Saturday, May 31, 2014

Where

A couple of people have asked where I ordered the half dolls.  They are available on a website called Brierrose.com.  Giulia Punti Antichi has designed probably 12 or so half doll pin cushions.  I ran across a posting that had another source for half dolls but I can't find it again to tell you.  The lady at Brierrose is Elaine and she is very nice to work with.  You have to email her and tell her what you want and what color you would like.  She can bill you through Paypal.  Right now she is swamped since the pin cushion doll has appeared on the front of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly.

 I think a lot of people want to stitch one of these.  On Giulia Punti Antichi's facebook page she shows another new pin cushion doll that she designed.  I want to make one of those too.

I am still waiting for my magazine to arrive!!!
The directions for the doll pin cushion call for Florimell silks.  Does anyone know the difference between regular Gloriana silk floss and the Florimell?  Are they interchangeable?  The only difference I can figure out is that the base silk they start with for the Florimell is Au ver a soie.  Several people want to stitch the SANQ doll along with me which I think will be fun.  We can help each other out along the way with tips and things to watch out for as well as figure out answers to question we might have.

I worked some on Miss Kitty's Pin Cube.  I have three sides done - not counting the beads that need to be put on.  So only three more sides to go.  This is really fun to work on.
I can't believe this is the last day of May.  I'm getting very excited as I go to Salty Yarns this next week.  First off, I'm meeting my BFF and we are going to go to Winterthur and see the Downton Abbey Costumes and the Behind the Scenes Needlework tour.  Then we go to Ocean City and stay right on the boardwalk.  Walking by the ocean in the morning will be wonderful (I'm hoping it doesn't rain!).  We have two classes with Betsy Morgan over three days.  What fun!!  We will see friends there too.  I need to pack.
A


Friday, May 30, 2014

Done

It is the most beautiful of days today.  After the awful winter, I never thought I would see a day so perfect.  I went walking in the park this morning.  It was great.

I finished Shepherd's Fold!  I put it together.  Of course there were some hiccups along the way.  (Oh, no it doesn't fit.  Rats, I can see the cardboard through the edge.  The gathering thread broke @$#&&^. Etc.)
So here it is:


I did it my own way and I'm happy with it. And guess what I got in the mail yesterday?  Yes, the scissors fob that is the next part of Shepherd's Fold.  Sally says she might stitch it over one so that it is tiny.  I like that idea.  I'm changing the linen as linen that looks like it's been used to change the oil on a car is just not my style.

Then I realized that I forgot to show you the There's a Bird on the Roof all finished.  I'm not sure what I am going to do with it but it is a sweet size.


Then I got something else in the mail.  My half dolls!  They came in a little clear purse.

 But I ordered the Renoir one with blonde hair and a blue dress but I got the green one that is pictured on the front of Sampler and Antique Needlework.

I'm not sure what to do.  I'll probably just try ordering the blonde/blue one again.  They are very sweet.  They are also smaller than I thought.

 I got a small dutch one that will be adorable when it is finished.
Have a great day!
A

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Here Kitty, Kitty

I knew it would happen.  I started Miss Kitty's Pin Cube and I just couldn't stop until I got one whole square done.  It was fun.  It was relatively quick and slightly addictive.

It's going to be a cute little sized cube.
Then I went back and worked on that top arch on Shepherd's Fold.  It is taking shape and I hope to totally finish it today and actually mount it on the top of the box.

I'm thinking I'm just going to have to take an entire day and only work on the Spring Casket Keepsakes.  So after I get Shepherd's Fold done, I'm going to concentrate on just one project and get caught up.  Watch out, I'm determined.  At least until the mailman comes.
A

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

More Good Mail

I always wonder if I'll have anything to share on this blog.  But it seems that something always comes along.  I got the new Just Nan Pin Cube in the mail yesterday.

 Of course I want to start it!  It looks like it will be very cute and small.  I want to do at least one of the cube outlines so I can see how big it will be.
Then I got the next several lessons for the Spring Casket Keepsakes.  Oh No!  I'm not ready!  I have been neglecting this project as the detached buttonhole stitching is daunting.  There is supposed to be (at least) 28 stitches per row.  How I always manage to lose a few along the way, I have no idea.  The next lessons are one's I can do without too much trouble.  I can make that pouch and I can do the finger looping to make the drawstring.  Oh man, I need to get busy on this project.  Maybe if I finish up a couple things, my mind will be ready to concentrate.

I got half of the bower done on Shepherd's Fold.

 I'm making it up as I go along and keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out.  So far, so good.  I'm almost done with this one!


I got the bargello pin cushion, Night and Day, all done.  Yeah!


I worked a bit on There's a Bird on the Roof.

 I can finish this up today.
I'm having too much fun.
A

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

What Next?

I got my goals for yesterday accomplished.  I filled in the right hill on Shepherd's Fold.


