Decisions

Hello, all! I seem to be having trouble posting photos this afternoon--my computer connection seems to be a bit slow. Incoming thunderstorms? I had wanted to show you some photos of my progress on various projects, since I finished up Liz Easdon and her endless lawn this week! I finally had had enough of my ditherings, grabbed her up one day at lunch at work and stitched feverishly, then came home and stitched until 1 a.m. and put in another hour (mostly clean-up, clipping stray threads, trimming the fabric and taking inventory of all the various motifs to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything) on Saturay. I did leave two over-one lambs out of the final project--I just couldn't bear any further over-one or funky little animals, so the two sheep at the top of the lawn are child-free by choice. Off I rushed to In Stitches to consult with a framer. After months of carrying Liz around in her project bag, it seemed odd to return home without her, although I didn't exactly leave the shop empty-handed, and the project bag has a new tenant.

Meet Agnes Platt. I contemplated lots of samplers--the new Brandywine sampler, for one, which I saw IRL at the Woodlawn show. No, too large at the moment, although I'm not normally given to feeling overwhelmed, that's exactly how I felt, and if you've seen the materials list, since stitching with Belle Soie is my new THING, I decided to give my pocketbook a break. For now. I will stitch it in the future, I'm quite sure. Although it's in line behind six or eight other projects at the moment. Anyway, Agnes is reproduced by Blackbird Designs (who are ever so slowly dragging me into the idea of applique and quilting). I bought Agnes for the OTHER sampler in the booklet--the Strawberry Sampler. The pin pillow is darned cute too. I'm happy to report that all three projects use most of the same color palette, so it's something of a bargain, especially since I came home and did a conversion to Belle Soie mostly from my stash, plus picked up just a few new colors(including Strawberry Shortcake, which you see forming the strawberry here). It's charted for Gentle Arts (or DMC). I'm stitching it on 40 count Lakeside in Bisque.

I also picked up Sarah Chapple 1831, by Shakespeare's Peddler, too. I didn't kit her up, wanting to see what I had at home for NPI fibers, but I did get a few of the Silk n Colors and Glorianas called for by the design, since my stash of those is limited. I'm looking forward to stitching the flowers in both borders, and the house! I will probably start this in the next few weeks. And I've picked up Dorothy Walpole, aiming for a summer finish on her as well (loosly, let's say Labor Day). And maybe Christinia Cathcart by Christmas.

Pink: "I'm undecided. Stay out or go in?"

Happy week ahead!

Drive-By

Happy Sunday, all! A quick drive-by (scene is from my office window--see why I like to hibernate with my needlework on the weekend? A perfect weekend for me is one where I don't drive my car at all. Yesterday I didn't go anywhere until after dinner (a trip to Lowes for garden-related stuff, and of course, today I went to the store for groceries; a couple of people had driven into each other in the parking lot, for heaven's sake).  I work on the 14th floor of building in Tysons Corner that overlooks the DC beltway.  This was Friday afternoon during some on-and-off rainstorms.

I wasn't up for tackling Liz Easdon's lawn this weekend, so I reached into the WIP pile and pulled out "Winter Welcome" by Country Cottage Needlworks. I started it a few years ago, and it got overlooked in the big rush to work on huge samplers. I'm trying to finish lots of things this year, and this will be one--I still like it. I'm stitching it on 40 count Lakeside--Luna, I think, using the called-for overdyed cottons, DMC, but addking some sparkle via Kreinik blending filament for the snow. It's a fun stitch, and I'd like to work my way through a pile of others that I have: "Bless our Home" (blue cottage and an American flag) and Home Sweeet Home (cottage with lots of pink peonies).

Here's a little sampler I bought recently: "This Have I Done" by Pineberry Lane.

I'm stitching it on 40 count Lakeside in Navy Bean, using DMC and the called-for cotton overdyeds, although I subbed out a couple of the colors that were too similar to the others.

Also on my stitching table: an old R&R Rerpoductions sampler design, a re-start of Frances Eden (I oriented it wrong on the fabric, so I would have come up a couple inches short side-to-side--don't you hate that?), and I have kitted up an old Cross Eyed Crick design. More on those next time. Here's Pink, thinking outside the box.

Happy week ahead!

Almost There

Happy Sunday, all! Just a quick post, because I have a few things to do before I head off to bed. I have been working diligently on Liz Easdon but hit the wall when I got to the lawn. Tiny over-one and regular size animals, then all that green satin stitch, worked around the animals. Every other thing is done on this project, including putting my initials and the year on it, but I just have to get motivated to keep going on the lawn.

And a little bit of a closer look.

Since this is my year to finish large projects, I think this finish will be my next one: "Dorothy Walpole" by the Scarlet Letter.

But I couldn't resist a little start as lawn relief. This chart has been in my stash forever--"Bunny Parade" by the Workbasket.

Which I'm starting on the remnant of PTP 40 count (Heritage I think) left over from Catharine McNeal. It's charted for GAST, but I'm doing an on-the-fly conversion to Belle Soie.

Elizabeth is a little embarassed by this shot. I was holding her in my lap (not a favorite, although like a lot of bunnies, when her head tilts back, she zones out and becomes docile) to brush her. I have never had a rabbit with so much fur. It wafts around the room. She says to have a happy week!