Midwest Finished!

I decided to work on Sea to Shining Sea last night instead of Kind Fond Love. I thought I'd better get "Midwest" finished before the next one came out.

This was a very fun block to stitch. I love the red house! :) Now, I'm either going to work on Kind Fond Love, or maybe I'll be bad and start something new! Write soon!

Finally!!

I finally finished Bent Creek's "Seasons of Change Row" today!

Bent Creek "Seasons of Change Row"
Fabric: 32 ct. Flax Belfast
Threads: GAST and WDW
Buttons: JABC
Started: 9/18/08 - Finished: 1/30/09

Now, I think I might work on Kind Fond Love Sampler. I only have a little bit stitched on it and I'd really like to get back to it! Write soon! :)

Hand-Painted Accessory Set

I posted a link to Tanya's blog The Scarlett House the other day. Well, not only does she stitch beautiful samplers, but she also paints! She opened an Etsy shop with some hand-painted rulers and needle holders. I just couldn't resist buying a set. Especially since the set I got has teeny tiny sheepies on them. :)

She gave me a little gift of the needle minder for being her first customer. I just love it! I will treasure the set always! :) Thank you again Tanya!

A little more progress....

I'm still stitching away on Bent Creek's "Seasons of Change Row." I'm on the winter section now, which is the last season.

Well, nothing else going on here except tons of laundry. I lay in bed for one day and it really piles up! I'm still sick, but it's time to get to work. I don't get much sympathy! LOL! :)

Award

Chris gave me an award a few days ago and I keep forgetting to put it on my blog. Well, today, I am sick in bed (caught a cold) and have the laptop, so I'm getting all caught up on email, blog comments, etc.


So I'm supposed to list five addictions...

1. Cross Stitch (of course)
2. Coffee
3. Blogs
4. Audiobooks
5. Soap Operas (ABC soaps)

I won't tag anyone, so feel free to play along if you'd like! :)

Thanks again Chris!! :)

Another one for the Wall

When I ordered my threads for "Quaker Virtues" from DSL I also got The Sampler Company's newest chart "Red House Sampler." I loved the when it first came out and I really fell in love after seeing this one on The Scarlet House blog.

So this one will be another future stitch, probably way far in the future because I have so much going right now as it is. I took a picture of the threads I got too. They are so pretty! I can't wait to start the "Quaker Virtues" SAL now! :)

Thank you all for your very kind comments on my samplers. I am going to try getting some framed myself. I was looking at that American Frame site and I think that would be a great idea! I should have done that when I was framing my dad's Christmas present. Well, I hope to get some stitching done today. I need to get off the internet! I've been looking at sampler charts for the past couple of days trying to get ideas of what I want to stitch. Write soon! :)

More Sampler Walls

I'm obsessed with having a sampler wall. I wrote earlier about Merumo and Diane Jourdan's wall. I found a few more that I love. Paulette of Plum Street Samplers has a gorgeous display of samplers going up her stairs. Check out her post from around Christmas time. Siobhan's whole house has beautiful displays of samplers. Click here for her house album. It's so pretty! And a new (to me) blogger, The Scarlett House, also has beautiful sampler displays around her house. Ever since I found her blog I have been stalking it! :) I have even sent it to my husband telling him that's how I want my house when we move back to Florida. Anyway, I pulled out some samplers that I'd like to get framed one of these days for my sampler wall. Here's a picture of some of them grouped together...

Top Row, Left to Right: Hillside Samplings "Pomegranate Sampler," Blue Ribbon Designs "Poinsettias and Pines," Blackbird Designs "Their Song and Little House Needleworks "Nature's Beauty."
Bottom Row, Left to Right: Prairie Schooler "Autumn Leaves," Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin "Peace" (out of print and I no longer have the pattern), Blackbird Designs "Summer Jubilee," Birds of a Feather "Peace," and Drawn Thread "Sunflower Bellpull."

So this is my dream. To get these framed and to get working on other samplers to have a sampler wall or maybe even a sampler house!

I didn't get any stitching done yesterday - I was just too tired! Hopefully I'll have a progress pic of something tomorrow! Write then! : )

Stitching, Dyeing and Kitting

I have been stitching some. I finished up Sea to Shining Sea "Mountains." I plan to get "Midwest" started soon.

I also got out Bent Creek's "Seasons of Change Row." I would like to get this one finished up. It's too small to be a UFO! :)

And here is the fabric I dyed - click on the picture to get the whole story. :)

And here are some things I kitted. I would love to start one of these one day...

