Sew Winter Progress

Just a quick update on I Stitch, Sew Winter. There is a spot smack dab in the middle of the piece, which I thought was just lint, but I think it is a pen mark. I will have to hope some stitching will cover it up, or else I will have to just put some stitches there. We'll see how that works out. I won't be stitching tonight, it will be studying time.
Hope everyone has had a wonderful fall day.

Happy Stitching,
Hillery

I Should Be Doing Homework

Here is my start on I Stitch's, Sew Winter. I was going to do this one over one, but the white got lost in the light blue. I think if the blue was a little darker, it might have shown up better. I just love Carol's little samplers. I will have to purchase more. I started thinking that i have no rhyme or reasoning to the type of stitching I chose. I just love everything. I can't seem to make up my mind on what kind I like. Nature, fantasy, holiday, sampler, quaker, primitive, cutesy, smalls... I might just have to narrow down and find my favorite and stick with it. Does anyone else have this problem, or do you have your own favorite genre of cross stitch and stick with it?

Here is an update on the fabric I bought on Ebay that smelled of smoke. It was very simple really. I just left them outside for a full day on a not so sunny day, and viola...the smell is gone. I was just that easy. I wasn't expecting that. All of these pieces are larger than 12"x12" and I got it all for only $12.00 plus $3.00 for shipping. It was a deal considering the smell.

Well, I'm off to have dinner with the family. I made Gumbo tonight. Yum.

Good Evening,

Hillery

Small Finish

I have a finish from Prairie Birds from Prairie Schooler. I have started on another one, but I used the wrong green, so I will be frogging a bit. Hopefully I'll have that one done soon. I have so many ornaments stitched up this year, but not one fully finished. I know I'll be scrambling come December. I would like to do all twelve of these for gifts this year, but that's stretching it.

I think I have starteritis because I also started Sew Winter from Carol from I Stitch. I couldn't resist this one. I really wanted to do some fall stitching, but I can't seem to get away from Christmas ones. It's okay though, I love all Holiday stitching.

Hopefully I'll get a little more stitching in tonight.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Merry Skater Finished

She's done...all but the beads, as most of the other ornaments are. I loved this ornament too. She worked up so quickly and I thought the fabric was perfect. I used my Spinach and Bing Cherry Crescent Colors, from the previous ornaments, again in this chart. I'll keep using them for this series as long as I don't run out. I have started on Prairie Birds, Prairie Schooler Ornaments, too. I just can't help it. I love to start new projects.

Well, off to cook supper and to do a little homework. I hope everyone had a lovely Sunday.

Happy stitching,
Hillery

Merry Skater

Here is my start on Little House Needleworks Merry Skater. I am using an opalescent Lugana that I never thought I would use and I think it's perfect for this. She is coming along quickly, and I might get her done this weekend, if I'm not studying, which is what I really should be doing. This ornament will be going to my Niece, who is an extraordinary figure skater. I saw the companion piece in the JCS Ornament issue, I might just do him too for my other niece. Maybe I'll turn him into a girl...

I have also been working on Margaret Harris, but it's slow going. I will get a pic of that soon. I am also eyeing Prairie Birds Ornaments from Prairie Schooler. I might just have to start something else.

Off to give the kids a bath. I can't wait till they can bathe together, just to eliminate a step.

Have a great night,

Hillery

Finished Organizing

Here are my boxes all organized, finally. Finished it during nap time. I did have 4 full boxes but added 1 and half with the threads that I wound up yesterday. I found many in a lot of UFO projects. I do have many duplicates, but I used the DMC checklist and found that I am missing 20 thread colors. Not that I need them for anything right now, but I might as well just go purchase them and have the whole set. I don't own many specialty threads. I would love to have them all, but who can really afford that. I will just purchase them, (Sparingly) as needed.

Well, off to supper and bathe the kids. Hopefully they will get to bed early, so I can have some stitching time.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Organizing Continues...

So far I have turned this...




into this.

Next, it is time to place these into boxes. Stay tuned.

Hillery

Organizing and a Finish

My fifth Little House Needleworks ornament "Snowy Pines" is stitched!!! I really liked this one. I think is was how quick it stitched up for me. I also found one packet of beads that I own that work in these ornaments, the crystal ones. I know I have more beads, I just don't know where I put them....Aghh!!! I made the house a little darker blue to better match the color of my MIL's house, and used the lighter blue for the border.

