Soldiering On

Greetings, everyone, and happy Saturday night! Believe it or not, I'm a bit tired of stitching today; I put in about five hours on GigiR's "Maria's Sampler 1831." It's riveting! Photos below. But first, back from the framer! I love the glossiness and the bright green color on this contemporary looking sampler. I started the sampler about 25 years ago from the pages of a long-forgotten book, and completed it a few months ago. It had some indelible grubby hoop marks (20 years or so on an old hoop will do that) but the framing ladies at In Stitches got it mostly cleaned up, and the rest is difficult to see.

And a finish! Catharine McNeal 1843 by Samplers Revisited. Stitched on 40 count Picture This Plus in Legacy, using the called-for NPI. A very fun stitch. I made several major changes: I don't enjoy large areas of satin stitch, so I cross stitched those spots instead, which I regret a bit because I think the texture of the satin stitches is part of the charm of this sampler. I also made a greater than normal number of mistakes on this sampler, for some reason. I left those in. I deducted a woman on the left, and I added my initials and the year I completed the sampler. Off I went to In Stitches last Saturday to select a frame. I can't wait to get it back.

I have put some time into "Snowy St. Nick" (Dimensions). While I love historic reproductions, this is a nice break. And it's loaded with glitz and beads at the end.

Here's the chart cover, since it's kind of hard to figure out exactly what you're looking at without a face.

Here's what I worked on today: Gigi R's "Maria's Sampler 1831." The chart photo is not very clear, and it's of the antique, so this doesn't really give a good indication of just how much action there is in this sampler!

There are tons and tons of people on this sampler; here's a little soldier. I am stitching the inside swirly border to count down. There are seven alphabets at the top, and although they're very nice, and stitched in different stitches, I didn't want to stich alphabets today. This is a huge sampler, 494x562. This is a redo for me; the first time I started it, I decided I didn't like the dark fabric I was using. I'm stitching it on Picture This Plus in Fog, 40 count. Fog is a lovely oystery white with a light wash and pale veins of a taupey brown. And I did a thread conversion to overdyed silks from the designer's called for overdyed cottons. I'm using mostly Belle Soie as well as some Silk n Colors and Soie Crystal.

I have to show you photos of my New Bedford dream house. It is amazingly preserved and updated. Notice the neighboring house in the background (I'd take that one too, although it's huge, isn't it?)

Master bedroom. I wonder if that's a working fireplace. Note the wallpapered coffered ceiling.

Check out the foyer. Papered ceilings here too. That treatment extends to most of the rooms I saw; think the walls are too busy for samplers? Note the fine woodwork.

A look at the kitchen: modern yet not. I wonder if that stove works. Here are some more photos of the house if you're interested. Because we live in the DC metro area where the cost of housing is super expensive, the cost of this lovely 1875 home, $398,500, seems very reasonable--a comparable house here would probably sell for over $1 million.

Pink says "if wishes were horses then rabbits would ride..."

Happy week ahead all!