Nantucket Sampler....

I had a good stitchy weekend and finished

up another Crazy Challenge piece.

Elizabeth's Garden "Nantucket Sampler"

stitched on 40ct khaki linen

w/DMC

This turned out to be a great little sampler

to stitch.   The finished size is only 6" x 3"

but this little sampler packs alot in it.   Although

I used DMC, the subtle thread changes in some

areas almost gives it an overdyed look.  I did give

my finish a little coffee soak to help tone

down the ecru border just a bit.

I love this little scene with the red house and

ship.  The bird and peacock are a little on the

large side but seem to make the sampler complete.

This design has been languishing in my basket

for many years and I am very happy it is stitched.

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With summer fast approaching, I hope to sneak

in a few little Americana smalls.   As always....

thanks for visiting and happy stitching!

Homespun Elegance goodies....

May has been a lucky month!

One of my favorite blogs is

Plain & Fancy Merchant 

(Homespun Elegance)

and she was celebrating her 500 followers

with a great giveaway and sale!    Lucky me won

her giveaway and look at the goodies I got....

I have a large collection of Homespun Elegance

but was delighted that I had none of these!

Sandra also included these goodies.  

The little sheep is just precious.

   As soon as I saw the bookmark design, I

immediately recognized it.  I have had the

Sheltering Tree in the my basket for a very

long time.   I think this is a sign that it is time

stitch it!  If you haven't checked

Homespun Elegance's blog, please do...

she always has some great offerings.

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 Evidenced by the abundance of HE designs

I own, Sandra has always been one of my

favorite designers.   The "colonial" feel to her

designs is timeless.   To extend the celebration

on her blog, she offered a very generous sale

on her designs so I seized the opportunity 

to add to my collection. 

Land of Peace & Plenty

This has to be one of all time favorites.

Originally published in 1990, Sandra decided to

reprint some of her OOP designs and this one

is now available.   This one is timeless to me and

I can't wait to get it stitched.   I think it has also

 helped me decide on the fabric choice for

Plum Street's Colonial Garden.  

You will just have to wait and see!

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I have been busy stitching so I will be

back soon with some finishes.

Hope you have a great stitchy day....

Look what I got.....

I was lucky enough to win Angela's blog

giveaway and the mailman was nice

enough to deliver it today!

Having exchanged a few times with Angela,

I knew this box would be finished to perfection. 

And it is.

This one is an extra special treat since  

Angela's mom stitched the design and

Angela did the finishing. 

I have two stitching spots and I always have to

haul my scissors, readers, needles, etc. from

one spot to another.   This perfect for all of my

accessories in my downstairs spot so that I

just have to pick up my stitching and go.

Thanks again Angela....this will be a treasure.

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If the road to you know where is paved

with good intentions, I am driving the bus.

I had good intentions in starting Colonial Garden

but found myself in a quandry.   Although I

love it on the dark linen, I was leaning

toward stitching the lighter version. 

Since I can't make up my mind, I decided to

pull out another Crazy Challenge piece. 

Elizabeth's Garden "Nantucket Sampler"

I was still in the seafaring mood so I decided to

stitch on this until I figure out my linen dilemma.

I love the design but am iffy on the border.   The

white is just too "white" so I think I will give

it a tea bath once done to tone it down a bit. 

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Well I'm off to stitch....thanks again for visiting.

Hope you are having a stitchy week.

Throwback Thursday....

Thank you so much for your wonderful

comments on my previous posts.... 

they really do make my day!

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While visiting my mom awhile ago, I really

took note of how many stitched treasures

(her eyes rolling) 

of mine that grace her walls.  It got me

thinking about how I wish I could have started

this blog many years earlier.   Well... actually

I guess I was "blogging" on paper....

My stitching journals

Like many of you, I kept a "journal" of sorts in
a yearly calendar documenting my stitching days.

  My "blog" posts

I love my blog.....

just for the fact it is now my "stitching

journal".  I can look back over the last few years

and see what I was stitching and I am surprised

how I can remember what was happening in my

life at that time.   I've been toying with the idea

of sprinkling stitched pieces from the past so I

could enjoy them on my blog and decided there
was no time like the present to start.

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In keeping with the seafaring theme this week,

here is one of my favorite finishes from 2000.

The Need'l Love Company

"Ship of Life"

Started: 1-16-00 Finished: 4-9-00

I remember I originally started this one on 14 ct

cream aida......don't ask me what I was thinking.  

After stitching a little of the wave, I quickly

realized this just wasn't right.   I restarted on

32 ct. linen with DMC.   At the time, this was

a very different stitch for me....this was my

first sampler of sorts.  I am so glad  I

stitched this on linen and stuck with it.

To this day, I still love this piece.

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BD "The Lighthouse"

Stitched 1999

I just loved the older Bent Creek designs and

probably have most of them between 1998

and 2006.  I especially liked the Word Samplers

and this is one of my favorites.   I attended one

of the now defunct cross stitch festivals where I

was able to pick up the frame.    I didn't have a

LNS and remember being in awe of all the

cross stitch "stuff" available to buy.  O how the

world has changed thanks to the wonderful web!

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If you made it this far, thanks for visiting.  

I would love to know if anyone

else has these stitched and on their blog.

1797 Ship Sampler....

First....I just want to let you know that the
Alison Krauss concert was wonderful.

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I am happy to show you another

Crazy Challenge finish...

Barrick Samplers "1797 Ship Sampler"

40ct khaki linen w/ DMC

I have had this sampler in my stash for a

very long time...too long so I am glad it is done!

I searched online to see if I could find some

other finishes but found none.  

Just curious if anyone else stitched this one????

I always use DMC when stitching a Kathy Barrick

design and am amazed at the "funky" colors once

they're assembled. I have realized, though, that

they always come together to create

the perfect color palette.

