Finished Object: Rose Arbour by Mirabilia

This was one of my first Mirabilia purchases along with Rose of Sharon. I love the dresses in these designs! I also love how the beading is minimal compared to some of the other designs, such as Sabrina. I  know that some stitchers love the bling, but I find too much takes away from the stitching.

I searched and searched the internet for errata on this pattern, because I think the roses in her right hand had the wrong symbol in them. After finding nothing, I went with my gut (something I wouldn't have done when I first started stitching--stick with the pattern! The designer is right!). If I'm going to spend all this time on a project, I'm going to make it the way I want to see it!

I also spent the money to get both Rose of Sharon and Rose Arbour professionally framed. I found this great place in Liberty, SC, which is affordable and high-quality. I just about cried when I picked them up!

Finished Object: Serial Bowl Collection, Lesson 1 by Plum Street Samplers

Plum Street Samplers is one of my favorite designers for primitive designs and smalls. Many of the designs can be finished quickly (depending on stitch speed and available time) and uniquely. Some of the recent finishes have been pillows, and this one is the first design in what is called The Serial Bowl Collection.

Serial Bowl Collection of Sampler Lessons: Lesson One was released at the Nashville Market back in March 2015. From start to finish stitch completion took about six weeks, not including finishing. I was working on some other projects at that time, too.

I used 32 count taupe Lugana. I can't follow directions and used two threads over two instead of one thread over two, so the threads that came with the kit were not enough to finish the project. In place of those threads I replaced similar over-dyed cottons that were good matches for the design. These included threads from The Gentle Art and Week's Dye Works.

GA Barn Door --> Week's Red Pear
GA Cherry Cobbler --> GA Cranberry
GA Cinnamon Toast --> Week's Cinnabar
GA Sunkissed -->  GA Lambswool
GA Timber --> GA Molasses (trees only)

                                           

The finishing directions instructed that the chenille be attached using glue. I ended up sewing the pillow together first, then hand-stitched the chenille around the edges. I also created my own pillow insert. 

Finished Object: Route 66 by Little House Needleworks

Little House Needleworks has a variety of different types of patterns, though Diane does have a certain style that can be seen in all patterns regardless of topic. I'm usually drawn to her houses and samplers, but I did like the "Route 66" pattern when I saw it! I loved the vintage car and trailer that harkened back to the days before Interstates.

I finished the design into a pillow. I used Route 66 fabric for the piping around the pillow and a blue travel motif fabric for the back. Both were from previous projects I had finished.

For this pattern I used Newport Antique White/Khaki Linen on 28 count. I liked the fabric because it reminded me of a picnic table cloth, but then a fellow stitcher pointed out that it looked like the grid on a map. What an even better idea!

I only converted two colors.
DMC 597 --> Gentle Arts Tutti Frutti
DMC 603 --> Classic Colorworks Pink Champagne

I did make other changes in design elements due to the fabric. Most notable is the change in border from cream to yellow. I did this to mimic the lines seen on two-lane highways. I also finished the United States with full cross-stitches instead of the half the pattern suggests. With 28-ct fabric, too much white was showing through.

I finished the design into a pillow. I used Route 66 fabric for the piping around the pillow and a blue travel motif fabric for the back. Both were from previous projects I had finished.

Finished Object: Pin Money Pocket 2015 Limited Edition by Summer House Stitche Workes

Samplers and projects inspired by the 18th century are among my favorite patterns. I love the look of antique-inspired stitching accessories, especially if I can have a hand in creating them. I bought this lovely pattern from my LNS after the Nashville Needlework Market showcased this Limited Edition for 2015! If there is one lesson I learned from stitching is it would be to buy a pattern I like when I first see it because it may not be there the next time! (I've had several disappointments over the past year because of that!) 

This project came will all of the supplies needed, and each kit was slightly different. The ribbon and fabric for the exterior varied according to the kit, but each were perfect for the 18th-century inspired pattern. 

Minimal sewing was required to finish this project. If you can sew a pillow, then this is an easy project! 

Photo of Exterior

Photo of Interior

"Around the World in 80 Days" by Little House Needleworks

I did make some changes in the speciality threads, substituting what I had in my supply that was similar or using a different color to show better on the fabric.  Instead of Crescent Colours Desert Mesquite, I used Poblano Pepper. My dye lot of Desert Mesquite was too close to Weeks Dye Works Juniper to have any contrast with the grass. The dye lot I had was much different than what was shown on the model. Instead of Crescent Colours Eggshell, I used Weeks Dye Works Parchment. Instead of Crescent Colours Manor Red, I used Weeks Dye Works Brick.

This pattern also had quite a bit of errata, probably the most I've ever had in one pattern. Luckily the corrections can be found on Little House Needlework's website.

