The Scarlett House

Stitching friends gone wild weekend at the Attic's Sampler Symposium

2012-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

The calm before the storm. No, that's not true...nobody got carried away (except for the shopping and stash enhancing), or did anything scandalous. We would have all ended up in the pokey if there was a law against laughing though, as there was a whole lot of that going on. The weekend was fabulous in every way. Here they are enjoying my patio and some warm sun before we headed up for the first class. We stopped for lunch at a nearby restaurant, then it was off to the Attic for some shopping and major enabling.

Here's Jen, Karin, and Katrina doing what they do best. Between these three, it's a wonder any linen was left. OK, I remember getting some awesome cuts too, so all was good.

Here is Paulette during her project presentation. The tilted head, and the LOOK was directed at me for taking her picture. She even yelled at me, lol. I regret that I didn't get photos of the other guests who's class projects were really wonderful. Paulette and Katrina have some beautiful photos on their blogs, so please check them out. I was in the early stage of a nasty sinus infection, and I was too busy popping cough drops and antibiotics.

Here is Jean showing off Paulette's finished piece, which I love, love, love. Jean, you should always wear that color, it looks great on you!

This is our group photo. From left to right in back are Jen, Katrina, Natalia, Sylvia, and Karin. Paulette and I are in the front. I miss my girls, and can't wait to get together again. If you've ever considered attending the Attic's Sampler Symposium, do it! It's a wonderful event at a terrific location. The accommodations were great, the food was great, the guest designers and projects were great, the gifts were great (thanks again to Mr. Jean, as I like to call John). It was all, well ... really GREAT!

Exciting weekend ahead...

2012-01-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy gal, trying to finish the model for Miss Mary Roe, and getting ready for some special guests that are arriving tomorrow. Six pals are coming from all over to attend the

Sampler Symposium at The Attic this weekend. It is going to be a crazy fun time. There will be lots of chatting, shopping, an outing for dinner here, and plenty of stitching. I have my camera ready to catch the girls in action for future blog posts.

Mary is a bright sampler, and a fun stitch. I have the verse to finish, charts to finalize, and she'll be ready. I'm shooting for late January.

Sarah Elizabeth Brooke Correction

2011-12-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that there is a mistake on Sarah's chart. Somehow the bird in the middle of the two purple faced people lost his tail and part of the wing. Also, the vase has some missing symbols, which happen to be the same color. The graph below shows the way it is supposed to be charted. I am so sorry for the confusion and inconvenience. If you have any questions, please email me.

"Tis the season...

2011-12-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

for a little decorating around the house. I'm going to apologize in advance for showing similar photos from year to year, but I pretty much stick with the same thing. Plus, I know that some of you might be new visitors, so maybe you will enjoy them. The rest of you...just bear with me, okay?

Our home is small, so I try to keep it fairly simple. My attempt at creating a colonial feel here in the desert. Sprigs of greenery tucked here and there.

I found this driftwood Santa in Iowa. He looks like he has a really bad back ache. I have a thing for skinny Santa's. No roly poly guys need apply.

More greenery amongst some red ware.

These gentlemen are definite repeats. I know I show my collection of Eldreth Pottery Santas every year, but I only get to display them for such a short time. Hey, there's a chubby Santa in the front row...how did he get in there?

One of my favorite Christmas stitches, Blessings be Thine from Blackbird Designs. I'm almost tempted to leave it out all year. You know that weakness I have for canning jars. I can't take credit for putting this together. Another Iowa find, and it was in my arms in a split second.

These primitive stars are just the thing for my kitchen counter.

What few snowmen I have seem to end up in the guest bath.

This is a new display for me. Several of you inspired me to fill a dough bowl with some smalls. It's a start. The sweet little oval box with the silhouette was a gift from a dear friend who knows me well.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May your holiday be filled with comfort and joy.

