New Start

I finished the model for Lisa today, so I decided to start something new! It's Drawn Thread's Sampler of Stitches. I really fell in love with this project after seeing Chi's finished Sampler. Her whole album is such an inspiration!

I put a few stitches in yesterday after getting a few silks I was needing from It's a Stitch.

And I put a few more in today...

AVAS Soie d'Alger silk, 32 ct. Vintage Bisque by Lakeside Linens.

I left the last number off the year because who knows when I'll actually finish. I am hoping it's sometime in the 2010's. :) I was going to use NPI silks, but decided to go with AVAS because they're a little thicker and thought they might work better on the 32 ct. linen.

Write soon!

Giveaway!!

I'm here, I've just been busy stitching a model for Lisa (The Primitive Needle). It's so cool - I can't wait for you all to see it!

Anyway, on to the giveaway. You know those annoying ads I put on my site a couple years ago?? Well, I have finally received a payment! It's not much, but I wanted to share some of it with you because you helped me get it. I will be giving away a $25 gift certificate to Down Sunshine Lane (my favorite online shop). I will draw a name on Monday, May 3 at 8:00 am EST. That should give everyone plenty of time to enter!

Leave a comment on this post to enter (one entry per person). Thanks and Good Luck!! :)

Quick Post

Just a quick post to say that I have finished block 12 of Shores!

40 ct. Summer Khaki (over-dyed with Tan Rit Dye), NPI silks.

This block seemed to take forever... maybe it was all those fish??? :) Write soon!

Sarah Woodham Progress

I was in a little slump, but I think I'm finally getting out of it.

I'm loving this sampler! It's so much fun to stitch. My poor girl is still bald though - I need to do some chain stitches for her hair. Not too much else going on here. Just getting back into my routine after being away. Write soon! :)

Vacation Stash!

I got back from Florida yesterday around 2 pm. I got up early to beat all the traffic. It was so bad on Saturday when I drove up from Bonita Springs to my in-laws in Lake Panasoffkee that I didn't want to go through it again. I had a very busy week visiting everyone, so I didn't get any stitching done, but I did manage to do a little stashing. :)

I got some NPI for Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow at Silk Road Needle Arts in St. Petersburg...

I got a couple Lakeside Linen fat quarters from Golden Needle in Port Charlotte...

40 ct. Vintage Bisque and 40 ct. Vintage Light Examplar

I also got the cute little cupcake made by Alma Allen's Husband from Golden Needle...

My last stop was at Quilt's 'N More. A nice quilt shop in Port Charlotte. I got some fat quarters from there...

I also received some patterns from The Scarlet Letter while I was away.

Ann Smith, Jenny Bean and Sarah Willson

AVAS Soie 'd Alger silks and 36 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley Linen.

I fell in love with Ann and Sarah after seeing these pictures on Webshots...

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2009934260085030495BEFlSB

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2897855350085030495GCuMVa

I also ordered the catalog from The Scarlet Letter and now my SL wish list has grown immensely! The pictures are much clearer in the catalog.

Although, I need to stay away from the stashing for awhile and get back to stitching, so I won't be ordering anything anytime soon! Hopefully, I'll have some stitching pics to share soon! :)

Spring Break

I'm down in Florida visiting family. I got a little bit of stitching done last night after we arrived. I finally finished filling in the clouds on Paradise Lost...

40 ct. Vintage Light Examplar, NPI silks (1 over 2).

And I got the border finished on Sarah Woodham earlier in the week. Unfortunately, I also had to do a lot of frogging, but I'm finally back on track now.

I worked on a couple motifs last night...

40 ct Vintage Pearled Barley, Various silk threads (1 over 2).

I hope to work on Sarah Woodham a little more while I'm here, or I may start a BBD design that's on 30 ct. A little easier to see since I don't have my big daylight stitching light down here.

Well, hope you all have a very happy Easter! Write soon!

My Grandma's Needlepoint

My grandma, Edna Mae, loved needlecrafts and taught me how to crochet and needlepoint. She had a big rubbermaid bin under her bed full of plastic canvas, yarn and floss, etc. Whenever I was visiting and feeling a little bored I would pull that bin out and stitch or crochet. It was so much fun and I believe fueled my love for needlework. When my grandma passed away in 1992 my dad inherited her large needlepoint picture. He then gave it to me. He knew I would appreciate it, and I do. It's very big, so it was hard to get a decent picture of it.

My grandma attached this paper about her needlepoint on the back. It came off, but I saved it.

Her needlepoint was based on a painting called "Grandmother's Bridal Crown" by Adolph Tidemand, which was painted in 1869. My grandma's information that the artist died in 1845 wasn't correct. Unfortunately, she didn't have access to the internet in 1979 when she stitched it to research it like I do now. :)

Here is a picture of my grandma and I on Mother's Day in 1975.

Maybe she was working on her needlepoint during this time? It's so big I'm sure it took her quite awhile to finish!

Get Together and a Finish

About 20 stitchers from SC, NC and even GA met up in Manning, SC for a stitching day hosted by Amy. It was a lot of fun! I forgot my camera, but took some pictures with Amy's camera.

We had so much fun stitching, chatting and eating!

Faye gave me these pins in exchange for a chart from my sale blog. I love them!! Thanks again Faye!

And here is my little finish...

Blackbird Designs "Summer Iris"

Fabric: 34 ct. Cafe Au Lait Legacy Linen

Threads: Gast and WDW

Started: 3/19/10 - 3/28/10

There were three other finishes by Faye, Karen and Chris yesterday too. You can see them in my flickr album. Well, I'd better get back to laundry! Write soon!

Miserable Week!

I caught a cold and I've been miserable. I'm finally getting over it, thankfully! That spring cleaning I was talking about doing... Yeah, it didn't happen (except for a few charts I sold - thank you to those who bought them)! I go down to Florida April 1st and I was hoping to get a lot done before then. Maybe I still can, if I can find the motivation!

Anyway, I did do a little bit of stitching on Paradise Lost...

I finished the angel, sun, and crown on the right side of the banner and started on the clouds above the banner.

I also decided to start something new..

It's Summer Iris by Blackbird Designs. I'm stitching it on 34 ct. Legacy Linen (Cafe Au Lait) using the recommended WDW and GAST threads (2 over 2).

Well, I'd better get dinner started! Write soon! :)

Lots For Sale!!

I just posted several charts, kits and some fabric for sale on my trade blog.