"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz.."

.. and here is where the birdies is!

I took advantage of the sunshine pouring in through the back doors to take this photo of my progress on Elizabeth, not taking into consideration that it hadn't been pressed - it's quite amazing the difference it makes.  However, I put in a few more hours on her yesterday and will not post that until I have had the iron out.  It's not that I don't like ironing, I just prefer to wait until I have a real pile (or haven't anything to wear!) and then I settle in with a good dvd (usually Daniel O'Donnell!) and have a lovely old daydream while I'm doing it.

So, back to Elizabeth - I thought I had finished the tree section and didn't notice that the birds at the base of the tree have not been finished - I think those small sections should be green.  The two birds at the top of the tree that are stitched in "Green Onion" do look better in real life but look washed out here.  I may have to change them.

Thought I would try for a close up of the bird but he must have moved !! or it could be that my skills with a camera are pretty woeful.

I took the opportunity the stitch on Dutch Diminutive earlier in the week ( or was it the week before ?) when the sun was pouring in.  The colours in this one are quite dark so it was nice to be able to see it in good light.  Not much more done but progress none the less.

This one is my first try at 40 count and I was feeling very proud of myself until I saw Margaret's Family Sampler which she is stitching on 40 count gauze - OVER ONE !! 

Not much progress for two weeks but life does get in the way sometimes.  Now, I am off to get the iron out because I have run out of clothes to wear!

Bye for now,
Mary

Elizabeth 2

Thank you so much for your words of encouragment regarding Elizabeth, I really do appreciate your comments. 

I have temporarily put the family tree to one side as it was taking over my life, and I am not in the mood for my card-making at present, so the stitching has been the winner.  I don't seem to be able to rotate my hobbies on a daily basis - I am usually totally involved in one of them to the exclusion of all else until suddenly I drop that one and pick up another.

So, as I said, the stitching is "it" at present - I even sat up in bed one morning at 6am with a cup of tea and Elizabeth instead of my Sudoku. 

Last night I finished off the central border which will be where the wording will go and I was very happy and much relieved when that all joined up perfectly.  I am so enjoying this one - even the challenge of altering it.  I am not really a pink person but I do love the colours - they are so cheerful and bright and look wonderful on the magnolia linen (thanks again Terri for a great choice). 

Inner circle all finished - tree not finished.

Yes, it is sideways !!!!!!!!

.. and this is the top left corner but WHY has blogger turned these three photos around ???

So sorry, but I have downloaded these photos several times now and blogger just turns them sideways.  I am off to babysit and will try again tomorrow to fix them.

I do believe I have managed to get better photos this time - certainly my new iron has done a much better job on the linen.

Cheers for now,

Mary

The ins and outs of Elizabeth

I finally started on Elizabeth back at the end of July.  I gave up trying to fit it onto the frame and instead I am just using a hoop which is fine. 

I started stitching at the top left corner going a little way across the top but then continuing down the left border just to make sure that it would fit.  I had put in a few nights of stitching before I had a really good look at it and I knew the discepancies in the pattern would drive me insane.  I know there are some stitchers who faithfully replicate these antique samplers and they will probably be horrified when I say that I have to alter the pattern. 

So I started again, this time from the top centre and I worked my way down, ensuring that each section was aligned.  I have now done the basic stitches for the left border, making sure that each pattern is identical.  (I hope !!)

The centre line - you can just see the top of the tree which is now dead centre.

You can see part of my original start as well as the second attempt.

I keep going back to the picture of "Terri's" Elizabeth and I just love it and it looks perfectly fine, but I guess it is just that I am stitching this and know that it is "out" so I have to alter it.  Having said all that I am really enjoying it despite all the unpicking and the challenge of 'getting it right'.  In fact, I think I will spend some of this cold afternoon getting some more done.

I am pretty sure that I won't be putting Elizabeth's name in the centre either - I will probably put my Daughter's name and date of birth in there instead. 

Mary

Diminutive Post

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post - I seem to be getting worse instead of better, but I have to confess that most of my time has been taken up with researching my family tree lately, and oh boy, is that addictive!

I also can't believe that I still have not started on "Elizabeth".  I wanted her so badly but still haven't put the needle to the linen.   The main reason (here comes the excuses ..) is that I think it needs to go on the frame but it is just a bit too wide for my frame and I was going to get another, but I think I will try to fold the edges in and see if it can still be wound with the double thickness.  The pattern is a little different from any others I have done so hope I will be able to work it out.  Oh well, anticipation of a new project is always part of the fun, so hopefully I will get to it soon.  It is definitely next on the list.

