Full House

Hi, everyone!

My banner photo is a little something I ran across when I was looking through my stash for the bag of floss for Dorothy Walpole. I haven't been able to work on Dorothy for a few months since it disappeared. My stash room is in serious disarray, so I took some time to straighten and look through my stuff, and this little gem appeared. I probably stitched it something like 25 years ago, and yes, that's cream colored 14 count aida and DMC. My initials are different now--I shed that "T"--but it's an argument for signing and dating our works, since I'd love to know what year I finished it. Who knows where the chart came from, although I suspect I stitched it from a magazine. All the same, I think I'll take it to In Stitches to frame. It's not as if I finish that many things! All of which leads me to muse on the Woodlawn show coming up in March. Framing is due for that in mid-January, so I've decided that maybe if I set a goal of entering one project (preferably two) in the show, maybe I can finish a couple of things before the year is out. (Let's not talk about the Crazy 15 challenge, shall we?)

My two would be: The Essamplaire's Liz Easdon and Scarlet Letter's Dorothy Walpole. As you can see, I found Dorothy's floss and made some progress working on the flame stitch, the strawberry border and the flowers beneath the flame stitch.


Here she is in her entirety so far (forgive the crookedness and the wrinkles; I try to limit my ironing of projects--too many horrible things can happen):


And here's Liz Easdon with her house complete. There's lots more to stitch, of course. While she'd be easier to finish than Dorothy, there's an awful lot of green in this sampler. Visually it's lovely, but it does get tiresome to work look at as I stitch.


All this dedication to finishing a couple of things means I'm going to have to cut down on new starts, though. Hmmmmm. That's going to be tough, especially since I picked up a couple of new projects at Market Night, including this needlepoint canvas. Something about it spoke to me, you know? (And we won't mention the brand-new Scarlet Letter chart I've ordered...)


"Ahem. You are going to stitch a yellow rabbit?"


Happy week ahead!

WIP 6: Dorothy Walpole

Just a lone picture tonight. I got here yesterday well after dark, and today we didn't do anything interesting enough to photograph--unless you want to see photos of the food at Windfall Market, the hardware store or the gas station. I did get to stitch this afternoon, which was good (on tomorrow's sampler).

We have tried in vain to find a dog to adopt for my dad. It seems that there are few dogs available for adoption on the Cape, and those that are available are too large. We'll keep looking: he'd really like a little spaniel or spaniel mix, and there are a number of spaniels local to me in Virginia--but they don't want to adopt out of the Mid Atlantic region. He's kind of in the dumps about it because he sees a little dog as a relief from his loneliness.

Thanks, Donna, for solving one of the mysteries of life: the name of the bug in my banner photo is Nibbles Woodaway. I never knew that! I should mention that when I drove by it this trip, Nibbles was decked out in lights and was wearing a set of antlers and sporting an illuminated red nose. He's quite the festive critter!

This is Dorothy Walpole's progress. I don't think I've accomplished anything on her since I last posted about her. I'm stitching her using AVAS and 40 count Picture This Plus in Legacy. She's a very intense stitch, so it will take me a while.


Best wishes, all, from Nibbles and me.

The Missing Sunday Post

It's already Wednesday! It has been hot and sticky here--temps in the 90s already--so I've been getting up early to get in my exercise. Then I come back to the house and work on my so-far fruitless job search, which feels a lot like casting pebbles into a dark well--pebbles that are not going to come flying back up with a dollar bill tied to them. I have found that stitching helps manage my anxiety; as you can see from my stitching pics, I have been extra-anxious lately, and consequently I have gotten quite a lot done. I am hoping that one day in the future, safely re-ensconsed in corporate America, I will look at the walls full of samplers I completed and fondly reminisce about the stomach-clenching angst that drove them.

Progress on Dorothy Walpole. I'm actually enjoying the eyelets, and I've started the flame-stitched band, which is swoon-worthy. And yes, Daffycat, "blefs" seems to be a word.