Finished Object: Sarah Ann Wilcox Sampler

Lately I've been motivated to finish some cross-stitch projects before I begin any new ones. I'm not always successful, but after two years, I finally finished this one!

Yes, two years! Two years ago I last posted my progress here after five weeks on the Sarah Ann Wilcox reproduction sampler. This is the finished project:

Update: Paula Vaughan's "Thoughts of Spring"

I just noticed that I never updated my progress pictures of "Thoughts of Spring." I finished it in time to gift it to my mother for Christmas 2012.

I'm currently working on another Paula Vaughan for this Christmas.

WIP: American Sampler by Sandy Orton

I've been cross-stitching for a long-time, ever since my seventh-grade home economics project. But within the past few years I've really fallen in love with the idea of the sampler mainly because of the variety of stitches.

I stumbled across Sandy Orton's "American Sampler" about two years ago when I was searching for patterns. I fell in love with it, and luckily for me, it was reprinted in an issue of Cross-Stitch and Needlework Magazine.

This is my current progress on the project. I've been working on it for about a year and a half and picked it up again after a year hiatus. I've prioritized projects that were slated to be gifts, and this project is just for me. 

I've committed myself to finishing it by the end of the year. 

A close-up of a wee man. 

WIP: Paula Vaughan's "Thoughts of Spring"

Normally, when I have a project that is a gift for someone, I won't post pictures of it. Since the giftee has already seen it in progress, I'm not as worried in this case. I just won't post the final picture with all the tedious backstitching on it.

One thing I've done differently with this project is the gridding, a technique I found from one of the Teresa Wentzler boards that I visit. I didn't initially grid the fabric but did it after I discovered a mistake and had to tear a good portion of the armoire out. Several hours of gridding have really saved me a lot of time as discovering a mistake early is MUCH easier when I go in 10 x 10 stitch squares.

This is a progress picture of my attempts to discover the mistake after gridding. The diagonal lines are squares that had no mistakes in them and didn't have to be torn out. Pretty much everything above that had to be torn out and redone.

The time between the second picture and the first picture is about six weeks. I'm pleased with how quickly it's going now that I have little goals to reach.

Sarah Ann Wilcox Sampler WIP Week 5

Another week means another progress picture! I have really enjoyed stitching this one. It has just the right combination of ease and challenge. I also like the use of the over-dyed cotton threads that I've been using as well. (See the first update for the list of threads.) 

This is where I was at by the end of Week Five: 

I'll be doing the one-over-one stitches very last, mostly because they are tedious.

Here is a close-up of the lowest band I've completed. It has a combination of stitches, including satin and eyelet. I love how the satin stitches show off the over-dyed characteristics of the threads! I've really enjoyed seeing how that came out!

William + Kate Royal Wedding FO

I got this cute little pattern from Wee Little Stitches on Etsy. The shop has all kinds of cute little geeky cross-stitch patterns for the geeky stitcher and I LOVE them! (And I'm hoping for a Trek: TOS one day!) I've bought a few of her patterns, and they're quick little stitches that are a nice break from the more intricate ones I've been doing lately. 

This is the Royal Wedding pattern. I stitched it on evenweave I dyed with RIT purple. I was looking for something that was a nice royal hue, and what is more royal than purple? I've dyed a few pieces to date, and I really like the variety I can give myself, because it's very hard to find different colors that aren't the usual ivory and white. 

So, this is the finished product. I made a few changes, such as the hair (I miscounted stitches) and Wills has fewer buttons than the pattern. That's mainly due to the fact that I am incapable of making a demure French Knot. 

Sarah Ann Wilcox Sampler WIP Week 4

This is actually two weeks worth of progress because I skipped a Week 3 progress picture. I also ran out of thread, like the red, brown, and olive, so I had to wait until I was able to get to the needlework shop to pick up some more.  

I was able to finish the house (except for that one window!), and the band of flowers. I actually made a mistake on that row, but it's not as visible as I thought it was. It can probably be picked up on a larger picture. 

The band two below the flowers is going to be  a mixture of eyelet and satin-stitch.

I'm not too worried about the mistakes since this is a reproduction sampler and some of it is a bit "off." It's not symmetrical, so as long as I can fix the mistake through other means, I don't see a point in pulling out my hard work! Besides, this mistake will make the sampler completely mine.

I also love how the over-dyed aspect of the thread comes out in the satin stitch. The directions call for the stitches to be one-thread thick, but because I'm using a larger size cloth (32 ct/inch v. 35 ct/inch) I feel that using two threads gives it a finer look.

Welsh Guard FO

I've gotten a lot of small cross-stich projects out of the way this spring. Some were smaller than others, but I got tired of seeing kits lying around. I don't know why, because I always have a pile of them, but since they were so simple, it was an easy jump to working on them in order to segue from knitting (a winter project) into stitching (a summer project).

