Off to PA

Here is my progress on Toccata II. It's coming along nicely.

Tonight I'm starting the drive to Harrisburg, PA to attend Pug Dog Nationals. Yesterday my friends and I decided we wanted to get a jump on the 12 hour drive. The trial itself takes place on Wednesday. The temps are predicted to be in the upper 80's. Not exactly pug weather but my two do ok in the heat.

Wish us luck! :-)

slow progress

I'm so spoiled by being used to just quickly moving along with projects that when I get one (or two) that takes longer or seems to take longer, I get impatient. Such is the case with Toccata II and Quaker Samplings. I am making progress but it's slow. :-)
No stitching tonight - I'm going on a dinner cruise with some friends and I'm staying downtown. So no stitching tomorrow am either. Good thing the weekend is coming so I can get some real work done! :-)

a tale of two projects

It's been a while since I had two separate projects for evening and day. I had rather gotten used to working on one until it's completed. I love working on Toccata II but then I always love working on Drawn Thread pieces. I'm not enjoying Quaker Study as much - I'm not really in the mood to be working on such a piece. But I'll keep at it as least for the rest of the week and hopefully by then I'll be so far along I'll just want to keep at it.
Next week I'm on vacation but I'll be spending much of it on the road to Harrisburg PA attending Pug Dog Nationals with my two pugs and some friends and their two pugs. We will only be there for one day completing in the agility trial so it's two days on the road. It's Molly's last trial and Clancy's first AKC trial. I need to find a piece to stitch on in the car. I'm hoping I'll get some inspiration from some of the charts in my stash but to tell the truth I don't have many and I doubt if my order from Drema with my new Loose Feathers and the two new Drawn Thread pieces will come in time. What to do what to do??

Autumn Silhouette finis

Autumn Silhouette by Blackbird Designs

Recommended 30 count R&R Linen

Recommended Weeks Dye Works fiber - Swampwater

I finished up Autumn Silhouette and made a pillow with it on Sunday. I think my autumn couch is complete! :-) This was a super quick stitch and I'm very happy with how it looks.

My fully kitted stack is getting very lean so I put Toccata II on a scroll frame and gave it a start Sunday evening. I had to substitute a couple of NPIs but they are in the same color family as the recommended silks and I'm sure it will turn out just fine. Since it's on a 18" scroll, I won't be able to work on this on the train so it's going to be a strictly evening project. I can already tell it's going to be pretty when it's done. I love the Drawn Thread! I have already ordered the next two charts for the Sampler of Stitches; MNO and PQR. Drema says they will be out this week. I can hardly wait.

As for my train project, I picked up Quaker Samplings from Carriage House Samplings. This project is on a Lakeside Linens 36 count using two different NPIs. Boy is it ever hard to do 36 count on the train. The fabric is dark, the lighting on the train sucks and the movement all make it very difficult to see. I don't know how long I'll have the patience to work on this.

Quaker Hornbook Finis

Quaker Hornbook by With My Needle

unknown 32 count linen - stitched over one

Milady's Teal by Crescent Colors

I finished up my Quaker Hornbook last night and even had time to put it into hornbook form! :-) This was a group project that Ellen Chester from With My Needle made available to members of the Internet group, Legacy Embroiderers Guild earlier in the year and it included the pattern and the wooden hornbook. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Here is my progress on Autumn Silhouette - it's another quickie and I'm sure I'll be finished by Sunday. Right now the plan is to make one more fall pillow. And speaking of pillows, thank you so much for your kind comments on Trix or Treat! I purchased the fringe at Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection of trims and fabrics and I'll be visiting them soon so I can pick out finishing stuff for Autumn Silhouette.

Since I'm moving along quickly with my projects, I took some time to go through my stash to see what jumped out for attention. I'm getting low on fully kitted projects! I guess that is a nice place to be but it's certainly not as much fun when I don't have a big box full. :-) I think I need to fix this and go shopping. :-)

Trix or Treat Finis

Trix or Treat from Blackbird Designs from the booklet Trix or Treat

32 count linen - solo from Silkweavers

Recommended fibers

I finished up Trix or Treat on Saturday and even managed to put it into pillow form. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I now have two fall/Halloween pillows. :-)
I'm working on a couple of projects right now. First I worked on a project that I had started while I was a member of the local ANG (American Needlepoint Guild). It's a folding ort box designed by Marilyn Owen. The two top right pieces are finished. I still need to finish off the other three.
On Sunday I started work on the Quaker Hornbook piece from With My Needle. I went with the over one piece on 32 count not because I had a big urge to do an over one piece but because I didn't have a light colored piece of 36 count linen. :-) It's really small and I'm only working on it at night because it's too hard to see over one on the moving train. I should be finished with this piece by the end of the week.
And lastly, for the train this week, I started Autumn Silhouette, Loose Feathers #10 from Blackbird Designs. I love the colors!

TGIF

Here is my progress on Trix or Treat - it's really moving along fast and it's a pretty small piece so I should finish up tomorrow and be able to make the pillow on Sunday. I'm feeling like starting another autumn piece so maybe I'll start Autumn Silhouette from Blackbird Designs. It's a Loose Feather design from 2004. It's one of my favorites and I've been sitting on it for almost a year now waiting for an autumn mood. :-) And it looks really quick and that will help satisfy my urges for new starts.


Have a great weekend!

Alpha Birds Finis

Alpha Birds from Sheepish Designs (part 1 of 3)

32 count Wichelt Latte Linen

Recommended NPI Silks

I finished up Alpha Birds on the way home yesterday. Rather than start part two - Alpha Menagerie, I decided to work on a Halloween piece I've had kitted up since last year. I didn't have a chance to get to before Halloween and then I didn't feel much like working on a seasonal piece after it's season. :-) Here is my progress on Trix or Treat from the booklet of the same name by Blackbird Designs. I'm using a Silkweavers solo I purchased special for it. I think it's a cool looking linen and I think it looks great. I'll turn this into a pillow for my couch when I'm done.

St. Reatham update

My goal over the long weekend was to finish up the two top borders on St. Reatham and I did manage to get both in. I'm not really sure where I'm going next. My thought is to work on all the smaller motifs along the top edge and work on the animal on the top right. Then I'll start on the three huge motifs that make up the middle section. I'm so happy with how my fabric and silk choices are turning out. I love Silkweaver's Golden Promise for this piece with the Mermaid Blue silks from Hand Dyed Fibers.


I was hoping to finish up Alpha Birds but I spent more time goofing off than I did stitching. :-) And I didn't any quilting in either. Next long weekend for sure - which for me is in three weeks. :-)