Now what?  Well, what is left is the sky and the bower along the top edge.  There are stars of various sorts in the sky and maybe a heart or two that I will fit around the words.  Then I wanted to make the top border have many more flowers than the original.  So I'll put in a few of the flowers that I put in the right hill and kind of wing it as I go along.  I want to add a variety of beads too.  It really is getting close to done.

Then I finished filling in the background of the bargello pin cushion.


 I am such an idiot.  I ran across several errors and had to stop and fix them.  Then I had to fix my fixes.  ARGH.  It looks good now and I am lacing the front and the back together.

So now what?  Well, I have one last kit from Indy that I wanted to do and it is small.  But it's small because it is done on 40 count.  It's called "There's a Bird on the Roof".

My half dolls that I ordered have been sent!  Yeah!  I'll get good mail this week.  I'm still waiting for my Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly to arrive.

I want to see if I have the things needed to stitch that doll.  Annette's going to stitch it too.  Maybe we should have a stitch-along.
A

Monday, May 26, 2014

Mistress L

The main reason I went to take classes at Indy was to take the class "Mistress L's Band Sampler".

I only got a few rows done while I was there.  This is one big sampler.  It will be 36 inches long when completed.  This is the project that I wanted to do this year after seeing Paola's beautiful finished one.  I think she did hers on different fabric.  This sampler is worked on 40 count and the early rows are worked over 3 threads.  It is a challenge!  I am on Row 9.  That is the last of the rows on Page One of the charts.  It was nice to get to a row that had some color besides Forest Glade in it.  Then I decided to put some color in on Row 9.

I have made a bit of progress on the right hill of Shepherd's Fold.  I'm kind of making it up as I go along, hoping I haven't messed everything up.

 I think I can just fill in the background and be finished with the right hill.  I like it.  It is more "me".

The bathrooms are clean.  Yeah!  The walking is done.  Yeah!  Goals for today are to finish the right hill and finish the background on the bargello pin cushion.
A

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Night and Day

I've been experimenting.  I am using Hand-Dyed Fibers by Vicki Clayton to do the other side of the bargello pin cushion.  I'm using her premium over dyed floss as it is thicker and gives better coverage of the background.  I would like to say that I spent hours deciding on what colors to use but the truth is I grabbed what was handy on the table next to me.  So, like, whatever.
I figured this would be the "day" side of the pin cushion since the sky is lighter and the first side would be the "night" version.  Here it is compared to the original:
I actually like my side better.  What do you think?

I got my package in the mail yesterday.  I have more gimp than I know what to do with.  Whoa.  Then there is a CD of the last lessons.  I would like to try out this thread and see how it is to work with but I'm not sure how to stitch with it.  I'll have to do some reading.

I put some flowers in on the right hill of Shepherd's Fold.  It took me a while to get used to them but I like them.

I am putting pink flowers along the path down the hill.  It would be good if I could get those in today.  I"m not sure what else to put in.  I'd like to put a strawberry plant and then just fill in background and call it done.  We'll see.
A

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Last Kit

I'm expecting a box in the mail today.  It is the last kit for the Cabinet of Curiosities class.  The class ended last year but threads were still being made and are now finally ready.  I don't know what is in the box so it will be fun to open it and see what is there.  I love getting stuff in the mail.

I got to my goal of getting (well, most of) the left hill done on Shepherd's Fold.

I got the bee hives done.  It is starting to take shape now.  Today's goal is to work out the flowers that will be on the right hill.  I'm going to look at one of my Drawn Thread pieces and see if I can incorporate those flowers.  Also I want a row of sunflowers up by the house on the top of the hill.  I hope they fit!  I happened across a photo of the next part of this series yesterday.  It is a pin cushion and scissors fob, I think.  I just have the picture to go from so it might be just showing the two sides of the fob or it may be showing two separate items.  I'll have to wait until I get it in the mail to know for sure.

I got the front of the bargello pin cushion almost done.

 I'm thinking I want the back to be different.  I want to put a tulip in the middle with a heart on either side.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  The thread coverage of the background is thin.  You can see the linen through it.   Maybe it is supposed to be that way.  It just looks a little primitive or old.  I'm putting long arm cross stitch around the edge for joining the front and back together instead of nun stitches which I hate.

The Farmer's Market pickings are still a bit slim.  I got a couple of meat pies last week that were delicious so I got some more.  I got an apple pie since it is a holiday weekend.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!  I'm still wishing for some snap peas but the asparagus is great.
A

Friday, May 23, 2014

Good News and Bad News

Remember yesterday I was looking for gold thread so I could get back to working on Hampton Court?  The good news is I found it.  The bad news is I found it mangled.

It was caught in the carpet.  I should have taken better care of it.  Now what do I do?  Well, there aren't many sources for smooth purl.  But I did read that Hedgehog Needleworks (or whatever it is called) is having a sale and they do carry metal threads.  Problem is I haven't the faintest idea what size it is.  So I ordered a bit of  seven different sizes.  (How crazy is that?)  We'll see if I can match the size.  Meantime, I should get back to Hampton Court and work on whatever I can.  I've neglected it too long.