This is one of them. I love the Welsh guards--who doesn't see one and doesn't want to make them crack a smile? And the amazing thing is that they don't--even when they're throwing up they still keep marching.



That's dedication that I know I don't have. If I were on the job and needed to throw up, I'm gone. I'm going home and eating toast and drinking tea.

And for those who know me well, no, that is not Dr. Who's TARDIS in the background. It's the wrong color, and there's no door. It's just the little house that they keep their keys in. (I think that's why it's there, I honestly have no idea.)

As for the frame, that's from Hobby Lobby, procured during one of their frame sales, and the matt as well.

Sarah Ann WIlcox Sampler WIP Week 2

This is my progress as of April 10, 2011. I have even more accomplished now, nearing the end of Week 3, so more pictures will be up soon. I really enjoy working on samplers--I get bored of colors really quickly, so the variegation in the hand-dyed threads as well as the variety of colors has helped with my staying on track.

The one-over-ones, though, are driving me crazy. I can tell my eyes are getting older. When a student hands me work to look at, I'm struggling a bit more than I did when I first started teaching. I used to not be picky about bad  handwriting, but now I find myself asking them to rewrite things more and more. (That's for the ones that are just being sloppy, not the ones that have true handwriting issues because of an LD.) I much prefer the two-over-two because it's also quicker to stitch.

Sarah Ann Wilcox Sampler WIP

My current cross-stitch project is the Sarah Ann Wilcox Sampler. The chart is available from the Charleston Museum, where the original sampler is part of a collection. I like samplers because of the variety of colors and stitches. When I get bored with one part, it is very easy to move on to another part (which you may notice!). This is not as easily done on some other projects that I've done.

This is how much I've completed in a week:

The patterns calls for the use of silks from Needlepoints silks, but it also has a DMC conversion. I had the DMC colors picked out, but I liked the idea of using something different. I chose to stick with cotton as opposed to silks because of the price point. I ended up going into my local stitch store and just browsed. I ended up using threads from three different lines because those colors matched up best with DMC.

From Crescent Colours I am using Finley Gold and Cupid. Both are hand-dyed and have variations in the colors that give a very vintage feel to the stitches. From The Gentle Arts Sampler Threads line I am using Nutmeg and Gold Leaf. The majority of my thread comes from Weeks Dye Works, and include Molasses, Caper, Charlotte's Pink, Mascara, Deep Sea, Parchment, and Juniper.

Of course, this means that my finished product will be different from the original, but I've seen pictures of the original. It's old. It's brown. It's faded. I'm not worried. :)

Faith, Love, and Gentle Words FO

I recently completed the following sampler in a record two weeks! Usually it takes me longer than that to complete a project, but I really liked the colors and the quote on this particular project. The soft palette worked really well with a piece of linen I just happened to have!

This is the finished project:

I did make some changes to it. The entire pattern called for cross-stitch, which I found to be a boring prospect. I wanted to challenge myself with some embroidery stitches, so I added them in with my own flair. I kept the colors the same, though.

In this picture, I used Queen Stitch and Satin stitch for the flowers on the side.

On the interior borders, I used (from the top down) herringbone stitch, Scotch stitch, and Montenegrin stitch. These gave another textural quality to the pattern that I felt was lacking.

Creative Keepsakes Sampler

This design is by Joy Hall and was called "Creative Keepsakes". I found it languishing in my mom's craft book collection.

This is the main sampler. There were two more designs of smaller, companion samplers that I do not have plans for at the moment.

Rose of Sharon Finished!

I actually finished this project at the end of February, but better late then never! I really loved this project, but I am glad to have gotten it done!

Rose of Sharon Update!

I am so close to done with Mirabilia's Rose of Sharon that I can taste it.

Maybe by the end of February?

'Tis the Season!

It's Christmas time! I love Christmas, and lately I'm beginning to like it more than in the previous few years. Christmas used to be about how many presents I got, but lately I've begun to look past the Christmas sales towards what the season really means: being with family. I've rethought who I buy presents for, and most of my Christmas purchases are for my nephew. I know that, being ten-months old, he'll like the boxes and paper more than the actual presents themselves, but this Christmas is going to be good.

I usually make most of my presents every year. Last year I made scarves, and the year before that, checkbook covers. This year I haven't had as much time to make things because I purchased and moved into a new house, so the entire fall was busy with packing, visits to the bank, and looking at property. I ended up with a new house that I love, and the best part is that the mortgage is less than rent!

But I am still crafting. I have five different cross-stitch projects--obsessive, I know. I am still working on The Rose of Sharon, but I had to take a break from it after having to tear out 500 stitches (amazing what being 1 stitch off will do to it!). I'm also knitting scarves, crocheting a blanket, and sewing stuff for the house. I'm experiencing craft ADD right now, because I can't stick to one project!