Hannah Tingey 1823

2011-12-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to present my new release, the Hannah Tingey 1823 reproduction sampler. For the model, I used 45ct. vintage Butter Cream from Lakeside Linen and Needle Point, Inc. silk. A conversion to DMC is provided with the chart. The verse and Hannah's name and date are stitched over one.

Little Hannah must have been a bird lover, as she chose to stitch 14 of them on her sampler. I enjoy feeding the birds that come to our yard, so naturally I was excited to reproduce it. The verse is particularly meaningful.

Three turkeys and stitching...

2011-11-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

These three are ready for turkey. There's no convincing them that they aren't direct descendants from the original pilgrims either. We all want to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Stitching bags! Who isn't thankful for the great variety of bags out there? When I started stitching back in the stone age, I think I must have carried my projects in Ziplocs. I couldn't have imagined that one day I'd have so many fun ones to choose from. The red and lime green mesh ones were found at Barnes and Noble, and while not actually marketed for stitching, they sure come in handy. I love the ones made out of the very cool sampler-like fabric. At a recent trip to the Attic, the teal colored one in the back was spotted. There were many different ones to choose from, all unique. Several of us were looking at them at the same time, and it was an absolute frenzy. It was really funny trying to get the one you fancied the most without being too pushy. There might have been an elbow or two thrown though. My friend, Natalia makes awesome stitching wallets. She has a great eye for selecting fabrics, and the construction is top notch, too.

This little tote came home from South Carolina with me. It's perfect for carrying my stitching out to the patio. I bought it from CJ's Creations, who was one of the vendors at the PALS retreat. They can be embroidered, and come in several colors. One of the neat things about this tote is that it collapses flat.

The model for Hannah Tingey 1823 is finished. I'm finalizing the chart, and she will be available the first week of December. I hope you like her.

South Carolina Part Two

2011-11-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

This was my first glimpse of the beach. It was exactly as I remembered it from all those years ago. Now, I've been to many beaches since that first trip to Myrtle Beach, but this place is special. It must be the memories associated with it, but I felt like I had come back to a place that I've held in my heart for a long time. I had a very hard time concentrating on stitching with this view outside.

Shortly after arriving, Paulette and I headed down to the beach to check out the ~~surfers,~~ um...I mean surf.

Hurry Paulette...you let him get away. Oh, I forgot. You have a zoom lens!

Nice boards...hee-hee!

Two of my favorite people. My long time friend, Patti on the left, travelled with me. (She's the short one who needed the step stool to climb into that high four poster in Charleston). I can't thank you enough for all the help, and for the fun, Patti. On the right is today's birthday girl, Nicole. Happy birthday, my friend! I had so much fun with you, and I appreciate you helping us navigate. I especially want to thank you for insisting that I needed that red bag :)

Here is the fabulous, Faye. She is one of the nicest gals on the planet. I can't wait to see more of your Sarah Elizabeth. Thank you again for the scissor fob. Just looking at it makes me smile.

Michele is stitching my Jingle all the way on red! Make sure you send me a photo of it finished. It was so fun to meet you.

And then there was this group...the Carolina Connection! Michele and I snuck in there, too. I am not exaggerating, when I say that you are the nicest, funniest, friendliest, and most special bunch that I have ever met. I had a blast being an honorary Carolina girl. I can still hear Lynn laughing in my head , and I start in all over again. Have you started your Williamsburg ort can yet, Sandra? Remember, we promised! Linda, I now have a southern drawl thanks to you. I can't wait to meet up with you all again. Have fun in Tennessee.

I want to thank Amy for inviting me. It was my absolute pleasure to be a part of this fun event. I met some truly wonderful ladies, and I so appreciate the enthusiam and response to my designs. Thank you all very much. I hope you find that Candy Corn!

Ahhh, I could have stayed like this forever...

I can't help myself...

2011-10-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

We have a tale of two witches. Can you guess which witch is the bad witch? Actually, they are both good witches! They are only giving me the evil eye because I made them sit still and pose.

