I want to stitch on my rares and try and clean up more of the Bin O'Shame pieces. I have 24 pieces left in the Bin O'Shame and I think it's doable within the next 2 years. I am including Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow in the 24 that need to be stitched. I would love to make some progress on it, as it has sat for quite some time. I would like to finish blocks 3 through 6 next year. This would put the project to half finished by the end of 2018. We will see, yea? :) I mean, there is a certain road that is paved with nothing but good intentions, but standing back and taking stock of what I have accomplished has helped tremendously. 

At any rate, on with the finish show. I had the Devil's own time attempting to take a picture of this latest finish. I don't know how photographers do it, personally!

Design: Yule: Winter Solstice

Designer: Isobel Argante of The Primitive Hare 

Fabric Used: 28 count Cashel linen in Thyme by Wichelt

Fibers Used:  Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in S899, Dark Ecru

Stitchers' Notes: 28th finish of 2017. Freebie available on designers' blog. 

Finished Monday, November 27, 2017:

Time to bolt for the door to clean up my area and see if I cannot put the spurs to the last two projects of the year. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend.

Happy stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

WIP Wednesday Finish

This weeks' project is another one that I have wanted to stitch up for quite some time. I used the materials that I had in house, as I did not want to kit up yet another project. I love these little tucks. It's always nice to have an alternative to framing things!

At any rate, here is today's offering:

Design: 2011 Valentine Quaker

Designer: Sandra Dering of SanMan Originals

Fabric Used: 32 count Cashel linen in Fog by Picture This Plus from their Crystal (opalescent) line

Fibers Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in S820 Ruby Red. 

Began: Monday, August 14, 2017

Finished: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 

Stitcher's Notes: This was a Secret Shop purchase in either 2011 or 2012. Tuck was included with purchase of the chart. Scrap fabric used to complete project. 

Time to be off. I must clean up my stitching area and find something else to stitch. I hope everyone is having a great week.

Happy stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

First Day Of Summer Finish

And my first finish in over a month. I am still currently in a 'Stitch when you feel like it' mode. I have had this happen before, and I am confident that this too shall pass. 

I have also managed to get the Summer Glory heart, which was designed by Linda Culp Calhoun for Leisure Arts magazine framed. I love the way that it turned out:

It is now hanging up in a place of pride in the hallway. I smile every time I pass it. :)


And now, onto my latest finish. I really enjoyed stitching this piece. I also highly enjoyed playing around with the colors. It really does feel like a summer piece, however, the saying is also a good reminder. 

At any rate, here is my latest offering:

Design: Winds of Change

Designer: Vicki Hastings of The Cross Eyed Cricket 

Fabric Used: Unknown 32 count Belfast linen. (Although, I suspect that it is Summer Khaki by Zweigart). 

Fibers Used:  Au Ver À Soie  Soie d'Alger in 1836, 2243, and 4221. Caron Collection Waterlilies in #181 Ocean Breeze (Dye Lot #CS201613). Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in S802 and S820. 

Stitchers' Notes: Former freebie obtained from LNS. Wording states "When the winds of change blow, Adjust your sails". 

Time for me to be off. I need to clean up both the remnants of stitching and breakfast and get the day started. I hope everyone is having a great week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Time Flies Like An Arrow

Fruit flies like a banana, however. :)

Good morning and happy start of the new week to you all. January is almost finished and February is just around the corner. How nutty is that? Soon it will be Spring and the March of the Girl Scout cookies, King Cake and Peeps will begin commencement. I, for one, welcome these seasonal Carbohydrate Overlords. 

I realized the other day that I never posted a picture of my very last Bin O'Shame finish for 2016. It was finished on Saturday, December 31, 2016, and time just got away from me. As it is increasingly doing these days. At any rate, this piece is quite old. So old that it has my maiden name initials on it :O! I had a lot of difficulty stitching the Rhodes butterflies that are a feature of the piece. After the sixth time of ripping floss out, I decided that I could just finish it with charms. I like the way it turned out. I just need to find the tin that came with it in order to mount the stitching and have an actual finished finish. I may rip out the initials and use my 'new' last name, although I may just be lazy and not change it. 

At any rate, here is the stitching all finished:

Design: Lorri's Heart Tin 

Designer: Lorri Birmingham for Lorri Birmingham Designs 

                                 Fabric: 28 count white Monaco

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in B5200 and 3012 Medium Khaki Green.  Needle Necessities  #149 Hydrangea. Kreinik silk Mori #8000 Soft White. Kreinik #002 Gold blending filament. 

Accouterments: Mill Hill beads in #03021 Royal Pearl white seed beads. Mill Hill #12051 small blue bird treasure. Mill Hill #12121 matte rose butterfly treasures.  Czech crystal beads of unknown origin and manufacturer. Gold bumblebees of unknown origin and manufacturer.

Stitchers' Notes: Design published in 2002. Began roughly 2002 or 2003. Finished Saturday, December 31, 2016.

