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

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

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

Part 5 Finished

Here it is, finally. Part 5 of The Sampler Life Groups SAL, Needlemania 2. I'm over halfway done, and I just need to keep myself motivated to finish it. I am definitely not a finisher, more of a starter. I am pleased with the way this is turning out. I am still working on my Mary Wigham, and the third ornament in the Little House Needleworks series. Hopefully I'll have more pics this week.
Thanks for looking,
Hillery

Bad Doggy!

I've read about this happening to a couple of other bloggers, but I didn't think it could ever happen to me. In a tired stupor last night, I just left my stitching on the couch and went to bed. When I woke this morning, I found my dog curled up on the couch sleeping, with a bit of linen sticking out from underneath her. Shooing her off the couch, I found Mary with a million tiny wrinkles, and some hair, UGH!! It just so happens that I took my iron over to my Mom's the other day to iron out some fabric for table cloths, so I don't have it, to try to fix this. I will pick it up at Mom's later and start ironing.

Here is a small update on my Needlemania 2, part 5. It's been a while since I worked on this one and I'm about half way through, so I can't give up now.

Lastly, is another small update on my Little House Needleworks Ornament of the Month 3, He's a Flake. I gave up on this one a week ago and need to pick it up and just finish it. It is so small, it shouldn't take long.

Moving Right Along

Here's another update on my Mary Wigham Sampler. I am so pleased to have so much time to devote to stitching. The weather has also required us to stay inside more, so I don't feel too guilty about stitching so much. I have put the LHN ornament on hold for a little while till I get tired of Mary. Hope to update again soon.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Mary Wigham Update

Haven't been stitching much of late, but what I have done is on my Mary Wigham Sampler. I was hoping to get this piece done fairly fast. We'll see what I can get done in the next 6 weeks. After that, with the new baby and the 20 month old running around, I don't see me stitching very much.

Happy Stitching,
Hillery

2 Finishes and 2 New Starts

Cream 26 Count Linen

DMC Threads

Here is my fourth finish of the year. Noel ornament by Bent Creek for The Bride's Tree SAL.

28 Count Hand Dyed Linen, Terra Cotta

DMC Threads

Next up, a new start from Wiehenburg's Yahoo group, Patchwork Quaker. I have changed up the colors quite a bit. This is originally charted in blues and purples, but it wouldn't go with my Terra Cotta fabric. This was the only fabric I had that was big enough for the project.

Permin Lambswool 32 Count Linen

DMC Threads

Another new start is my Mary Wigham. From the Needleprint blog.I am using most of the charted fibers. I might change up a couple of the lighter threads so that they show up better. These two samplers are huge, it will be a wonder if I even finish on of these this year. Considering I keep starting other smaller projects. I will not be ironing these two samplers everytime I take pics because I don't want to ruin the threads, so pardon the messiness.

Permin Lambswool 32 Count Linen

DMC Thread 115

And lastly, my fifth finish of the year, a freebie from Plum Street Samplers. Lovely You. I did not add the words on the top and I'm also not quite sure what I'm going to do with this piece yet. Maybe a box?

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stitching,
Hillery

Another Finish and a WIP

Latte 28 Count Linen

DMC Threads, White, 822, 304, 3323, 613

Here is part 4 of Needlemania 2. I've been stitching this one on my lunch breaks at work, it has taken a lot longer than the first 3, but I've gotten some other stitching done. It has been working out great. Before I used to just stitch on one item forever and I would get so sick of it, now I think working on about 4 WIP's is perfect for me.

Permin Lambswool 32 Count Linen

DMC Threads

This is my third finish of the year. Pear Tree ornament from LHN. I still have beads that need to be put on and the finishing of the ornament will be done with the others sometime later in the year. I've ordered the next ornament in the series, and it should be here at the beginning of next week. I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for visiting,

Hillery

Part 3 of the SAL Finished!!

Here's another update on my Sampler Life Group's SAL. Needle Mania 2. I've finished part 3 and I'm on to part 4. At this rate I will finish in no time. I really need a finish for my morale. It's been years since I've finished a large piece. My stitching motivation is strong right now. I have no intentions of slowing down. Thanks for all your lovely comments. I do enjoy reading all my friends blogs too.

Thanks,

Hillery

A Quick Update on the Days Stitching

Having the day off really paid off on my stitching. Part 2 of my Needle Mania 2 is Finished!!

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

A New Start

I just can't help myself. I am a perpetual starter. Just can't seem to finish any big projects. Here is a start on Needle Mania 2 part one of "the sampler life groups SAL.
From: http://www.hamburgerstickladen.de/

Now on to part 2.

I have the day off. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK!!!! Yeah! I needed a break.

I am going to spend part of the day outside with my daughter. It is goint to be a balmy 28 degrees. I'll put a roast in the oven for dinner and spend the rest of the day kitting up a new project (Yes, another new project) and stitching on some others. Maybe I'll post some progress at the end of the day.

Thanks for stopping by,

Hillery

Happy New Year and a New Start on an Older Piece

It's time to say good bye to my Double Dutch Sampler, for a few days at least. I am already getting a little tired of this piece. I usually can't stay on one for too long. I won't wait forever to pick it up again though. I picked up a piece I started a couple of years ago, it is time to finish it. It is a piece I am stitching for my Mother in Law. Home of a Quilter by Told in a Garden. Again, we'll see how long I can persist. I need an organized rotation for all these WIP's. I'll get on that soon. Talk about procrastination. My number one fault.

Happy Stitching and Happy New Year to all my new blogger friends.

Hillery

Double Dutch Sampler

I've decided that posting pics will help me move along faster with my stitching. I will post updated pictures frequently. I know I will eventually get bored of this piece and have to start on another, until then... more pics.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Wonderful Christmas and a WIP

We had a great Christmas. It is always a very busy day for me. There's not much time to relax, with all the preparations for dinners and last minute cleaning and wrapping, but it is always a fun filled day with the families. Today I finally have time to relax, I won't be doing much today but stitching and a little light housework. I am going to start back up on my Double Dutch Sampler from The Gift of Stitching Magazine. I am going to try to finish this one in 2010. Wish me luck. I have a few other projects on my wishlist, not to mention all the other WIP's. Well, I'm going to put my baby girl down for her nap, grab a cup of tea and start stitching.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery