Seize It

 

I picked this from my stash a couple of weeks ago. A quick stitch. 

Mystery Band Sampler

 From the vault. In this photo you can see the 10th band of a 9 year old project. And the backside of two other bands wrapped around my scroll frame.

This was a year long project with the Loudoun Sampler Guild we did in 2013. And I am trying to finish it before the end of 2022.

This band is a mash-up. It's based on a pattern that I found on the internet maybe 20 years ago. I apologize for not remembering the designer name. The quote was something about going to my grave a well-read woman. 

But I mixed this with a different quote by T. Kira Madden, which I shortened. And some design elements like the turkey from our November band. I am only going to have eleven bands because I did a mash-up already of two months.

I see the end... 

Mid-Atlantic Region Meeting

 It was fall meeting time even though officially it's still summer. Certainly felt like summer.

Traveled north to Mount Laurel, NJ. Not a horrible drive except for construction on the Delaware bridge. Ugh.

I had an enjoyable evening to myself in the hotel. First, listening to jazz and stitching. Then watching the new episode of Rupaul's Celebrity Drag Race. We'll just call it a guilty pleasure and leave it at that.

In the morning, we finally had our long awaited class with Catherine Jordan on stitching blackwork on magnolia leaves.

Here's mine:

I have a few more leaves to expirement on. Definitely an interesting concept. 

Whitework Extravaganza

Weekend workshop with Catherine Theron at the Loudoun Sampler Guild.

It will be sometime before I make serious progress on this. Six and half inches by 17 on 32ct linen with silk thread, all single strands.

It's a beautiful piece. I hope I'm up for the challenge. 

The Count

Presenting the Count of Needlemania. 

Stitching done a few days after it should have been done, but somehow I misplaced a card of Frosty Rays. 

He'll be heading to the finisher to be made into a stand up. 

We were vacationing in a log cabin last week on a ridge above the Shenandoah River. So relaxing. And a great time for me to start my Blue Ridge Stitchery ornament. 

 

Gifted

 I made two Terri Bay Ukrainian whitework pieces as gifts. I personalized the back with their initials.

28ct Picture This Plus Helix linen. I just had a small piece, but it was big enough to stitch two of these. A little bit of DMC floss for the black and Finca pearl cotton in gray. Finally some River Silks ribbon for the finishing.

Still Counting

 

Yesterday's progress. Once I finish the cloak collar on the right, I will stitch his ears and mouth. Just got to say this is a lot of black.

If you are interested, this is a class by Janet Zickler Casey. But it is also available as a painted canvas thru Danji Designs. 

And I'm Counting

 Progress photo on the Count of Needlemania. There's a lot of black to stitch. So I worked on the cloak collar. When I finish the right side, maybe I'll add his ears and mouth.

Next Up, The Count

 I have been organizing again. Literally have had my hands on every kitted canvas I own both counted and painted. And I documented them. So I know where they are.

Now if I want a new project I should just dip into the bin and get stitching.

Bonus. I found a canvas that I was ready to buy from our current trunk show. And it has all the threads.

Meanwhile, this canvas came out to play.

The Count of Needlemania by Janet Zickler Casey.

I remember stopping when I came to the black cloak. I think we did this as a guild project in 2011 or around then. 

August Finish

 I have not fallen off the earth. I am still here and still stitching. Just been working on gifts, etc.

I do have another JoAnn finish. This is the second of three British pub canvases designed by Trubey. JoAnn had barely begun the roof and I had a bag of threads. I changed a few. This was a fairly straightforward stitch. Lots of satin or gobelin stitching. A good amount of basketweave.

It'll be a box stand up.