And Now For Something Completely Different

Needlework Tours and Cruises often posts photos of interesting needlework,  I was fascinated when they posted this chair.
it is from rustique.scot.  It is all done in applique and machine embroidery.  I know someone who is very good at both.  She has had her work on the cover of Quiltmaker Magazine.  (Janet?)  This is my favorite chair. I also really like this one:

I ordered some stuff off their website. They had wrapping paper, cards and posters.  Only the poster was in stock.

It was so cool to see up close the stitching and applique.  It would be so cool to have one of these chairs.
Thank you for all your well wishes yesterday. Everything went fine.
A

Blast From the Past

When my friend Terry died she gave me Betsy Morgan's casket kit.  I wanted to make it for a long time and never got to Betsy's class. I also wanted to make it as a tribute to Terry.  I finished it last summer.  Of course I changed it to suit me.

I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I finished off the Strawberry Sampler yesterday.  It feels great to finish a big project.  Now what to do next?
I won't be posting tomorrow because I have an all day medical procedure. Ugh.
A

WIPS

I've been having a terrible time trying to post.  I wrote a whole post and then couldn't find the photos I was looking for.  So I started over. Then today I went to post and my device needed charging so badly it would even come on.  Now it is charged and I'm trying again.
I am very happy to say that the alphabet/numbers rows on The Strawberry Sampler are all done and I have started the last two rows.  I'm almost done!

It's nice to accomplish a project that is fairly large like this. I'm considering cutting this up to put on the sides of a casket.

A

Closer Look

Here is a closer look at a Just Nan scissors roll.

It's raining outside and gray. But I see the mailman coming down the street. And soon it will be lunchtime. I used to tell my kids that "it's all attitude".  I am grateful to be warm and dry.  DH says there is a program on Amazon called Footloose in the Italian Lakes that I might enjoy. For a Saturday with nothing on, that's good.
A

Map

I got a Catherine Jordan kit for a map.  I think it turned out well.  I have painted on fabric before.

My friend thought I out to frame it but I like it as a book cover.
A

And Now For Something Completely Different

A friend of mine went to a knitting convention in the Shetland Islands.  I was fascinated that people would travel so far to an out of the way place to celebrate knitting.  The convention has a free hat pattern for each convention.  I got the wild ass idea that I wanted to knit one of those hats.  Do I knit?  Only minimally. I'm a knit and purl girl. But YouTube was my resource to find how to do stitches I never heard of. I'm very proud to say I did it! I made the Shetland Islands hat.

A

Just Nan

I made this Just Nan queen mouse last year.

 Earlier this year I decided I would make the pin cushion she stands on, called Still Queen of the Needle.
Just Nan designs are a challenge due to the many changes in floss colors.  I've made many of her mice and scissors rolls. 

Have a nice day!

A

Bouquets

My first bouquet on the pin disc was pretty.  When I started I thought maybe I bit off more than I could chew. I have many excuses for my embroidery.  I am a cross stitcher and embroidery is not my strong suite.  I have some neuropathy in my hands due to medication. The designer's stitching is much tinier and fits between the design lines.  Mine turned out larger and hangs over the edges of the lines. My stitching is not as precise as I would like it.  My stitching looks better from a distance. Anyway, this is where I was yesterday:

This is where I am today:

Each bouquet is about the size of my thumbnail.
The bouquets were recommended to be stitched in hand then switch to a hoop to stitch the lines. There is cross hatching to add between the lines. Another challenge!

WIP

How am I doing on the Strawberry Sampler? Making progress.  I finally got to the strawberry row.  It is not quite done.  I have four leaves to do at the very end.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this one. Can I finish it this week?  I hope so.

Then there are two alphabets and numbers and a decorative flower row. I haven't decided whether to put a last row with my name and the date. We'll see.

I haven't figured how to turn this image 90 degrees. Sorry it is sideways.

Tomorrow I'll show my bouquets.

A

Owl Forrest

Last summer I ordered a Russian kit made by Owl Forrest Embroidery.  I got it from 1884 Stitchery. It was a very nice kit. I liked the overdyed thread. I liked the linen.  I was amazed at how colorful it turned out in spite of how few colors it used.  It only had about 4 colors.

The directions are in Russian but that was not a problem. I was able to figure it out.
A

One More

Here is a Hands On Design that I finished earlier this year.  I am not a cat person but I thought this was cute.

