Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Jenny, Ann, Will and Kate

 I'm almost done with the bottom section of the Jenny Bean Sampler from Scarlet Letter.  I got bored filling in the cloud, so I jumped up to the verse.  It's both over one and two.  My poor guy got his much needed face lift.  Aren't they a handsome pair?
I also pulled out the 1820 Ann Hicks Sampler.  I was gung ho about this sampler initially, but I quickly lost my enthusiasm.  The colors don't do much for me and there is a color change every couple of stitches.  I'm not a big fan of that either.  There's only two ways to stitch a design like that,  re-thread your needle constantly or keep multiple needles threaded.  What do you do?  I am going to finish her though because I just can't stand having unfinished samplers, and it would be a waste of a nice piece of linen.  Oh, another thing that really bugs me about this sampler is the color of the apples.  Pink?  Really?  I should have changed them for sure.  

  
Awhile back someone emailed me wanting to know where I got the wooden folk art birds.  I had no idea, but recently saw them at Cohasett Colonials.  They are exactly like mine. 


Like much of the world, I am excited about the upcoming wedding of Will and Kate.  Being a self proclaimed Anglophile, this is the icing on the cake, no pun intended, ha!  I clearly remember getting up very, very early thirty years ago to watch Prince Charles and Lady Diana wed.  I'll be doing the same thing on Friday, but I'll lose two more hours of sleep since I'm in a different time zone these days.  I would love to be one of those people lining the streets for a glimpse of the couple, but I'll settle for having my cup of tea and scones from the comfort of my sofa.  I need to look for an outrageously large hat to match my jammies.  I wouldn't want to be under dressed.  I have visited Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.  Here are a couple of pages from my scrapbook. 


Yes, that is me all bundled up with the red gloves.  It was freezing cold that day.  Last week, I was inspired to hang out in the craft room and collage this UK themed printer's tray.  You can see in here.

25 comments:

barbara said...

Your stitching just knocks me out - gorgeous! As for those frequent thred change projects ... sadly, I tend to avoid them. When I do bite the bullet, I find it easier to keep threaded needles, which I stick into the floss baggie, and keep the baggies all on a ring.

robindefender said...

Love your scrapbook layouts! And Jenny Bean is looking great. I know what you mean about the thread changing. The only way I can cope with it is by trying to trick myself that I'm making tons of progress as each tiny motif is completed. Good luck with sticking to it!

Margaret said...

Gorgeous! The face lift seems to have been very successful. :D Ann Hicks is pretty too! I hear you on having to switch colors all the time though -- that's a pain. And if the colors don't appeal, well, that's a bummer for sure. I love your scrapbook pages. Royal wedding getting close now!!! Oh boy!

Sabine said...

I love, love, love the Jenny Bean Sampler! The guy looks a lot better now... ;)
I don't like changing thread every few stitches either...and keeping a lot of needles with threads in them can be difficult if you have to work with different shades of the same colour....

Laurie in Iowa said...

I'm in love with your Jenny Bean sampler... it's gorgeous. Ann Hicks has a very delicate look, which I also like very much. I keep multiple needles threaded when there are many color changes on a piece.
I'm looking forward to the Royal wedding too.

Sue said...

Your stitching looks great ;)

marly said...

I was in a bidding war on EBay for the SANQ with Ann Hicks. I lost. After reading your post, I'm glad! I love the sampler - but would probably end up cutting off what I stitched, burning it, and saving the rest of the linen. That's why I don't have WIP's. Destroy all evidence! Enjoyed reading both blogs - have fun at the wedding!

samplerlover said...

Hi Tanya, Jenny is looking really lovely and I can see why you like. That is funny about Ann Hicks. She was on my "to do" list lol. I even made a working copy of her so that I didn't stuff my magazine up.
When I have something with a lot of changes I use all the needles that I need and just keep changing them. I usually use Larry The Lambd when I do this.
Ahh you should come down under where the Wedding is on at a reasonable time. It all starts at 4 p.m. and I think the actual wedding is on around 8 p.m. I shall be sitting watching it. I have seem every one of them from after the Queens (didn't see that one). There is nothing like a Royal Wedding for an Anglophile lol.
BTW DH is still home with his knee up for another 2 weeks. Oh well, at least I got to sleep in lol. - Sandra.

