IHSW

 Here's my start for the weekend:

People's Choice _Designer of the Year

 Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching has been hosting the People's Choice SAL for years. I rarely joined as I didn't have things that fit the theme or I forgot to post. This will be the last one for a bit so I thought I would join in.

Who is my Designer of the Year? The one I really am looking forward to stitching?

It would be Thistle Threads as I have two of Trisha's pieces that I want to finish.

17th Century Whitework Sampler:

 

And Harmony of Nature Casket:

 

IHSW Start for December 2023

 Life is always crazy this time of year, but I wanted to try to post my before photos for the weekend. 

I'm stitching with some friends tonight on Zoom and several of us are working on this sampler by Tricia Nyuen:

I've been making some progress on my HAED by trying to stitch a single thread a day. I don't manage every day, but I figure every stitch counts:

And I managed to get the big center motif done on Susan:

The local Embroidery Guild of America is holding it's Holiday Party on Saturday. I will take something to stitch, but I doubt I will get much done.

Counting is Important

 Well, I think I am ready for the Zoom with my friends tonight.

We will see if I can get the blue section stitched.

17th Century Whitework Sampler

 I have a love/hate relationship with this piece. I love the colors. I love the thread-which is  Soie Gobelins:

I think it is stitching the piece while talking to friends on the 45 count fabric. I may have to do this in the morning when all is quiet.

WIPocalypse November 2023

 It is time for another WIPocalypse post. You can find all the pertinent information at Melissa's blog. 

Her question this month is: What is your favorite way to finish ornaments and/or smalls? Truth be told, I have finishing projects so my favorite way is to send them to a finisher. Or do Mill Hill bead kits which I can finish on my own.

Here is what I have been stitching:

Susan Schlitcher 1845:

She calls to me and I have a hard time putting her away.

Dawn to Dusk:

Finished the Letter K for the Sampler Book:

And I did a small amount of work on my 17th Century Sampler:

Some New Projects

 So, I couldn't help myself. I started two new projects. Well, one isn't really new but a continuation of the 17th Century Whitework class I am taking with some frieds.

But first, Jane Turner by The Essaplaire:

Why, you may ask? Why start a new sampler that looks like My Beloved?

Because Gary Parr over at FiberTalk started his. Or at least he said he was going to start his..

I'm going to change colors and use Vikki Clayton silks:

The other piece is the second sampler from the 17th Century Whitework class. We originally started it on Sycamore Seedpod which is 53/60 count linen with Soie Goblin. I was really struggling with it so I was able to change over to 45 count Foxtail Millet and I love how it looks:

Sycamore Seedpod:

Foxtail Millet:

Thanks Kim over at Sassy Jack's!

IHSW April 2023

 So it was the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend where we try to take some extra time to stitch. No such luck in my life, but such is life.

I started the 17th Century color band sampler:

It is on 53/63 Sycamore Seedpod with Soie Goblin. I am going to restart it as it is too bulky for me. Now I need to wait for linen to arrive...

I managed a few stitches on Drawn Thread Sampler:

I need to rip the eyelets over the heart out. They look off center to me....

Pour ta Fete got a little love, but I have a bit to more to do to get a page finish:

I also received happy mail from Sassy Jacks' :

Now to find some stitching time!

WIPocalypse for March 2023

 First, this is a fun SAL to show posts of your WIPs. It is hosted by Melissa over at Measi's Musings.

You can find posts about this SAL on her site or Facebook.

The question of the month is where do you shop?  The real question is where DON'T I shop! I have a new shop in my area called BeStitchedMe , and I have found some nice fabric and threads there.

Sassy Jacks is also a place I frequent along with Needle in A Haystack . Both have a great variety of threads and linens...And Patterns!

This month I tried to stitch on Blue Larkspur by Avlea Folk Embroidery every day as part of the March challenge.

Here is where I started:

And where I finished:

   

I also finished my Doodle Drawn Thread Sampler by Gay Ann Rogers:

AND the first sampler in my 17th Century Whitework Sampler class by Thistle Threads:

Not a bad month for stitching.

A Finish-Kind Of

 I have finished the first project for the 17th Century Whitework Sampler class by Thistle Threads . 

I changed the colors to a purple family and when I worked on the last row with all the cutting, I accidentally cut my base threads. This made me want to toss the whole thing and throw it across the room! Luckily, I'm stitching this with a group of friends and one suggested I just redo that row on the top of the sampler. So I did. I won't be framing this or doing a hemstitch as it was truly a learning piece. 

But I will give her a bath!!!

My plan is to start the next sampler in April. It is a bit more complicated. And I plan to change colors.

February Calendar and Some Stitching

 Here is my calendar for February:

I did stitch every day, which is my relaxation. 

I have been on a mission to finish the first project from my 17th century whitework class:

The final motif is close to being done. I need to read the instructions and see if I can fit the buttonhole bars in the space provided. Then I need to decide if I should start the next project or go dig out my Gay Ann Rogers Drawn Thread Sampler.

WIPocalypse for February 2023

 Well, it is the end of the month and I want to show some progress on my WIP pile.

First, this is the from the mind of Melissa over at Measi's Musings. It is just a way to get encouragement on finishing some of the WIPs we have in our WIP pile.

I managed to finish Love Coffee by Mill Hill:

Which meant I could work on the next Mill Hill bead kit in my pile, Garden Chair:

I also did a bit more on my 17th Century Whitework Sampler:

And a little stitching on Betsy Ross Needlecase:

Blue Larkspur is HUGE, but I am making progress:

And Pour ta Fete has gotten a little attention:

Oh! And Reptiles got the 500+ stitches in February:

If I worked on one project at a time I would get more done, but I am afraid I would get a little bored.

IHSW for February 2023

 I managed to get some stitching time for the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend.

This is just a weekend to show progress on your pieces and if you are able, to spend a little extra time stitching.

First, I worked on Pour ta Fete and made it to the right edge:

I did a quick peek at my pattern and realized I still have quite a bit to do before the end of the year!

I spent some time with my Avlea Blue Larkspur:

Starting point:

Where I ended:

I love the red flowers:

And I got a bit done on my 17th Century Whitework sampler:

I started on the second big motif: