The Counted Wishes Cross Stitch Festival - Spring 2014 is now OPEN!!

A long winter of stitching has probably used up your stash. Well then we have just what you need to lay in a supply of great projects, and the fabric and accessories to go with them.

Tweet

I'll Be Your Honey Bee

Well, the visitors come and go and I'm back in my nest.  I took a short break from Virtue last week to stitch this little piece for my husband for our 31st anniversary! Happy Annivesary!

 "June's Honeysuckle" by Cottage Garden Samplings

And now I'm back on Virtue.  For those of you waiting on the color conversion that I'm using, be glad I postponed giving it to you.  I've had to make a couple of adjustments for the symbols that were originally blended needles.  Since I'm working this on 36 count, I'm only using one strand of Splendor, so no blended needles for me!  But, never fear, I will post the list as soon as I'm sure about it.

I'm currently working on a big wholesale order of stitch markers for a knitting 'event' in Oregon.  Every single one has at least one purple bead included!

Tweet

Thistle Too

Now that Thistle Too is done, I'm taking a Periwinkle Promises break and working on some hardanger Christmas ornaments.  They're easy and they require no finishing beyond attaching a hanger and washing/ironing.  Maybe I'll have enough done by Christmas to avoid being disowned.

 

Over the last few months, I started making beaded eyeglass leashes.  Most of us, as we get a little older, need a little magnification to stitch. So we buy those adorable little reading glasses to make us feel a little less frumpy about needing them.  And you don't want to lose them, so you need a pretty eyeglass chain to keep them handy.  

In the meantime, I continue to add new fobs and counting pins to my shop. 

Tweet

Finally...a New Finish!

I'm not going to bother apologizing or make excuses for not posting in almost three months...eeek! But I hope to be a little more consistent, at least for a while. I will say that the Etsy shop has been keeping me pretty busy and I haven't had as much time to stitch. However, I finally finished "Bagatelle" by Whispered by the Wind on Sunday. I can't believe how long it took me considering it is only about 6.5 inches square...of course, that's on 40 count linen. For those who want the gory details, it is stitched on Lakeside Linen 40 count Strawflower, with Caron Collection Waterlilies (silk) Olive and Geranium. (1 strand) It's a beautiful piece and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. It just called to me.

Now I'm moving on to the Thistle Celebration by Periwinkle Promises. I can always count on some fun stitches in Barbara Rakosnik's designs.

Tweet

A New Start

Yes, I finished The Cranberry Sampler! Woohoo! It should be framed within the week. And yes, of course, I'll post pictures.

So rather than cruise through my stash, I chose Prairie Moon's "Red and Black II". It's a very striking piece, but I hope I don't go nuts stitching with black for the next several weeks! I did change the red. The original was a little too orange for my tastes.

Tweet

Birthdays ROCK!

I don't care how old I get, I love my birthday. Look what I got in the mail on Monday!!! Not one, but two stitched pieces for my birthday. My friend, Laura, stitched "Bands of Pearle" by The Sampler House. She knows how much I love this piece. I can't wait to get it framed. Because it's done all in shades of ecru and taupe, it's a little hard to see, but take my word for it...it FABULOUS!

And this precious piece is from my friend, Karen. It's called "Friendship is a Sheltering Tree" by All Through the Night. It's already pinned and ready to frame. I've got the perfect place for it too. Don't you love the little bunnies?

 

Stitching friends are the BEST!

Tweet

I Love a Challenge But This is Ridiculous!

Recently, one of the Facebook stitching groups that I follow started a once a month WIP stitch-in for those pieces that you really can't seem to get going on again. Most of the folks in this group have waaaaaaay more UFOs than I do.  That's not saying a lot since I generally work on only one project at a time until it's finished. However, occasionally I start a piece that is so involved or difficult or frustrating that I have to put it down to ensure that I don't pull all my hair out. "Margret Gatis" by Scarlet Letter is one of those pieces.

Make no mistake, I love the sampler. I love the various stitches and the colors. I use the sewing motion and work in hand rather than on a frame which, over time, has led me to stitch by feel to a large degree. I can just tell when I've picked up one or three threads instead of the usual two threads.  But stitching over three threads is tedious, time consuming and hurts my brain. You have to actually count threads and the vertical thread concept* is useless as a counting mechanism. Even more confounding is the fact that some bands on MG are stitched over two threads and some bands are over three threads! It makes the chart confusing and I have to constantly remind myself that each square covers three threads. And don't even get me started on satin stitches motifs with angles and turns over three threads!

Anyway, I chose MG as my WIP for this monthly exercise in futility. Thank heavens, it's only one day for whatever time period one can handle! I worked on some satin stitch motifs for a few hours then had to pack it up. The frogs were starting to scare Lester and Otis!

