Fleur d'Orleans Finish For WIP Wednesday 03.07.2018

I really loved stitching on this piece. It went very, very quick and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of stitching it. I am really happy that I decided to bite the bullet and use the Kreinik cord in #102C Vatican Gold instead of the Access Commodities Soie d'Alger in 521. The delicate vermeil coloring adds to the richness of the silks that were used. I think this is another chart that I am going to keep as opposed to passing on or selling outright. I can see stitching this in many different colorways. 

Well, on with the show! 

Design: Fleur d'Orleans

Designer: Tracy Horner of Ink Circles

Fabric Used: 36 count smokey white Edinburgh linen by Zweigart

Fibers Used: Access Commodities Soie d'Alger in 234 and 1326. Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Old Crow. Kreinik cord in #102C Vatican Gold. 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Monday, February 26, 2018. Converted called for silks to in house materials. Finished Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Project #4 for 2018.

Time for me to be off. I need to clean up my stitching area and then choose another project to either begin or pick back up again. 

I hope everyone is having a great week. Happy stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

WIP Wednesday Ink Circles Edition

I was speaking to a friend of mine the other day and I was waffling over whether to pick up a UFO, start something else, or pick a project that needed some attention. I eventually settled on this current WIP. I have had the chart since it's initial release in 2010 and I am just now getting around to it. Proof positive that while I may now begin new stash right away, I eventually will! :D

At any rate, here is my WIP for WIP Wednesday! 

Design: Fleur d'Orleans

Designer: Tracy Horner of Ink Circles

Fabric Used: 36 count smokey white Edinburgh linen by Zweigart

Fibers Used: Access Commodities Soie d'Alger in 234, 521, and 1326. Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Old Crow. 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Monday, February 26, 2018. Converted called for silks to in house materials. 

Time for me to be off. I hope everyone is having a great week. Happy stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

All Hallows' Eve Finish On 9/11

My latest finish came about today as I have managed to misjudge how much fabric was available to me. As consequence, only the middle portion of this project was stitched. I did not feel like stitching the alphabet, as it was over one. I'd like to say that it is because I did not feel like stitching over one, however, it's really just sheer laziness on my part. 

Well, at any rate, here is my only finish thus far in the month of September 2017:

Design: All Hallows' Eve

Designer: Linda Lautenschlager of Chessie and Me

Fabric: 36 count Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Attic Tea, Eiffel Tower, Herb Garden, Lasagne, Old Crow, Teddy Bear, Tortoise Shell, Vanilla Pudding,  Weathered Vine, and Wheatgrass. 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Tuesday, August 22, 2017. Finished Monday, September 11, 2017. All materials pulled from stash. Substituted the called for 36 count Vintage Meadow Rue for the 36 count Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens. Stitched with the called fro Belle Soie silks from Crescent Colours. 

As of Thursday, August 24, 2017:

As of Monday, September 11, 2017:

I must go for now. I need to clean up my stitching area and figure out what to stitch next. I hope everyone is having a great week so far. 

8:46 am.

9:03 am.

9:37 am.

10:07 am.

Never, ever forget.

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A New Fall Start With Chessie And Me

I culled this project from Leaflet Silo late last night as I gave up on trying to stitch on Ana again. This makes the third time that I have attempted to stitch on this project. No wonder that she has wound up in the Bin O'Shame! 

I have ripped out a good portion of the stitching on her that I have done so far. And I am not even going to discuss the use of symbols that are almost alike. Ana has symbols that are solid squares and diamonds next to one another. This would not be an issue, however, the chart is printed on that stupid and unnecessary ivory paper and the printing is somewhat small. It is also printed as one large chart, which is awkward as hell trying to stitch from as it takes up a great deal of room. Having to be well rested, heavily caffeinated, and having to constantly check the chart versus the stitching is somewhat annoying. I should not have to carbo load to stitch a chart, ya know? I stitch to relax and she has been anything but relaxing. 

