Busy Times

Yep, I know you are busy too.  This post is going to be all over the place, but there will be stitch pictures.

I thought I would start with a spring apple blossom.  It's been a beautiful and cool spring here in southern Ohio.  I prefer a long chilly spring. 

My middle child is getting married in two weeks over the Memorial Day weekend.  I offered to make the favors for the shower.   I found lots of good ideas on Pinterest and made my own version.  Here they are all tucked in ready to go.

Two tea bags were tucked into each envelope.

In April my DH and I traveled to Ashtabula, Ohio.  The annual Ohio SoapMakers Gathering was held there this year.  I like to attend each year because I always learn something new.  This year a friend demonstrated making liquid soap.  It's a different process than the cold process soapmaking that I do.  I will be trying my hand at it sometime this summer.

These are a couple of swap items, soap cupcakes.  I will be sure to participate in the swap next year.  Soapmakers make some cool stuff.

Last weekend I took a class from Ellen Chester.  This was my third class that I've taken with Ellen.  She and her husband are very thorough in their presentations, directions, supplies etc. Top notch all the way. 

The class our guild offered was A Lady's Worke Box.  Lots of goodies came with this class.  A gorgeous hardwood box, huge piece of linen (Ellen is very generous with her cut of linen. There's lots of room with nice big margins and the linen is a joy to stitch on), silks, silk ribbon, silk dupioni, horn book, thread winders, just everything for a gorgeous set to enjoy. The instructions are top notch and very clear.

Here is a table of projects that Ellen has designed.

Here's the trunk show.  Yeah, I succumbed to a couple but I showed some great restraint.

We worked on the needle book back.  Maybe 12 to 13 different stitches are included.  I loved working on it so much I finished it up last night.  I can't wait to start the front and the rest of the project but it will have to wait until the young people are married and all house guests are safely back at home.

I finished a Prairie Schooler little card chart recently.  This is going to become a floss tag.  Stay tuned.

This is a really really bad picture.  John Foster is a joy to stitch on.  I think I'm a little ahead on our SAL but that's a good thing.  Mine, compared with the others in our group is very muted.  I really love it though.  I'm the only one using HDF silks.  I find HDF silks not to be saturated colors.  This is the second project that I am using these silks on.  DMC conversions are close but I find you need to pick the deeper shade if you want a truer comparison.

I leave you with a picture of future blueberries.  I have weeded all the flower beds.  The mulchers will be here any day, hopefully before the window washers.  Yep, for the first time I have hired window washers.  I can't wait.  I just hope they come after the mulchers.  (that's a first too)

On to cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

See you after the wedding.

Marsha

Sigh

Sweet!  I picked up 'I Sigh Not for Beauty' from Carol today.  She is such a nice person and a wonderful framer.  She's been framing for a long long time.  She used to have her own needle work shop too - The Golden Needle.  We look at frames but I pretty much go with her first pick.  She's good.

 Here it is for its framing 'close up'.

And, here it is in its new home in the dining room.

C Street Samplers
'I Sigh Not for Beauty'
Natural Linen - probably 32 count
NPI Silks, my conversion from DMC, 2 threads over 2

Here is my Easter finish.  I actually finished the finishing yesterday.....sort of.  I'm awaiting the cute brass charms.  A carrot and a lady bug. 

Homespun Elegance
Stash Linen. It called for Mink, which wasn't available so I picked this as a substitute.  I also substituted the snaps for stitching the wheels.  The charted wheels just looked like snaps to me. 

Here it is opened up. I love wool and had all this in my stash.  Puffs up really nice when hand stitching it in.  I didn't follow the directions for putting it together.  Machine stitching will always win out over hand stitching with me.  Why would you hand sew, pressing in edges when you can machine stitch a little more than 3 sides, turn it inside out, press, and hand slip stitch 2 inches?   No brainer. I also fused interfacing behind the stitching.  It didn't call for that but it keeps it stable in my opinion.  This is not an heirloom.  I love the heft of it with all the felted wool.

I love teeny tiny buttons.

 Some of us are doing a personal SAL.  John Foster.  Love him because of the bee skep.  I am enamored with bees.  My guest room is dedicated to bees.  My Alma mater, Penn State, is carrying out research on the decline of bees.  We will be in deep doo doo if the problem is not corrected.  Bees are the major pollinator of our fruits in this country.    Anyway, I took these two pictures, one after the other, in the same spot.  Look at the difference in linen color.  The linen color is somewhere in between but more pink than gold. 

 

I have started April's instructions, but this isn't showing it.  These are HDF silks on 36 count mystery linen.  Love it.

Happy Stitching!

