Another Start (and I like the linen this time)

Thank you all for you kind and funny comments on my post the other day. It's so nice to know I'm not alone! :) I worked on Ellen for a little bit more and then put her away. I had enough of the drama! I got out Ruthie, who is so much nicer to me (although I did have some drama with her in the beginning too) and worked on her a little bit...

And yesterday while working on Ruth Bacheler my linen came for my CHS "Sampler Stocking." I ordered the recommended 40 ct. Meadow Rue for it and I love it! I was so happy when I opened the package and saw the color - it's so pretty. :)

Well, not much else going on here - just getting ready to make dinner! write later! :)

Cross Stitch for Sale!

I've added some more things to my trade blog!

Welcome to the Loony Bin!

I worked on "Ellen Birdseye" last night. I was not happy with the linen though. I didn't think it was dark enough. So I decided to over-dye it was a little tan Rit Dye. I dried it and started stitching some more. I still wasn't happy with it, so I dyed it again with some tea and coffee and threw it in the oven for ten minutes. And then I decided it's not the color, it's the linen. It's too thin. It's like stitching on tissue. I don't know why some 36 ct. linens are like that. I ended up crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash. Yes, I did! I got out a piece of 32 ct. Days Gone By linen from my "Glad Tidings" Shepherd's Bush kit and decided to start over. I did the border and the little bird in the corner and finally went to sleep around 1 am. I woke up this morning and I did not like it on the Days Gone By. At all. So I dug in the trash and amazingly my original Ellen was just fine. I rinsed it out and dried it and started stitching on it some more. I think I need to check myself into a mental hospital. How can I obsess over my stitching so much? Why can't I just pick a linen and be happy with it? Why do I do this? Anyway, here's my progress....

I was very close to setting the whole thing aside and starting something else, but I didn't. I'm determined to finish it now! I think I actually like it now! :) Write later - after I get out of the hospital!

This is the Day - Finished??

I worked on "This is the Day" all day yesterday. I was going to leave the top alphabet not filled in and then I decided to fill it in. Well after about five or six rows I decided I didn't like it. I spent the night ripping it out. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. I hope it doesn't look too unfinished. I just thought white was a little too bright. I thought about coffee-dyeing it, but then I thought the other threads might run. And then I thought about using a different color, but then I would have to rip out the bottom too, so for now it's finished. Maybe I'll change my mind later, but I doubt it! :)

Hands to Work (Tracy Riffle) "This is the Day"
Just Cross Stitch Jan/Feb 2009
Fabric: 40 ct. Coffee and Tea-Dyed using Vonna's Method
Threads: Cresent Colours, GAST and WDW
Started: 3/20/09 - Finished: 4/17/09

After I finished TiTD - I decided to start something new. I decided to start The Goode Huswife's "Ellen Birdseye" using Melissa's conversion. I found a pretty piece of 36 ct. Vintage Navy Bean in my stash. I'm stitching it one over two.

I think I'm really going to love stitching this one! Well, it's such a beautiful day today, I think I'm going to take the kids to the beach or a park. Write soon! :)

Back to This is the Day

I decided to get out "This is the Day" yesterday. I worked on the over one portion all night. What a pain! Over one on 40 ct. is not too fun, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I ended up putting Nicole N instead of my initials.

I started on the bottom portion today. I used Red Currant for the vase and Wild Berries and WDW Red Pear (thanks for the idea Katrina) for the flowers. I also used Wild Berries for the words and Red Pear for the heart.

Thank you to everyone for your very kind comments on Ida Mae. A couple people commented that she reminded them of their grandma or aunt. She reminded me of my grandma. Her name was Edna Mae. I think that's one of the main reasons I had to stitch her! :)



P.S. This is the Day can be found in the Jan/Feb 2009 Just Cross Stitch

Ida Mae Crow Finished!

