It's Been Awhile

Happy Saturday to you all! I know it's been a while, almost a month and a half since I last posted. I haven't felt really up to stitching a whole lot. I do not know if it is a combination of stress, fatigue, or just stitching burnout, the end result is the same. I suppose it does not matter a great deal, as I have stitched a grand total of 111 pieces the last two years. That is a great deal of stitching! I have made my unofficial yearly goal of 12 projects, so I am just coasting at this point. Then again too, the weather where we are has been unseasonably chilly. It's quite difficult to get 'into' stitching mermaids and other summer themed projects when the low is almost in the 30's at night in the middle of May! :O

I have tried off and on to stitch, but nothing has 'clicked'. It just felt like going through the motions. I remembered that I had this project that I purchased on the secondary market some time ago. I have seen quite a number of recent finishes of this piece and it looked like it did not take too long to stitch, so I thought I would give it a try. The color combination used is the same one that I used in the Summer In Bloom taken from the book Maria Selby Humphrey - 1831 piece that I finished up a couple of years ago. I really do love the way the colors harmonize together. The funny thing is, I purchased the silks on clearance and only purchased them because I loved the colors and the feel of the silk! :)

At any rate, here is my latest finish. I need to find some nice buttons for the upper right hand corner, but otherwise, it is completed. 

Design: Buttons and Blooms

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric Used: 28 count white linen of unknown manufacturer

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 124, 126, 197, 312, 663, and 705. Kreinik silk serica thread in Light Charcoal, #8073. 

Stitchers' Notes: Substituted called for GAST and WDW threads for in house Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk and Kreinik silk serica thread. Shop chart exclusive for Elegant Stitch. Began Friday, May 12, 2017. Finished Saturday, May 13, 2017. Please note that the chart is not for sale/trade. 

Welp, it's time for me to bolt for the door. I hope everyone has a great weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Valentines' Card Finish

My latest finish was almost late in the making. Every year, I stitch something special to commemorate our wedding anniversary. This year, I did not find an appropriate design until the day before. Nothing like an immediate deadline in order to get things moving, yea? I managed to finish this in the nick of time and I am quite pleased with the way it turned out. I love Margaret Sherry's designs, however, the backstitching drives me crazy! I generally substitute the called for aida for either evenweave or linen. There is no way I could remain sane stitching these on aida. :P

I am happy that this time around, there are Anchor/DMC numbers for the chart, so I can restitch these cuties. I may even get some stamps and really nice watercolor pencils and make more of these cards. An idea for later! :)

At any rate, here is the finished product to commemorate our 8th:

Design: Teacup Mice

Designer: Margaret Sherry for (UK) Cross Stitch Crazy

Fabric: 28 count white Monaco

Fibers Used: As provided in the kit

Stitchers' Notes: Free card kit from Issue 176, May 2013. Please note that this chart is not for sale/trade.

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

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Finish On Finish Friday the 13th!

My latest finish is from the design collection of Carol Ridyard of iStitch Designs. I have stitched several of her designs but for whatever reason have not done so in some time. I really do like the way this one turned out. I love stitching her pieces as the stitcher may customize the piece how they see fit. They also stitch up quickly and easily, which is also nice. Please be sure to check out her online blog store. Her prices are reasonable and the turn around time for receiving your charts is less than 24 hours. 

Well, at any rate, here is my latest finish for 2017. Number two out of 12! :)

Design: Sew Bands

Designer: Carol Ridyard of iStitch Designs

Fabric Used: 28 count white Cashel linen from Zweigart

Fiber Used: Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Tulip

Stitchers' Notes: Project number two of twelve for 2017. Began Monday. January 9, 2017. Finished Friday, January 13, 2017. 

Well, I best be off. Tons to do tonight. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

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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. 

Liked It So Nice

...that I stitched it twice. I know of a lot of folks who stitch something once and then never again. With some designs, I just cannot help myself and I feel compelled to stitch them over and over. The really cool thing about cross stitch is that you can change all sorts of things to make it truly yours. 

