Stitching in Two Scales

Yesterday I went to my semi-local and well loved needlework shop to get some Hardanger fabric in 22-count.  I also came home with some fibers.  As you read this I've started stitching a panda bear themed height chart.  I will take pictures when it's done.

Hopefully pictures of Rose Cuttings and a mini piece I stitched on Friday (for me just because) will tide you over until Monday.

Here's Rose Cuttings.  I was able to get a few stitches in whilst visiting with the proprietor of my LNS.

 This will be a 1/12 scale bell pull once I decide how I want to finish it.  The first picture is how much I got done Thursday night while waiting for FH to decide he'd surfed the 'net long enough.

 This picture is the completed design as of Friday evening.

The design is from From Our Dollhouse...To Yours by Jeanne Bowers and Janet Martin.  Sadly the book is out of print but a Guild member gave me a stack of needlework for miniature books a few months ago.  Otherwise I'd have never known about it.

A Trifecta of Progress

First here's my progress on Rose Cuttings.  I've been slack in taking my usual progress pictures every day.  I figure the actual stitching is more important than a nightly picture.

 

I'll be stitching more on it later.  I'm hoping to get the last leaf and the rosebud finished.  Then I can do more of the background shading and the yellow rose.

Tonight I finished both the interior trims and the faux slate on the Porch.

I also put together the skeleton of some steps that will lead up to the Porch.  Tomorrow I plan on starting to cover them and the base with faux stonework.  The step under the door needs some kind of detail work too.  At some point I need to make a chair to put inside the room.  There will be an order from my favorite mini supplier in the works soon.  My mini lumber yard is fairly depleted and I'll need so sort of porch railing.

Then since I finally found the last bit of my rose fabric for the second valance in Shabby Chic I got the window treatments done and installed.

If you look closely at the second window you'll see one of the signs Katie made for me.  Thanks again, Katie!

The Snowpocalypse is Upon Us

Snow is falling, the wind is howling, trees are cracking, and I'm shocked we still have power.  Last night we got about 5" of accumulated snow over the course of about seven hours.  Today we've had that much again in half that time.  The wind is really violent and there is little visibility.

FH and I have agreed that our usual plan of shoveling as snow falls just isn't going to work this time.  We're staying inside until tomorrow sometime.  He's been home all afternoon, working via the desktop computer.  The plan for tomorrow is the same.

For anyone interested in statistics the current rate of snowfall is approximately 1-3" per hour and the temperature is 22F (-6C) with a wind chill of 6F (-14C).  The wind is blowing at 30 mph.  We can expect anywhere from 13" to 19" of snow before the storm is over.

 While FH is working I've been playing with minis.  I'm laying slate tiles on the porch.  I've never done this before, so I'm not too sure I'm happy with it.  Time will tell though.

I'm using the same method that Casey used for one of her current projects.  Follow the link over to her place if you would like details.  I'm using larger "pieces of slate" though.  Every slate porch I've ever seen has large slate slabs instead of small ones.  Plus it makes the work go a bit faster.

While I'm at it, here's last night's progress on "Rose Cuttings."  I should finish the small rose and the buds tonight.  I might even get back to the stems and leaves.

I'm going to go back to work on the porch.  Hopefully the slate will be finished tonight.  I also need to put up the remaining interior trim.  It's painted and should be dry by now.  Tomorrow I will finish up any final details on slate and then start the stonework along the base.  I should see about making some steps too. 

I hope everyone in this line of storms stays safe and warm!

Progress on Two Fronts

FH and I were preparing for more snow (possibly another 18" by Wednesday) so I didn't get as much done on the Porch as I had planned. However the interior is almost done. I still need to paint the interior door and window trim, install it, and paint/install some baseboard on the window wall. I'm only bothering with those details because their absence could be seen if someone looks in the windows.

As far as the exterior goes, I've put down a coat of grey paint and gathered materials to build a stone and slate porch. I still need to figure out what I want to do for porch railing. I also need to build a set of steps up to the porch and finish the step up to the door.

The other bit of progress is on Aunt Rose's cross stitch. I'm heading back to work on it some more now.

There should be more progress on both pieces while the snow flies during the week.

Wordless Progress with a Helper

Roses for Rose

At the beginning of December my Auntie Rose's home burned.  Fortunately she was not home when the fire started and she had been paying her insurance for decades.  Currently she is staying with her sister while everything is being put back together.  Mom did a little recon work for us and told us all of Rose's pretty things were destroyed.

FH and I started planning various projects that are rose themed (she loves roses, especially red ones, and angels) so we can help make her remodelled house a home again.

I have a stitching project in the works and two more lined up after.  The current project is a Dimensions kit designed by Christie Repasy called "Rose Cuttings." 

This is what the finished piece will look like.

This is how far I've gotten since last Thursday.

I'm going to start in on leaves and stems tonight.  I'm a little tired of pink for the moment.  I'll finish the other pink roses and the yellow one once I get a decent amount of the greens and browns done.

So far I'm quite happy with this kit.  I've got one more kit for her and the other is from a book of patterns.  More on them as I get to them.

Oh and an aside, for some reason Blogger has it set to automatically prevent readers from commenting.  I've been trying to remember to allow them, and hopefully I'll figure out how to fix it permanently.