Birds of a Feather "My Betrothed Sampler"

Birds of a Feather "Sally Spencer Sampler"

Birds of a Feather "Happy Hearts Sampler"

Birds of a Feather "Bitter Flower Sampler"

I'm not sure if these are the exact fabrics I will use. I was just seeing how the threads looked with some of them. Well, I'm going to try to get some more stitching done tonight! Write soon! :)

Warning - Very long post!

I went stitching Saturday at Amy's and had a blast! We talked and stitched and talked some more! We have so much in common - it's so nice to meet someone like that! Anyway, while there Amy somehow convinced me to join the "Quaker Virtues" SAL with her, Vonna and Terry, which starts in February. It didn't take much convincing because the project is gorgeous and I had already been drooling over this one stitched by Dianne's mom. It was settled when Amy pulled out the fabric she is going to use. A gorgeous 40 ct. linen. She must know my weakness for linen! So my next dilemma was what color thread to use. I pulled out all my hand-dyed and DMC. I knew I wanted a pinky-red for the motifs and a green for the letters. I'm sort of copying Dianne's mom here. I finally decided on these after stitching a little swatch...

Crescent Colours Wild Berries and Weeping Willow. And to really make sure I really liked them I stitched a little bit on the linen I was going to use, which I dyed with a little bit of tan Rit Dye just to give it an antique appearance.

I think I'm going to like it! So now I will put it away until the actual start date and try to get caught up on some other things like "Sea to Shining Sea." I worked on this some at Amy's and yesterday...

Along with the "Quaker Virtues" chart and linen (this is what it looked like before I dyed it) here is the other stash I got from Down Sunshine Lane...

I got the newest Lizzie Kate Giggle Boxer, which is totally me (it says "Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?") and the newest Sea to Shining Sea "Midwest" thread pack.

Last but not least I had a package waiting for me on Saturday. It's a scrap caddy that I ordered from this Etsy Shop. I originally saw it on Danielle's blog and thought it was so cute!

Well, I think that's all I have to share for now! I'm going to try to get some stitching done while my baby's taking a nap! Write soon! :)

Family Sampler Finished!

I finished the stitching last night and put the buttons and charms on today. I'm so happy to have it finished!

Shepherd's Bush "Family Sampler" Kit
Fabric: Changed Kit Fabric to 32 ct. Vintage Luna by Lakeside Linens
Threads: AVAS, Gloriana, and Thread Gatherer Silks (all as kitted)
Started: 5/08 - Finished: 1/16/09

I found a few errors in the pattern... the inside flowers in the border on the left side were charted for the wrong color and there was flower missing on the right side. I fixed them all to match the others. Well, I'd better get some sleep - I have to get up early tomorrow because I'm going to Amy's for a relaxing day of stitching! :) Write later!

Getting Close!

I'm getting very close to finishing "Family Sampler."

I just have to stitch the sheep and a few more motifs! I've definitely been bitten by the Shepherd's Bush bug - I'm thinking of stitching this one next...

It's "Sail Away." I thought I had lost the kit. I looked everywhere for it yesterday. I mean everywhere! I finally found in my pantry, in a basket with mostly magazines and some yarn. How crazy is that? Anyway, I'm so glad I found it. I just love this one. :) Write soon!

These Be My Blessings

I worked on the over one words on "Family Sampler" last night while watching Return of the Jedi with my son. I told my husband since I didn't have daughters and my sons won't play Barbies with me this is my consolation because I loved Star Wars growing up. I wanted to be Princesses Leia, (who didn't, right?), she was/is my heroine! :) Anyway, enough about that - here are a couple progress pics...

I had to use flash because it's very overcast today and cold! It's only 44, which is unusual for us. I have been spoiled by highs of 60-70 everyday. Well, I have to get going - lots to do today! Write soon! :)

A Little More Progress....

I have been working on "Family Sampler" a lot this weekend. I'm about halfway done with it! :)

I also worked on "Winter Whites" a little on Friday night...

Well, not much going on today! I just got back from grocery shopping and I plan to relax and stitch for the rest of the day! Write soon! :)

Of Course I Chose...

Winter Whites! :) I started it last night and I'm having a blast! The linen I'm using for it is 32 ct. Misty Blue Belfast.

And here is my latest "Family Sampler" pic. I worked 0n it a little bit yesterday too. :)

Well, nothing else going on here! Write soon! :)

Going Through LHN Withdrawals

I'm loving my SB and sampler projects, but I'm going through LHN withdrawals. It doesn't seem right that I'm not working on one right now. So I went through some that I have kitted and I am deciding between these...

Winter Whites


The Bookshelf


Blackbird Inn

I think I'm leaning towards Winter Whites or The Bookshelf. I can't decide! :) I'll let you know tomorrow! Write then!