I reacquainted myself with Christinia Cathcart. I did it to take a break from the eyelets. Hah! These eyelets are twice as much work! Of course, it did make the work on Dorothy seem easy when I went back to it. Christinia's eyelets call for a "ray" on each of 16 threads in a 4x4 square, whereas Dorothy's call only for 8 rays in a 4x4 square.


Here's a shot of the section I've been working on. I'd like to finish to the right-hand edge this week.


And here's a shot of most of the sampler. It is really bright, although Dorothy is no slouch in the brightness department either.


Peaches: "A blefsing on the rest of your week."

Happy First Sunday in the New Year, all! I've noticed a lot of former bloggers blogging again, and I thought I'd join in. I really would like to post a bit more often--Facebook is fine, but not as satisfying, as many others have said (not that I post much on Facebook either). Quite a lot has happened since last year's post. 2015 was not particularly kind to us: In the early fall, we lost my dad. He was 87.   While I don't miss the calls in the night from the nursing home and the frequent trips to Cape Cod by air and highway to visit, we miss him terribly, and never more than during the holiday season.

Just before my dad died, we said goodbye to Pink. How I miss that little guy. Such an opinionated little critter he was.

Stitching has always been a bright note in my life and remains so. I had several finishes during 2015 and a few starts and progress and multiple WIPs. I'll show some of them here. This is "Rose Marie," by Blackberry Lane Designs. This is the 2nd time I've stitched it--last time was for a gift, and this time it's for me. I will back it with one of the fabrics shown here by Tula Pink.

I put the last stitch into this sampler by Samplers Revisited last weekend--"Jane Clarkson 1856." I started her in August 2014. She's stitched on 40 count Lakeside Linen in Maritime White, using the called for NPI silks.

Here's a little ornament I stitched for myself by Cross Eyed Cricket, and old design called "Winter Cabin." Faye Riggsbee finished it for me--such a beautiful job she does!

Faye also finished this cupboard hanger, which I stitched as an exchange gift for the In Stitches needlework shop staff party. "Winter Welcome" by Country Cottage Needleworks.

I received this lovely and clever needlepoint, stitched by Radonda. Working Hanging around the shop has taught me a lot about needlepoint.

So I have taken up the needlepoint needle. I started with a small Christmas design and have already bought a larger canvas.

I put some time into "Dorothy Walpole," by the Scarlet Letter.

I'd like to finish Dorothy this year.
And some work into "Christmastide at Holly House," by Scarlett House.

And "Rabbit Alphabet" by JBW Designs.

I'm hoping to finish each of the unfinished items on this page this year and a bunch of others besides. As for starts, I was so busy working on WIPs that I didn't start anything new on either Christmas or New Year. Soon, though, I plan to start Barbara Ana's "All Creatures Great and Small," Scarlet Letter's "Ann Short" and others--lots of others, especially Christmas ornaments, which are so satisfying. Off I go to take the Christmas lights out of the trees outdoors. I'm sad to see it end. The Christmas trees (1 large, 1 small) are already down and packed away, along with the Christmas decorations and the garland. I hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you plan on stitching tons in this New Year.

A Little Stitching

Hi, all. Blogger--or my internet connection--is slow tonight, so just a quick post of what I've been working on this weekend. Although I'm back from the Cape, I'm trying to catch up with the cleaning, grocery shopping, spreadsheet for work and whatever else I'm supposed to be accomplishing. Hard to believe Thanksgiving is this week.

Dorothy Walpole: with my ongoing sadness and with the dull weather, the flowers on Dorothy were just what I needed.


This guy was a big help too. He inspected the luggage carefully, no doubt hoping for a treat, but also out of curiosity. Had I left it there long enough, he'd have crawled into it and nested in my clothing. I removed it, picturing doots hanging off my favorite sweaters when I put one of them on early in the morning. Not to worry, though. The treat is leaning against the wall; you can see a corner of it (timothy hay with "herbs": rose petals, rosemary and some other stuff that makes it fragrant.


It's nice to be back. Happy week ahead!

Easter Greetings!

I spent some time this week on a WIP--and I also started something new: "Dorothy Walpole" by the Scarlet Letter. I'm stitching it using AVAS (it's also charted for DMC) on 40 count Picture This Plus in Legacy. I love the PTP fabrics because they're substantial and the dying results in a particularly nice mottled appearance (which you can't tell from this close-up). The alphabets are mostly done in eyelet stitch. Interestingly, the alphabets make the sampler look Scottish, but it is Irish.


Here's Dorothy's chart.


This is Catharine McNeal 1843 by Samplers Revisted. I made some good progress this week, although the over-one section has slowed me down just a bit. This is being stitched on 36 count Picture This Plus also in Legacy, I think.


I have a concern though. Normally it's my policy not to frog unless it really bugs me or causes havoc with future stitching on the design. The windows should be done in rice stitch (the two-tone is correct on the left window, but I mistakenly stitched it in regular cross). Would you frog it and restitch in the rice stitch, which I correctly did on the right-hand window? There are several more windows, all of which should be done in rice stitch. Hmmmm. It does bug me a bit....


Here we have the Easter Bunny, investigating his treat basket. "Wait. Where are my treats?"

"No treats here! I'm throwing this thing around! And maybe moving out!"

"The Easter Bunny is very unhappy today and is going to make you pay!" Don't feel sorry for the bunny: the basket itself is the treat--it's made from Timothy Hay. And later on there will be fresh dandelions for dinner for all the rabbits.


Happy week ahead from the Grumpy Bunny and all his friends!

WIP 16: Roses de Mai, and a Continuation

Hi, all! The week is getting away from me, so I thought I'd post WIP 16: Roses de Mai by Reflets de Soie. I love the colors in this--the blues and pinks on Lakeside Magnolia--but I'm on the fence about continuing. I don't remember if it is an historical reproduction, but to my eye it seems a bit too contemporary for my taste.


And I'm not loving the large area of working with thread the same color as the fabric, a small area started here. A lot of it is over-one. Hmmmmm--what to do. The thing is, I've had this piece of Magnolia for quite a while, so it is the more substantial linen, and I can think of a bunch of projects I could do on it instead of this one. Sometimes at Stitch Night, someone will point to the excess fabric hanging over the edge of the q-snap, showing a piece of an abandoned project, and laugh. For now, I'll keep working on it, as it really is a pretty stitch, and when I get a larger section of the cream-on-cream completed, I can re-evaluate.


Here's the chart:


I do not feel any conflict at all about my progress on Dorothy Walpole. I love everything about it. Here's a close-up of the top, which shows the rows of alphabets and dividing lines marching to the right-hand border.


And a view of the entire project as it stands today. I highly recommend it, and I know a number of stitchers are working on this, including Marjo, who just started it. What a nice antidote to all that snow in Alaska!


Here's Elvis, sending a bunny nose bump your way to carry you through the week.


See you in a few days with another WIP (I've got a ways to go on those yet).

Madonna of the Trail

Greetings, all, and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! I had occasion to go to Bethesda on Friday. I do not care for the escalator at the Bethesda Metro (although Dupont Circle is worse)--too steep. I cling to the railing on the way down, not skipping down the stairs as I see many doing (some wearing stilettos or flipflops). I walk up without fear, eyes forward, not imagining my demise, but I don't like the downward trip at all.


Right outside the Metro stop is this statue, placed by the DAR in 1929, to commemorate the mothers who ventured on the trail west. There are 12 such statues between Maryland and California, although only Maryland's faces east. Lost already? Reluctant? This statue sits right on Wisconsin Avenue, facing an Indian restaurant across the street, cars whizzing past.


I picked up and put down lots of projects in the past couple of weeks. Here is Essamplaire's Sarah Hatton McPhail. It just goes on and on, however much I stitch, but I don't begrudge a single thread, because it's really fun to work on. I added to the right-most rose and the tan alphabet at the top.


And Dorothy Walpole. Such a pretty sampler, but like the Bethesda Metro, it goes down and down and down. I can't wait to get to the large area of flowers at the bottom, and away from the eyelet-stitched alphabets.