Now this one...is the devil. There's no doubt about it.

Happy Halloween!

South Carolina Part One

2011-10-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'm back home from a wonderful trip to South Carolina. I visited there over thirty-seven years ago, and I've had "Carolina in My Mind" ever since. The first stop was Charleston, an incredibly beautiful and historic city. We spent two days exploring almost entirely on foot, with the exception of a carriage ride tour. When we were worn out, we escaped back to our room at The Meeting Street Inn. It is a fabulous inn. The rooms are furnished with amazing antiques. Yes, those beds are high. What you can't see is the step stool in between them. It came in very handy for my short companion. It was such an awesome place to stay. I really hated to check out.

This was a cemetery that we walked through. It was a peaceful and lovely place.

The architecture captivated my attention the most. I could live in any of the houses, and be perfectly happy. I loved the shuttered windows, wide southern porches, gas lights, intricate iron work, and well...everything. The gardens were beyond stunning. Many were very English looking in their layout. Wouldn't you love to be sitting in one of those rockers stitching away?

A highlight of the trip was a visit to The Charleston Museum. I am very grateful to my friend, Carol for suggesting that we make an appointment to view some of the many samplers housed there. I knew that the Ann Wragg Sampler below was there, but I didn't know that samplers aren't always on display. The curator was very gracious and let us view several. Seeing Ann up close was a thrill. It is a small sampler, but the stitching is perfectly done.

My other favorite was the Mary Bella Hopkins Sampler. A large sampler with beautiful stitching in really nice colors. Oh, how I wish someone would reproduce it. I would be first in line to buy the chart.

In my next post, I'll tell you about the trip up the coast to Myrtle Beach.

Hobbling to the beach...

2011-10-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am finally ready to head to the beach bright and early tomorrow morning. It's been a busy, busy week filled with all the last minute things to do before a trip. If I can get my suitcase zipped, I'll be good to go. The hobbling part is because I have a bad knee that has been acting up. A quick trip to the doctor for a cortisone shot was necessary. So, I might be limping, but it won't keep me from enjoying this "me" time with the girls. To those of you who are going...I'll see you there.

I haven't painted in a very long time, but I did this week. Out of all the sets I've done, I never kept one for myself. I thought it was about time to do just that. I love colonial stencilling, and I love silhouettes, so I was inspired to combine the two. My dear friend Patti, brought me the sweet little bag back from Paris. It's the perfect little accessory case. Every time I look at it, I'll be reminded of my little boy back home who's really going to miss his mama for a few days.

On a side note, I've been getting emails about where to purchase my charts. I am distributed through Hoffman, so any shop can order directly through them or me.

Jingle

2011-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest design, Jingle all the way. It's a pin keep, but I like to use them in potpourri filled bowls. I love the linen, it's called Swamp, and it's from PTP Colorscapes. Not your traditional Christmas color, but it was fun to use. My model is stitched with Belle Soie Mahogany and Icing on 36ct. If you'd rather use cotton over-dyes, Cayenne and Toasted Marshmallow from Crescent Colours are good conversions. I thought the bell was a nice touch, but it is charted with a snowflake if you'd prefer it that way. The bell was found at Hobby Lobby. The trim is jumbo Rick Rack from Wrights in the color Bark.

Thanks again to the amazing Vonna for taking my visions and making them work.

I'm still working on the model for Hannah Tingey, but I'm itching to get back to stitching for fun. I'm thinking ahead to what projects to take for the trip to Myrtle Beach for the Pals 2011 Stitchin' At The Beach retreat which is coming up soon. I'm beyond excited to see some old friends, and make some new ones. I'm a surf and sand girl, so I can't wait to get to the beach. We're spending a couple of days in Charleston before heading up the coast. I've never been to that city, and I just know I'm going to love it.

