Endings and Beginnings

I have finally finished a project that I started long ago: Abécédaires by Gazette94. I stitched this on a piece of 32 ct. Purely Primitive by Silkweavers. I used HDF Indigo Ocean and Deep Ocean. I love, love, love Indigo Ocean - the blues and greens are just beautiful. I stitched this during my son's horn lessons - at 45 minutes a week, this project took a looooong time! Finishing it is rather bittersweet - I will miss it! But, it is going to the top of the framing pile that I will tackle after I win the lottery!!! LOL!




And to take its place in my "travel bag" is Quaker Star, a new piece with the German Marquoir group. I am using HDF Velvet Masquerade on a piece of 32 ct. Lentil by Lakeside linens.

We take my son to band camp later today - it is a week long residential camp. He has gone for three years, and he really enjoys it. They will put on a concert next Saturday - the concerts are always very good.

Very hot and dry here - very tempting to do absolutely nothing!!!!

Until next time, happy stitching! Margaret

June ornament, GGM 13 and Quakerchen 4

Here is the lovely GGM sampler. Only one part left to stitch now. I plan to get this framed as soon as I finish it - I love its elegant simplicity.



Here is the latest view of Quakerchen that I am stitching with the Marquior stitching group. This is a fun little piece - I think there are three more parts, so it will be a tiny piece when done.


This is my June ornament. It is Joyful Blessings by Blue Ribbon Designs published in the August 08 JCS magazine. I used the charted fibers and a piece of scrap white linen - by the time I recognized it was 28 ct. and would result in a huge ornament, I had already stitched most of the over one alphabet - so I just finished with the big fabric.

I know that I have not yet finished by May ornament - it calls for embellishments that I had trouble locating. It is a JBW design. Finally I wrote to Judy Whitman, the designer, for advice. She has the needed embellishments and I ordered them from here. She seems like a very nice person - I'd love to meet her in person. So, I hope to finish that ornie soon, and will post a pic.

Well, my yard work has come to a screeching halt. A hot sultry summer has seized Maryland. It is just too hot to go out and work. Late in the day I go out and try to water my plant "stash" and hope to keep it alive until relief arrives.

I have spent this weekend at a soccer tournament in the Maryland soccer plex. DS is playing as a guest player on a team - they put DS in as goalie - which causes great anxiety in the parental ranks. The team is learning to play together - today they won their game 1 - 0. YEA!!!!

Well, all for now. Happy stitching, everyone!

No time to stitch!

I have had very little time to stitch - too much that I need to do in the yard! Not to mention carting around a fifteen year old with a busy schedule - soccer, French horn performances, and socials....We spent the weekend at a soccer tournament in Gettysburg, PA - lovely area; and I was lucky enough to get to see one of my dearest friends from South Carolina that I hadn't seen in years - she happened to be nearby; and came and rescued us from the soccer fields for a wonderful lunch and shopping. High school is now out for the summer - we have one orchestra audition; one recital, and one more spring soccer game - and then a long, lazy summer to enjoy.

Nevertheless, I have been stitching a little on the German Group Mystery - only three more parts to go now. I love this piece and will miss it when I complete it.

The other photo is a little piece called Quakerchen with the Marquior group. It is small enough that I might actually finish it someday. I will look up the details - designer, threads used, etc. for the next time I post.

I was doing very well on my Christmas Ornament challenge; but now I have hit a stone wall. I stitched one of the old JBW Sweet Nothings Sampler Trees - but it calls for pailettes (sequins). I need 4 mm gold ones - I can find places to buy them online, but I have to buy several hundred and the shipping is outrageous!!! I haven't decided what to do about this yet - but because of this dilemna, my May ornament will be late - Grrrrrrr!

Warning - here is my soapbox statement: Quit worrying about whose fault it is and who's going to pay for the Gulf cleanup! Just focus on stopping the leak and cleaning up! Then focus on what went wrong and how to prevent it from ever happening again! Make sure it can't happen to the other wells that are operating in the region. There is plenty of time for blame; and I'm sure the cost is going to be high enough that the well owner/operator and the taxpayers will get to shell out plenty of money to clean this up. Then if we are all not completely exhausted, we can start blaming each other in earnest. OK, this is supposed to be my stitching blog; with a little gardening and the boy wonder thrown in; so I will get off my soapbox now.

Well, summer hit Maryland this weekend - we can bid spring an abrupt adieu. We are having thunderstorms today, and it is hot as blue blazes out there. Nice day for stitching!