I got her finished up today! It was such a fun stitch! I want to get her framed right away. I just love it! :)

The Goode Huswife "Ida Mae Crow" (c)2009 (not oop!)
Fabric: 35 ct. Straw WDW Linen
Threads: Needlepoint Inc. Silks (2 over 2)

The last picture is the frame I'm thinking of ordering from American Frame. I love how you can go on their site and upload a picture to see how it looks with the different moldings. I also like how inexpensive it is. I'm thinking of ordering a few. I'd love to get started on my sampler wall! Now, I guess I should be good and get back to one of my many wips. Write soon! :)

Ida Mae Crow

I was itching to start something new yesterday, so I decided to start The Good Huswife's "Ida Mae Crow." I'm using the recommend linen and threads - 35 ct. WDW Straw and NPI silks (2 over 2).

I also decided to kit a few other things up. The first is Plantation Sampler. I loved Tanya's finish and I am copying her conversion of NPI silks and DMC. The fabric is 40 ct. Vintage Maritime White. She used 45 ct. I'm not that brave! I thought she did such a beautiful job with it.

The second is Ellen Birdseye. I'm such a copycat because I'm also copying the colors Melissa used for her recent finish. The linen I think I'm going to use is 36 ct. Vintage Navy Bean.

And last is Carriage House Samplings "Sampler Stocking." I'm joining a SAL with Annemarie and Barbara starting on the 16th. I pulled the threads and I think I'm going to be using 40 ct. Pearled Barley.

I just had to get my ds from school because he has an earache. He doesn't have a fever, so I think it's just from him being congested with a cold he's had. I put some earache drops in and gave him some Tylenol and now he's sound asleep. The poor thing. Anyway, I'm sure he'll be fine. Thank you all for your very kind comments the other day! It's so good to be back! Write soon! :)

edited to add: Ida Mae Crow is a new chart released recently by The Goode Huswife (she's designing again!).

I'm Home!

I got home last night about 9 pm. It was nice to see family and friends, but I'm so glad to be home! I'm ready to get back to my routine. I did get a tiny bit of stitching done. I started "Lo" right before I left.

I'm using DMC (2 over 2) on 32 ct. Vintage Lentil. So far it's a fun stitch.

My first stop was my old LNS Silk Road Needle Arts. I went straight for the Lakeside Linen drawer and found a beautiful cut of 32 ct. Vintage Sand Dune. I also got Shepherd's Bush's "Mermaid Sampler" and a SANQ magazine that I didn't have.

I got to meet up with Deb on Thursday and we went to the Golden Needle and then to lunch at the Olive Garden. It was so Yummy! I had Baked Ziti and we both got the Tiramisu. Here's some stash I got at Golden Needle.

La-D-Da "La-D-Da Alphabet" and "Old Glory Angel" and a great $1 find - Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin "Ice-Skating Party."


Lakeside Linen 40 ct. Vintage Light Examplar, Picture This Plus 36 ct. Earthen, and Lakeside Linen 40 ct. Vintage Sand Dune.

After lunch with Deb, I stopped at Needlepoint Ivy on my way home. I got some Blackbird Design charts that I didn't have, some linen and another $1 find - Just Nan's "Morning Song."

On the way back up to South Carolina I stopped at the Olde Green Cupboard in Jacksonville. It's such a cute shop. It's mostly a quilting shop, but they do carry some cross stitch. They also have antiques and other house stuff. It's just a neat shop to browse around in. Anyway, I found a few things there also...

I was excited to find these OOP Sheepish Design charts there "Alpha Bird" and Alpha Menagerie."

I went just a tad crazy with the stash buying, but hey, I was on vacation! :) I think I've met my stash buying quota for a while now! Now I need to get to stitching! Write soon!

A Little More This is the Day

I got some more stitched on "This is the Day" last night and today.

I'm going to Florida tomorrow with the kids to visit my family for spring break, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again. I'll be gone until next Saturday (4/12). Write as soon as I can! :)

I ended up stitching a little more on "This is the Day" last night. I think Titania will have to be neglected for a little longer.

Today I worked on Quaker Christmas. I got a few small motifs finished.

Well, this is going to be a short post. I'm making dinner again (I actually ended up making pork chops last time, so this time I really am making meatloaf). Write soon! :)



P.S. To see before and after pics go to my right sidebar where it says "Current Wips" - let your mouse hover over the design name and then you can click on the arrow to see the pictures for that design.