Emma, Hannah, and I

2011-09-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall! We are still waiting for those cooler temps, but they can't be far away now. To be honest, I've hardly paid any attention to the weather. My needle has kept me busy. I've spent more time with Hannah, below and Emma Mills, above. The antique Emma is a sweet little sampler in my collection, and the chart will be released next week. The original sampler was stitched on fabric that looks like dirty linen. I tried to reproduce it with similar linen, but I was never happy with the result. I then tried Meadow Rue, and that didn't work either. I finally settled on vintage Lentil, and I used a variety of cotton overdyes. It needed a bit of brightening up. One has to wonder what prompted little Emma to stitch her admonishment about the evils of money.

Hannah's red house is going up brick by brick. I love stitching bricks for some odd reason. I couldn't wait to get to the deer, and it was a fun motif to do. I forgot to mention that I'm using 45ct. Buttercream and NPI for her. Her release will probably be late in October. In addition to Emma, I will be releasing a new design called "Jingle all the way" very soon. The talented Vonna has worked her finishing magic once again. It's a Death By Candy Corn meets Christmas idea , and it's somewhat primitive.

We recently bought this small motorhome to travel with the dogs in. I'm hoping that we will escape the heat more often next summer. We took it up to the pines of northern AZ this weekend. If you look closely, it appears that I am fenced in. Um, that would be for the pups who were too busy lounging on the beds inside. The van has all the comforts of home, but I think it needs a sampler or two hanging in there somewhere. Just saying...

The Red House Addiction

2011-09-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've started the model for my next reproduction sampler. I purchased Hannah Tinguey 1823 before we went on vacation last month. I'm really drawn to red lettering on samplers, and the red house pretty much sealed the deal. The stitching on the original is very, very tiny and just exquisite. I was amazed to see that the thread colors are still very vivid. The verse is also charming, and I love the way she spelled denied as deniyed.

Aren't those big eyed stags wonderful?

It seems that most of the antique samplers that I come across come from England. I thought about that as I was waiting for her to make the trip across the ocean. I can only surmise that our young American girls were much too busy with day to day chores and basic survival in the early 18th and 19th centuries.

I grabbed my camera when I saw these three sitting together. It doesn't happen that often as Scarlett doesn't like to be next to Henry. She tolerates him, but barely. I'm sure if she could talk she'd say something like "girls rule, boys...yea, not so much".

Loot!

2011-08-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

There's a very good reason for my lack of blogging lately...I've been in the Midwest. Actually, the road trip took us through nine states, but Iowa and Minnesota were the main destinations. While there, we visited family and enjoyed some incredible weather. Sadly, we came home to temps around 116. I keep telling myself that we are near the end of the heat, but there is still more than a month of it to go before we head into the chamber of commerce weather.

I'm fairly certain that I hit every antique shop between here and there. Above is some of the misc. loot that came home with me. I see a theme going on with the alphabet, don't you? I guess I'm pretty predictable, I always seem to look for the same things every trip such as vintage photos, old buttons, canning jars, silhouettes, and pewter. I really had no intention of bringing home another piece of salt-glazed pottery, but I couldn't resist these two. The crock was a steal at $40, and the jug, complete with "turkey droppings" was only $15. I had no clue what a turkey dropping was until a woman stopped me to admire them on the jug. She enlightened me with a story about the brown splats. The glaze apparently drips/drops onto the ones below them in the kiln. According to her, they make a piece more desirable and valuable. Who knew?

We attended this event in Minnesota for the second year. Last year, I flew and was limited to what I could bring home. This year, I was prepared and brought our van. We were just about to leave when I spotted the spinning wheel. I have to say that I was feeling a little disappointed because I hadn't found any samplers worth buying and had missed out on a wonderful old spool cabinet by minutes. So, when this came into view, I was excited. It has the original blue/black paint, and is from 1844. You can see where the paint has worn from use.

The bee skep is not old, but I have always wanted one. I'm hoping that it will age in time.

