Woohoo! Another Finish!

I am very, very happy that I managed to finish this little guy up before the end of the month. It went a LOT quicker than I had anticipated and I had a lot of fun stitching it. I am not sure how I will finish this off, but for now, the stitching is done and I have my third finish of the month. 

Design: Keep Love

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Fabric Used: Weeks Dye Works' 30 count linen in Charlottes' Pink

Fibers Used: As provided in the kit. 

Stitchers' Notes: Kit purchased complete from a Facebook cross stitch selling group. Left off wording. Third finish of 2018.

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

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Sampler In Two Excerpts

At least for this latest finish. I have always thought that one of the coolest things about my hobby is that one could take a design, change a few things, and have something completely different. This is the case for these latest finishes. It is another loaner chart from the Blackbird Designs Lending Library. 

After seeing someone's recent finish, I really, really wanted to stitch the tulips in the basket for some reason. I did not want to stitch the house, as I am bored with stitching houses, but I really do love the rest of the elements in this piece. So, I decided to stitch this in two parts. Tulips on one piece, and the alphabet and the willow tree on another. It's taken a wee bit of shifting things around, but I am very pleased with how this turned out. I will have to be on the lookout for this on sale somewhere. I could see stitching the tulips again and again!


And here it is. My version of Willow House. Although, since it's minus the house, it should just be the Willow Sampler! :)

Design: Willow House Sampler. Chart is long out of print and retired. 

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric:  36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Babbling Brook, Carnation, Fern Frond, Indigo, Malted Milk, Old Crow, Rouge, Tree Trunk and Tulip. Au Ver À Soie  Soie d'Alger in Blanc. Gloriana Threads  12 strand French silk floss in #024 Blueberry (Lot: T8/776). Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in #561 Taupe.

Beads Used: Mill Hill beads size 15/0 in #40252 Iris

Stitcher's Notes: Chart on loan from Patricia G of the Blackbird Designs Lending Library Facebook Group. Replaced the cotton embroidery floss for silks. Left off initials. Left out house. Began Friday, May 13, 2016. Finished Monday, May 16, 2016. 


Excerpt One:

Excerpt Two:

Time to bolt for the door. I need to get my stitching area cleaned up and then figure out what to stitch next. I suppose I really should get back to the Strawberries and Cream Sampler, but I am just not into it. Mayhap the time has come to visit with a mermaid again. :)

I bid you all peace and happy week! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Spring's Arrival

It appears as if spring has arrived here in the desert. Temperatures here the last week or so have been in the 70's, with a high predicted this coming Friday of 81. Naturally, my thoughts of stitching have naturally turned towards spring related projects. Easter is going to be early this year, on March 29, which also means a very short season for Peeps from the Just Born candy company. 

I got this one out this past weekend and worked on it a bit. After hitting my thousand stitch goal for the challenge that Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs had issued on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook group, I decided to keep going on this one until it was finished. As it is from the Bin O'Shame, this is yet one more closer to the goal of 12 for the year. As of this finish, this makes a total of five stitched from the Bin O'Shame this year. I am quite please with my progress in stitching up old as the hills projects. 

Well, at any rate, on with the show! :)

Design: Jardin Mythique

Designer: Danielle Chevallier of Danybrod

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in White

Fibers Used: Gloriana Threads  12 strand French silk floss in #079 Monet's Pond (Lot: T17/12148)

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, September 11, 2015. Will not be stitching the alphabet and outer border.  Finished as of Tuesday, February 23, 2016.


As of Monday, February 22, 2016:

 Finished as of Tuesday, February 23, 2016:

The question now remains: Do I stitch something from Kit Mountain, or perhaps Leaflet Silo? Or do I keep calm and carry on with the Bin O'Shame? I have some lovely Spring related projects that I could get to that really do need finishing up. I suppose we will all have to tune in later this week for 'As The Stitch Ends', haha!

I had best be off. Time for dinner chores. I hope everyone is having a fantastic week. 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Unexpected Christmas Present And The Most Beautiful Thing 2015

Yesterday, after DH had gotten the mail, he came into my office and handed me an envelope. I had not ordered anything, so I was puzzled as to what it was. When I opened up the envelope, there was a lovely letter from Patty at Stitcher's Village, informing me that I had won one of their second chance drawings. I then remembered that she had emailed me notifying me of the win and asking for my address, but I had completely forgotten about it. That's when I saw the chart:

I am so, so excited! I just LOVE Julia Line of Long Dog Samplers! I was so excited, I immediately picked out a motif to do another sample fabric and floss test. I knew as soon as I saw the floss what fabric and floss combination I wanted to do. I must say, this is going a LOT more smoothly than the Blackbird Designs Summer In Bloom piece that I did using the Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk.  I didn't get too far into it yesterday, as it was late in the afternoon, and I seem to be dealing with some sinus issues. (Unsurprising as I live in the desert and the air quality where I live is pure crap). Here is what I have managed so far:

Design: Quaker's Dozen

Designer: Julia Line of Long Dog Samplers

Fabric Used: 48 count Napery Ivory Dower linen by Access Commodities

Fiber Used:  Gloriana Threads Tudor 100% Hand-dyed silk 12-ply 120/2 silk floss in #242 Light French Blue, Lot: T71N8312. 

