Look, A Finish

 Because my Mystery Sampler is on a scroll frame, I didn't take it with me on Memorial Day when we took a short road trip to Antietam. Instead I grabbed my O Canada Sampler by The Victoria Sampler.

Started in 2011, I think. I modified this to be an homage to my ancestors who relocated from Connecticut to Nova Scotia when the British brought in people to replace the evicted Acadians.  They arrived in 1761, thus the 250 in the sampler.

I changed some stuff on this one. Didn't have a good color of pearl #12 so I used floche which was then too thick to do the satin stitch so I designed a cross stitch band.

Moving Along

In 2013, the Loudoun Sampler Guild started a mystery band sampler. Betsy Morgan was the organizer of this project and every month for a year we got a new band designed by one of our members.

I designed band #2, the bargello one. The quote is part of a Monet quote.

So for the first months, I moved right along with this piece. But eventually I fell behind and by the time I got to my design your own band, I had an idea involving Boston Bars. Then I really got bogged down with the blue and light yellow colors. All the joy was gone. And there it sat, occasionally making me feel guilty.

Then in pandemic times, I pulled it out and gave it some serious thought. Decided the blue needed more color, even if that isn't typical of historical samplers.

Dusted off my plans for the salt box, birdhouse, barn combo that is unique to Portsmouth NH samplers and I just now finished that part.

Next up, my final band that I designed yesterday. It's already 28" long. 

Plan B

 Turns out that I need to use my magnifier to do my buttonhole stitch on my radish leaves.

So enter Plan B. The leaves need to wait.

I'm currently taking an online course with the EGA called Some Accumulation with Terri Bay. She writes excellent directions and has made videos for us. 

I'm still finishing the first lesson.

I have a light green 32ct linen and a gray Finca pearl cotton. 

This is going so much better with the magnifier. So it's taking all my magnifier time. 

Huzzah!

Well. I finally found my fabric! Only took a few weeks to locate my safe place. 😁

 

Only Six Years

Almost five years ago, I went to Seminar in Myrtle Beach and took two classes with Jennifer Riefenberg. The first Colorplay is the only class that I have ever finished right after the class. Yay, me. 

But this is about the second class, Radishes. There's sky above the radishes. The lovely red radish. And layers of earth that they are growing through. It's mostly flosses, some overdyed. A little bit of Kreinik metallic braids and beads on congress cloth. I did work on the piece after Seminar, but I stopped about halfway down the layers. 

This is part of a series, Carrots, Radishes, and Beets. (Side note: I have the other two projects in my stash.) Jennifer used similar techniques, but added unique parts to each. Each set of leaves is different. The Radish leaves are stumpwork. And of course we started a leaf in our two-day class. 

So I put my hands on this last month and decided to finish it. And woe is me. I've broken one cardinal rule. That started leaf, both fabrics and one thread have been separated from the rest of the kit. I know I've had my hands on it at least once or twice. 

My fear was that I had tossed it out. But that spool of Soie isn't in my stash. This means that this probably tucked into some "safe" spot. So safe that I can't find it. 😂

 

 

Woodlawn, the Needlework

 I did not take a ton of photos, just captured things to jog my memory.

First off, there are four versions of the ANG Stitch of the Month 2019

OK. These will help me figure out how to adjust my own version.

There is gigantic peacock on canvas. It's a true attention getter.

There's a Holiday Patches in its original colorway and there's this one:

I want to post more but blogger is misbehaving. Maybe I'll try again later. 

Kudos to all who entered. It's an enjoyable show. 

Woodlawn Needlework Show

Like always, the house itself is deserving of attention. 

 

My Goodness

 https://www.fendi.com/au/baguette-bag-with-embroidery-kit-for-adding-a-personal-touch/p-8br600afirf0vph

I hope you can still see this on the Australian website. Because in the US, this is apparently sold out according to one of our customers. 

It's a Fendi bag kit with floss, needles, three thimbles, and a horrid made of Penelope canvas bag and is it even lined? Looks like you are paying thousands for a Fendi buckle. 

More April Ornaments

 Two more Kathy Shenkel ornaments done. My stitches and my thread choices. Actually most thread came from my stash except the background and the light green Petit Very Velvet on the previously seen owl. 

Hope the girls will love them as much as I do. 

From the Framers

 Let's begin with me saying how happy I am to have a wonderful framing business that I trust and can unreservedly recommend. Totally Framing has two store fronts here in Fairfax County, Virginia. If the only way I could use them was mail order, I would still be using them.

These are my January finishes. And I dropped off Beach Dance. 

These are the Sunflower Seed's Tequila, Little House Needleworks, and Catherine Agnes by Indigo Rose. I made changes to all of them. And waited nearly 15 years to finish all three. Why? Let's not go there. Happy to have them done so I can admire all the time!