What I did start back in the middle of June was CHS Diminutive Dutch, using the 40 count linen and the threads called for in the pattern.  I just had to try the smaller count linen and I have to say I found it very easy to work with.

There are only three colours - I know you can't tell, but the colours are from the outside of the border - a teal; then olive, then brown.  All of the letter A is done in the brown and the flower in the teal.  It is quite tiny and I have no idea what I will do with it when finished.  I though maybe a little needle pocket but the abc will be running the wrong way, so we will see.

I have had a small finish but I can't post it just yet, so till next time, happy stitching!

Mary

Note to self:    "See, that didn't take too long, did it ?"

A snowflake short of a snowstorm ?

When I started "Tis" I thought it was going to be a quick stitch - two months later it is finally done.  After several wrong turns through the vine, many variations of the snowfalls, many hours of unpicking snowflakes and a long stitching slump, the big red bird and his stitcher have reason to be jolly.

I have just finished pressing this and it was looking great - but in the photo it looks like a crumpled rag!  Took the photo in brilliant sunshine but it still does not do it justice - it really is a lovely piece.

While I had the iron out I pressed my new pieces of linen.  Some of them had fold creases in them which weren't responding to the dry iron so I dampened my pressing cloth and pressed through that - oops ... probably not a good idea as I then had a bit of a watermark.  I have done the piece again and hopefully it will be ok when it dries.  Like I said previously I haven't used these overdyed linens before and I have a bit to learn about them.  

Oh dear, now I have to choose a new start - how sad is that ????? lol

Bye for now ..

Mary

Threads, glorious threads ...

... there's nothing quite like them ..... especially when you open  a package full of them and they are accommpanied by some yummy linen.

My parcel from Elegant Stitch arrived yesterday.  I was out and didn't get home till after midnight but I just had to open it at 1 AM! 

I have always bought my linen from  my local needlework shops, but they really only stock Zweigart or Permin.  I love working with Belfast but don't really like the Permin.  However, after reading all your blogs out there I decided to try some of the different linens, in higher count.  Lois and Annie (from Elegant Stitch) have even over-locked the edges of the linen for me and labelled it so I would know which is which and I was so grateful for that, (just in case they get lost in the stash cupboard).

From left the linens above are:  R&R Antique Cotton 40 ct; Lakeside Magnolia in 36 ct; R&R Abecedarian Blend 40 ct and Lakeside Pear 40 ct.   Not that theylook anything like that in the photo.  

I just love the Lakeside Magnolia, and the Lakeside Pear is nice.  Not too sure about the R&R Antique Cotton - it feels quite stiff and starchy and probably a bit too "yellow" for my choice, however that is what the pattern called for so we shall see.  Funnily enough, the R&R Abecedarian Blend is nothing like the Antique Cotton and feels much the same as the Lakeside.

The Lakeside Magnolia has the orange stripe in the selvedge like the Belfast does, so do they just overdye the zweigart linen ??? I know I'm showing my ignorance here but haven't had anything to do with these brands before.  You ladies are leading me astray !!

  

 

This is the Lakeside Magnolia (looking too white) with the Crescent Colours on it that I will be using to stitch Elizabeth.  Great choice of linen and threads - thank you Terri !!

This photo is to show you how the girls at Elegant Stitch have overlocked the edges of the linen for me.   Isn't that great - I don't have to work up the enthusiasm to get the sewing machine out.  (I can sew - just don't enjoy it!)  The colour of the linen is much better in this photo - it is like a clotted cream - LOVE IT!.

I got a few other threads - some WDW - not sure what they were for; some NPI (for  CHS Gilded cage and Diminutive Dutch; and of course the Gloriana to finish "Tis" is here now too so I can sit and finish that one off and maybe make a start on something new.  Woo hoo,

I did get something else but can't show you just yet.

Off to the stitching corner ..

Mary

I didn't really die waiting !

You must have thought I had popped over to America to pick up my parcel.  I cannot believe how long it is since I posted, ..... and yes, my order did arrive shortly after that post and everything I had been wanting arrived.  I must say that Elizabeth looks a little daunting but not enough to change my mind.  I have spent ages fiddling around with threads and linen and finally have decided to bite the bullet and buy the Crescent Colours to do this one in.  I have also ordered some 35 count linen for her as well.

My favourite linen has always been 32 count Belfast, but my friend Chrissie and I did a stitch along on the Blessings Sampler and when I saw her version done on a 35 count linen it looked so much smaller and daintier than mine I knew that I had to try it.  I would not have thought that 3 or 4 threads per inch could make that much difference.  So .. stay tuned to hear if I can handle this finer linen.  Not sure what I have let myself into. 

Tis the Season has been waiting for some more Gloriana to finish it off - only the wording to do. I found that using two strands of the Gloriana I got the coverage it needed.

No photos today but hopefully soon.

So once again I am waiting on an order but it should be here any day now.

Bye for now

Could it be, yes it could, something's coming, something good ...

...if I can wait.  I don't know what it is but it had better be ... ELIZABETH.. 'cause that would be great!

Can you tell I am excited ? The good news is that my bank account has been hit (well yes, in this case, it is good news), but the bad news is that the amount is not enough to cover all that I ordered (hmm surely that should be good news ??), so the conundrum now is - what's missing?? I ordered Elizabeth and a few of the new BBD back on the 17th March but I guess they had to order the pattern in so it has been a while.  I added a couple of CHS charts to the order on 8th April along with one or two (dozen??) threads.  So the amount is too much for just the first order but not enough for both orders so I will have to sweat it out a bit longer, but let me tell you there will be major tantrums disappointment if the lovely one is not in the parcel.  The mail used to only take about a week to ten days from the US, but the last parcel took nearly three weeks, so I hope it won't be that long this time.

Anyway, I really need to move butt and finish "Tis" before that parcel arrives.   I have been trying lots of different white threads to get the coverage for the snowflakes and the writing, because it needs to be quite stark looking and one strand of the Gloriana was not giving that look.  The gloriana is the brightest white I have so I am trying it now with two strands and will see how that goes.  Sorry no pictures today of my unpicking.  I have a few cards I need to get finished and then it will be stitching time and hopefully a finish.

Thanks for listening

Mary

"Who's a pretty boy ?"

Here is my progress on "Tis".  I thought I would have finished it by now - I thought once the bird was done that was it, but as usual vines take much longer than you expect.  Thanks for your comments on that leaf, but I did change it tonight for a more autumn toned thread and I am pleased I did because it seems to pick up some of the red in the bird.  

 Still about five of the paler green leaves to go and the snowflakes and the wording. 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and once again I have charged off all 'gung ho' to start this one and the instructions for one thread over two were obviously meant for using the silk, which I am not, so the coverage is not as good as it should have been, especially with the white.  I have been using one strand of Gloriana silk for the white but I think I may go back and do the words with two strands and possibly even the snowflakes.  Also I am not sure now that it was Belfast because it seems quite a bit thinner in parts and I have found the threads splitting very easily - not at all like Belfast. 

All that said, I really love this one and it is a joy to stitch - I like the way they have done the leaves.  I only realised tonight that the year is on this one - over on the right - hadn't even noticed it before, because it sort of blends in.  I have been hurrying to finish this one in case Elizabeth arrives, but of course even when my card is debited it will still take about ten days to get here.  Oh well, I am sure I will find something else to fill in with, although I am also waiting on a few threads.

I checked out the Cardinal on the web and they are really beautiful little birds - not as large as I thought they would be. 

Oops, nearly Cinderella time again - where does the evening go to?

 

" 'Tis" - a new start

with grateful thanks to Karen "the temptress" and Sandra "the enabler" I have started stitching this lovely piece by Blackbird designs - " 'Tis the Season" and I am thoroughly enjoying it.  Not that I have had a lot of time to spend on it lately as I have been busy with work (pays for the stash).  Instead of the called for "32ct Pear by Lakeside Linens", I am using a piece of pale green linen from my stash - I think it is Belfast but not really sure but it seemed to be similar in colour.  I don't have any Belle Soie so I started with the dmc colours and then changed most of them to Sampler threads.  I am quite happy with it so far with the exception of that leaf at the top centre - it needs to be more of a contrast  from the bough so will check out the threads and find something a bit more autumnal.  I tried all my white threads and ended up using Gloriana silk although it is not showing up too well in the photo.  Not much done at this stage but it isn't very big so shouldn't take too long to finish. 

I am still checking every day to see if the lovely Elizabeth is on her way to me - I can't wait for her to arrive on my doorstep, but at least "Tis" is keeping me occupied until then.

After a busy day today at my Grandson's birthday party I intend to sit and stitch all day tomorrow - I may not even answer the phone or the doorbell!  lol !  So if that comes to pass I may be back tomorrow night with a finish !!

Mary