Getting There

I worked on putting the Mermaid Purse together.  I found some darker colored dupioni silk for the back. It looks less drab in real life.

 So I sewed the front and back together.  Then I sewed the twisted cording all around the front and sewed the purse frame onto the purse.  I'll have to get some chain for the purse handle.

 I found a perfect color of ultrasuede for the lining.

 I have to finish sewing the cord to the top of the back.  Then I'll fit the lining to the inside.  And ta-dah! it will be done.  I love it.

I also finished up the fourth panel on Elizabethan Eights and started the fifth which is bargello.

I saw a photo of Betsy Morgan's new design, Bristol Sampler Sewing Bag, on her website, Willing Hands.  I'm hoping that will be the project for Spring Fling for next year.
Time is going too fast!  It is only five days until I go on the tour.  My roommate is already there enjoying estra time in Edinburgh.  I'll be there soon!
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Sunny

My photos have been just terrible lately.  I didn't know why.  I'm not very tech savvy so adjusting my camera is always challenging.  I made the picture bigger for DH to photograph his soccer team.  But when I went to readjust to a smaller size again I goofed up the exposure.  I wanted to show you my progress on the Quaker Bag and Elizabethan Eights.  This is my first photo of the Quaker Bag center:

I thought the photo was bad because it was over cast outside.  But then I messed around with the settings and got this instead:

It is a bit light.  I think I need to make another adjustment back to "0" .  At least you can see it better.

Here are the two photos of the Sea Heather motif:

Here is panel four of Elizabethan Eights:

I changed the color of the pearl cotton from a cream color to 927.

I'm going to start packing today.  Six days to go!

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More Or Nue

This is how far I am on Harmony's under skirt.

It is going well and I hope to finish soon.
It is a busy day.  The bathrooms are clean and several errands have been run.  I'm getting excited as I leave in one week!!  So many things to do!
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Frames

I got a nice surprise in the mail - the purse frames I have been waiting for.  So while I was coloring my hair last night I read the finishing directions.  Then I realized that I forgot something else on the Mermaid Purse.  She is supposed to have a pearl necklace.  I have some seed pearls somewhere.  Could I fine them?  Nope.  So I settled for seed beads.

 Then I went stash diving to find some dupioni silk for backing  the purse.  This is a nice color. The computer may not show that it is a light aqua.

 I thought I should wait until I have better light to decide if this is too light or not.  I literally found some thread on the floor of my sewing room that had no tag so I didn't know it's color number.  But it looked like a good choice for the twisted cording that goes around the edge of the purse.

The directions say to line the purse with light ultrasuede.  I didn't know there was a "light" ultrasuede unless she means a light color.  I'm not sure I have enough cream color ultrasuede for the lining so I may have to go to the store.

I got three purse frames.  (If you know me, you'll understand)  So I have the choice of these two for Off With Her Head.

I think I like the more ornate one.

I'm not really in a finishing mood but we'll see what gets accomplished today.
The days are going fast, 8 days until the tour.
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Off With Her Head

I worked diligently yesterday to get Off With Her Head all done.  Yeah!

I am still waiting for the purse frames so I can finish the Mermaid Purse and Off With Her Head into little purses.

Now I can concentrate on the Quaker Bag, Elizabethan Eights, Harmony and the Big Mermaid.  I guess I shouldn't start something new.

I went walking this morning hoping I would get out of the park before a walk/run began.  Luckily I did.  Then I went to the Farmer's Market.  It was so cold.  It felt like it was freezing with that strong wind.  But it was  47 degrees so it really wasn't that cold.  They didn't have any Red Delicious apples or chocolate covered orange peel.  Rats.  The market is only open for a couple more weeks.
Nine days to go until the tour.
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Friday

How can it be Friday again so soon?  Maybe I'm just not paying attention.

My friend Pat stopped by yesterday and it was fun to show her my curios of stitched stuff.  She can appreciate the work that goes into each item.

I got a present in the mail!  It is a wool humbug with a flower and a very nice wooden needle case on a ring.

 Thank you so much!

I didn't get much stitching done.  I started the new silver thread on the Or Nue skirt of Harmony.

I started the background on Off With Her Head.

I put a thread in the blue motif on the Quaker Bag.

Hopefully, I'll get more stitching done today.
10 days until The Tour.
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Sea Heather

Deciding on colors is so hard!  Some people are really good at it.  I think Thea Dueck of Victorian Sampler has a knack for picking colors.  I know I'm not really good at it.  I also know that color makes a world of difference in whether I like something or not.  I am changing the colors of the Quaker Bag.  I am starting a new large motif and I wasn't sure what to go with.  I thought very light pink.  So I started it but didn't like it.  It was very hard to stitch because it was hard to see.  So I thought I'd take that out and try a cream.  Maybe that would show up better.  Nope.

So I was looking around at threads that were handy.  One of my favorite color threads is Gloriana Sea Heather.  So I tried that.  I can see it so much better.  I like the colors in it.  I think it will do.

Then I was looking at Elizabethan Eights.  I am not wild about the colors.  Then I saw that the colors had been changed.  The photo reference page showed a much lighter blue on the third panel.  I like that better.  So I took our the very dark blue and put in Sea Heather instead.  Much better.

I got a bit of the lower right corner done on the Big Mermaid.  It is coming along but very slowly.

A friend is stopping by this afternoon to see my stitching.  I love showing it off.  Fun.
11 days until the tour.
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