And now I'm back to the challenging, but stunningly beautiful, Cranberry Sampler. Although I'm in random stitching hell right now on this one too. The directions are pretty skimpy and leave a lot of the stitch and color choices to your imagination. I tend to follow the model stitcher's choices with a few exceptions. And there's nothing like a mountain of double running stitch to make you skip that last cup of coffee. You can't afford twitchy fingers when trying to keep a smooth and straight line going.

* as explained by Carol Leather, needlework designer and teacher

Tweet

Football and Stitching

I just love bowl games and playoff season! I get so much stitching done, especially while watching games in which I have no personal interest. Now some of you may ask, 'Why watch them?'. Well, I love football. I spent many Sunday afternoons as a child watching football games on TV with my dad. I knew more about the NFL than any other kid in elementary school. Daddy played football in high school and at NC State after his stint in the Navy during WWII. He even played in the Gator bowl way back when! Anyway, it was something we enjoyed doing together. The first fall after he passed away, I found myself picking up the phone to call him to talk about a game I'd been watching before I realized I didn't need the phone to talk to him.

Now I use the TV as a radio while I stitch. I still get excited about big plays and sometimes I have to frog because of it, but thatt's okay. So this week, I've made significant progress on The Cranberry Sampler.

It may not look like a lot, but that vine is a killer. It's done in Montenegrin stitch, which is not a problem when stitched in a straight line, but the diagonal portions require a lot of concentration. And for some reason, the sequence was not intuitive for me. It is slightly different with every directional change and I didn't really get into the flow until I was almost done. Then the base of the flowers (which aren't stitch yet) is filled with Trellis Stitch, another one low on my list of personal favorites. It similar to detached buttonhole, but harder to make consistent and not nearly as much fun. The fun part was the queen stitches in the leaves on the vince, but I ran out of them too soon. But all those stitches are what make these antique style band samplers attractive to me and I love the process. So I persevere!

Tweet

Cool and Refreshing, But It's Not the Weather!

Okay, folks, I'm finding a little difficult to think about winter when the temps are up in the 70s and I'm wearing shorts again! Not that I'm complaining. It's just messing with my mind...and I really can't afford that!

However, I continue to work on Christmas ornaments. 22 down, 6 to go! This Peppermint one is a fav of mine.

And this is my purple version of the blue Mill Hill ornament I completed recently.

And this snowman should probably go to somebody who won't see any snow this year...

Tweet

Do you think in DMC colors? You know, when you go to buy a pair of shoes to match an outfit, do you ask the clerk for something in '823' instead of 'navy blue'? Well, I do. Not all the time, but it happens. Last week I was working on a custom scissor fob (actually two) for someone and I just couldn't get a feel for what she wanted, so I asked her for the DMC colors. She went one better and sent me a picture of the scissors that will go with the fob. Here's what I came up with.

 There are lots of choices in my Etsy shop, but I am always open to custom work.

Still working on ornaments, but I did a count last night. Nineteen down, only eight to go! Woohoo! I managed to stitch quite a bit while watching football this weekend. (Go Wolfpack!!! Our season might as well be over, since we beat Carolina!) 

Tweet

It's been a busy and fun week, even though I haven't had much time to stitch. Mom has been visiting with us this week and we had a great time. A productive trip to the second hand book store and some cool, but sunny weather made for some very relaxing afternoons.

I did finish a couple more Mill Hill ornaments, but I really have to get that needle smokin' soon or I'll never have all of them ready in time.  I'm going to try to hide out this week and really get some serious stitching done, but you know how that goes!

Tweet

Signs of Autumn

When you think of Autumn, leaves changing color and cooler weather spring to mind. Well, when you live at the beach in North Carolina the signs are a little different. The weather is usually cooler, but not always, and the few leaves that change don't do it until much later in the season.  The Confederate Rose, which is really a hibiscus, blooms in October and November and yachts begin heading south on the Intracoastal Waterway for the winter. I managed to get a photo of our Confederate Rose, but I never have my camera with me when I see the yachts sailing by. So use your imagination. At night, before the temperatures get too cold, we sleep with the door open and can sometimes hear them motoring by. It's very soothing.

 

The other sign of Autumn in my house is Christmas ornaments being stitched. Here are the latest finishes of the Mill Hill beaded ornaments this year.

Tweet

Stash Enhancement

Remember when I got all the threads for the Honeysuckle Sampler? Well, I neglected to show you what else was in that package. Both of these are definitely at the top of the stack in my in-basket! I'm actually going to stitch the ornaments as individual ornaments, minus the ribbon behind them. What do you think of stitching them on perforated paper and mounting them on a real ribbon?

And Quaker Christmas II is probably going to be my first 2012 project!

And I stayed up until I finished this beautiful bejeweled ornament from Mill Hill. The backing isn't on it yet. I'll probably do all of them at the same time, assembly line style.

Tweet

It's So Pretty...and it's Not Even Finished!