Brigitte said...

OMG, is this a great sampler. But I also love Anne Hicks - as long as I needn't stitch her, lol. I don't love too many colour changes either and try not to start such a piece. I once stitched a Paula Vaughan piece and because of the gazillion colour changes I always kept threaded needles.
I wish you a wonderful day tomorrow.

woolwoman said...

Jenny Bean is coming along beautifully. Neat sampler. I'm with you on watching the wedding in the morning - I am going to the tea shop near my work and pick up some of her yummy scones to have in the morning with my Lady Gray tea. I was there for Charles and Di's wedding and her funeral and I want to be there for Williams wedding. I'll be stitching or knitting thru the festivities. Enjoy! Melody

Cathy Lloyd said...

OK...thanks for the link to your birds....I spent 60 big ones on that site! Now I can't wait til it all arrives!

Michelle said...

Beautiful progress on Jenny and Ann. I do hate those projects with all the thread changes though - drives me nuts. I tend to stitch all I can in one color before switching.

Andrea said...

Your Jenny Bean is just gorgeous!! I have to tell you....I'd been on the fence about purchasing that chart from SL, even though I'd drooled over it many times. But seeing your progress was just the push I needed, so it's now here and just waiting on some of the silks to come in so I can start her! I chose 40 ct.Ink Spot Black, which looks close to what you're using. Anyway, thank you SO much for the inspiration!!

Loraine said...

As always your samplers never disappoint. I really love both of these pieces. I think Ann Hicks will turn out lovely in the end.
I was just drooling over your Plantation Sampler that you posted in 2009. I'm thinking I need it too! Darn this blogging! LOL

I love your scrapbook pages of London. Really nice. Enjoy the wedding!

Natalia said...

Tanya, I love Jenny Bean !!! I've just bought this chart yesterday. Nice collage and you sound so excited about William and Kate's wedding. I'll have to record it !!

Tanya said...

I really like your Jenny Bean. Ann Hicks is really soft looking but I wouldn't care for all the color changes. I like your scrapbooking too.

Deb said...

Oh, do I love that sampler. I thought it would be a difficult one to stitch with that bottom all filled in, but I truly love it. And I think that you have convinced me not to start Ann Hicks for a while. She's kitted but I'm not into a lot of color changes right now.

And I think you are going to have a lot of people up with you for the big Wedding. I never though to wear a hat with my jammies. What a cool idea!!

Vilma aka Examplar Dame said...

Tanya I started Jenny Bean when it first came out, I did not start it on black linen but on a hand dyed linen, but then I put it in the WIP basket and forgot a out it. Looking at yours makes me want to finish mines. Yours looks lovely.

Siobhán said...

Jenny Bean looks great, Tanya! Love your progress on Ann Hicks, too. I have been antsy to start that--I love the crowns on the people--but the colors aren't tripping my twanger. I definitely plan to stitch it, though!

Love your scrapbook LOs! My BIL is going to a reception for the queen when she comes later this month. Not quite as exciting as Wills. ;)

Karoline said...

Jenny and Ann are looking gorgeous, great progress

Isobel -Argante- said...

This is really a wonderful blog... May I ask you who is the designer of the scarlet house in the picture of the header? It's fantastic, nice to meet you :-)

Argante

Katrina said...

Absolutely love your Jenny Bean and the facelift is perfect ;-). Ann is pretty too, I tend to just rethread my needle.

Loved the royal wedding!!!

Gabi said...

Jenny Bean looks fantastic. Did I read that correctly that you stitched it on 40 ct in BLACK? That's amazing. Not sure if I would have the courage to tackle that.
Somehow I don't have multiple needles threaded. I'm a one needle stitcher...lol. Although too much changes can drive me nuts at times.

Sue said...

Hi Tanya, I just joined your blog! I too am a passionate sampler person.

I look forward to meeting you at PALS this year.

Hugs,
Sue

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