Stitcher's Notes: Bottom left hand motif chosen for this fabric and fiber test. 

I will leave you all now to your holiday revels with my annual posting of The Most Beautiful Thing. 

I found this story online years ago, and every year for the last several years I've shared it here and on my SanMan Originals message board. I love this story for it imagery and its' message and I hope you do too. 

The Most Beautiful Thing
Author unknown

The sides of the path were covered with white snow, but in the center, its whiteness was turned brown by the tramping of hundreds of hurrying feet. It was the day before Christmas. People rushed up and down the path carrying bundles, laughing and calling to each other.

Above the path, the long arms of an ancient tree reached up toward the sky. It swayed as strong winds grasped its branches and bent them toward the earth. Down below a haughty laugh sounded, and a lovely fir tree stretched its thick green branches, sending a fine spray of sparkling snow toward the ground.

"I should think," said the fir in a smug voice, "that you would try a little harder to stand still. Goodness knows you're ugly enough with the leaves you've already lost. If you move around anymore, you'll soon be quite bare."

"I know," answered the old tree. "Everything has put on its most beautiful clothes for the celebration of Christmas. Even from here I can see the decorations shining from each street corner, and yesterday some men came and put the loveliest lights on every tree along the path - except me, of course." He sighed softly, and a flake of snow melted in the form of a teardrop and ran down his gnarled trunk.

"Oh, indeed! And did you expect they would put lights upon you so your ugliness would stand out even more?" mocked the fir.

"I guess you're right," replied the old tree in a sad voice. "If there were only somewhere I could hide until after the celebrations are over, but here I stand, the only ugly thing among all this beauty. If they would only come and chop me down," he sighed sorrowfully.

"Well, I don't wish you any ill will," replied the fir, "but you are an eyesore. Perhaps it would be better for us all if they came and chopped you down." Once again he stretched his lovely thick branches. "You might try to hang onto those three small leaves you still have. At least you wouldn't be completely bare."

"Oh, I've tried so hard," cried the old tree. "Each fall I say to myself, 'this year I won't give up a single leaf, no matter what the cause,' but someone always comes along who seems to need them more than I do," and he sighed once again.

"I told you not to give so many to that dirty little paper boy," said the fir. "Why, you even lowered your branches a little so that he could reach them. You can't say I didn't warn you."

"Yes," the old tree replied. "but they made him so happy. I heard him say he would pick some for his invalid mother."

"Oh, they all had good causes," mocked the fir. "That young girl, for instance, colored leaves for her party indeed! They were your leaves!"

"She took a lot, didn't she?" said the old tree, and he seemed to smile.

Just then a cold wind blew down the path and a tiny brown bird fell to the ground at the foot of the old tree and lay there shivering, too cold to lift his wings. The old tree looked down in pity and quickly let go of his last three leaves. The golden leaves fluttered down and settled softly over the shivering little bird, and it lay there quietly under the warmth of them.

"Now you've done it" scolded the fir. You've given away every single leaf! Christmas morning you'll make our path the ugliest sight in the whole city."

The old tree said nothing. Instead he stretched out his branches to gather what snowflakes he could so they wouldn't fall on the tiny bird. The young fir turned away in disgust, and it was then he noticed a painter, sitting quietly a few feet from the path, intent upon his brushes and canvas.

The fir turned back to the old tree and said in a haughty voice, "At least keep those bare branches as far away from me as possible. I'm being painted and I don?t want you to mar the background."

"I'll try," replied the old tree. And he raised his branches as high as possible. It was almost dark when the painter picked up his easel and left. The little fir was tired and cross from all his preening and posing.

Christmas morning he awoke late, and as he proudly shook away the snow from his lovely branches, he was amazed to see a huge crowd of people surrounding the old tree, ah-ing and oh-ing as they stood back and gazed upward. Even those hurrying along the path had to stop for a moment to sigh before they went on.

"Whatever could it be?" thought the haughty fir, and he looked up to see if perhaps the top of the old tree had broken off during the night.

