Mary Ann

Greetings! Just a little drive-by today. I abandoned my good intentions after a boring session stitching a long-term WIP, so I thought: Why not start a new sampler? Why not indeed? Introducing Mary Ann MacDonald, who's been in my stash for many years: I tore my stash apart yesterday looking for just the right fabric (Large pieces of the right color are in short supply at my house--guess a little restocking is in order. I had PTP in fog (too gray), Lakeside in magnolia (great color but that piece for some reason is somewhat flimsy), Lakside in navy bean, lentil and vintage examplar--all too dark). Then I unearthed this Picture This half yard in probably Legacy, and it did the trick, although I might have preferred something a little lighter. I had all the AVAS in my stash except for a few. A couple that I needed right away and didn't have or didn't like I converted to Silk n' Colors, and the rest I will pick up on Stitch Night when I'm at the shop.

Here she is. Mary Ann is by Scarlet Letter, of course.

A close-up. She is even prettier in real life. And I stitched the honeysuckles pinker than they are charted. The were originally charted for two salmony shades, and I wanted the brighter, clearer pink, especially since the two other samplers I am going to hang with Mary Ann have lots of pink in them. This will hang in Mary Ann's neighborhood. Lots of pink here. Pink: "You can never have too much Pink!" Happy week ahead!

Next!

Hi, all! Whoa, this new Blogger is a little challenging to work with. Of course, I could probably find some directions somewhere online, but I never read directions; Impatience is my middle name. Finishing Sarah a couple of weeks ago was such a kick that I decided there needed to be more finishes in my near future, so here comes Catharine McNeal, down the homestretch. The colors photographed less warm than they are IRL--it's late afternoon and the light is funky. But you get the idea. I'm thinking she should be done in the next two or three weeks. I need to clear the decks so that I can start Scarlett House's new Christmastide design, the new design that just popped onto the Essamplaire site, and a few others. (You thought I had reformed?) Next up for a finish this year will probably be Elizabeth Easdon by the Essamplaire; that's about 2/3 done.

Peaches is demonstrating patience here, bunny loaf style.

Happy week ahead!

Three Years

Greetings, all! Today is the last day of my one-week vacation, but I spent it well and satisfyingly: a trip to the Cape with my sister and Gilbert to see my dad (and spent some quality time with a plate of seafood at the Flying Bridge); and lots and lots (and lots) of stitching. In fact, I have a finish!

Sarah Hatton McPhail, reproduced by The Essamplaire. I started it in August 2009 on 32 count fabric and after a few months restarted it 40 count Lakeside Linen in maritime white using the AVAS that came in the kit. So three years, more or less. I stitched most of it as charted, except for whatever mistakes I might have made and changing the verses. A verse floating in the trees on the left, was to have said: "Regret succeeds folly" which I thought was too busy with everything else going on in this design. The right verse was to have said "Yourself respect," which struck me as a bit too Aretha Franklin-ish. I really did not want to mentally spell out "R-E-S-P-E-CEE-T!" every time I looked at it. In the end, because the last couple of years have been no walk in the park, I chose the marathoners' motto: "Endure" and my initials and year of completion.




I had expected to start a big new project when I completed Sarah (and I do have a major re-start in the wings), but now I'm addicted to finishing, so I've chosen one of my next closest-to-being-finished and favorite large projects, Catharine McNeal 1843, reproduced by Patty Yergey of Samplers Revisited. I love the colors in it, and I'm rocketing along, in spite of there being lots of over-one. I elected not to do the called-for satin stitches (every other thistle in the border, the roof of the house and the large tree on the lower right--see the photo of the project) and am a little sorry. All the same, I love this sampler for its quirky design and gorgeous, unique colors (NPI silks on the recommended Picture This Plus linen). Patty is both a fabulous designer/reproductionist and fun person; when I told her somewhat apologetically that I wasn't stitching it completely as charted, she got a little twinkle in her eye and said it was a shame I wasn't stitching the satin stitches, since those sections would have gone faster than cross-stitching them.




Because I flew to the Cape, I only took two projects with me--Sarah McPhail and my restart of Charlotte. Here's the cat I worked on quite a bit.


And a photo of the whole thing to date:


Also worked on this week: Esther Rondel 1822 by Queenstown Sampler Designs (NPI on 40 count Lakeside).



And Christinia Cathcart (AVAS on 32 count something)


Pink sends his greetings from his summer-camp willow teepee.


I miss posting more often, but I've had to choose between spending my scarce free time blogging or stitching, unfortunately.

Happy week ahead!