I decided to drop twenty and punt after about 6 hours of stitching on Ana. I am trying to stitch from stash and this latest start already had the floss purchased for it. I pulled the fabric from another project and got out the Q-Snaps. I have wanted to stitch this one for quite some time now. I have held off on stitching fall related projects, as last year, I began in mid July and was burned out by October. Fall for this establishment does not end until the day after Thanksgiving. That's quite a lot of time to not be stitching on my favorite themes of fall and Halloween!

Well, at any rate, here is my humble start on the first project of the fall/halloween season:

Design: All Hallows' Eve

Designer: Linda Lautenschlager of Chessie and Me

Fabric: 36 count Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Attic Tea, Eiffel Tower, Herb Garden, Lasagne, Old Crow, Teddy Bear, Tortoise Shell, Vanilla Pudding,  Weathered Vine, and Wheatgrass. 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Tuesday, August 22, 2017. All materials pulled from stash. Substituted the called for 36 count Vintage Meadow Rue for the 36 count Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens. Stitched with the called fro Belle Soie silks from Crescent Colours. 

Well, I must be off. No rest for the wicked and all. I hope everyone is having a great week.

Happy Stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Faded Glory Framed And A New Finish

It took almost two years to finally get this one framed. I had wanted to get this professionally framed, however, after doing some pricing, I could not justify the cost. I decided instead to frame the piece using a nice frame purchased either secondhand or from a shop. I finally found the perfect frame and today was spent getting it centered just so. It reminds me of the Victorian Mourning Frames that were used long ago. 

As the piece was both a gift for my father on his last birthday and had become a mourning piece, I think it is fitting. 

At any rate, here is the finished product:

Design: Faded Glory from Portrait of the Civil War Book #119 (an OOP booklet)

Designer: Jeanette Crews Designs

Fabric: 26 count undyed natural dirty linen

Fibers: DMC 347, 415, 762, 930, 931, and 3328

Stitchers' Notes: Frame by Green Tree Galley, Oklahoma City, OK. Frame is 10 by 8 inches. Frame #829135; PO W0178685. 

I really do think that it sets off the piece nicely. The piece is now on one of my bookshelves where I can see it every day.  

I also have a finish for today. It is not a patriotic piece, however, I did have a lot of fun stitching this design. I purchased the kit at 40% off the price, so that was nice. I also substituted the 18 count aida for linen as I did not like the way the aida was preconfigured to make it into a potpourri bag. There are three designs in the kit, and I chose my favorite one to stitch:

Design: Flowers and Butterflies Tulips (Kit #PN-0154964)

Designer: Vera Verachtert for Vervaco

Fabric:  36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in 445, 742, 946, 963, 957, 601, 600, 747, 157, 3838, 791, 211, 340, 333, 550, 907, and 906. 

Accoutrements : Mill Hill beads in #40252 Iris, #40479 White, and #42101 Purple. 

Stitchers' Notes: Converted kit floss to DMC colors. Substituted 36 count Edinburgh linen for the 18 count aida that was included in the kit. Will stitch remaining designs at a later date. 

I must be off. It's time for dinner and I need to clean up my stitching area in order to start my next project. I hope every has a Happy 4th of July!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Spring For Rabbits

My latest finish is a break from my current WIP of the 1855 I Auguste Heidemrieg sampler. I wanted to stitch something Spring related and remembered that I had this freebie in my stash. It is one of those LNS freebies that I managed to pick up from somewhere. This stitched up in no time at all, and I really like the way that it turned out. This piece, like so many others that I have stitched, will likely be a mere bagatelle. I seem to be one of those people who enjoy the process of stitching more than stitching and 'finishing' anything. :)

At any rate, here is my latest finish:

Design: Spring For Rabbits

Designer: The Gentle Art Sampler Threads

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 124, 197, 312, 561, and 705.

Stitchers' Notes: Substituted called for GAST threads for in house Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk. Freebie from LNS purchase. Began Friday, February 10, 2017. Finished Sunday, February 12, 2017. 

Well, I must be off. Tons to do today. I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Hot Off The Q-Snaps

I finished this latest piece up just moments ago. It took exactly a week to finish the stitching. It probably would have taken only a few days to complete, but I was not in a hurry and just stitched when I felt like it. The stitching however, has been completed just moments ago and I am pleased with the outcome. 