My next project is to organize all this floss that has just been sitting here in this tote. I need to put them all on floss cards and fill another box with them. I have 4 boxes and will add one more. They are all DMC with just a couple of specialty flosses. I do have many duplicates. If I'd have been organized in the first place, I wouldn't have purchased so many doubles.

Off to twirl some thread....

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Freebie Finish and a New LHN Start

First off is my finished Freebie. It is designed by Jennifer of Feathers in the Nest. Love Makes You Real. It is a quote from the Velveteen Rabbit. My little Velveteen seems to like it. It will probably become a little pillow. I did make a couple changes to make it my own. I just love it. She did a great job. She has just started designing a few little samplers. Go check out her blog.

I also started the 4th in the series of Little House Needleworks Ornament of the Month. Snowy Pines. This one is going along very fast. I am using a darker blue for the house and am using up more of my Spinach from Crescent Colors for the green. I hope to be done with this by the end of the weekend. We'll see if I can make that deadline.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

My Package Has Arrived~Thank You Cindy

As I heard the dog run for the side window, full tilt, barking like mad....I knew it must be the mailman with a package. The mailman never comes to the side porch unless... A package for ME!!!!! I won Cindy's 100th blogger post a while back. I was so surprised at the size an weight of the thing. Cindy, you went a little overboard, I don't think I am worthy of all these wonderful stitchy items. In my large box, there were a dozen magazines, a beautiful butterflies kit, a Just Nan Christmas chart and charm, a Shepherd's Bush HOME Chart, An ornament tuck pillow (not shown), a booklet of smalls for cards or ornies (not shown), 4 sets of 4 fat quarters of quilting fabrics, to finish my stitching's, and 2 boxes of bits and bobs for more finishing ideas. I just love everything. I spent the hour or so of the kids nap and poured through the magazines.

Cindy, you are so generous. Thanks so much. The only thing missing was a return address.

I also spent most of the day yesterday and today and finished a freebie from Jennifer at Feathers in the Nest. I will post a pic and a link of that later.

Hope you're all having a great day.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Giveaway From Vickie

Just spent a nice week away with my family in PEI, Canada. When I got home, my prize from Vickie was in the mail. I won a giveaway at Reading and Stitching. Yeah!!!! She had packaged up some really cute charts and 27 DMC flosses. It just so happens that I don't have any of those colors!!!! There are a few cute Harvest/Halloween designs in there, and that is my favorite season to stitch. Thanks so much, Vickie. You are so generous.


I've been working very slowly on Margaret Harris and picked up a UFO and stitched a little on that. I also just started another ornament from LHN. I will post a pick after I make a little more progress.


Happy Stitching,
Hillery

Margaret Harris

I've been working very slowly on Margaret Harris. Here is where she stands right now. It is not the best picture, it looks better in person. I've run out of the dark green, so I'll need to order more. She is quite wrinkled, as I work in hand. It certainly doesn't help when it comes to the final ironing. Now, I am still having ideas about her. I will finish up the stitching that I won't change, then add my original touches. Hopefully by the time it is finished, I won't be able to call her Margaret Harris. She will need a new name.
Happy Stitching,
Hillery

A Break From the Heat

I woke this morning to a temperater of 60 F. The house felt so good. A cool breeze was wafting through all the open windows, ahh what a relief. I went out early and sat on the deck with my coffee and listened to the birds. The kids were sleeping....

Now, Autumn is my favorite time of year (not that I am wanting the summer to be over), but last night as I was stitching, my mind kept wandering to pumpkins and hay bales and gourds and frosty mornings. In my minds eye, my Margaret Harris started to transform. I would love to alter this piece a bit, make it my own, and add some harvest motifs. I can see the little birds changed to crows, a little landscape with pumpkins near the house, little blades of wheat....my mind was turning a bit.

My questions to you, dear stitchers....

Would this be a NO NO? Would this be an insult to the original designer? Would you alter a design to make it your own?