Now this is something that you do not see everyday. It was originally a large rhubarb leaf. My sis-in-law participated in a fundraiser by making these. I can't remember the exact process, but it involves forming an actual leaf over a mound of dirt to form the bowl. Then some type of plaster mixture is added to make it hard. This one was painted, but I love how you can see the veins. I'm using it for a small bird bath along the walkway.

We were on hand to wish brother-in -law, Mike a happy 50th. He was golfing at the time, and came home to a surprise party. That is yours truly in the middle. I'm the only one not holding up a "50" napkin. Another sister-in-law had just given me something from Tastefully Simple, and that is what I am displaying.

We also spent time in this ~~resort~~ I mean farm, of yet another sister and brother-in-law. It is absolutely lovely here, and the dogs ran and played until they could run no more. I sat on the patio and stitched...it was heaven.

A note about Sarah

2011-08-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

In my haste to get Sarah ready, I mistakenly listed Belle Soie Silk Old Crow as Black Crow in the fibers needed list. I had "crows" on my mind, but I must have been focused on the color rather than their age. The change is noted on future packaging, but if you get one of the first copies, please be aware. There are conversions to DMC and Crescent Colour's Hand Dyed Floss included as well.

Also, my model was stitched on 40ct. Meadow Rue from Lakeside Linen. My piece of fabric was a lighter version than the current Meadow Rue available. The model is currently visiting the The Attic , and they have suggested vintage Lt. Examplar as being "an almost spot on match substitute".

Thanks for the lovely comments about Sarah. I always love hearing from you.

Sarah Elizabeth Brooke 1842

2011-08-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

She made it into her frame last night. Sarah will always be extra special to me. She was the first antique sampler purchase to make her way from England to my home in Arizona. I was a nervous wreck when I bought her, but I'm so glad I followed my instinct about reproducing her. I hope you like her. The charts are not quite ready, but hopefully very soon. There are no specialty stitches, but the verse and Sarah's name and date are over one. I think you could stitch them over two by simply extending the border and raising the roof, so to speak.
Thank you for the nice comments about my trip to the beach. I'm excited about meeting you, too!

Blogger wouldn't let me super-size her, but you can double click on her for a larger photo.

A peek at Sarah Elizabeth Brooke and some fun news...

2011-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a small look at Sarah Elizabeth Brooke. I hope to get her framed today, and I will do another post as soon (maybe tomorrow) as she is ready to show. You might remember that she is a reproduction of the antique sampler below. I brightened up her palette and tidied up a few of her motifs, but for the most part she is charted as Sarah stitched her. I always agonize over what to change as to not compromise the charm and integrity of the original. We all like our borders to match up though, right? With the poor light conditions that these young stitchers must have had, I think they did remarkably well, even if they did go over an extra thread from time to time.

Here is another version of my Death By Candy Corn sent to me from Bonnie. This is what she had to say about it:

"I did use a 40ct. linen, 18 century rook. Then just brushed the walnut stain over the piece after stitching. I didn't soak it as I didn't want to have the candy corn come out to dark. So I kind of went around the corn. I dyed the chenille I had with black rit dye. I love how it came out."

Very nice, Bonnie. Thanks for sharing.

Now for the fun news. Over the weekend, Amy from Down Sunshine Lane invited me join them for the Pals 2011 Stitchin' At The Beach for a meet and greet. I am very excited, and I look forward to being a part of it. I'll be bringing my models and charts. It didn't take much persuasion as I have wanted to head to the beach, and Myrtle Beach in particular, for a very long time. You can ask some of my friends who are probably sick of hearing me whine about that longing. Hey, I live in AZ and it's hot and dusty here, what more can I say? Thank you for including me, Amy.

Maddie Button

2011-07-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Now you know why I've neglected updating my blog lately. I've been busy! Maddie Button is my newest offering. Those of you who know me, know of my love of sheep. I think every sampler should have at least one.

Inspiration can often be derived when you least expect it. A few months ago I was involved in a conversation with friends about the pros and cons of becoming a vegetarian. I'm not one, but I don't like to think about the unpleasantness of where our food source comes from either. Maddie's verse came to me while I was standing in the shower pondering the conversation. As someone who loves old buttons and vintage canning jars, the idea went on from there.

The models were stitched on 40ct. Days Gone By with Belle Soie silk. A conversion to Crescent Colours cotton is provided. Used also as trim for the pin keep and fob cording is the yummy new hand-dyed chenille from Crescent Colours.

Finishing was done by the Twisted Stitcher. Step by step finishing instructions are included with the chart. You can also visit Vonna's tutorial blog for online help.

The model for Sarah Elizabeth Brooke is finished. I'll be showing her very soon.

Meet Mary Roe

2011-07-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Pretty Mary Roe took a trip across the pond and arrived safely at her new home in Arizona. Isn't she a fun and happy sampler? I'm amazed at how bright and colorful she is. It was love at first sight for me. The funny and awkward looking people just beg to be stitched again. Her skinny tummy just makes me laugh and very jealous. Of course, I love samplers with sheep and dogs. We're going to pretend that the spotted one herding the flock is a Boston Terrier. I wish that she had stitched her age alongside her name and date. I'd bet she was a very young girl with a vivid imagination. I can't wait to start charting her.

Here's a peek at my next release, Mattie Button. It's a three piece set which includes a pin keep, scissor fob, and jar wrap. All that's left is the finishing.

Below is a photo of Coverlet Birds sent to me from Bonnie. She stitched it on 48ct. over two. Yes, I said 48ct! She then tea-stained it. The finished size is 4 1/2w x 2 3/4h. I love it, and your photo layout, Bonnie.

Thanks for sharing it.

I almost forgot to mention Sarah Elizabeth's progress. I am about half the way done stitching the model. I'm hoping her chart will be ready early August.

We are doing our best to keep cool. July is my least favorite month. The monsoons are working their way up from Mexico nearly every day now for the next couple of months. We usually get a dust storm in the early evening which is tons of fun. It's hit or miss if there's rain to follow. It's been so long since I've seen rain, I barely remember it. It's wet, right?

Hope you and yours enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July!

Summer has arrived

2011-06-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

***Okay, I have to edit this post. My husband read it, and called me the biggest dork ever. It seems that I incorrectly stated that planes couldn't take off on the day it reached 122 degrees because of soft asphalt. This is not true. First, the runways are concrete and there was concern that the planes couldn't get enough lift because of the heat. He should know. He was at the airport that day. I stand corrected, and I feel like a dork. I could have sworn I heard it the other way.

The calendar says that the beginning of summer is still six days away. I'd have to disagree...I think it's here. It reached 122 on June 26, 1990. I remember it. The planes couldn't take off from the airport because the asphalt on the runways was too soft. That day wasn't fit for man nor beast. We do get used to the heat though, and it's still 15 degrees away from that temp. The funny thing is that as I type this, I have socks on because my feet are cold. I hate the evil, but necessary air conditioning.

Here's how the squatters spend their afternoons when it's hot outside. They get their ball chasing out of the way early in the morning when it's cool.

Ruby doesn't look too thrilled to be woken up. I think she's giving me the eye!

Someone forgot to tell Henry that it's 107 outside. He's like me, and gets cold easily.

Scarlett can curl up and be happy anywhere, but this is her favorite spot.

One thing I can say about summers in Arizona, I get a lot of stitching done. This chart from With Humble Heart is called Do Unto Others. It's been a long time resident in my chart stash. I was fortunate to see this design stitched over one on 40ct at the Attic. It was solidly stitched and beyond amazing. I'm doing my version over two on 40ct. I love the red alphabet, and while I usually start at the bottom, I couldn't resist going there first.