Just then a paper blew from the hands of an enraptured newsboy and sailed straight into the young fir. The fir gasped in amazement, for there on the front page was a picture of the painter holding his painting of a great white tree whose leafless branches, laden with snow, stretched upward into the sky. Down below lay a tiny brown bird almost covered by three golden leaves. And beneath the picture were the words, "The most beautiful thing is that which has given all."

The young fir quietly bowed its head beneath the great beauty of the humble old tree.


From my house to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays and the most blessed of new years!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Spring Time finish

Managed to finish another project that's was a WIPocalypse goal that I had set for myself. On a *roll* here people :D! This one sat for a bit because I had a bit of a hard time seeing the fabric. In my defense is IS a 34 count, which is WAY lower than what I usually stitch on. I'm a 14/28 kinda gal, and have always admired folks who can stitch on tiny thread counts. I wish I could stitch on a 40 count, but I'd have to have a magnifier and I'm not sure I want to make that kind of investment. Eh, a decision for another day. :)


I tweaked the design a bit as is my custom. It originally said 'Spring Time' however, I changed it to 'Stitch Time', left off the border and will attach an antique button to it later on. I am thinking about doing a pinkeep with this one, as I have not ever made one and I'm weary of framing things.


At any rate, here it is:


Design: Spring Time


Designer: Citrouille's Designs


Fabric: 34 count linen in Oaten Scone by Access Commodities


Fiber: Gloriana Threads silk floss in #188 Northern Lights

Well, I best be off. Things to do for tomorrow and I need to get out another project to finish. No rest for the wicked! :P


Hope everyone is having a great week! :)


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Thrice I know my ABC's...

Got to go today to my Wednesday stitching at Stitcher's Paradise and managed to finish up Now I Know My ABC's by Blackbird Designs. This is the third time I've stitched it, and it never gets old. I am thinking about doing it four more times, once for each season and hanging them up during the appropriate season. I need to find some good charms to put in two of the spots on the sampler, but the stitching is finished. As for now, it get put away so that I may stitch on some UFO's, as I am sadly lacking in stitching up any of them, as I had planned to do in my 2010 Year In Review post. Since it is nice and warm out today, I think I am going to get out JBW's Cherries and finish it up first.


At any rate, here is the latest finish:


Design: Now I Know My ABC's

Designer: Barb Adams for Blackbird Designs

Fabric: 32 count linen in cream. Manufacturer unknown.

Fiber: Gloriana Threads in 079- Monet's Pond

While at Stitcher's Paradise today, I purchased one of the Kelmscott Designs thread winders in a butterfly shape. I also snagged the Evergreen Lane chart by Blackbird Designs . It's the 11th chart in the Anniversaries of the Heart series. The next one should be out soon, and then I will have them all. Yipee!!






Well, I best be off. Dinner is on the stove! Hope everyone is having a great week! :)


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Respectfully submitted,


C.

The third time is a charm?

I started Blackbird Designs freebie Now I Know My ABC's for the third time this past Sunday and while I am enjoying this easy stitch, the floss has me swearing like a sailor on a three day pass in Hong Kong.

This isn't a very good picture, but you can see what I'm talking about:

See that big kink? That's where the floss was knotted to keep it on the card. I mean *really*?! That is a LOT of floss to just snip off willy nilly. And the kinking up! OH. MY. GAWD.


This is what it looks like when you purchase it on the skein, prior to you carefully unpicking that knot to be able to use ALL of the floss that you just laid out almost 10 bucks for.


Yea, it looks nice, however, when you go to cut off a length to stitch with it, it literally folds back up on itself. I have tried to keep the lengths short, to minimize this, but it's the equivalent to shouting at the gale. Does one no good at all. The only way I know how to make it behave is to wet it down. When I go tomorrow to Stitcher's Paradise, I am going to have to pony up for one of those fancy Kelmscott Designs thread winders to try and help keep the floss straightened out. I mean, as my UK stitching sisters say, in for a penny, in for a pound, yea?


At any rate, here's what I have so far:

Design: Now I Know My ABC's

Designer: Barb Adams for Blackbird Designs


Fabric: 32 count linen in cream. Manufacturer unknown.


Fiber: Gloriana Threads in 079- Monet's Pond

Well, I best get my old cranky lady self going. Have to take DH to the doctor this morning about his leg and then I get to come home and nap and stitch for the next five days. Woohoo! I managed to get all of my chores completed, including the stash organization project I had created for myself. I'll blog about that next post! :)


Hope everyone has a Happy Tuesday! :)


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Respectfully submitted,


C.