I managed to put in a bit of time on my sampler that is my current project. I am skipping around a bit in order to keep it interesting. 

Design: 1855 I Auguste Heidemrieg sampler

Designer: Reproduced by Lorraine Mootz for Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly (Fall 2014)

Fabric Used: 22 count Ariosa linen by Zweigart in white

Fiber Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801)

Stitchers' Notes:  Design featured on page 29 of the Fall 2014 issue of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly. Began Saturday, January 21, 2017. 

As of Monday, January 23, 2017:

As of Monday, January 30, 2017:

Time for me to go. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Long Dog 'Pup' And A New Start

I have taken to calling my Long Dog Samplers fabric and floss samples that I am stitching 'pups'. They are small portions of Long Dog designs that I use to test out fabric and floss combinations. This latest one is from the chart 'Les Grande Pensée' from the book  L'arbre de Noé et autres tableaux au point de croix . I have had this book for close to three years now, and I have only stitched samples from it thus far. I have another fabric and fiber test that I need to conduct before I make my final decision. I do have this tiny 'pup' to show however. :)


                                 Design: Les Grande Pensée (Tableau 10)

Designer:  Julia Line of Long Dog Samplers.

Stitcher's Notes: Taken from the book L'arbre de Noé et autres tableaux au point de croix . Published by Marabout in France. 

Fabric Used: 32 count Belfast linen in Legacy  by Picture This Plus

Fibers Used: Gloriana Threads 12 strand French silk floss in #016 Holiday Green. 

I also began a project that I have been wanting to stitch for a very long time now. I love this type of sampler and I look forward to stitching more Vierlanden samplers. Vierlanden is an marshy area south east of Hamburg, Germany where these distinct samplers were made. The name dates back to 1556 and refers to the four parishes Curslack , Kirchwerder , Neuengamme and Altengamme that are identical to the present districts. Most of them were made in the first half of the 1800's although there are a few from the late 1700's. All contain similar geometric motifs and flowering plants in urns. The motifs were stitched on various household linens. 

Here is my progress so far:

Design: 1855 I Auguste Heidemrieg sampler

Designer: Reproduced by Lorraine Mootz for Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly (Fall 2014)

Fabric Used: 22 count Ariosa linen by Zweigart in white

Fiber Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801)

Stitchers' Notes:  Design featured on page 29 of the Fall 2014 issue of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly. Began Saturday, January 21, 2017. 

Time for me to bolt for the door. I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! 

Respectfully submitted,

C. 

The Air Is Wild With Leaves

This past weekend was devoted to the new start of a design that DH picked out. It is a fall related piece and one I have wanted to stitch for a very long time now. This piece also has the distinction of being purchased twice. Apparently, I really and truly wanted to stitch it, haha! :)

This piece will also be my focus piece for the month of November. I am hoping to have it finished by the 25th of this month, as I then start my last project of the year, a retired design by Jackye Derhay Renahy of A Mon Ami Pierre. These two are fairly large pieces that will take quite a bit of time. 

This one also has the unique distinction of my stitching the central leaf in colors that were completely different than what was charted! Luckily, the colors that I chose will blend nicely with the rest of leaves that I need to stitch. I am really enjoying this project so far. I do love Prairie Schoolers' designs and luckily have quite a number of them to stitch.  

On with the show! :)

Design: Autumn (Book Number 66, Autumn Samplers)

Designer: Prairie Schooler 

Fabric Used: 22 count Ariosa linen by Zweigart in Café au Lait by Fleur De Luce hand dyeds

Fibers Used:  Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in S899, S1009, S986,

 S903, S1056, S1049, S1011, S1040, S887, S849, S1020, and S1128.

Stitchers' Notes: Design taken from Book Number 66, Autumn Samplers. Substituted the called for DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 for the Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss. Began Thursday, November, 3, 2016. 

As of Monday, November 7, 2016:

Time for me to bolt for the door. I hope everyone had a great weekend and I wish you all a happy week! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Not So Quick Finish

Given the calendar date, and my schedule being what it is, this is probably my final Halloween related piece for the year. Although, I should never say never, as I was proven earlier this year by having a couple of quick finishes that I was not anticipating on finishing!

I really enjoyed this piece and look forward to the companion pieces that are in the magazine. There are three others that are just as fun as this one and I am looking forward to finding other over/hand dyed fabrics to stitch them on. 

Well, on with the show! :)

Design: Haunted Mansion (my name for it) Spooky Silhouette

Designer: Shannon Wasilieff of Shannon Christine Designs

Fabric Used: Unknown. I am almost positive that it is 32 count Belfast linen by Picture This Plus in Mirage from their Crystal (opalescent) line). 

Fiber Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801).

Accoutrements: Mill Hill beads in #02031 Citron

Stitchers' Notes: Design one of four from issue 246 of the World of Cross Stitching magazine (October 2016 issue). Design on page 86. Substituted the called for Polstitches fabric and DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in 310 for in house materials. Substituted called for French knots for Mill Hill beads in #02031 Citron.