All for now, Margaret

Update at last!

Finally here is a long overdue update. This is Part 11 of the GGM Mystery sampler - coming right along.




And this is Part 1 of Quakerchen - it is stitched with LL Dragon Toes on Maritime White. The picture is washed-out, but some things just can't be helped. This is one of four or five new projects I have going.

I attended Celebrations of Needlework earlier this month - and had a blast of course. I will post an update on my projects from that event sometime soon.

Meanwhile, I am trying to catch up on my yard work - the peonies, bearded irises, Siberian irises, and baptisia are putting on quite a show right now.

Happy stitching! Margaret

Seba Blackwork Project Completed!

I put the last stitches in the Seba Blackwork SAL yesterday during my son's orchestra rehearsal. The last piece was the border; and I put if off because I thought it would be tedious. As it turned out, it went very quickly, and I can add something else to my "to be framed" pile.
Now, I will treat myself to a new quick project - I only have to decide which one of the "thousands" that are screaming for attention. It will have to be a quick thing because I will be going to Celebrations at the end of the month - and so will start several new class pieces.

I haven't been stitching very much this week - DH and I have flung over 8 yards of shredded bark mulch so far this spring. I still have three large areas to mulch - one is a sadly neglected bed that is weedy, and that I need to reclaim from the deer, so that one will be a lot of work. I also have to bring some order to the planting area by the pool - it is rampantly overgrown with deer delicacies - roses, lilies, hibiscus, redbud trees, and such.

We are off to the soccer field in a little bit - but will have to dress warmly. This morning it was 40 degrees when I walked the dog.

Happy stitching! Margaret

Updates

Here is a long overdue update - when I was snowed in, I had plenty of time to update my blog; but now that spring is sprung, I don't want to take the time - LOL. First up is Part 10 of the German Group Mystery sampler. This piece is lovely. When I started it, it was Christmas time, and the red, green and gold color scheme looked very "Christassy". But now, the piece looks like it will fit in perfectly into my house, which is mostly green and cream colors.




I am also still plugging away at the Seba Blackwork mystery. All that is left to do is the borders; but they are not great fun. So, I am trying to do at least two motifs a day until I get this done. This is an awful picture, but you get the idea.




And lastly, here is my April ornie. The chart is from the Needlebook Tree by Follow the Leader Designs, TGOSM December 2007. I used HDF BeFrogged and mystery linen. I finished it as a pillow ornament. I am not at all happy with the finishing; and I would redo it; but I am afraid I would tear up the piece if I took it apart. I think I am too impatient to take the time to do a nice finishing job.

Spring is finally here - YEA! My daffodils are about done - we have had unseasonably warm weather. The asparagus is yielding like mad, and I noticed the first of my miniature tall bearded irises (how is that for a plant name?) are blooming. They bloom between the iris reticulata and the dutch iris. The iris season then continues with the tall bearded, then the Siberians, the Japanese and then my faves: the Louisianas.

Usually my favorite flower is what is blooming now; but my all time favorite is blooming now - my camellias. I live in the northern border of their hardiness range; but our 3 feet of snow this winter did not seem to bother them too much. This year I will take more garden pics and post here.

Have to go and get ready for DS's opening soccer game today. He is on two soccer teams and the golf team at school. He is headed into concert season for the orchestra - a performance at school on Tuesday and then his Peabody Youth Orchestra concert in May. Plus, he has started doing volunteer work at the Recreational and Therapeutic riding center near us. He is helping with the horses for now. I am hoping this gives him something to do this summer. Looks like my travel stitching projects will see some action in the next couple of months!

Thanks for leaving me comments - I am a hardened lurker; but I do enjoy reading everyone's entries and admiring their projects.

Happy stitching! Margaret

Many Projects Update

Well, I have been stitching, but not blogging. Our snow is finally gone (yea) and my daffodils are about three inches high. The sad part is that I fell and fractured my leg, so no gardening for me for the next few weeks. I suppose an optimist would simply be glad of the extra stitching time, no?

Here's my latest start - I want a series of "Scottish" reproduction samplers - primarily red and green. To get that series started, here is Ann Taylor by Heartstring Primitives. I am using 32 ct. Days Gone By from Silkweavers and premium HDF floss in Pennyworts, Everlasting, and Dried Roses. I am just picking colors as I go.