This next project was another loaner from Patricia G of the Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook Group. It came with two charts, Spring's Notice and Savoir Faire. I have had Spring's Notice in my freebie collection for quite some time now, but I *really* wanted to stitch Savoir Faire. It had been somewhat very elusive until the Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook Group and their Lending Library. This fantastic group of ladies has been a godsend and I am hoping to contribute to the Lending Library some time in the near future. 

At any rate, here are my stitching efforts for the week. I am pleased with the outcome.  I have a few ideas on how to finish these, but I must think about it some before I make my decision.

Design: Savoir Faire

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Version One: 

Fabric Used: 28 count natural linen of unknown manufacturer

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours  cotton floss in 12 grain, Amethyst, Brown Sugar, German Chocolate, Prickly Pear, Purple Pansy, Steamed Broccoli and Wasabi. 

Finished: Thursday, April 28, 2016

Stitcher's Notes: Stitched two over two. 

Version Two:

Fabric Used: 32 count white Belfast linen 

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours  cotton floss in Brown Sugar, Crushed Pineapple, Frozen Margarita, German Chocolate, Pink Champagne, Queen Bee and Spun Sugar. The Gentle Art Sampler Threads in #0191 Kiwi.

Stitcher's Notes: Stitched two over two. 

I am kind of sad to see this one leave me. I could see stitching this at least three more times! But, alas, the next stitcher is anxiously awaiting the charts, so I must bid it fare thee well. In the mean time, in between time, I will comb my usual haunts looking for a copy that I may add to my collection. Hooray for stitchy quests!

Well, it is time to be off. I need to clean up my stitching area and do the coffee and blog thing. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

WIPs Wednesday For Wednesday, March 16, 2016

This past weekend was my birthday weekend, which meant a three day weekend for me. I always thought that people should have the day off with pay on their birthday. Even if you don't do anything, it's better than being at work.

This meant that I had plenty of time to stitch. I worked on three projects this past weekend; Motifs Abécédaire 30 , Ocean Daughter, and Lady Of The Flag. I did not get too far with  Lady of the Flag, but I am hoping to get some time in on her again this upcoming weekend. There is not enough to show at this particular point in time, but hopefully soon. 

I did get quite a bit of time in on Motifs Abécédaire 30, but I think I am getting burned out on it. It's a bit larger than I had anticipated, but I am plugging through as I do not want this to end up in the infamous Bin O'Shame. 

WIP#1:

Design: Motifs Abécédaire 30

Designer: Boutique DMC France

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in White

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 124, 126, 303 and 663

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, March 4, 2016. 

As of Wednesday, March 9, 2016:

As of Wednesday, March 16, 2016:

I also picked up more than my fair share of birthday stash. This next new start is one of the ones that I managed to snag here recently. I have wanted to stitch this for a very long time. I was able to purchase the chart at a reasonable price and could not wait to get started. This one will be a nice break from other projects as it is a single color design. 

WIP#2:

Design: Ocean Daughter (retired)

Designer: Who Knew?! (Retired as of 2012. Formerly distributed by Picture This Plus)

Fabric Used: 28 count Caribbean Blue jobelan by Wichelt Imports

Fibers Used: Au Ver À Soie  Soie d'Alger in #205 (Paon)

Stitcher's Notes: Began Monday, March 14, 2016. Chart picked up as part of birthday bash. Substituted the fabric ( Crystal Lagoon 32 count Belfast) and the Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk (Bejeweled).  Who Knew?! used Alison Tanner’s Mermaid and Garden Fairy stencils which were available at the time from Stensource International (which is now part of Quilting Creations). Stitched with one strand of silk over two fabric threads. 

Time for me to go. I hope everyone is recovering from Daylight Savings Time and is having a great week. :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

We Now Return To As The Stitch Crosses

...I am your host and welcome back to our regularly scheduled programming. I almost didn't make WIP Wednesday, as I have been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest today, but I managed to take a quick snap before the cloud cover came in. 

Right now, I have an issue with the heart shaped motif at the very top. Things are not lining up correctly, so what I am having to do is a trick I learned doing HAEDs. Just stitch one small section at a time, with each color, instead of being lazy and doing all of one color and then the fill in with the rest. Slow and steady and all that. 