Time for me to be off. Lots to do today. I hope everyone is having a great week! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

First Finish For October!

I love October. October heralds the 'official' beginning of hockey, crisp leaves underfoot, cool days and nights, blankets and hot cocoa. It also means a month of Halloween, which is the number one holiday in this establishment. Out of my stitching pieces that I have kept for myself, I believe I have more Halloween finishes than anything else other than general Fall related pieces. 

This piece is by a new to me designer Shannon Wasilieff of Shannon Christine Designs. She is fantastic to work with and if you are Facebook, I highly encourage you to join her Facebook group. 

On with the show! :)

Design: Spooky Elegance

Designer: Shannon Wasilieff of Shannon Christine Designs

Fabric Used: Fabric: 28 count white opalescent Lugana by Zweigart

Fibers Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801). DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in 208, 2019, and 211.

Accoutrements: Mill Hill beads in #02014 in Black, #02031 Citron, #02033 Brilliant Orange. Mill Hill Treasures in #13065 Rondele in Champagne Topaz and #13072 Rondele in Peridot. 

Stitcher's Notes: Substituted called for Kreinik (#4) Braid in #005HL Black for Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801) for the cross stitched portion. 

Time for me to be off. Tons to do today. I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Damn The Torpedoes!

It's full steam ahead for fall and Halloween related stitching. By the calendar date, we have T-minus 10 days and counting until much anticipated first day of September rolls around. This is really my favorite time of year. With fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years' all within three months time. Bring on the cooler temps! Bring on the snow! Bring on the flannel! Pumpkin flavored all the things!

To usher in this season, I did yet another fabric and fiber test. This time, with a part of a design that I want to stitch in its' entirety. As this piece only contains two colors, I will need to pick out a lovely shade of pumpkin for the other color. I think I have two designs from Lisa Roswell of The Primitive Needle that I think would look lovely on this fabric. I need to purchase more, so that I can hand dye it such as this piece. 

Well, at any rate, here is my 'sample' piece that I just finished up. I think it needs to be a bookmark. I think it would be a riot to use it for The Good Huswife's Book of Spells:

Design: Hallow Game Board (partial)

Designer: Lisa Roswell of The Primitive Needle

Fabric Used: 22 count Ariosa linen by Zweigart in Weathered Barn by Fleur De Luce hand dyeds. 

Fibers Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801).

Stitchers' notes: Design retired and out of print due to Lisa Roswell's death in February 2011. Fabric and fiber test for other designs in my collection. Please note that neither the Hallow Game Board nor the Book of Spells is currently for sale or trade. 

Time for me to be off. I need to clean up my stitching area and get the materials ready for the next project. It's another bonus design from Blackbird Designs. I really do love those bonus designs! :)

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Happy upcoming week! :)

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Respectfully submitted.

C. 

To Boldly Go

where I have never gone before. This latest finish was a combination of designer, floss and fabric that I have never used in my 20+ years of stitching. It was a lovely little experiment and I really enjoyed playing around with things. 

The floss is by Rainbow Gallery and it is a 12 ply silk floss, called Splendor. It was my first time trying it. It seems a bit thinner than my ubiquitous Au Ver À Soie  Soie d'Alger or my Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk. It is as soft as both of these, however, and it is less than $4.00 per card at my LNS. As I have a number of fall related projects that I wish to stitch up, I am looking at cost this time around. 

The also new to me fabric that I used is a 22 count linen called Ariosa. It is by Zweigart and it is a very nice fabric. It a 60% Viscose, 40% Cotton linen in a 22 count. I purchased this particular piece in a white and dyed it myself. I love the way it turned out. It is perfect for the piece that I had chosen to stitch. 

The designer was also new to me. While the chart was a freebie, I had never stitched any of the designs by Teresa Murgida of Primitive Acorns. I have had this particular freebie for quite some time, but never got around to stitching it. It stitched up in less than a day, and probably would have taken less than two hours, had I 'applied' myself. But it was Saturday, so I was not in the mood to 'apply' myself to anything but faffing about. :)


At any rate, here are my efforts from yesterday. 

Design: The King of Autumn (freebie)

Designer: Teresa Murgida of Primitive Acorns

Fabric Used: 22 count Ariosa linen by Zweigart in Weathered Barn by Fleur De Luce hand dyeds. 

Fibers Used: Rainbow Gallery Splendor 12 ply silk floss in Black (S801). Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk Collard Greens, Harvest, Mango, Pumpkin Carriage, Tree Trunk and Tulip. 2 mm silk ribbon in Witchcraft by Vicki Clayton of Hand Dyed Fibers. Kreinik #002C Gold cord. 

Stitchers' notes: Began and finished the stitching on Saturday, August 14, 2016. Fabric, Splendor fibers and designer were firsts. Fabric hand dyed by me. 

Well, I must be off. I need to do some things to get ready for the week. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C.