 It took me about four times as long as I expected to get it done. I have a couple more of these done.
I woke up to snow this morning.  It woud be pretty if this was January.  But it's not.
A

Well Rounded #2

I stitched another Well Rounded bird design.  I couldn't find the right blue so I chose the closest number of DMC that I found.  It's a little bright.

Again, I stitched it too close to the edge of the linen. Duh.
This will look so much better when it is finished.  I ordered the twill tape from Lady Dot Creates for around the edge.  I have a basket that has stitched eggs in it that I can change to these birds after Easter. I have started a third one but not enough to show. 
dq, I will show stuff I made while I was not blogging.  I also went on two tours with Needlework Tours and Cruises.  One to Italy and one to the UK.  The most marvelous experiences if my life!
Have a good day!
A

Well Rounded

Another chart I got from Nashville was Well Rounded by Hands On Designs.  I got the cuts of the four colors of linen and a finishing kit.  I love Hands On Designs but always under estimate how long they will take to stitch.  Sometimes a Hands On Design is one I carry with me to work on.  I have a thing for birds so I wanted to stitch the four smallest designs.  This is the first one I stitched.

I hate to waste linen, that's why it ended up too close to the edge. I can make it work though.
A

Kit

I got a kit for Christmas before last from Inspirations' Passion for Needlework-Factoria VII.

I've been wanting to start it for a long time.  But I needed to iron the satin and I needed to trace the design. I finally did both the other day.  It is such a pretty design by Susan OConnor, the photo doesn't do it justice. The next hurdle was to remember how to do boullion knots.  You need the right needle and you need to wrap it a certain direction.  I had to do about five boullion knots to figure out what worked.  Of course I managed to trace the design on the incorrect side of the fabric.  But you can see the pattern well enough to stitch it anyway.  I started with the pin disc (it's the smallest piece) and it has seven little flower groups. I am almost done with the first bouquet.  I love it but it is labor intensive!

I also am remembering a better way to start a thread. I want to finish this up and get an assembly line going with the other six bouquets.

A

Easter

Last Easter we were with the grandkids and celebrating E's third birthday.  This year we got to FaceTime with them.  They were quite thrilled with their candy.  I was reminded about a stitched girl with butterfly wings that I made for C.

It is a chart from Nimue. I thought it was sweet. C has it in her room.
A

WIP

What did I work on yesterday?  In January I picked up a sampler that I started a while back.  It is The Strawberry Sampler by The Needle's Prayse (Darlene O'Steen?) that came out in 1999.

 I only had part of the first row done.  It is all done entirely in back stitch. I think you can do it reversible.  No way, Jose! Backstitch is disliked by some stitchers. But I have found it goes pretty fast.  I am just finishing dividing band 8. I am considering cutting it up to put on one of my caskets.  We'll see. The chart is in black and white and not all the color changes are denoted but it looks fine.

This is the last part of the chart's page 2.  My goal is to get to Page 3.

Wish me luck and no frogging!

A

More Morris

I'm kind of a William Morris nut. I really like is designs. On the Royal School of Needlework site I saw three kits by DMC of bookmarks using William Morris designs,  Then I found an Etsy shop that I could order them from so I did. I got 2 and a half of them made.  I'm not going to use them for bookmarks.  I want to frame them but I haven't found just the right frame yet.

I have a third one that I'm having trouble getting the motivation to finish.

I got this ceramic pin at the William Morris Museum.

I went on the Needlework Tours and Cruises "Queen to Queen" tour and we got to see a restored house belonging to a friend of Morris that was entirely done in Morris decor.  Cool.
I need to get busy on that third bookmark!
A

Mask

I don't know why but I got email directions on sewing a virus mask. My husband wanted one so I sewed one.  It was a little sloppy but he didn't care.  I went to the William Morris Museum in London last September and got some great fabric there.  I decided to make myself a mask with one of the fabrics.

The William Morris Museum is in his childhood home.  I got some fabric that was block printed just like Morris used to do it. His backyard has a pond with an island in the middle of it.  What fun for a kid!
Being stuck at home has made me just a bit lonely and my friend Janet Brandt said I still get people looking at my blog so I thought I would try posting. It took me a while to figure out how to do this after so long.
I have been stitching! House of Stitches got me the things I was interested in from Nashville.  I got this Nashville exclusive kit from Samplers Not Forgotten:

I changed the fabric and the colors and I like how it turned out.

Have a great day!
A