for secret projects here and there. Sneaking in a few stitches, picking out colors, and hiding things behind your back when certain people come in the room… is there anything more fun than that?
Posted in Uncategorized.
– 11/16/2009
I’ve been struck with a case of Finish-itis! There is something about have TOO many unfinished objects that sends me over the edge. So, I finished my Golden Eye Shawl from Bad Cat Designs -
Here is the poor little thing, just off the needles and desperately in need of a good blocking. Which it got!
I don’t have any cheesecake pictures yet, but hopefully soon 
Posted in Finished Objects, Knitting.
– 11/04/2009
Look at this site! If you love historical sewing and needlework books like I do, you will love this site. I’ve barely scratched the surface there, I need about 4 days to roll around in there and soak….like a good long hot bath! lol
I’m not going to say more, you’ll discover it for yourself and my words won’t be necessary! Enjoy!
Posted in Cross-Stitch, Free Patterns, Historical.
– 10/22/2009
Yes, I did finish my first project and I’m really happy with the results.
I’ve started the next project. There are 17 projects in the books, arranged from Easy to Advanced, so I started with Easy and am working my way through. Well, to #2 anyway It’s so easy to be sidetracked!
While Project #1 was done with DMC floss, this one calls for different threads. Appleton Crewel Wool and some others. I have some Appleton wools, about 30 different colors. I have no problem substituting my own colors, but when shading, if you don’t have the right shades (in any colorway) it’s a bit more difficult. I did the first petal (can you see the wrinkled part on top?) but didn’t like so I took it out – resulting in the wrinkling. It’s more of a ’stretched fabric’ situation, so my plan is to leave it for last, and then maybe I can iron on another piece of stabilizer.
Why don’t I iron it on now? Blue washable markers do not like to be ironed. They have a tendency to return time and again if they are set with heat, after the washing out. So, I’ll save it for last.
I’m stitching this on a piece of linen I had in my stash. It’s not technically ’stitching linen’ but garment linen. So, I adhered some iron on interfacing to the back of it for stability.
I’m still undecided what to do on the petals. I finally picked out what appeared to be close shades, but you can see in that partially stitched petal, the great contrast between the light I’m stitching with now, and the much darker shade it is supposed to blend into. I’m not at all sure about blending the Appleton wools with DMC floss… such a difference in weights. I’m still pondering what to do – without purchasing new wools or floss. If at all possible, I want to use what I have. I’ll keep you posted!
Posted in Crewel Work.
– 10/16/2009
My good friend, Le-Teisha made me this gorgeous bag for my birthday. I love the colors, and it’s so ‘vintage-y’ feeling… it’s roomy and I just love it!
I wish I had somewhere to go, so I could take my knitting with me and show off my new bag!!! Thank you Le-Teisha
Posted in Knitting.
– 10/10/2009
I’m absolutely LOVING the crewel embroidery. Not to take anything away from my Celtic Christmas lady, but this allows me my own creativity. When I started the first leaf, I was pretty apprehensive about taking the stitches, since only a certain amount of guidance can be provided in a diagram. The actual placement of each stitch was up to me. How and where I placed them would either be beautiful or appalling. No pressure right?
But, not that I’m well into it, I love it! I can shade as I want to, placing the colors where I want them… with Trish Burr’s guidance, of course! It’s now starting to look like a flower! This first picture is the one I’m stitching. The next picture is Trish Burr’s piece.
Now, I realize that after I finish this little piece and frame it and hang it on my wall, I’m not going to put the picture of hers right next to it! But this is how I can gauge my progress. Trying to make mine look as much like hers as I can. Not that I want to copy it thread for thread, but I want to shade and blend as well as she does. Or better! Why not shoot high?
Last night I worked on it, during the Cardinals game. The one where we handed the game to the Dodgers on a very pretty silver platter. I started and finished 1 petal, the one I circled. It took me approximately 3 hours to do the one petal. And since I’ve taken this picture first thing this morning, I have almost finished the one that is next to it, that you can see outlined with the lavender thread. I’m happy with my progress on shading and blending, but my turnovers don’t look ‘real’. Guess that means I need more practice! Rats!! lol….
Posted in Crewel Work.
– 10/09/2009
I’ve done lots of cross stitch lately. My Celtic Christmas lady is turning out so beautiful it’s hard not to work on her!
Since I took this picture, I’ve rolled the scroll up so her face is not visible anymore and I’m working on her skirt. I’ll try to get a new picture soon.
Posted in Cross-Stitch.
– 10/08/2009
Here is the work so far on Celtic Christmas. I started with a 6″ hoop… it’s just too big of a design for that, so I moved to a scroll frame, and this is much easier to work on.
and Project #1 in the Trish Burr book
I’m not Entirely happy with the way the shading is turning out, but I know it’s a matter of practice, so I’m practicing!
I’m so far from being finished with Celtic Christmas it’s not even funny, but I am narrowing down my choices for the next project It might be this one or this one I know – I’m kind of weird, but I like complicated, challenging designs. And of course, I’ll choose another TIAG project to do, because she has 126 designs that I haven’t done yet!
Posted in Crewel Work, Cross-Stitch.
– 09/29/2009
Lately, I’ve been trying to fill in my missing DMC colors. Michaels gives out coupons and I use those when I can. I bought a bunch the other day when I had a 20% off Entire Purchase coupon! I thought, until now, that was my big haul. Last night, Mike and I went to Michaels to buy some DMC…I just needed a few colors for my Trish Burr book, first project. No, I’m not done with my lessons, but it couldn’t hurt to do a little leaf now, could it? Do you believe everything I say? lol….
So, I got what I needed, and as we were walking to the cash register I commented that on Thursday, I’d come in and buy the rest of the colors, so we wouldn’t have to do this ‘little trip to Michaels’ all the time. Mike said, “Let’s not wait for Thursday, we’re here NOW… ” and the rest is history. The next picture shows my birthday present for this year – it’s not quite here yet, but almost (Oct.1)
and here… lol… is a picture of the receipt, cause you know they ring up each skein separately…
Posted in Shopping.
– 09/23/2009
I know I said I had to finish the Long and Short Lessons before I could start my crewel work. But that doesn’t include Preparing for the crewel work Like a goof, I ordered my Quilt Pounce with WHITE chalk powder. Well, that’s never going to show up on my light tan Linen Twill. sigh.
Where there is a will, there is a way, right? Right! Because I didn’t want to be poking on the book page in order to transfer the pattern I made a copy of it to work from. I put a piece of tracing paper over the copy and started poking away on the design. When it dawned on me, why not skip the middleman? So, I cut a piece of tracing paper 8 1/2″ x 11″ and printed the design directly on the tracing paper. I put it over a washcloth for cushion and poked away.
That was when I realized the Pounce was not going to work, with the White Chalk Powder. So, I contemplated it a bit and then realized – The poking holes in the tracing paper, combined with my blue washable marker… Bingo! I put the tracing paper over my fabric (which had been washed and dried according to instructions) and put blue marks in each hole. Then, I simply connected the dots on the fabric, and there was my design!
Posted in Techniques.
– 09/21/2009