Design: Sampler 69b

Designer: Ria Lanser of Stofnest Designs 

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen by Hand Dyed Fibers in 

Xenops 5315 (equivalent to DMC 762, very pale grey)

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Old Crow

Stitcher's Notes: Both the chart and the designer are retired. Began Wednesday, December 7, 2016. Finished Wednesday, December 14, 2016. 

Finished Wednesday, December 14, 2016:

Well, I had best be off. I need to figure out what, if anything, will be my next project. I suppose I should really stitch something more in line with the season. But alas, my holiday stitching apathy is continuing unabated. Hopefully, this ceases at the soonest possible moment.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and I hope you all are having a great week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Wanted: Mojo

Because I seem to have lost mine. I was terribly excited to start the much anticipated Noel 2009 by A Mon Ami Pierre. However, when I went to start the project, everything just sort of fell flat. I could not get into the project at all. I am terribly disappointed in this turn of events, as I was so looking forward to the project. These things happen I suppose, but it sure is rotten when it does happen. 

I have taken to cleaning out my stitching area again and getting things organized as well as decorating for the holiday season. In doing so, I came across a freebie design that I have had for quite some time. It reminded me of the 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. 

I am also quite keen on stitching these samplers. The catch was, I did not feel like stitching a huge project. And most Vierlanden samplers are quite large. However, this design is not that large (approximately 100 by 100 stitches), and it is a monochrome. Traditionally, Vierlanden samplers are stitched with black thread on white fabric, however, there are some Vierlanden samplers that were stitched with whatever materials were available at the time of the stitchers' choosing. I chose this latest start as I had the materials available and it appealed to me. 

Well, at any rate, here is what I have so far: 

Design: Sampler 69b

Designer: Ria Lanser of Stofnest Designs 

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen by Hand Dyed Fibers in 

Xenops 5315 (equivalent to DMC 762, very pale grey)

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Old Crow

Stitcher's Notes: Both the chart and the designer are retired. 

I am really taking my time with this one, as nothing holiday or winter related is really calling to me. I have almost decided that next year will be dedicated to cleaning up more of the Bin O'Shame projects and working on some of my HAEDs and larger projects. I haven't quite decided, however, this is where I am leaning so far. 

Time for me to bolt for the door. I hope everyone is having a great week and a wonderful holiday season!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

The Last Finish For July 2016

This tiny little finish is courtesy of the Blackbird Designs Lending Library. It arrived in the mail the other day, and I was anxious to get to it. Although we have up to eight weeks to finish a project, I get antsy after about a week or so. I don't want anyone thinking I've made off with their chart, ya know? :)

As is my custom, the main design was nice, but the smaller project attached to it appealed to me more. I have some fabrics that I can pair with this to make it an actual pincushion. I am toying with the idea of hand dying my own rickrack trim for this project, but if I manage to find something that looks better than the picture in my head, I will certainly use that instead. :)

At any rate, here is my latest effort:

Design: Patchwork Pinkeep

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric Used: 36 count linen by Hand Dyed Fibers in Earth Stars-5211 (equivalent to DMC 822)

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 004, 124, 126, 197, 312, and 705.

Stitcher's Notes: Stitched one strand of floss over two fabric threads. Design created exclusively for the Silver Needle Stitching Club. Chart on loan from Patricia G of the Blackbird Designs Lending Library Facebook Group. Replaced the cotton embroidery floss for silks. Substituted cross stitch for satin stitch on the inside of the leaves. 

I had best be off. I hope everyone had a great weekend and I wish everyone an awesome week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Tiny Fall Finish

I really lollygagged on this one. It should have taken all of a day at most, however, here I am, over a week later and it's finally finished. This week was a wee bit busy, and to be honest, I wasn't feeling all that up to scratch. I am hoping that this changes, as I have many projects that I wish to work on. This also includes the loaner chart from the Blackbird Designs Lending Library. It arrived in the mail and I really do need to get to it. 

