Makeover Time

I finally figured out HOW to change my blog background!  I have been trying to do this for a LONG time.  This is pretty exciting stuff to me - usually I would have to have my geek son come and fix things for me. But this time I did it without any help.

As you can tell gentle readers, if there are any of you out there, I haven't posted in a couple of years.  A lot has happened and let's just say I have survived and will continue to do so.  I have been stitching, although I had some trouble with it for a while, but things are going more smoothly now.

I just sent out a Halloween Pinkeep exchange piece and I hope the stitcher who receives it likes it.   I will post a picture of it later, after it has been received.   The one I got in the exchange is just awesome!  I am so excited to have it!  It is totally precious and I adore it.  Here is a picture:



The pinkeep was stitched by Linda from the Legacy board.  Isn't it adorable?  Linda also sent along the chart for the pinkeep, some lovely threads, and some scissors.  I love them all!  Thank you Linda!

I have also committed to a Blackbird Designs exchange and a Quaker exchange.  I am looking forward to these.  I already have some ideas.

I also want to tell you that I won a Sweepstakes Ribbon at the Indiana State Fair this summer.  I was really excited.  Unfortunately the piece I expected to do well I managed to enter in the wrong classification so although it was displayed it won no ribbons.  My American Sampler won a Blue Ribbon at the county fair.  I didn't get much done this year but maybe I will have more to enter next year.

Until next time (which I hope will be sooner rather than later),
Suzy

Spring...

It's spring and I really need to be able to get out in the yard and clean out the flower beds. I did manage to help Mom transplant some of her perennials from the old house to the new one last week. She gave me starts off some of her miniature hostas and a few other flowers in return. I need to get them into the ground but can't do it today (work).

I don't have any stitching finishes to post. I've been working exclusively on the Berlin Woolwork sampler. I'm almost half finished with the big over one flower on Part 5. I am really hoping to get this one done in time for the fair this year. Only two more weeks of school, and then I will have a bit more free time because I won't have to devote as much time to studying for my Chemistry class! I've decided to take the summer off from school, since I did not get accepted into either of the Radiology programs I had applied to. I need the break!

Life Changes So Quickly...

I started this journaling with all good intentions to keep up with it, but the past several months have seen many many changes in my lifestyle. Sometimes I feel like I've been on a roller coaster (which I despise) and I want to get off! Get my feet back on solid ground. A lot of good things have come from the not-so-good, and I really think in some ways life is beginning to settle down a bit. At least, I hope so.

At any rate the end result of all of this was that my stitching time was cut down sharply. I only finished four projects last year, but that's okay. The Immigrant Sampler won a blue ribbon and a Reserve Champion ribbon at the county fair, and my Rose Sampler (Little House Needleworks) that I threw in a frame at the last minute also won a blue ribbon in its class. I entered three pieces in the Indiana State Fair: And They Sinned got a blue ribbon in its class, the Heirloom Anniversary sampler I did for Mom & Dad got a blue ribbon, but the best part of all was the piece I almost didn't enter. My Stitching Chair Necessaire won the big poofy Sweepstakes Rosette! I was so pleased and surprised, I really didn't expect that at all. Especially since it was the first time I had entered pieces at the State Fair level. I already know what I'm entering this coming year.

Work is progressing slowly on the Berlin Woolwork Sampler. Classes have really cut into the stitching time, especially the dreaded Chemistry class, which takes a LOT of studying. I stitch when I can which isn't nearly enough to suit me. I think I'm falling into a rhythm with studying, working and stitching, though, so maybe my time crunches will smooth out a bit. I really wanted to get this one finished to enter in the County Fair this year. I figure if I can finish one section a month plus a little more, I'll make it. So I need to pick up the pace! I'm working on part 4, the motif with the dog in the middle of it. I will probably be able to finish that one this weekend.

I did finish This Too Shall Pass the first week of January. I needed a quick finish! I love the big projects but a finish is always a nice incentive. I probably need to keep something small in the works, but right now with such limited time I want to spend what I can on the Berlin.

Toccata 4 has been posted on the Drawn Thread website. I love it! I have Christmas stash coming, so that will be my gift after it is released sometime in May. I have Toccata 1 ready to frame and Toccata 2 is hanging on the wall. Toccata 3 is in my stash so maybe that will be the next thing I actually start. I love stitching the Drawn Thread pieces since they are so varied in stitches and seem to work up quickly for me.

I'll try to post some pictures soon.

The weather here today was glorious. Nicely warm with a soft breeze, good for garden work - not that I got a lot done. I did manage to get the new stakes on the falling down arbor and falling trellis with my son's help. I think if I have to stake up that arbor again I will be building one of my own, a heavy duty one that will last. We may have murdered a pulmonaria in the process, however. It's a bit small this year for some reason and I was hoping it would come out of the slump, but after today, I don't know.

