To Restart or not to Restart

 I should have used some muslin behind this satin. I thought I could stitch it carefully and not get bubbles. I thought I could stretch so there would be no wrinkles. I want a perfectly straight flat background. So do I start over? I have to think about it. I do love the design. Now I know I can handle stitching this.

I also decided to order the thread I meant to order the first time from Missus Sedas, Darling Bleu.  This is what it looks like. Free skein is Sienna.

Darling Natural looked more teal. They are both nice colors actually.

I have been basting the Bread Maker kit from Amy Mitten.  It is a big piece of fabric- and nine pages of charts! 

Have a nice weekend!

A

Theresa Baird's Bee-lieve

 I think last time I showed you this project I was almost done with the cover to the needlebook. I started the nun stitched needle pages but that got boring very fast.

So I started the scissors fob.  It is all stitched, I just have to put it together.

Then I started the pin cushion that I think goes inside the needlebook. It has four bees on the front.

I'm making progress!

A

Oh No! More Happy Mail!

 I check Amy Mitten's site everyday to see if she is offering anything new.  I am a big fan of her designs. Not to mention all the techniques I have learned from her. Her Montenegrin book is a classic.  I love all of her casket toy kits. I was thrilled when she offered something new, a linen bread bag. You can get enough linen to make a bag or enough for just a sampler.  I got the bag kit and it came in the mail yesterday.

Amy Mitten dyes her own silk, she is so talented!

She knows me and included a little note to me. Sweet!

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the new things I can stitch.

A

In Honor of Darlene O'steen

 I read today on Facebook that Darlene O'Steen has died. My BAP was designed by her. Here is where I am right now.

I finished the third queen. 

This is the other sampler of Darlene O'Steen that I stitched. I'm going to cut it up and use it on two side panels of a casket. 

I used to be afraid I couldn't stitch a complicated sampler with specialty stitches. After working on two of hers I feel like I can handle stitching her samplers. I can change things to regular cross stitch in a pinch!

Today is a chemo day. The sun is shining and the fall colors are on full display. 

A

Finally!

 I finally got off my lazy bum and dug around in my button box for some buttons to finish off the Flanders Field biscornu.

I'm thinking of coloring my hair today.  I just don't look like myself with this salt and pepper hair. DH wants to take me out to eat tonight. Sounds good to me!

A

Happy Mail Day 5

 Am I crazy?  I bought another bead kit! It is from Margaret Lee and is in the new Passion for Needlework III book. It is much bigger than than the coin purse kit. 

The fabric has much more of a brown sheen to it. The design is printed on the fabric.  You can get a kit to stitch beads on the back of the purse.  I'll be lucky to get the front done.

This is what is in the kit:

Lots and lots of beads.

This is the gold edge hardware for the purse.  

All these kits will keep me busy for a long time. Happy birthday to me!

A

Happy Mail Day 4

 I've had this kit on my mind since I saw it in Issue 105 of Inspirations Magazine.

 I think I could actually do this.  It isn't very big, it's a coin purse.  I have Margaret Lee's beading book and another kit of hers that I started.  I was kind of overwhelmed trying to do this other kit.  It requires an area to spread out all the beads and threads and tools. I had to get it out of the way and haven't gotten it back out again. 

This Sakura kit is doable and I love how the finished purse looks.

This is what is in the kit:

Today I turn 47 in hex, DH tells me. I am grateful to have made it this far. This past year has been very challenging. My friends and family have been a wonderful support to me. Thank you for being there and caring about me.

A

A Mystery

 I got a package in the mail on Tuesday. DH says did you order something? No, not that I remember.  Is it a birthday present? Did someone send me something? The package was rectangular and from SketchBox. Cool. I opened it up and it had art supplies in it.  You can get a subscription for getting a box every month.  This box was the premium box for October called "Ink". 

There is a card describing all the things in the box.

This was in the box. Wow I haven't worked with ink like this before.  Included is an inspiration card showing an artist's creation using the items in the box. Very cool.

Who would sent me this?  Somebody who knows I like art stuff. Someone who maybe knows I have painted with watercolors. This is my best watercolor.

 Who sent this box? I don't know! Whoever did, I thank you.  You are generous and thoughtful. Let me know who you are!

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Day Three Happy Mail

 Kit number three is from A Passion For Needlework III. It is Woodland Floor from Helen Stevens.

I think it is a beautiful design. This is what is in the kit.

Piper's silk thread, tracing paper, needles, fabric that looks like black muslin and a spool of silver thread

The Piper's silk is very shiny. It will really shine on the black fabric.

I may not get to posting tomorrow as the day starts very early.  We have to be at the hospital at 7 a.m.

Wish me luck!

A

Day Two Happy Mail

 How lucky am I? I have great friends who think of me and send me packages.  My BFF sent me a box yesterday. Wow, she is so thoughtful.  She knows I want to stitch several projects by Blackbird Designs.  I had looked up a wood three drawer small chest that has a place for stitching in the top. My BFF got me one and sent it along with two special buttons, a great piece of finishing fabric and candy! I haven't seen those M & M's with cocoa crisps in them.  The package says creepy but it should say addictive. They are yummy .  They won't last long.

The corner has been torn off the  M &M's and I have eaten too many of them. Thank you Kathy!

Today's kit is Morris Magic. 

You know I couldn't resist this one! It is from A Passion for Needlework III book.  It is a crewel work project.  Look at all that yarn.

There are needles and the design is worked on twill fabric.

I think I have to trace the design on.

A

A Week of Happy Mail

 First of all a kind and generous friend sent me the most precious needlebook.

Thank you Molly! It is a design by Georgina Bellamy.  I recognized that name, she designed the little turtle in Passion for Needlework III. It is mostly done in metal threads.  And I love fish! I am awed by my friend's thoughtfulness and generosity. I will treasure thus needlebook.

This is the first and smallest kit I bought from Inspirations.  It is from issue 108 of Inspirations magazine.

It has linen,DMC floss and a needle.  It will be an easy stitch. I don't know if I will make it into the small pillow like the magazine.  I love blue and white things, especially delft sruff.

I printed out the instructions from my digital copy of the magazine that I get from Zinio.

I have clean teeth today and I got my covid test.  The test took about ten seconds!

A

Third Queen

 I've started the outline for the third queen on the Queen's Sampler.

I still have the crown of some kind to put on the middle queen but I have to find just the right thread.

Speaking of thread, I'm tempted again to get Victoria Clayton's variegated selection for October. I love ordering stuff. See those boxes in the photo? I'm going to show you what is in each box next week. There are five boxes and two more are on their way to me next week. What can I say? It's my birthday soon and I know how to celebrate!

A

David Smyth's Garden

 I've started on several places on David Smyth's Garden. It would be great to get this "S" shape all done.  I think it would give me momentum to keep going.

Unfortunately, I started three leaves in the wrong color but it probably won't mater as it is just the split stitch along the edge. I am happy with how my stitching is looking.  I hope I can frame it nicely so it isn't puckered.  I should have put some muslin behind the satin. I think this piece might be a good size to put either on the top of a casket or inside the lid of a casket.  We'll see , , ,

A

Finish

 I finished stitching the cover of the needlebook to Theresa Baird's Beelieve free design. 

Love it! I looked and there are charts for what goes inside the needlebook.  There are needle pages, a scissors fob and a small pin cushion.  There might be a scissors pocket, I'm not sure.

I drove today!  I haven't driven in eleven months. I didn't know if I was rusty or not but everything went fine.  Boy, was that a great feeling knowing I can handle driving. I only went around the block but it was no problem.

I got Happy Mail yesterday. I'm saving it to show you next week when I have four different doctors appointments.  Who knows how much stitching will get done?

A

Queen Number Two

 I finished Queen number two!  Yeah! It was hard to get back in the groove with this one.  I had to go digging through the instructions to see what color to continue with as well as to decide how to finish her dress.  I still want to add some kind of crown on her head.

DH took me to my favorite pizza place last night.  It was glorious and I had a pina colada. Yum. So now for lunch I have great leftovers. Lucky me! 

It is quite cool today.  It really feels like fall. 

A

Thread

 Okay, in a weak moment I ordered thread.  Not thread needed for a project but Victoria Clayton silk thread, called Hand-Dyed Fibers.  I used to be in her variegated premium silk club and got a certain number of her colors every month.  I think she has started up monthly groups where you can sign up for solid silks or variegated silks.  I got a packet of each kind last month.

These are the variegated silks.

These are the solid silks. I like that I got a whole family of pinks plus four shades of gold and three shades of green. Lovely colors.

And there is a nice variety of variegated silks.

I think I'll use that lightest pink for the cheeks of my second queen.

A

Theresa Baird Needlebook

 I've made some good progress on the needlebook cover.  I think there are more pieces that go inside but I haven't verified that yet.  I just have a bee, my initials and some backstitch to do and the cover will be finished.

It is supposed to rain for several hours today. We need the rain. I am going to make my coffee now and figure out what to work on.  I have neglected the queen's sampler for a while.  I wonder how far I would get if I worked on it all week? 

A