Drawn Thread Day 25

Today's Drawn Thread finish is called Lily of the Valley.  It is from the unfinished drawer so that means it is stitched but I haven't done anything else with it.

It would look better ironed.  I like it and it is a sweet design.  I suppose it would look good framed.
But I ran out of wall space a while back.

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!!!  I finished off Along the James River.

Boy does putting the edge on change the look of it.  Wow, when I look at it, I think of all the work that went into it.  But I am very proud of it and proud that I finished it.  I changed the corners.  Two of the corners look great and two are a bit wonky.

 But I like the mitered corners better than the flipped ones.  This is my first time working with using quilt template plastic for a stiffener inside something.  It worked fine although I added some skirtex like stuff as a padding to the front side of the plastic.  Also I didn't like the wrap around close so I used the left over edging to make ties for a bow.  I am very happy it is finished!
I may take it to show off at Spring Fling.
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Drawn Thread Day 24

Today's Drawn Thread finish is a sweet little one.  It isn't totally finished as I haven't made it into anything.  It looks like it could be a bookmark.

I really should finish-finish it.

DIL decided that "Sophia" should be a pillow so I dug out some fabrics to see which one would work best.  The baby's room is pink.  We'll see which one DIL likes.

I did some finishing yesterday.  I finally got the Rambling Rose purse all done.  I still have one side of the scissors fob to do but I'm glad to have this much done.

Under one flap is a needle page.

The inside of the purse is linen.

It is all stitched over one.

Have a great Saturday!
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Drawn Thread Day 23

Today's Drawn Thread finish is a bell pull.  I'm not fond of my finish.  I wish I had stitched this on a higher count.  It seems a bit clunky to me.  The folds indicate that this has been in a drawer for a long time.

I'm fond of delicate small sweet things.  This would be much sweeter on a higher count.  I'm sure I stitched it on 28.  For many years that is all I used.  Now my world has been expanded.  My most usual count has been upped to 32.  I've been know to be wild and crazy and do 40 on occasion.  I actually have a piece of 50 to try out.

A reader who is listed as "no reply" asked me about the chart I am using to stitch the commission.  It is a Danish chart that I bought on Ebay.  The letters are fairly quick to stitch and as I'm am particularly fond of flowers I like the design.

I finished the commission yesterday and have to decide how to finish it.

Frame or pillow is the question.  I'll have to check with DIL and see what she thinks.
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Drawn Thread Day 22

Today's Drawn Thread finish is Morning Glory.  I love this design but the alphabet color is too light.  When I glance at it, the middle looks empty!  I actually would prefer some poem or saying in the middle.  But, hey, it's pretty.

Here is my progress on the commission:

I just have to finish the "I" and stitch the "A".
My goal today is to finish this off.

I finished the "right" side of the cornflower of the Spring Casket Keepsakes.  I started on the base to the carnation.  These are such nifty designs.

I want to get back to working on Hampton Court.
I am so excited that one week from today I will be winging my way to Minneapolis.  Fun fun fun.
I'm making my list for things to get at Stitchville.  I'm thinking of places that would be fun to shop.  I'm dreaming of the luscious food at the convention center.
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Drawn Thread Day 21

Today's Drawn Thread finish is a Halloween bell pull.

I had an OH NO! moment yesterday.  I got an email that there was a mistake in the Amy Mitten floss key.  Two symbols were inadvertently switched.  I had one side all done!  Wrong!  What do I do???  Well, I'm just going to leave it.  Blue is my favorite color anyway.  I took out a few stitches on the other side and was able to stitch it correctly.
Wrong side:

Right side:

The colors here are all off!  The linen is green,  The thread in the needle is the exact same color green as the linen - not pink,
I got another letter stitched in the commission.  I bet you can guess the name now:

I'll have to see if DIL likes it or not.
Please may the weather warm up soon!
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Drawn Thread Day 20

Today's Drawn Thread finish is another tag.  I like how this one turned out.  I really like the "A" in my name with the little flower in it. I was getting low on Drawn Thread finishes so I went through my unfinished drawer and found a few more.  I think I have enough for another week.  I am getting excited about Spring Fling.  I just have little over a week until I fly off to Minnesota.  DH asked if I had started packing up stuff yet.  No, I haven't even thought about it.  But I better.  One of my goals this year is to walk outside of our hotel.  I think the walking paths around the lake by the hotel were closed last year so I didn't walk outside.  Will they be closed this year?  With all of the snow and bad weather they've had, it is a possibility.

Here is the kit for Spring Casket Keepsakes:

Note the color of the linen on the right side.  That is really the color, not how it looks in the next photo:

This is one side of the cornflower.  The top oval was hard to stitch as it is over one on linen of the very same color.  I had to get out my craftoptics glasses to see this.
I have been commissioned to make something for my DIL's brother and SIL's baby.  So I found an alphabet (the one I wanted to make Claire's name out of) and started the new baby's name.