Love the ship and fish

This one definitely looks so much better stitched.

Just need to save my pennies for framing...

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This is finish number five in my

Crazy Challenge. 

I think that calls for celebration and I will

do so by starting something new.

Linda was sweet to offer me A Colonial Garden 

from Plum Street Samplers after her recent

finish.   I fell in love after seeing Linda's

finish so I think this one will be next up

on the q-snaps.

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I have been so lazy about leaving comments lately

but please know I have been seeing all of your

wonderful stitching.  I do appreciate you visiting

my little corner of the world.   

happy stitching...

My Bee Collection....

Some time ago I realized surprisingly

 that I had a few finishes with a

common theme of birds and bees.

So off to the framer I went and I now have

a great start to my by very own

"Birds & Bees" wall.

Diane Williams ~ "Joy in the Journey"

Goode Huswife ~ "Bird Tree"

Goode Huswife ~ "In the Bee Man's Garden"

My favorite molding....

BOAF ~ "No Bees No Honey"

The basketweave is perfect....

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April has been the busiest month and I

feel like I have been gone more

that I have been home!  

Hopefully May will be a little calmer.  

I have found time to stitch and am

very close to a finish. 

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes... 

I did decide to splurge on some

stash from Victorian Motto to

celebrate the occasion!

I will definitely be stitching something so

I can use the cluny trim... it is just yummy!

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We are headed to see Alison Krauss tonight

so I better get hopping...

hope you have a good stitchy weekend!

And then there were none....

Feels like forever since I have been here.

I had the pleasure of spending last week with my
mom after she had surgery.  Unfortunately, it
wasn't a picnic for her and her time with
me wasn't as pleasant.

Although I packed my stitch bag as if I would be
stitching 24/7, it was not to be.

I did have one finish.....my last fat man!

LK "Snow Day"

stitched on 28ct khaki evenweave

w/DMC

My basket of snow beaus....

I think I will enjoy them for just a little longer.

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I'm a few days away from celebrating my birthday and Miss Faye (becoming better known as the Carolina Sewer)

sent me one of her fabulous pouches.

She even personalized it just for me....

I forgot to take a pic of the pretty red floral fabric used inside. Faye is such a sweetie and this was a nice surprise.

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I do have another little finish to share.   A co-worker retired last month and I decided to stitch up a little goodie.

BBD "Friends with You"

Chart 2 from My Heart Is True

stitched on 40ct khaki linen

w/Victorian Motto

This is becoming one of my favorite BBD books.  There is a companion piece to this one that is so pretty but time didn't allow me to stitch it.  Hopefully soon....

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As always, thanks for giving me a little
bit of your time.   Happy stitching....

Summer Jubilee.....

Well....I went from stitching winter to
summer and the weather here in South Carolina
followed suit.   It just plain hot....too hot for
March so I will be switching back to a
winter design very soon.  
Come on Mother Nature....give us a break!

Here is summer that I do like....

BBD "Summer Jubilee"

stitched on 32ct R&R 18th Century Blackbird

w/Victorian Motto threads

I decided to convert the colors to my Victorian

Motto threads which gave me more "pink" tones.

Although the colors are different, I really do like

the way it turned out.

My favorite part of the sampler.  

This would make a cute little pin cushion.

Funky vase .... got to have one of those!

A little Americana is the perfect touch.

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Well...I have one more fat snowman left to stitch

and think I need to start him so I can cool off.  

Happy spring!

(disguised as summer)

Exchange stitching.....

I recently participated in two of my favorite

exchangesand thought I would share.

Lisa was my partner in the Seasonal Exchange

 and here is my piece for her....

Hollis Designs "Snowy Littles"

stitched on 32ct linen

w/recommended thread

My procrastination resulted in the package going

out just in time.  In my haste, I forgot to take a

pic and thank Lisa for letting my borrow hers.

I really like how this one turned out and

hope to stitch/finish all four of the

seasonal designs in this series.

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Laura was my partner in the LK Exchange...

LK "Summer Basket"

Stitched on 25ct cream evenweave over 1

with DMC

Since we haven't had much of a winter I thought

I would move right along to summer.  This

design is perfect for  a cute pincushion don't

you think?  I am glad Laura is happy with it.

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Thanks as always for visiting.
Now....back to stitching!

My favorite snowman....

LK "Let It Snow"

stitched on 28ct khaki evenweave

w/DMC

Well....I made him my own. 

I goofed when I started the scarf which

resulted in changing the color scheme. 

Too lazy to rip out the wrong color, I carried

on and used a little pink, which I really liked.  

I figured I would carry on and change the

hat color to light blue with a little more pink. 

I just love him. 

I still think he needs a little pompom at

the end of his hat.  Hmmm...will need to

do something about that.

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I saw this card on Pinterest a few weeks

ago and I just couldn't get it out of my mind.  

I just had to try and make one...

I had to do a little figuring on this one to get

the mechanics correct and I'm pretty happy

with my first attempt.   I really like the

flowers/leaves layout in the original card

better so I  will make it like that next time.

This was my Friday night project.

The idea of weaving a paper basket came to

me Friday night after I had gone to bed. 

I was up Saturday by 5:30 am

(thanks to a tornado warning)

and so I decided to give it a try.

Summertime is calling me....

I was amazed how easily these came to together.

So I made some more....

{Love} the yellow flower basket...

  I am just pleased at punch with these.

Now that the creative juices were flowing,

I thought I would make a clay pot. 

  

Not to shabby if I say so myself....

  I have a tendency to overindulge when I

 find something I like so I wouldn't be

surprised if I have a hundred of these

by the end of the month!

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I haven't stitched in 4 days.... so I'm off to remedy

that and put a few stitches in something!

As always...thanks for visiting.

happy stitching....