We lost our kitty, Little Friend, two weeks ago, to a long illness. We miss her terribly. She had belonged to another family in our former neighborhood, but that family just moved away without her. She sat patiently on their step for weeks, which broke our hearts. We began feeding her and eventually moved her inside.


Little Friend must have whispered in this guy's ear on the way out. He showed up at the door the day after she died. We have been feeding him--he consumes a huge amount of food, but he's quite the scaredy cat.


Perhaps these guys look in the door and see this piece of needlework hanging in the foyer:


Here's little Peaches, waving hello, getting ready for her pedicure.
Peaches: "Heeeeellllpppppp Meeeeeeeeee!"


Happy week ahead!

Hopping on the Bandwagon--And Falling off the Wagon Again

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was satisfying! I spent a bit more than a week running around, so there wasn't a lot of time to stitch, which some days got on my last nerve. I got a lot accomplished though, with my butt not parked on the sofa. But I see some butt-parking in my future, with Nicola's Scarlet Letter challenge, which I've emailed to sign up for. The challenge for me will be figuring out exactly which SLs to stitch in 2013. Here are some of my SL WIPs. Ann Smith. I love the colors and the Magnolia fabric I used, but goodness, there's so much over-one.

Ruthy Rogers. Hardly any cross-stitching here, and doing all the fill in pieces, using stem stitch is very challenging. Yes, it will be pretty in the end, but I just don't know if I have the patience.

Elizabeth Sheffield. How I love the Rhode Island samplers, but I got stuck on the idea that my fabric seemed awfully dark, never mind that it is probably the perfect shade, especially considering the cover photo. I need to just get on with it and stop obsessing.

Product of My Needle. I love it, but I started it back in the day (10 years ago?) on 32 count fabric and the fabric showed through the silk crosses. So I restarted it on 40 count but got distracted by other things, other samplers.

Catharine Metcalf. Love this, but got sick of stitching yellow border flowers and the tree.

Dorothy Walpole. I will plan to finish this in 2013, and probably Mary Ann MacDonald too (not shown). And that doesn't even count the SLs lined up in the wings, although predictably, the one sampler I really truly want to stitch is no longer available: the stamped "Richmond Fire." (If anyone has it, I'd be happy to purchase it from you for a nice premium!) Richmond Fire is long out of print, which Marsha at SL confirmed, and that is why we stash even when we don't have immediate plans to stitch something.

Here's a pizza in case you're hungry. I bought it on the Cape and this photo is to show my sister (Papa Gino's). It was delicious. Why oh why can't they make decent pizza in Northern Virginia?

Almost finished! I have to finish before the SL challenge, and also before the deadline for framing so I can enter it in Woodlawn. Entering it in the Woodlawn show (where there are something like 600+ needleworks is not about winning, but more of a show and tell to me.

The fish store on the Cape that I visited was selling lobster heads when I stopped by (they make excellent broth for lobster newburg or lobster bisque. Sigh--there was no time to make soup on this visit.) Something about the way they were displayed made me think of commuters riding the Metro.

This is the part where I fell off the wagon. I was at In Stitches and someone had brought this completed sampler in to have it framed. It's by Stacy Nash Primitives. The stitcher had used pale linen--a little different than mine--I'm using Picture This Plus in Fog, on 40 count. I am also converting the DMC to NPI silks. It's a little different for me--I don't generally stitch prims, but I'm loving it. It's beautifully charted.

Here's our little guy, whose name so far is "Kitten-Kitten." We can't seem to think of an adult name for him. He's a darling--very active though and into everything, which means I have to zip up the project bags very tightly and put them out of reach.
Fell off the wagon here too (I had said I wouldn't start a bunch of stuff...). I've wanted this for quite a while: Green Apple's "Beatrix Potter Christmas"; it was an ebay win. I saw it stitched up at the Woodlawn show two years ago and haven't forgotten it. The stitcher chose three of the designs and stitched them one below the other and had them framed. Hers was tiny (over one I think), but mine will be larger--stitched on a cream colored plain linen, two over two (DMC).

What appeals to me about Beatrix Potter is that she got the eyes of little animals just right. Peaches wishes you all a pleasant week ahead.