This is just the most beautiful project. Embroidery isn't my forte but when it came to choosing what I wanted to stitch next this was at the top of my list.
The embroidered flowers are small. This will take a while to stitch. This is how far I am:
These are all the silk colors in the kit. But the thread card is just paper! It has torn three times already. I'm going to have to use floss bags for these threads. I don't want to lose any floss.
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A while ago I started this Rachael Kinnison ornament.
It has been languishing in my unfinished basket for some time now. Rachael has been showing some sneak peeks of this year's ornament.
I really want to sign up for this year's ornament but feel guilty that I haven't finished the other two that I have. So I decided to dig out last year's ornament and see if I could finish it. I thought I had it about half done. But that was a bit optimistic. I think I should call this a learning piece. That's because I have made many mistakes on it.
I decided (because I'm basically lazy) to scatter the spangles and beads instead of totally encrusting the background. Then I decided to do the book's spine. I didn't read the directions well enough. I used soie perlee for the chain stitch but goofed by using the same thread over the chain. No, I was supposed to use Soie Ovale over the chain. Then as I was working I realized that I hadn't finished the gold ribbon look. I needed to ladder stitch it. Rachael is a much better stitcher than I. Mine turned out a bit messy but I did it.
I think I can finish this as the front has the same design as the back.
More rain is expected today but my walking is done.
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The top half of Amy Mitten's queen has all the details in now. I am so happy with how she is turning out.
I used soie perlee for the decoration around her collar. Then the decoration on the sleeves was done in a gold/black DMC Diamant thread.
The beads on her crown are the called for ones in the kit. Down the front of her dress are some pearl beads. I will have to see if they are big enough to fill the spaces for them.
I'm going to have to cut short the bottom half of the queen so it will fit where I want to put it on a casket.
I have some new and old starts to show you this week. If someone wants to buy the School Girl Sewing Sampler kit, make me an offer.
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I got a kit from the Crewel Gobelin. It is the School Girl Sewing Club sampler.
I got two things i the mail yesterday that I was not expecting. Back during the Needlework Expo I ordered this ornament from Marie Driskill. It took a while to be available and I just got it.
I also got my Giuliana Magazine from Italy. It is always interesting to see new techniques.
I'm afraid the lace techniques are beyond me!
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Sometimes it is just too easy to buy cross stitch charts. It is so tempting when all you have to do is click and voila, there is the chart. I saw Long Dog Samplers latest chart and liked it. So I clicked. Boom, I got the chart.
It is quite huge. I haven't decided which parts I want stitch. I checked to see if it was the right size to put on either side of the queen but it won't fit.
I was reading a blog and saw a cute chart. I clicked and boom, there is the chart.
This will be a fun quick stitch. I'm a sucker for birds and I think it is finished nicely.
It was lovely walking this morning. I went to lunch with my friend on Monday. We went to Panera. I wanted to try the flatbread pizza. It was good. Then we went shopping and I ended up with a red pair of shoes. Fun!
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I finished the Summer Blooms pattern again but used the recommended colors of floss. I like it. I only changed the color of the felt on top and bottom.
I finally finished the Pansy cube. At first I couldn't figure out what these brown stitches were on the bottom and they had two little things on them. Then I got to thinking that this is a cube for the bunny to sit on. Aha! Those are bunnies peeking over the edge of the cube.
I love how my Amy Mitten queen is turning out. It takes a good design to look good when it is enlarged four times its original size. I've changed some of the detail threads as they need to be a little bit larger to show up.
I almost have the top two pages of the chart done. Loving it! She looked like a fish before I got her facial details in.
DH got some strawberries from the farmers market yesterday. It is always a treat to have local fresh fruit and vegetables. He gets me the best cinnamon rolls that are huge every Sunday.
I have been shopping Amazon Prime deals today. Tempted!
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I didn't get the pansy cube done. Instead I finished up Summer Blooms and the alphabet houses.
I need to iron these and get rid of the wrinkles. Then they need to be finished-finished.
We've had over 2 inches of rain today! No walking this morning.