Well, at any rate, here is my progress so far:

Design: Motifs Abécédaire 30

Designer: Boutique DMC France

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in White

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 124, 126, 303 and 663

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, March 4, 2016. 


As of Friday, March 4, 2016:

As of Wednesday, March 9, 2016:

I had best be off. I hope everyone is having a great week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A New Start On The Overnight Shift March 2016 Edition

I was inspired to stitch a French style sampler during a recent trip with a dear friend to a French bistro here in town. It apparently opened up last August and has been a succès fou, absolument. The bistro owner's mother stitched some samplers that hang proudly on the walls. Naturally, I had to take pictures.

I have located the first one, however, it is now out of print and was only available in France, apparently. The second one I am still on the lookout for. I love the colors that were used!

Lunch was an absolute delight. For starters, I had ordered a Latte Provence, which was made with lavender and honey. It was simply divine! I was also quite naughty and had one tiny lemon macaron. I absolutely adore macarons. 

Lunch was the "Country Plate". It consisted of various French cheeses and meats, cornishons, olives, a tiny salad and a walnut tart. It was sooooo good and filling. It really made you slow down and just savor the time eating. It was so nice to do this as my work week was hurly burly most of the time. 

I also took home a lemon meringue tart for laters. DH and I had it for dessert after dinner. Lemony, not overly sweet, and smoother than Barry White. Heaven!

I have since been back for another go around, this time for croissants and more lemon meringue tarts and a Latte Provence for the road. I am going to have to pace myself with this place, I see. Otherwise, I am going to wind up twice my size! 

Which leads me to my newest start. I found this piece out on internet walkabout. I was attempting to locate the samplers I saw at the bistro, and came across this. And, at less than $2.10, I can't very well pass that up, now could I? Consolation prizes rarely come that cheap, n'est pas? 

Here is what I managed to get done over the weekend:

Design: Motifs Abécédaire 30

Designer: Boutique DMC France

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in White

Fibers Used: Au Ver a Soie Soie 100/3 Spun Silk in 124, 126, 303 and 663

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, March 4, 2016. 

Well, I had better be off. Ain't no rest for the wicked :). Hope everyone had a great weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Two Finish Friday

As of late last night, I managed to get two more finishes for the week in, one of which is from the Bin O'Shame. I am very happy with this progress. The finish from the Bin O'Shame is the fourth one for the year, which means as of late February, I am a third of the way to my goal of 12 projects finished up from the Bin O'Shame. Happy day, happy day! :)

Well, let's get started, shall we? 

Finish #1:

Design: Coffee Is Magic 

Designer: Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams

Fabric Used: 28 count white opalescent Lugana

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in B5200, 415, 550, 552, 554, 744, 776, 809, 818, 938. Rainbow Gallery Fuzzy Stuff in FZ-25 Pink. Kreinik metallic threads in #4 Very Fine Braid in #002HL Gold. 

Accouterments: Mill Hill beads in #02014 in Black

Stitcher's Notes: Project began in late 2003 or 2004. Project resumed on Wednesday, February 17, 2016. Stitching completed Thursday, February 18, 2016. Left off 'Coffee Is Magic In The Morning'. 

As of Wednesday, February 17, 2016:

Stitching completed Thursday, February 18, 2016:

Finish #2:

Design: Love Birds (my title)

Designer: Antique Sampler Stitcher 

Fabric Used: unknown 28 count natural linen

Fiber Used:  Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk in Tulip

Stitcher's Notes: One day start and finish. Design does not have a title as it was a part of a group of smalls to be stitched. Project taken from the March 2009 (no. 5) issue of the magazine. Project was to be completed during a recent car trip, however, as is the custom, time was an issue. :)

 Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs has issued another challenge on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook group. This challenge is 1000 stitches in stair step stitching. The challenge begins today and runs until March. I did sign up for the challenge for the QS Evil Queen. So, Saturday will be devoted to her exclusively. Sunday will be devoted to the return of the Lady of the Flag. I am looking forward to putting some time in on her. She is a very large project and I really would like to see her finished before September 11. 

I had best be off. I need to clean up my work area and get a start to my day. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C.