Next is Part 8 of the German Group Mystery Sampler:




An update on Moonstone Garden:


And here is Part 8 of Seba Designs Blackwork Mystery SAL:




Then, in my never ending quest to find a finishing technique that I am actually good at, here is the Mystery zigougou Noel from Hohla (http://saolya.blogspot.com). There are many great SAL's on her site. Go check it out if you have never been there. My project was done with opalescent white Belfast and HDf fibers - Yonder Skies and Befrogged. The ornie has a lot of Krenik braid on it, also. Sadly my photo doesn't capture that very well.





Well, that's all for today.

Introducing Moonstone Garden

Having to return to work after the snow days has drastically cut down on my stitching time! One of the topics on the cross stitch boards has been the idea of a Bucket List of projects. I started thinking about this, and the projects that would be on my list, but are not in my rotation, are the gorgeous mandala designs by Chatelaine (Martina Weber). To rectify that, I pulled out the mini mandala, Moonstone Garden, and have been stitching on it this week. I had some of the center done, but I have added much to it this week. I am using the called for threads, except I am substituting HDF silks for the DMC called for in the pattern.

I would be ashamed to admit how many Chatelaine projects that I have kitted up and languishing in a plastic tub - I now plan to work more on those projects.



Here also is the completed Part 8 of Graphic Sampler.




And, here is the completed Part 6 of the Seba Blackwork Mystery Project.

OK, back to Moonstone Garden!

Happy stitching everyone! Margaret

Valentine Heart and More Blackwork Mystery

I found this freebie, fell in love with it and had to stitch it up last night. The chart can be found at Le Gernier de Zoe, along with many other great freebies. I used a piece of scrap linen, and HDF BeFrogged and Enchantress silk floss. My photo doesn't capture the colors very well - again, the result of my lack of photo skills. I feel like an overachiever this year - two hearts for one holiday!



And here is my Seba Designs Blackwork Mystery Part 5. This is a fun project - each installment is small enough that I can complete it in a day, and I like the sense of accomplishment from completing each part.

It is a beautiful day today, but sadly, they are predicting more snow for Maryland tomorrow. This doesn't put me in the mood to do anything but sit by the fire ( oh, I might also be tempted to take a peek at the previews for the Nashville show) !

Happy Valentines Day, Margaret

German Group Mystery and Graphic Sampler Mystery

I am posting updates of two projects that I am stitching with the Marquoir Yahoo Group. the top photo is the Graphic Sampler, stitched through Part 7, courtesy of design Angela Czygann. I am stitching it in Brass Tacks 3455 and Plumage HDF premium silk on 32 ct. Maritime White Lakeside Linen. I wish the photo showed how beautiful the Plumage silk is - the blues, greens and turquoises are just gorgeous!

The second photo is the German Group Mystery, completed through part 8. This design is courtesy of Kelly Searles. I am stitching it in Crushed Berries, Kodiakerry, BeFrogged, and Old Maid of the Hive HDF premium silk on 32 ct. Maritime White Lakeside Linen. This piece is also fabulous! I made some changes to this part - it was designed without the letter "O", and missing letters drive me crazy unless it is a reproduction sampler, so I fiddled with the letters to fit it in. I did not unstitch any letters; but inserted the "O" and modified the "P-Q" so they would fit.

I went to work yesterday, but ended up working at a satellite location; but are still semi-house bound - many roads have only one lane open and the parking lots have huge snowpiles, so I will just stay home and feed the pellet stove. I am relieved that my outside cat has reappeared - the cat is wild, so I can't bring it in to the basement or anything. I put food outside for it - the crows and the foxes also indulge. I enjoy watching them.

I need to go and do some relaxing before my son's hockey game late this afternoon. I will need my energy to cheer the team on!!!!!

Happy stitching! Margaret

Valentine 2010

Hi, this is the heart I stitched for Valentines 2010. This is a freebie from Aury. It stitched it with HDF regular - Zumaque, BeFrogged, and a D-Bag pink on Vikki's 35 ct. ecru linen. I love the design - but I think the pink is too pale; and my tension is too tight for this soft, loosely woven linen. Maybe I'm too critical of my own work. My long term plan is to collect a bunch of hearts to decorate my Norfolk Island pine for Valentine's day.

We had more snow yesterday - they cancelled the Winter Storm warning in favor of a Blizzard Warning. In Baltimore, only emergency vehicles were allowed on the streets; and in Montgomery County, the road crews had to stop clearing the snow because it was too dangerous. We are out of work for the fourth day. Now, I love to stay home and just putter (DH doesn't understand this); but I have been home since last Friday, and I am ready to get out and go somewhere! The concept of eating at a restaurant is immensely appealing.

Well, it's time to feed the pellet stove, pour a cup of coffee, and settle into my stitching chair!

Happy stitching, Margaret

More Blackwork Mystery progress

Here is the completed Part 4 of Seba Design's Blackwork mystery. I stitched this last night during the Superbowl. I am a Saints fan (from way back when they were the "Aints"), so I was thrilled that they won. However, you can see some tight stitches that I put in while I was stressed when Peyton Manning was on the field! I was in school when Archie Manning was QB at the "other" university, so I have casually followed the careers of the three Manning sons in recent years. Peyton Manning is an amazing quarterback! However, the Saints figured out how to thwart the Colts in the second half - what a great game. Thank goodness the game and the halftime show were good, because I thought the commercials were TERRIBLE! I think I will give up Doritos and Budweiser products! What can Anheuser-Busch be thinking, when they have those adorable Clydesdales - and they only show them in one brief commercial????

Oh, how I would love to be in New Orleans this week - it is extra appealing when we have two feet of snow here in Maryland.

DH and DS ventured out today for groceries - however, they are having trouble finding a road leading to a grocery store that is passable. And they're predicting 5" more tomorrow. Think we'll get another snow day?

Happy stitching! Margaret

Enough snow already!!!

We have had tons of snow (literally); and I have had plenty of time to stitch (how often do you get to say that?) Here is a fuzzy picture of a completed needlebook and scissor fob that coordinate with my Roberta scissors. The pattern is from Cross Stitch Happy. I started this project a long time ago. I pulled it out yesterday, and finished stitching and assembled it. The final product doesn't pass a close inspection; but I plan to actually use it. Sometime in the future, as my finishing improves, I will be able to look back at these smalls and see how far I've come (I'm ever the optimist)

And now, for some blizzard 2010 pictures:





I seldom show pictures other than stitching, but today I am including a few snow pictures. The top one is taken from my family room - yesterday we couldn't get out on the main floor, so DH and DS cleared a spot outside the basement doors for an improvised Labrador potty. They also cleared a "lounge area' for themselves! The poor old dog is so old, they had to carry him down the basement steps so he could go out. The second picture shows the new and improved dog place - late yesterday afternoon, they cleared an area outside the garage - no more hauling the dog up and down the steps.

The third picture shows the front of the house. We estimate that we received 2+ feet of snow - I am from the south, and I have never seen so much snow in my life. I read a book this winter entitled Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton - think it was an omen of things to come????- BTW, it was an entertaining book - light reading, a nice read for Christmas break!

Oh, and before I forget - tonight I will be cheering on the Saints; but no Superbowl parties here - no one can travel!

Well, that's all for now. Happy stitching, everyone! Margaret

February Ornament

Hi! We are having a big snow storm, well, they're predicting a blizzard actually in central Maryland. In anticipation of the snow, almost all activities for the weekend have been cancelled. Being chicken about being out in the snow, I took the day off from work and stayed home today, and stitched my February ornament. Well, I started it yesterday, and finish-finished it today.

This is the Holly Ornament by the Sweetheart Tree from the 2009 JCS Ornament magazine. My friend Carol so kindly included the ruby cabochon heart in the Christmas box of goodies she sent me - that I just had to stitch this ornament. (Thanks again, Carol). I used a mix of threads and beads for this one. This is my first flat fold ornament, and it doesn't hold up to close scrutiny. I'm hoping the next one will be better, and not take quite as long.

Well, I'm back to watching the snow fall. It is just now turning cold enough for the snow to stick - I'm looking forward to waking to a winter wonderland tomorrow!

Happy stitching all, Margaret

More snow; and Blackwork Mystery Part 3

I am still working on the Blackwork Mystery by Seba Designs. This is the completed Part 3. I love the purples, blues and greens in the silk thread. They are my favorite colors.

Last week I also started Ann Taylor, a sampler by Heartstring Primitives. There's not much to show, I am just working on the border outline - just to make sure everything lines up before I get too many stitches into the project.

I am also stitching on some projects with a German Marquior group - however, I am not sure whether it's okay to post pictures of the projects. So for now, I will hold off on posting photos.

We are having a snow day today in Maryland. School is closed for DS, and I am working from home for a few hours, and then just relaxing the rest of the day. No complaints from me!

This afternoon, I plan to begin my February Christmas ornament - I joined the ornament a month challenge, and am determined to succeed this year, after failing miserably last year!

Happy stitching everyone, Margaret

Blackwork Mystery, Part 2

Here is the completed Part 2 of the SEBA Blackwork Mystery project. It is great fun - I can complete a section in an evening or two. I am stitching the borders around each square using a long-arm cross stitch aka rapid stitch - it goes quicker than regular cross stitches.

I am itching to start a new project - my thoughts keep going towards a reproduction Scottish sampler in reds and greens, or maybe an English band sampler - I think I will go dig through my stash to see what I can find.

Happy stitching, everyone.

Blackwork mystery and Appalachian Rose

Hi! Here are some pictures of my new (one new, one resurrected) projects. The top photo is Appalachian Rose by Indigo Rose. This is a collection of smalls from a class I took at Celebrations last year (or the year before). The top piece is destined to become a tape measure holder and the bottom one will become a needleroll (well, in my dreams at least). The colors on these pieces are vibrant and lively - helps counteract the gray January days. The set has many pieces, including a lined box - Think my finishing skills are up to the task?

The bottom picture is a mystery blackwork design by Seba Designs. I'm using HDF premium midnight rainbow on some mystery fabric - it doesn't behave like linen - I'm wondering if it could be congress cloth????? I think this photo is twisted 90 degrees - I cannot figure out why the computer does this to me, especially when my resident consultants (DH and DS) are busy elsewhere.

I am still crazy about these mystery projects - I don't quite understand it. It's not as though I don't have enough projects that are all kitted up and screaming for my attention.

Well, that's all for today, happy stitching everybody! Margaret

Christmas Ornie, January 2010

I have decided to do the Christmas Ornament challenge - I should be able to finish one ornament a month, right?

Well, I am off to a decent start. This is Silver and Blue by Nikki Leeman of Country Cottage Needleworks from the August 2008 issue of Just Cross Stitch. I used mostly the recommended fibers, but used DMC metallic perle rather than floss - note to self: avoid pieces with huge amounts of metallic floss. The linen is a mystery piece from my scrap drawer. After I photographed this, I realized that I really need to work on making the filling lie smoothly - the picture shows all the lumps.

Happy stitching! Margaret

Many Years Sampler

Maybe I should call this the Many, Many Years Sampler. I finished this lovely piece over the winter holidays - I had a lot of stitching time (for me) and stitched half of this sampler in less than a month. This is the Many Years Sampler that was a freebie from Gudy several years ago. It is stitched on 32 ct. Navy Bean from Lakeside Linens with HDF premium floss in Old Maid of the Vineyard. This piece looks like something you would find in your grandmother's attic; and I just love it.

My drawer of stitched, but not finished projects is now bulging at the seams. I think I will tackle some framing myself. Or if I win the lottery, I will take some things to have them framed.

I hope everyone is having a great New Year so far!

Happy stitching! Margaret

More Christmas Ornaments and Sampler Bonheur

This is the lovely Sampler Bonheur stiched with HDF Dragon Opal on Lakeside Linens 36 ct. Navy Bean linen. I shy away from using any other threads or fabrics - I love the ease of the silk on the beautiful Lakeside linen. This sampler is for my son - the translation is loosely: the secret to a grand life is to treat yourself well. He has studied French for four years; and the colors work well in his bathroom...

Here are two more Christmas ornaments that I have completed. These were freebies that I printed much earlier this year; and the chart did not have the designer's info; so I cannot give credit where credit is due. The three sided ornament is a beauty - I wish my finishing skills could do it justice. The third side has NOEL in the center - I couldn't get a photo of it. The pagoda ornament is a cutie, although one corner won't lie properly - maybe next time.

We have received at least 2 ft of snow since last night - that's probably a low estimate. It's still coming down fast and furious. I have never seen so much snow. My son went outside and shoveled for a while; now my husband is out shoveling. Nice to be a girl sometimes!!!!!!

I have a pork roast in the oven, smells heavenly! I am also making a New Orleans bread pudding. Being cooped up makes me want to bake.

I cannot decide what to work on next - there are so many beautiful projects out there! I should be organizing my stuff, so I will know what I have - but that's no fun!

Well, until next time, happy stitching everyone! Margaret