Thanks for stopping by,

Hillery

A Finish and a New Start

Here is Red House in Winter, finished. I wanted to love this ornament so much. I broke down and bought the over dyed threads for it, (I used Spinach for the trees, a color that was supposed to be used in He's a Flake, but I hadn't purchased it for that one.) I will probably keep using Spinach for other greens in the series. I was concerned with the red not covering as well as I wanted it, but it seems to be okay. I also didn't have the right color gold, so I substituted, and I don't really like it. It is too yellow. I am going to ignore all my feelings about it and learn to love it.

I also started a project from the booklet I won from Jolene. Blackbird Designs, Margaret Harris. I substituted Vikki Clayton silks. They are not as variegated, but they are lovely. This is my first time using silk and they feel so wonderful. I think I might be hooked.
Well, I'm off to a the doctors office for Baby Sisters 2 month check up. Think I might do take out tonight and get a head start on some more stitching,....hopefully.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

I'm Up...and It's Hot

IT'S HOT!!! AND HUMID!!!

Baby Sister woke me up early and she went back to bed. Well, that's what babies do. Now I am still up in front of the computer endlessly searching, finding freebies, perusing blogs and navigating the Hand Dyed Fibers website. I could do this all day, if the kids let me....

Did I mention It's Hot... It's only 70 F outside, but it is 86 in this house...UGH. No air conditioning. There's not much need for that up here in Northern Maine, we'll only get a couple of weeks a year of unbearably hot weather. We've got a couple of fans going in the house, but they are constantly pointed at the kids, and they are only just blowing around the hot air.

I'll get Big Sister out in the pool today, hopefully we'll have a nice breeze today. My Mother is a school teacher so she has been spending her summer off most days helping me with the kids. God Bless her. Let me tell you, I need the help. Maybe we'll go shopping today, just to get into the air conditioning.

Going to try to get a little more stitching done on my ornament. I have to frog the tops of the trees, because silly me... I was not looking at the chart (probably the TV) and kept going with the repeat until the tops. Then I noticed as I was about to add the snow. I'll update that later.

Have a great day,
Hillery

Help With a Question

Now I have been stitching for almost 20 years now, but now that I have entered blogland and have met and seen such wonderful stitchers, I would not consider myself an experience stitcher. I have been stitching the same way since I was 15, and I am just learning now, new techniques and about finishing's. I am experimenting now with different fabrics and fibers and I feel like a novice.

My question is..... if you are stitching on a 28 count linen or cotton evenweave fabric, would you use 2 plys of floss or 3 plys? I have always used 2 plys, but I sometimes don't like the coverage. I'm worried that 3 plys would make it a little harder to get nice even stitches (although, mine aren't always that even). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Right now I am working on Little House Needleworks Ornament of the Month, "Red House in Winter" and with all the dark colors and the light linen, I am not happy with the coverage of my 2 plys of floss. I have way to much finished to frog it out, so I am continuing and hoping I will like the finished product. Pictures later.
Happy Stitching,
Hillery

Thank You Jolene

Look what I received today in the mail!!!! I won one of Jolene's prizes in her giveaway a couple of weeks ago. There was an opportunity to win one of four different prizes and this is what I won.
First of all, I have never stitched a Blackbird Designs, I've never owned a Blackbird Designs, and now I am the proud owner of a leaflet full of beautiful treasures. Don't know which one I will start first.
Thank you Jolene, I love it!!!!

Happy Stitching,
Hillery

She's Gathering Stitches

Well, as suggested by a fellow blogger, I am going to finish the girl in the forefront, then add a row of stitches somewhere just behind her. I guess it will be like doubling a row. The border will be a little off, but I don't think it will be that noticeable. I have done a little more on the top of her dress. Now on to her face and hair. Her hair is a light brown in this design, but I'm going to try to lighten up the colors a bit, so she will be more blond. I want her to represent my first child who is very blond. Don't really know where that came from, my husband and I both have dark brown hair....hmm...now don't get any ideas.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

One Stitch Off!!!!!!!

Well I have been stitching right along at a nice pace and as I moved to the left hand side to stitch, I came to the realization that I have an extra row on the right. Frustrated, I am putting this down for a bit until I can figure a way around this without frogging the whole top. I know it can be done, but how to go about it? Maybe I'll finish the border around the bottom and up the left side a bit just to keep this piece going tonight. Wish me luck.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Wordless Wednesday~Update Pic