These Mill Hill ornaments are a lot of fun and the colors are fabulous. Of course, the glistening beads add a glamorous touch. I just got started, but I'm having a lot of fun and I didn't spill any beads yet! Knock on wood. I haven't decided what fabric to back them with, but fusible interfacing and an iron make this style of ornament a finishing breeze. That's good, because the ones requiring a sewing machine and twisted cord and stuffing...always get put off until the last minute. Like most of you, I'd rather stitch than finish.

Of course, I had to finish the Star Sampler before I could bring myself to start the beaded ornaments. Too many WIPs makes my brain hurt.

Tweet

I am sooooo close to finishing the Star Sampler SAL! Love the feeling you get when you finish a project.

And I added to my ornament stash at work Wednesday. I can get into so much trouble just going to work. I plan to get started on these this weekend while watching some football. Hope I don't throw beads all over the room during a hissy fit.

Tweet

It Was a Dark and Dreary Day...

Don't you just love those dreary, rainy days when the temps are cool and the breeze is blowing?  Most folks find it a little depressing, but I love it because it's the perfect weather for curling up with a good book or, better yet, a beautiful sampler!

I don't do a lot of SALs (stitch-a-longs, for the non-stitchers in the crowd), but I was intrigued by the Star Sampler SAL by Periphaeria Designs.  I spent quite a bit of time choosing my fabric and floss. I'm not normally enticed by warm colors, but this piece of fabric that I had in my stash just called out to me. I haven't worked on it in a few weeks, but the final section was made available this week. So I'm thinking I'll finish it this week.

Of course, those ornaments won't stitch themselves, so who knows what I'll be working on. I'm starting to think I have Stitcher's ADD!

Tweet

Attitude Adjustments

It's amazing how my attitude improves when I take time to stitch every day! I don't mind my chores (much) when I can look forward to hours of working on something that is really enjoyable. And isn't that the whole point? 

The ornaments have not been totally ignored since I started the "Honeysuckle Sampler". Two more are done from Blue Ribbon Designs' "Red Letter Ornaments".

I had a little trouble remembering how to do double backstitch on the diagonal (the filling of the vine), but all in all, this piece gives me a bad case of 'just one more stitch syndrome'. 

I love the texture of the brick stitch in the outer petals of the flower and the rows of satin stitch in the inner petals.

Tweet

Woman Seduced by Band Sampler

My Christmas ornaments are in peril! Oh no, I've been seduced by the Honeysuckle Sampler. When those final skeins of Au Ver a Soie  and Soie Perlee came in the other day, I just could not resist. I did manage to finish the ornie I was working on (that makes four complete), but I really just wanted to put in one band. Quit snickering! So I put in the first dividing band, which is off white four-sided stitches. Then I decided I just needed to see a little color, so I put in the first band. Then it looked sad without the matching dividing band... Are you getting the picture?

Tweet

Oh, What a Dilemma

My ornies are progressing nicely, thank you. However, some supplies I ordered for a new project have finally arrived and I want to start it so badly I can't stand it!

 
Some of you may know that I used to own two needlework shops, but I sold them several years ago. Consequently, I have a monstrous stash. I have so many samplers, most of which I still want and intend to stitch, that my friend, Donna, came to look through them when she opened her shop. She said it was better than looking through the Hoffman catalog. Anyway, when you own a shop you are compelled to stitch pieces that you can use as models. But the best part of being retired is that I can stitch whatever I want, whenever I want! If it happens to be something that is current or popular, I loan it to my LNS, but quite often I pick a project that is out of print or something that most people wouldn't want to stitch. And sometimes, it's something that's been in my stash for YEARS, like the Honeysuckle Sampler.

My dilemma is: Do I start the Honeysuckle Sampler or do I stitch ornaments and gaze longingly at my waiting project? Answer: I'll stitch ornies now and start HS after supper. Tomorrow I'll go thru the whole process again and hope my brain doesn't explode from the stress.

Tweet

Halloween Decor

 I've never really been into stitching for holidays other than Christmas, but there are a couple of designs that I just couldn't resist. Some would consider this my self portrait... It's "The Horrible Hag" by Ewe and Eye and Friends. You can find it in a number of places on-line, but I like to help out my Etsy friends, so that's the link I included.

And several years ago I stitched "A Delectable Halloween Recipe" by Mosey 'n Me, but I gave it to one of my sisters without taking a picture of it, so you'll have to settle for this. Take my word for it, it's adorable!! Several metallics and buttons and beads are incorporated to add interest. I fringed the bottom and used a stick from the back yard as a dowel to hang it from.







And if you want something already stitched I found several things on Etsy that you should see.
From WhiteRiverSamplers, "H is for Halloween"








Send this card by memoriesbymimi or just decorate with it yourself.









This cute Halloween ghost by StitchnMomma glows in the dark!

 
And finally, you can decorate and save an animal by purchasing The Tales of Haunted Hollow Halloween House by threedogsnappin.

Tweet