Archive for April, 2007|Monthly archive page
In the Nick of Time
Every Monday, I’ve been trying to share my latest finish . . . which is a problem when I haven’t finished anything. So Mondays have also been good for sharing my latest progress . . . which is a problem when I haven’t made any.
[sigh]
But here, literally in the eleventh hour, I managed to finish a project today.
Designer: Carriage House Samplings
Pattern: Mini-quilt freebie (coordinates with “The Song They Sang”)
Stitched on Zweigart 40-ct Dirty Linen using one strand of DMC floss over two threads.
Like every other project I’ve touched lately, I decided to change the colors around. I think I’m making up for those 20+ years when I always, always, ALWAYS stitched the project as instructed, no questions asked.
Of course, I’m not entirely sure that it’s not due to fluctuating floss colors. Sure, the overdyed flosses vary from dye lot to dye lot, but I’m also finding that newer DMC colors vary compared to older ones. And so I adjust . . .
For the most part, this came together well, though I did have a stitch, tear out, stitch, tear out approach to the flower square. In the end, I deleted one color, changed the ones that remained, and even changed the color placement. It may just be the late hour talking, but I think I’m happy with the outcome.
I’d better be, or I won’t have anything to post today.
Flashback Friday
Filed under: Flashback Friday, Over one, Primitive Houses, SBQ, Trilogy |
Comments (5) I haven’t finished my CHS freebie, and I don’t have enough progress to share, so I thought I’d do a Flashback Friday and share a previously finished project:
Designer: Trilogy
Chart: Trilogy Square
Worked on 32-count linen using recommended overdyed flosses; the house at the top left is worked over one, while the rest of the pattern is over two, as per the directions.
I’ve been a longtime fan of primitive designs, especially those with primitive houses. In fact, for a while, it seemed to be my mission to buy EVERY pattern that included a primitive house. I gave it a valiant effort, but alas and alack, eventually I (and my checkbook) had to admit defeat and settle for owning many—but not all—designs with primitive houses.
SAT Progress
This past weekend was the SAT on the FGBB, so I worked on my CHS freebie. (Gee, sounds like some secret code, eh?)
I started with just the tic-tac-toe outline on Friday (see my last post), and I managed to stitch quite a bit on Saturday. I had planned to stitch all day on Sunday, calculating that I could finish if I did, but I received a last-minute invitation to go sailing and couldn’t refuse! So here’s my one-day progress:
In keeping with my latest quirk, I had to change some colors. I used a darker brown for an accent color, then I debated about changing the background color on the top center square. Still deciding that one. On one hand, I hate to lose the correlation with the light yellow in the other squares, but on the other hand, it just isn’t showing up as strong as I’d like. Since I’ve ruled out all of the potential replacements in my floss stash, I sense another DMC floss run in my future . . .
In one housekeeping note, I have changed the posting method on my blog, which should mean that comments get displayed faster. Hope that makes it easier to comment.
Tic-tac-toe, anyone?
I know, I know, this isn’t the greatest of pictures. And I have to admit that it isn’t the most interesting WIP picture ever shared on a blog. But I just couldn’t let that headline go to waste now, could I?
This is the beginning of a Carriage House Samplings freebie that will end up being a mini-quilt. I’m finally trying to join in the FGBB Freebie Challenge, and this is my first one. Never mind that I said I’d try to finish four freebies in March (actual number started? uh, . . . zero), and never mind that it’s already April 20 and this is only my first freebie of the three for this month (which means I’m down by seven now, for those of you who are keeping score). If you bear with me, you’ll see the finish next week, and it’s worth waiting for, because it’s a really cute design!
But for those of you who’d rather see something of greater interest, perhaps you could look at this project in the meantime:
Goode Huswife, Nine-Patch Pincushion
Stitched on Zweigart 40 ct. Dirty Linen over two threads
using single strands of DMC floss.
Eventually, I’ll also do a third mini-quilt, another Goode Huswife design, and I may even add a few more mini-quilts before I’m done. I have an interesting finish in mind for these if I can swing it, but I’ll save that for another day . . .
Monday Check-in
I should have posted this last week, but even though it was a smallish project, I couldn’t seem to finish it very quickly.
Designer: Trilogy
Kit: Peace in All Things
(32 ct Flax linen, GA floss, and embellishments supplied)
Once again, I felt the need to “adjust” the floss colors. The photo of the model shows the outside border as more of a brown (mine is definitely green) and the house as tan (mine is definitely green). The lettering was supposed to be in a different shade of green, but since that would have made four different versions of green (counting the trees), I decided to switch to a blue-black to add some contrast. I also ended up switching the color of the stars, because that “gold” floss was looking rather, well, yep, you guessed it, GREEN!
Now don’t get me wrong. Green is one of my favorite colors, but there were just too many competing shades. I don’t know if it was this particular batch of overdyed flosses (supplied with the kit) or whether the photo of the model wasn’t color-matched, but my finished piece has a decidedly different feel to it. Still, I’m happy with the final look. I did opt to leave off the star button that was supplied with the kit. After changing the floss color on the stitched stars, the gold of the button didn’t match, and at that point, I just wasn’t willing to redo the stars in a different color.
By the way, you’re getting a peek at one of my treasured needlework “tools” in this picture. I had to use a frame to stitch the stars. When I do this, I use my handy-dandy needlework tacks. I bought these very useful items nearly 20 years ago from a now-defunct LNS. They were a Japanese specialty item, and the storage case for the tacks also has a built-in device to lift the tacks out of the frame and deposit them directly back into the storage container. Quite nifty!
A Spring Bunny
Today I’m sharing another “old” finish with you:
Designer: Sally Ann Designs
Kit: Run Bunny Run (copyright 1992)
28 count evenweave over one thread using Waterlillies Silk and
Kreinik Au Ver A Soie Silk. Primitive frame by Reuben’s Frames
was included with the kit.
I purchased this piece quite a few years ago when there was a needlework show in Indianapolis (no longer held). As you can see from the picture, the finished design is small, measuring approximately 2 inches wide and 1.5 inches high. I used to display this piece in the spring only, but now it sits on my desk year-round, mostly because otherwise I forget about it after it’s put away.
I particularly like the four-sided pulled stitch that forms the border around the design. It adds such nice detail in this small piece.
A recent old finish
Well, I’m stitching a new project, but since it’s practically done, I’ll post a picture later this week, when I’ve finished it completely.
In the meantime, I’m posting an old finish. This is one that I completed stitching in March 2006 and completed the finishing in November 2006. It’s a rarity, first, because I didn’t abandon it with my many other stitched but unfinished pieces and, two, because I sewed it myself!
Here is my Prairie Schooler Santa wallhanging:
Here are close-ups of the three PS Santas that I used:
PS 1996 Santa (top block)
PS 2003 Santa (middle block)
And PS 2000 Santa (bottom block)
I used a three-block panel of the Fireside patterned cross stitch/afghan material to complete the wallhanging, then appliqued that directly onto some dark red fabric. I fringed the edges of the Fireside fabric to give it a little more interest, an idea that I got from a LNS. I’m quite inept with a sewing machine, so you’ll just have to believe me when I say that this was an easy finishing technique. I gave it as a gift to a Santa collector, and she liked it so well that she’s left it hanging up on display year-round.
Heeeeeere’s Johnny!
I can’t believe it. At long last, I’ve finished my second Prairie Schooler “Johnny Appleseed” sampler!! And here it is:
Designer: Prairie Schooler
Pattern: Book 9, Johnny Appleseed
Stitched on 32-count white linen over two threads
using most of the recommended DMC floss color with
a few substitutions.
In my last post, I wrote about my continuing dye lot problems. I had nearly given up on finding the perfect match to finish the green in the trees, but then my travels on Saturday took me to a LNS.
At first, it appeared that the store was out of the right color, but when I explained what I was looking for, the very helpful shop owner pulled out some samples—some of which were from older dye lots—from behind the counter. She had a partial skein that turned out to be the perfect match! How lucky was that?? And fortunately, it was enough to finish the remaining trees without any variation in color. (By the way, thanks, Katrina, for offering to check your older floss for a match. I might have taken you up on that, if this hadn’t worked out.)
Needless to say, I was thrilled, so I spent the entire day stitching on Sunday. After a couple more hours today, I finished it, all except for adding my initials.
I can’t wait to deliver it to the framing shop. The frame is already made, so I’ll just need new mats to accommodate the slightly larger size of this newer piece. I’ve really enjoyed seeing “The Three Pigs” and “The Bear and the Bees” hanging on my wall, so I’m excited about adding this one to the group. Hopefully, “The Three Bears” will follow before long. It’s already stitched, but I need to have a new frame and mats made first.
I’ve been so focused on this project that I really have no idea what I’ll work on next. Maybe I’ll take a break from my bigger projects and do the four freebies that I intended to do in March for the Freebie Challenge on the Friends Gather board. (Just couldn’t put this one down long enough to pick up anything else, but now, the possibilities are endless. And if you saw my stash, you’d know that I meant that LITERALLY!!)
P.S. For those of you who were following my continued dye lot woes, you might be interested to know that I ended up with 15 skeins of DMC 3051, 11 skeins of DMC 937, and 2 skeins of DMC 936. Needless to say, I see a project with LOTS of green in my future.
ADDED ON 4/3/07—
When I was going through my stash last night, trying to decide what to work on next, I pulled out my Hillside Samplings “Stitching Chair Necessaire” kit, . . . which happens to contain two more skeins of DMC 3051, . . . which appear to be a PERFECT match to my nearly unmatchable dye lot. Who knew?
