Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Time for A Stitchy Post!

Wow - January is just fleeting by; I can't believe it's the 25th already! I shouldn't complain though; it's been a productive month for me. After the holidays every year I start my annual campaign to clean every room in the house. Not just your normal dusting and vacuuming either - I clean out closets and drawers and "reduce, reuse, and recycle!" As the year progresses, I make my way through the house...some years I get through the whole house, some years I don't. It's a good feeling though when the rooms are really clean and stuff is organized!

I seem to have stalled a bit with my stitching this month. Oh, not to worry, I'm still stitching, but maybe at a slower pace than earlier in the month. Still, I'm making progress and I have a few updates for you.

Let's start with some framing that I picked up recently. This was one of my first finishes this year and it is going to be a gift for some friends. I had it framed at JoAnn's and unlike the pieces I have framed for myself, I had them put glass on it. The design is Pray for Peace from Birds of a Feather.



The angled photo shows off the mottled look of this frame. I like it alot; I hope that our friends like it too. They lost their house to a fire last fall and so when they move in to their new home in February we will give this to them. I figured they may need something to hang on their walls!

Next up is a progress report on my Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers. I seem to be on a mission to get some of my WIPs done before starting anything new. This happens to be one of those WIPs and I'm making good progress on the center section. Can I just say that it took forever to stitch that big bird?!?!? I'm stitching on 36ct Irish Creme and using the overdyed threads as called for. I really like the shading in the alphabet and the birds!



Last but not least - I think this is the update I am most proud of. The piece is not finished yet, but it is really close! This was/is the oldest WIP in the basket. The design is called Mystery Sampler and the pattern was posted back in 2005 and 2006 over several months in the EGA magazine. As you can see, it is a band sampler. It's about 2.5 - 3 feet long. It's stitched with DMC.



I started this project in 2005. I got as far as "PQR" and stopped. I was afraid to do the pulled thread stitches I guess.


Two weeks ago at a Needlework Guild meeting, one of the ladies there had brought hers with. She had a little bit more finished than I did, but still had quite a bit left to do. Once I saw hers I knew that I had to get this finished this year! With some prodding from another friend (aka taskmaster Chris) I completed the rest of the stitching down as far as my name at our weekend stitching retreat two weeks ago.

This past weekend while watching football I stitched up the over one verse at the bottom.

All I have left is the two pulled thread sections (under PQR and above STU). If you look closely, you can see that I've started pulling out threads under PQR! I hope to share a finish with you on this one real soon!

So there you have it - you're all caught up with my recent stitching progress. Happy hump day and keep on stitching!

14 comments:

Shirlee said...

The finishes & WIPs look great! I love that band sampler! Blessings, Shirlee

Lynn said...

What a wonderful housewarming gift for your friends in their new home. So fitting too! I'm sure they'll be thrilled with your gift.

You're making some great headway with your BBD. I've just finished purchasing these but don't know if I'll get started on them right away.

You really went to town with the band sampler too. Well done! I think I'd be nervous about the thread pulling too.

Mama Joan said...

Great job on the band sampler.
Talk to you soon.

Giovanna said...

Congrats on finishing the band sampler, what a beauty! And nice progress on the BBD trio.

Margaret said...

Wow, what beautiful work! That band sampler is so wonderful! I hope you finish the pulled work soon so we can see the final finish! Love that Pray for Peace -- the frame you picked out is wonderful! Love how the BBD piece is going as well!

Laurie in Iowa said...

The frame is just perfect for the Pray for Peace gift. I hope your friends love it as much as I do.
The band sampler is so pretty and I'm looking forward to seeing your finish.
Love the BBD piece too!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

I think it all looks awesome to me! What a thoughtful gift to give to your friends too. I know they will appreciate it.

Mrs. DillyDally said...

Wonderful projects! Congratulations on your finishes...your work is amazing!

Jean said...

Congratulations on your finishes and WIPS, there all lovely.

barbara said...

I can't believe how fast the month is going. Scares me silly - it'll be August before I know what's happening!

Great stitching. I adore the frame you chose for Pray for Peace!

Unknown said...

I love the piece you made your friends and I love the frame. That band sampler is amazing!

Bekca said...

I love the idea of starting each new year with a proper good clear out, out with the old, in with the new as they say!
That band sampler is really special, I can't wait to see it all finished up. Best wishes.

Chelle said...

The frame on Pray for Peace is stunning! Great choice, and beautiful stitching. Your BBD is gorgeous, and I love the band sampler. Congrats on finishing your oldest WIP! That's real cause for celebration. :-)

Siobhán said...

Lovely stitching! I love your choice for the moulding on the frame, too. What a neat idea to make your way through the house, cleaning and chucking as you go. I need to do that! We've been in this house nearly 4 years now and I am shocked at how much we've accumulated!