I wasn't sure if it is too grown up a style for a baby.  But we'll see how it looks when I'm done.  Don't worry, it's a girl.
It's snowing outside.  I hate snow.
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Drawn Thread Day 19

Here is a quick post for today.  This is another tag.  I have at least two more and there is another I want to make that says "Peace".

I got my Amy Mitten Spring Casket Keepsakes in the mail on Saturday and of course, I had to start them.  They don't look too hard so far.  The most difficult thing is that one color of floss is the exact color of the linen.  It is very hard to see.  I'll show you a photo tomorrow.
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Drawn Thread Day 18

I had great fun putting together my project for the class today.  I love how it turned out.  I got home earlier than I thought I would so here is a quick post.  Drawn Thread has some tags that I had great fun stitching.  I used one on my suitcase.  Now you know that baggage gets handled a bit roughly when you fly and that is what happened to this poor baby:

The suitcase it was on died but I kept the tag.  I should wash it and see it that black smudge will come out.
I'll have another one for you tomorrow (hopefully).
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Drawn Thread Day 17

Today's finish is B My Valentine.  It is only half framed.  I got a frame for it and then used the frame for Claire's Birth Announcement.  So there it sits ready for me to do something with.  It was a fun stitch.  I should do something with it so I can hang it on the wall and enjoy it.

I put in the other bargello pocket on Along the River James.

Yeah! Making progress here.  Then I started stitching the center section together.  Some quilt template plastic is inserted.  I haven't used the quilt template plastic before so I am interested to see how it works inside this project.  I looked at the ribbon that goes around the outer edge.

I thought about bending it over the edge but that makes it too small.  So I'll do it similar to how the designer intended.  I don't like the corners.  I'll miter them.

I picked up the rose purse.  It has been waiting to be finished for a while.  I'm not that far away.  I bet if I worked on it all day I could finish it up.
I forgot to show you my Ladies Prim Society finish.  I didn't put the button on, I'm still thinking whether I want to or not.

I won't be posting tomorrow as I leave very early to drive across the state for a stitching class.

I'm still waiting for the Spring Casket Keepsakes kit.  I'm sure it will be here soon.
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Drawn Thread Day 16

Today's finish I found sitting on my sewing table.  It was a freebie design.  I think you can still find it on Drawn Thread's website.

I like the interesting finish.

I didn't get my Spring Casket Keepsakes kit yesterday.  It just got out of customs and I think that it is in San Francisco. How long will it take to get halfway across the country?  The first four lessons were posted and I printed them out (at least 30 pages!).  So I'm ready when it gets here.  Please Mr. Mailman get it to me soon.
I saw a photo of September Morning, a class that Jackie DuPlessis is teaching at Williamsburg this year.  Oh is it ever neat!  I've never been to that particular retreat, Christmas in Williamsburg.  It is kind of expensive.  But seeing the classes to choose from, I am sorely tempted.  I've asked my BFF what she thinks as she is my partner in crime on these retreats.  Go to Just Cross Stitch's site and there are more photos.  The inside is way cool.

I put on one of the large bargello pockets on my Along the River James.  I realized that only one of the pockets is gusseted.  Now I have figured out a way to put on the second pocket.  It is very slow going but I think it will work out.

I put in two more windows on the castle Hampton Court.  I'll so more metal work today.

 Wouldn't it be great to get the castle all done?
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Drawn Thread Day 15

Today's Drawn Thread finish is The French Garden.  I made this a long time ago.  I like the color of the linen and I like the design.  There was a mistake in the finishing directions that I remember but I was able to resolve it.

I worked on Hampton Court yesterday.  I finished the central window in the castle.  Most of what's left to do on the castle is with metal threads.  I'm am anxious to work on the fish.

I lined the bargello pockets of Along the River James.

Now I have to look at the directions to see how she attaches them.  I imagine it is with nun's stitches but I need to figure out how many threads are in the sides of the pockets.  I've altered how it was stitched so I have to adapt it.  We'll see how it works out.

I went to my LNS this morning to get some more thread so I can finish the Ladies Prim Society pocket.  I made twisted cording for the edge using all the Weeks Gunmetal thread that I had left and then I realized that I didn't have any matching thread to sew it on with.

The pattern calls for a type of buttonhole stitch on the edge but my buttonhole stitch is never as even as I'd like so I went with the cording.  I put a scalloped edge on the wool pocket.

  I think I sew it on by putting a stitch between each of the scallops.  Almost done-done.
It's the first day of spring (in one hour).  I'm on the look out for my spring Casket Keepsakes kit in the mail.
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