Marsha

Guild Stitch In

     We had a wonderful guest lecture on Saturday hosted by the Queen City Sampler Guild.  Darlene Anderson gave two wonderful talks.  The first was about Adam and Eve Samplers.  She had slides of all the A & E samplers that she has stitched over the years with all their back round information.  Of course, it gave us all ideas on samplers we want to start stitching.
     On my way to the meeting I noticed a hot air balloon in the sky.  We used to have them float over our house all summer long for years but since it's been built up with sub divisions that doesn't happen much any more.  A touch of nostalgia to see this one.  It made me nervous, however, so close to those power lines.

Darlene also gave a talk with a slide show on Christmas ornaments that she stitched in less than a year to decorate a new Christmas tree.  The table below is full of ornaments that she brought along.  And she couldn't bring them all!

These are a few shown closer up.

Here's Darlene at the beginning of her sampler ornament talk.  She was a delightful speaker.

Darlene brought gifts for us!  These thread/needle books were made by Darlene and given out as door prizes.  I was very envious not to have won one.  So gracious and generous.

Our newest guild member won this gorgeous 'blue' one. Lucky her!

This one was slightly different in the way it folded up.  Very cool.

and the back.

I am not participating in the secret stitcher program this year but I'm enjoying seeing the gifts that others are getting.  This cute little rabbit holding the scissors with fob were gifted to my friend Amanda.  The fob was gorgeous in her favorite colors of turquoise with tiny shells.  So delicate and pretty. 

We also had a table set up of our guild members stitching.  One member is known for her dolls and bears.  She made these from a member's mother's fur coats.  So awesome and gorgeous.  The paws are made with the lining fabric which is usually a beautiful patterned silk.

I want him.

Nicole brought in her finished A&E 'And They Sinned'.  She stitched this in less than year.

Christy finished her 'Immigration' sampler.  This is gorgeous.  Hard to see all the detail in this one.

A good time was had by all.

Happy Stitching!

Marsha

Spring has NOT Sprung

It is officially spring.  It does not feel like spring.  It is cold.  I do have crocus and early daffodils blooming but it's still cold.  However, compared to last year when it was 83 degrees on the first day of spring, I'll take the cold.  It will warm up. A few pictures of springy things may help.

My little lamb and his cart of baby bunnies.

I stitched this egg many years ago. I think it was a kit.

I finished Dewdrop last week.  The framing isn't perfect but love it.  He's adorable.

I forgot to download these pictures for the last post.  One of our stitcher's had a niece who had triplets and she stitched them each a welcome sampler.

Saturday is a day long Queen City Sampler Guild meeting with lecture.  It is all about Adam and Eve samplers.  I should have lots of pictures to share.

Marsha

Friday Night Tiara

Once a month we meet for a stitch in, and our group is called Tiara.  Our very special guest was Bram or Raisin Bram as he is sometimes called for the special mark on his nose.

 He's a Great Dane puppy and everyone was thrilled to meet him.  He got a couple of gift bags full of surprises so, of course, he now thinks all bags have surprises for him.  He's a very good puppy with quite a ways to grow.

 People brought in their newest creations so I'll share them with you.

This makes me want to stitch and finish my thimble purse. So adorable.

Someone will be ready for Christmas.  I keep wanting to stitch Christmas on Sundays but get distracted by other stitching.

A Scarlet Letter finish by Linda K.  Isn't she lovely?

Pam S. started this sampler in January. JANUARY!  Here it is March and it is complete. And yes, she works full time.  Really gorgeous stitching. Pam usually frames her own pieces too and they are all wonderful.

Love how this flower looks like a pinwheel. 

Soon as it turns spring, I'll post something springy.  Happy Stitching!

Marsha

Personal Stitch Fest

It was 65 degrees this past weekend!  It's now 25!  This is what welcomed us this morning.  Poor tiny daffodils.  It's one of those days when you just can't get warm.  Got out the big puffy coat again.  Oh well.  I guess it's not unusual to have snow on Easter.  Maybe it's killing bugs!

This past weekend I finished up Just Nan's Dewdrop.  It didn't take long but there sure are a bunch of DMC colors in here.  Love him.  He's stitched on the called for 30 or 32 ct. Morris blue linen.  I am working on getting a frame fixed up for him.  Hopefully I can get him finish finished for the weekend.

I started this last night after a marathon stitch fest on Susan Singleton.  I'm hoping to get this finished by Easter also.  Ambitious.  He's pretty easy and moving along well.  I'm using 18th Century Brown linen.  My LNS didn't have CC Grain color threads so I'm substituting but haven't decided yet on a color for the bunny.  All other threads are as called for.

This took up most of my stitching fest. Susan Singleton is one BAP. She's looking good. Kinda dreading the trunk but then I can move on to the butterfly and deer next to the tree.

I spent the first day stitching on John Foster but I haven't taken a picture yet.  Hopefully, when I get the second vase of flowers stitched I'll post that for you to see.  He's looking good.  Very muted and old looking.
Marsha