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I am close to finishing the Just Nan Pansy cube. I can finish it today. Well, I'll finish it if the beading doesn't take a long time. I like that the pansies aren't all the same.
I think the leaves look okay. It is all worked in long and short stitch.
It rained last night. We really need the rain. I have a hankering for angelfood cake - with chocolate icing.
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I'm getting close to finishing this Jardin Prive design.
I think this would be a cute finished as a project bag.
I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so probably won't have a chance to post. It was another glorious day to walk.
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I've been working on Summer Blooms using the recommended colors in the kit. It is a simple easy stitch. In the kit is a #3 milliners needle for making the bullion knots. That's the secret to doing bullion knots, using the right needle. I learned how to do them from Sue Spargo. I've been doing a couple of flowers a day and I'm almost done. I tried to find how many threads you are supposed to use but I couldn't find any information except for those bullion knots. You are supposed to use three plies and wrap it 16 times.
Then yesterday I goofed. I used the wrong thread color for the hollyhocks. I took it out and used the right color. Then I got to thinking boy, these would look much more delicate if I just used one thread instead of two. So I tried that. The one ply looked so much better. I may take out the two thread ones and redo them (again!) with one ply.
So here is my first go at Summer Blooms.
And this is with the recommended colors.
This is the two ply compared to the one ply.
The humidity is gone and the weather is glorious!
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I'm working on the cube for the bunny to sit. It is very frustrating as I can't find a couple of floss colors called for. You would think with all the floss I have I would have the color I need. But there is plenty to stitch on anyway.
I really enjoyed the Sampler guild meeting yesterday. We heard a talk on textiles from a lady from the Royal School of Needlework. I just wish I could have chatted with friends but it was all on zoom.
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How's my queen coming along? Very well. I wondered if I would run out of thread since I'm stitching over two on 36 count instead of over one on 40. But I went looking for my collection of Amy Mitten thread and I have her thread collection 50 Shades of not grey, in fact, I have two of them and the 50 Shades Darker collection too. I think I am all set.
I decided I wanted to start this kit.
I had an adventure trying to get the design on the fabric. First I started tracing the design with the iron on transfer pen on the fabric. No! You are supposed to trace onto paper and then iron it on. Duh. I also tried a black ink tracing onto the satin. Nope. Satin fabric makes the pen line bleed larger than I wanted. So then I made an iron on tracing on paper. Guess what? That didn't work either. The transfer went right through the satin and transferred onto my ironing board cover. What the ? The lines on the satin were so faint you couldn't see them. What you see is pencil line tracing on the third piece of satin. This is either a pin cushion or tape measure cover.
It is a hot one today.
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BFF reminded me what I wanted to say about the box lining.
I got this material at Liberty of London when I went on a tour. It is a miniature version of the design used on the recreation of a 17th century jacket. I lined the other pieces of this set with the same fabric. It reminds me of the the tour and shopping with my friend Janet Brandt. Such fun.
One of my goals for this week is a couple of new starts. I started the Just Nan cube that the bunny that I made sits on. BFF made this easy for me by sending me the called for linen for this. I have two of the six sides done. I have a thing for pansies.
I also started another pansy. I will show you that one tomorrow.
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I was looking for an easy stitch and happened to grab this from the basket of shame.
I started it a couple of years ago and it was nearly half done. Now I am finishing up the third (of four) lines. What am I going to do with it? I have no idea. But I think it is cute.
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I know my limitations. Well, sometimes I do. I got the Queen's Playing Card Casket kit from Amy Mitten.
The design is fantastic. I don't really like all the words.
Right now I'm not up to stitching over one on 40 count. (Chemo brain and lack of energy). So I'm corrupting her design to fit what I can do. I intend to make some major changes. I want to stitch the queen that is on the top of the box. I want it for one of my caskets but not over one on 40. I want to do it over two on 36. I don't know if this will work out but we'll see. I got too chintzy with my fabric and when I stitched the top border it ended up too close to the edge, So I had to start over on a larger piece of linen.
It is going to be a lot bigger than the original. The second start is going well. I changed the border to a long armed cross over 4.
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