I got some stitching done on the bargello pin cushion.

This is addictive.  I'm almost halfway done with the front.  I'd like to do the back the same way with tulips and hearts instead of just initials and date.  But on the back I want to change the background color.

I have been working out the problems with Shepherd's Fold.

 I'm changing things so I have to work out how everything fits together.  My goal right now is to finish stitching the left hill and beehives.  Then I have to figure out flowers for the right hill.  The design flowers are so big.  I want something more delicate.  I think I will take some of the Drawn Thread flowers and scatter them around the hill.  I am finally happy with the house.  It would be so much easier to just stitch it as charted but I want it different.
Story of my life.
A

Thursday, May 22, 2014

More Shopping

Again, I say, the internet is a wonderful thing.  Especially if you are looking to spend money.  I keep an eye on ebay sales of cross stitch stuff.  I get newsletters from several shops.  I even checkout a Facebook page on the Annie's Williamsburg retreat that is going to be in December.  I am signed up for this retreat.  (Lucky me!)  Then I happened to click over to a Facebook page for needlework designer Giulia Punti Antichi.  She posted a photo of the newest issue of Sampler and Needlework Quarterly as it has one of her designs on the front.

 Oh, I've been wanting to make one of those half doll pin cushions.  I haven't gotten my copy of the magazine yet.  (I think subscribers ought to get their copies before the shops do, but that's a whole other discussion).  Anyway, I was tempted.  Then in the latest newsletter from the Attic, they said they were going to put together a kit of the linen, threads and other stuff needed to make this half doll.  Oh boy, I'm a goner.  I knew that Brier Rose makes the half dolls.  There will probably be a run on the dolls when people get their copy of the magazine.  So I ordered two half dolls.  The one I have been wanting to make for a while, a small Dutch doll, and the magazine one but in in the colors I want (blue).  It will take a while to get here.  But  in the meantime I'm looking for my magazine any day now.
When I checked back on the page, there was yet again another half doll design posted.  Oh, I like that one too!   There is also a little mini chatelaine that goes at the doll's waist.  How cute!

I finished the last little tag from the Cottage Conservatory "Afterthoughts".

I followed the chart but I don't know why there is a disembodied stitch.  Is it a paw?
Then I went looking for some gold metal thread so I could get back to working on Hampton Court.  I didn't find it yet but I ran across two more kits from my trip to Indy.  Yes, I started one.

 It is very fun to do bargello.  (It is also very frustrating when you mess it up).  It has tulips on it.  Cool.
A

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Shopping

The internet is a wonderful thing.  Oh the things you can see!  I get the newsletter from The Country Bumpkin in Australia once a week on Saturdays.  It is always fun to see what they are cooking up for coming issues of Inspirations Magazine.  It is too expensive to order stuff from Australia (the shipping is astronomical)  but it is fun to look.  Last week I downloaded the brochure to the Beating Around the Bush event that The Country Bumpkin sponsors.  Oh to take classes by these teachers.  A couple were from the US.  I get to take two classes in two weeks from Betsy Morgan.  Cool.  Then I saw one of my favorite designers, Jenny Adin-Christie is teaching.  Be still my heart.  She is teaching a gorgeous pin shaped like a butterfly.  I want to take that class.  I have made two of her pins already and I love them.

I have a confession:  one of them went through the wash - and survived!
 Beating Around the Bush is in September in Australia.  Maybe later this year Jenny would have some extra kits.  Maybe I could buy one.  I'll email her and ask.  Guess what?  She emailed back and has some kits!  There are two colors, shamrock and aqua.


 I'd like one aqua pin kit please.  The internet is so cool.

I finished the magic square.


 It was a bit fiddly to put together but I like it.  I started the last Afterthought which is a little tag with a cat on it.  I'm not really a cat person but I wanted to finish all the parts of the Afterthoughts.
A

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Summer's Over

Well it seems like I still can't get things together on Mondays even when I don't go see Dylan.  So onto  today.  

I got Summer Jumble all done!  I even went back and fixed the bee's wings.

 I discovered another mistake but I'm letting it go.
Then I discovered Spring Jumble that I stitched a while back. Isn't it sweet?

 I'm wondering if I can frame them back to back so I can just turn it around for the right season.

Luckily my LNS has some Sampler Thread  in Geranium so I was able to finish the front of the magic square and start the back.

Then I picked up Shepherd's Fold box top and decided that I wanted to do some of the green background.
I'm changing this a bit as I go along.  The basket of flowers that is bigger than the house is bugging me so I may move where it is placed and try to make it smaller.

My BFF is tempting me with new classes.  There are more classes to take than I can ever go to and it's driving me crazy.  Ahh, self control, that's what I need.  I've had about as much self control as I can take this week.  There is no candy in my sewing room.  None.  You don't know how remarkable that is.  We'll see how long it lasts.
A