I finished Open Heart by Drawn Thread a week ago this past Sunday. It was a nice stitch and I'll have to work on getting it framed soon. This one may need to be matted. It's a very delicate design with a lot of pastels, and I think matting would help bring out the colors.

This picture just doesn't show how pretty the design really is, nor can you see the beading around the outer border.

I'm currently working on the Berlin Woolwork, part 3. This sampler is really working up nicely, but the over one stitching takes a lot of time. It will be worth the effort in the end, I think. I'd like to start another small sampler. Smaller projects are a nice diversion from my usual monster samplers. I have a couple of choices in mind, but haven't made any decisions yet. I actually only have 3 projects on scrolls right now, so that's pretty good for me.

The mail today brought the chart for the Acorn Harvest Sampler by Historic Stitches. The charm wasn't included but it was only 99 cents, so I really cannot complain at all. I can get the charm (the chart does mention where to get it). The interesting thing is that the sampler is supposed to match the Acorn Harvest First Stitch Finder set and the Acorn Harvest Thread Keeper, but the linen and threads are different. I think when I get around to stitching these, I will change the linen and threads to match the Thread Keeper and First Stitches Finder so they will look more like a set.

It's a chilly, drizzly evening, and I plan to spend time tonight working on the last border of Open Heart. It's all backstitch with one color, then I have to add the beads and it will be finished! The sampler doesn't have a date anywhere, though, so I might add a tiny one at the bottom center between the bands and the first border. I don't know if I will be able to finish it this weekend, but it should be soon. Cat's Sajou is on it's way from Australia, and should be here soon! I need to stitch on the one I have and get it send on.

I did finish the Stitching Chair Necessaire! I am so pleased with how it turned out.

I'm really wanting to start another smalls project now. I have several in my stash I can choose from. I want to finish up Open Heart first before starting something else.

I also have a picture of the Immigrant sampler to share. This was a really nice project with lots of variation in stitches to keep my interest.

I had ordered some silks from Vikki Clayton last week and they arrived on Wednesday. Some are a conversion for the Trinity Sampler by Eileen Bennett (stash). The others are a lot of the greens and blues to fill in on the Berlin Woolwork and maybe the Mary Beale Advent Sampler project. I'd love to get this one into my stash for a future stitch.

I have a few plants on the front porch ready to go out to the yard, but it's been raining for 3 days. It's supposed to be a lovely weekend, so maybe I'll get them set in. Things are really beginning to come out now, but the roses all took the late freeze very hard. Maybe harder than any of the other things in the yard. I hope they survived - but they may need some extra care and not have many blooms this year. The oak tree has finally put out tiny leaves! Even the ferns are coming back. This has been a strange year for garden weather so far.

Most of my weekend stitching was in connection with the Stitching Chair Necessaire. I've almost completed the finishing work! This will be the first 'smalls' project I have ever done. I need to hemstitch the backing on the main piece and work up a closure for the needlebook to complete the piece. Now that I've done one smalls project, I won't be so reluctant to do more of them in between my big projects.

After I finish this up I want to get back to Open Heart. It shouldn't take more than a week or two to finish if I get some good stitching time in. I'm not sure which project I will rotate to after that.

I think I'll probably get some garden work in this week, it's finally warming up. This coming weekend we may finally reach the 70s again! That will be most welcome. I'm sure some of the perennials need some extra pruning after the recent freezes. And I do have a couple of things to plant in the yard already! I love spring, when it's warm.

I sit here on a dreary April day, looking out the window at the birds coming to my feeders and wishing it would warm up so I can do some yard clean up. There have been snow showers this morning. It's April! It should be warm and sunny! Where is spring?

I have been working exclusively on DT's Open Heart since I finished the Immigrant Sampler last week. I still need to hemstitch that one and mount it. I'm really leaning toward trying the float mount but I've never done that before and it's a bit intimidating. I'm sure I can come up with my own method of doing it, though. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Open Heart is coming along well! I have three more bands to stitch and then I can start the borders around it. I really enjoy the DT pieces. They have a lot of varied stitches in them and for me they are a quick stitch! I do so many LARGE projects that they seem small by comparison.

I might work on the finishing for the Stitching Chair Necessaire today, though, for a change of pace. I've had it stitched for probably a year and it's just waiting for me to finish up. I have no excuses other than just putting it off. It really should be finished and displayed.

In the mail this week I got the complete kit for Old Glory by Shepherd's Bush. A fellow stitcher offered it up for a drawing and I was the lucky winner! I love patriotic pieces anyway, so this one fits right in. I'd love to stitch O Beautiful someday also. I have a couple of other patriotic finishes and could eventually make a nice grouping out of them.

I hope to jazz up this blog template as I learn more about the workings of it all. I have some ideas but will have to learn the implementation side of things first.