I love the way this one turned out. It's a seasonal freebie and I can see stitching this as a Halloween tree as well. Once I finish with the loaner chart from the Blackbird Designs Lending Library, I may do just that!

At any rate, here is my humble offering:

Design: L'Arbre d'Automne

Designer: Jardin Privé 

Fabric Used: 36 count linen by Hand Dyed Fibers in Earth Stars-5213

Fibers Used: Au Ver À Soie  Soie d'Alger in 4126. Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Carrot Cake, Cinnamon Stick, Cranberry, and Old Crow.

Stitchers Notes: Freebie may be found here. Substituted called for DMC floss for silks of my own choosing. Will be stitching this again as a Halloween tree. 

Well, I had best be off. Tons to do today and I need to get myself in gear here. :)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Getting A Head Start On Halloween

While I am awaiting another loaner chart from the Blackbird Designs Lending Library , I decided that I could wait no longer to stitch on a Halloween or Fall related piece. I have been really indifferent towards stitching, despite the  happy dance that occurred when I procured more long sought after Good Huswif and Primitive Needle designs. 

I saw this one in the 2016 Just Cross Stitch Halloween bookazine (Issue four, Volume 9) and knew right away this was the next piece that I was going to stitch. I do not have a sewing machine in order to make this into a pillow as it is finished in the bookazine. But perhaps with the forthcoming fall and halloween merchandise that is already appearing in Michael's and Joann's, I will be able to finish this in a different way. 

At any rate, here is the latest finish:

Design: The Skeleton Key

Designer: Lee Fisher of StitchyFish Designs

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen by Hand Dyed Fibers in 

Xenops 5315 (equivalent to DMC 762, very pale grey)

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Old Crow

Stitcher's Notes: Chart featured on page 85 of the 2016 Just Cross Stitch Halloween bookazine (Issue four, Volume 9). Began Thursday, July 14, 2016. Finished Saturday, July 16, 2016.

Well, time for me to go. I need to clean up my stitching area and find something else to stitch on. 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Late June Finish

This latest finish took rather longer than I had planned as this past Monday, June 12, 2016, my mother died of kidney failure due to complications of diabetes. I have not felt up to stitching, so this one sat until today. It took all of an hour to finish it up as I had gotten quite far along on the piece before I found out my mother had died. While I managed to finish it up, my heart simply wasn't in my stitching. The entire time finishing it up, I thought about how my mother was the one who inadvertently got me "into" cross stitch. (I will save that story for a future post). 

But, nevertheless, the stitching at least has been finished:

Design: July's Celebration

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Collard Greens, Ivy League, Harvest, Indigo, Slate, Tree Trunk and Tulip

Stitcher's Notes: Began Thursday, June 9, 2016. Design featured on page 21 of the book A Fine Collection, by Blackbird Designs. Finished Monday, June 20, 2016.

As of Friday, June 10, 2016:

As of Monday, June 20, 2016:

I have the last part of the 2016 Tiny Round Robin to finish up. After that, I am seriously considering taking a break from stitching. My heart truly is not in it at this time. Time will tell, I suppose.

Hope everyone has a great week.

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

July's Celebration

My latest project is another one by Barb and Alma of Blackbird Designs. I wanted to stitch something patriotic, but I did not want to stitch anything with a house or an alphabet in the design. A bit of a tall order, especially since I am on the dreaded Stash Diet and I am confined to what is currently available to me. I then remembered this project. This one has been on the 'Why haven't I stitched this yet? I love this!' pile for quite some time. So, I thought I better get a move on and get on with it. It is stitching up quite quickly and I am really loving how it is turning out so far. 

At any rate, here is the pre-weekend update:

Design: July's Celebration

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Collard Greens, Ivy League, Harvest, Indigo, Slate, Tree Trunk and Tulip

Stitcher's Notes: Began Thursday, June 9, 2016. Design featured on page 21 of the book A Fine Collection, by Blackbird Designs. 

As of Friday, June 10, 2016:

Time for me to go. Lots to do today before I get to the weekend. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C.