A Huge Thank You and a Finish

First of all I want to thank those of you who left a heartfelt comment on my blog regarding my sweet cat Cee-Lo Red.  I can't tell you how much it meant to me.  I remain heartbroken and tearful, but I suppose time will heal the heart.  I stitched last week with friends and sobbed a couple of times talking about him.  But you know, hugs and kind words from dear friends helps a whole bunch !!


Next, I finished Manor at Peacock Hill from With Thy Needle and Thread.  

I need to take a 'photo' taking class though.  Both of these pics were taken with the same camera, same setting, same finger, same sofa, same room.  I don't recall making any changes, but obviously I must have changed some setting.  

This was a fun piece to work on because I have such fond memories of my great grandparents home, BUT, as much as I love punch needle with Valdani threads, I do not care for them one bit, not one bit as thread for counted cross stitch.  I will keep my Valdani only for punch needle.

I provided my sweet stitching sister, Cathy, link to her blog here, with a DMC conversion for her piece as the Valdani called out on the pattern was and is not available. I suggested she use DMC #3777 for the border berries, the roof of the house and the outside of the pomegranate, #3830 for the inside of the pomegranate and the door on the house, and #356 for the Ohio Star motifs.  Actually, these three DMC colors are called out on WTN&T limited/sold out piece, Snow Bird. I was lucky enough to score one of them and when I opened the package I was really, really happy to see what I thought were excellent DMC substitutes for the Valdani. 

So happy, happy stitching to each and every one of you.  Thanks for stopping by.  All of your comments mean so much to me.  

Manor at Peacock Hill

  Once the hill is stitched I'll be on the home stretch of this design.

I loved stitching this peacock.  

My great-grandparents, Fred and Elsie Cornaby lived in Benjamin, Utah.  My fondest memories of visiting them included their Koi pond, the colorful hollyhocks lining the lane to their home and their beautiful peacocks.  Stitching this piece has made me very happy.

Heartbroken ….

I am heartbroken….

My sweet Cee-Lo Red took a turn for the worse this morning.  After fighting a battle with cystitis he developed a blockage and unfortunately his bladder ruptured.  Remember, he's my beautiful feral, garden cat and the longterm care he would have required would have been painful for both of us.  The first time I ever picked him up and hugged and kissed him was this morning.  And, sadly, it was the final time.

I love you sweet cat and will miss you deeply.  

Getting Ready for Travel

I have finished my pre-stitching for my Ebony and Ivory class with Jackie Du Plessis at The Attic.  Here's the necessaire…..

The piece is 18" long.  I can tell you it was not a quick stitch.  I frogged more than usual but it's finished and I'm more than happy that is it !  

I started Manor at Peacock Hill from With Thy Needle and Thread.  It's good to stitch with colored floss on a 35 ct. fabric.  I hope to get to that beautiful peacock some time today!

I'll close with a pic of my cats.  The weather has turned cooler here…finally…and the cats love it.  This morning I opened this window and these three were enthralled with something!  They love this weather just like I do.

Casanova, Belle and Jaxon are getting ready for a great day….me too!  Hugs to all.

Finished Work...

Here's my Isabella Fox by Gigi R Designs.  I ordered this piece from The Attic using their silk conversion.  I loved putting in each and every stitch.  I wished I were a better photographer.  The colors are delightful.    It was stitched on vintage sand dune.

I ordered a sample of the Attic's 50 count fabric and Gloriana Tudor Silk thread to see if I could stitch on such a small count fabric.  I COULD !!  I ordered some additional threads and quickly stitched up Dutch Strawberry by The Goode Huswife.  I was pleasantly surprised that the fabric was really easy to stitch on.  I tried different using needles but found the tapestry beading needle to be the only needle that worked.  The other ones were like using a crochet hook to stitch with !!  The Tudor silks are amazing.  Here is the result of my adventure.

Here are a few more finishes.  Needleworker, May Basket, and Softly Walk.

Needleworker is stitched 1 over 1 on Glenshee linen.  I love this piece.

 May Basket was stitched using the Shepherd Bush girls color selection.  This was stitched for my granddaughter Carly who celebrates a May birthday.

Softly Walk is by La-D-Da stitched with the called for threads on Vintage Pear from Lakeside Linen.  

I have been knitting some...only because I love yarn and have the A/C turned down to 75 so I'll show you those pieces in my next post.  I'm also going to The Attic in November for classes and have been doing some pre-stitching for a class.  I'll save that story for next time.  Thanks for stopping by and sharing my love of needlework.

I'm Back

I know ... a year ... really ????

Here are some simply fabulous framed finishes.  My dear friend, Jill Rensell, does all of the frame work for me.  You may have seen these on her blog, but let me tell you something....having these beauties hanging on the walls in my home is something else.

Enjoy!!

 And All Was For An Appil - The Scarlet Letter

 Mary Roe 1808 - The Scarlett House

 Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler - With My Needle and Thread

 The Holly and The Ivy - Shepherd's Bush

 Ah Tis Spring - Notforgotten Farms

 Betsy - Sheepish Designs

Here We Go A Haunting - Shepherd's Bush

 J.M. Gardner  1888 - With Thy Needle and Thread

 Spot the Cat - La D Da

 The Gilded Cage - Carriage House Samplings

I'll try not to wait so long to post again.  I have several pieces finished waiting to wing their way to Jill's studio for framing.  I'll post some pics before I send them.

And All Was For An Appil

:-)

Stitching the time away....

Here's my progress on AAWFAA.  Girlfriends.....I'm just about there !!  I've finished all the black outlines and am working on the final fill-ins.  Then the beautiful red satin stitched words.  Too much fun.  It's always such an accomplishment to get the piece half done and then heading down the home stretch is simply the best.

 I rarely have only one piece going at a time.  For a change of pace and color, I started La-D-Da's Softly Walk on LL Pear, 40 count, using the called for threads.

 I love how the rosebud is stitched.  It reminds me of needlepoint.

 I also started Blackbird Designs, Christmas Garden, stitched on Country French Chardonnay, 28 count, 1 thread over 1, using the Attic's silk conversion.  Here's a close up pic of my progress.

 Last week I started Birds of a Feather's Joyous Christmas.  I'm stitching it on WDW Parchment, 35 count, 1 thread over 2, using the called for flosses.  I scored this pattern on E-bay.  I paid a pretty penny and it's worth every cent to me.  My favorite part is baby Jesus in the manger.  I love the simplicity of these old, out of print designs.

I'm so looking forward to some cooler weather.  I love stitching outside on my lanai.  This morning it was cooler...75 degrees...and the humidity was lower for about 5 minutes !! So...I'm stitching the time away in my stitching place...comfortable, well lit and COOL.  Have a simply fabulous week and thanks for stopping by.

Betsy

Betsy is finished.  She was such a fun stitch.  I think my color selections worked out well.

I belong to the Swan Sampler Guild in Utah.  They offer a Christmas in July piece designed specifically for guild members.  This year is the 'Beehive Christmas Ornament'  designed by Catherine C. Theron. 

But here's my favorite ....

My package included a sister smile, and hugs and kisses !!  Just simply the best !!

Practice Piece

I decided to polish up my '1 over 1' stitching skills and did this piece.  It's The Gilded Cage by Carriage House Samplings stitched on 32 count Lakeside Linen Lentil using the called for NPI fiber.

On '1 over 1' I can never tell the actual size of the piece from the picture.  I need someone to put a quarter by it so I can tell. So here it is with my quarter..blurry and all. But you get the idea.  It was a fun stitch and didn't take long at all.

And shouldn't I be starting my Christmas stitching in July?  Well, yes I should, but I started my July stitching in July.  Here's my start of Sheepish Designs 'Betsy' stitched on 35 count Weeks Dye Works Parchment.

The instructions called for DMC or NPI.  I knew with my stash of 10,692 skeins of NPI it would be no problem pulling the called for colors.  AND...you know this is coming...I only had ONE, yes...that's ONE of the called for colors!! DANG, DANG, DANG.  Not to be disgruntled, I decided to check out my enormous stash of silks, pulled out the AVS drawer and used my 'on hand' colors.  I think Betsy looks pretty darn good.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your stitching time!!