It might be awhile before you see this completed. I wish I could show you what I'm really stitching. I have finished a third design called Maddie Button. The stitching is done, but the finishing is not. I hope to show you very soon. Remember my antique sampler, Sarah Elizabeth Brooke? Her chart is finished, and I'm stitching the model. I think she's going to be worth the wait. I have given much thought about whether to take liberties with Sarah, or do my best to make it a true reproduction. My personal opinion is that it can be difficult to chart the many mistakes these young girls made. It must have been extremely hard to count their stitches with the poor lighting they had. While I did my best to keep Sarah as close to the original, her borders will match up and some of the motifs will be tidied up. What is your opinion? Are you a sampler purist?

I have say thank you for the wonderful response and comments about my first two designs. You never know what to expect when you create something and put it out there. I appreciate the encouragement.

My New Designs

2011-05-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

I am happy to show you my first two designs under The Scarlett House.

This one is called Coverlet Birds. The models were stitched on 40ct. Earth linen from Crossed-Wing Collection using NPI silk. I have always loved antique coverlets, and that is where I drew my inspiration from.

And this is Death By Candy Corn. I used a favorite 40ct. linen of mine called Days Gone By and it is charted for DMC. The candy corns are stitched over one, but can be done over two.

The charts will be available on Friday at The Attic, and hopefully in other shops eventually.

Special thanks to:

Margaret Chess for her expert stitching of the framed piece.

Vonna Pfeiffer for finishing the pin keeps so beautifully.

Priscilla's Pocket for the perfect frame.

Jenny Bean

2011-05-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's a windy and not so sunny day here in Arizona, not a great day for taking photos. But, I've finished and framed Jenny Bean from Scarlet Letter, and here she is. I stitched it on 40ct. vintage Black Forest from Lakeside Linen with plain old DMC. It didn't kill me to use cotton thread, but it came close. I don't know why I didn't use silk. I guess I thought it would require a lot of it in the solid area. I learned my lesson though and won't be using it again on any 40ct. linen. It shreds too much, or maybe I pull too tight. I love this sampler, and once my eyes adjusted to stitching on black, it wasn't so bad. It's worth the effort because the colors just pop, but I'm looking forward to a much lighter linen.

We made a quick trip to Iowa last week for a wedding. I took this project to work on. I'm determined to I finish the Prairie Schooler alphabets over one on 30ct. It's been a bout a year since I picked it up, and I'm all enthused about it again.

The ducks, Dave and Roseanne, are still hanging around. Dave is here three times a day, but Roseanne must be sitting on a nest and doesn't come as often. They were both sitting in the driveway when we got home from Iowa and walked right up to the car. I think they missed their handouts.

On my last post, a comment was left asking about the designer of the stitched piece in my header. Um, that would be me. I am planning to use it on my chart packaging. The house is an adaptation from an antique that I plan to reproduce. Thanks for asking.

Jenny, Ann, Will and Kate

2011-04-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

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.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-04-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the last time I showed stitching, I had started Sophia's Sampler. I didn't get far. As you can see from my new blog header, I stitched a "Scarlett" house which I plan to use for my designs logo. Of course, Scarlett is the top dog on the house, with Ruby and Henry Blue on the lower levels. Please be patient with my blog...I'm making changes , and things may be different every time you stop by until I get it right. When I'm not busy blowing up my blog and trying to get the designs that I've come up with finished, I've been enjoying Jenny Bean by the Scarlet Letter. The fabric is 40ct. vintage Black Forest from Lakeside. It sort of looks bluish in the photo, but it's closer to the chart color. The first couple of stitches were kind of weird, but eventually my eyes adjusted, and now I can see it with no problem. The poor guy is going to get a face lift. I forgot to add his cheek color and eyebrows and he looks like he borrowed hi wife's lipstick. He'll look better next time.

As if three dogs weren't enough trouble, these two ducks have adopted me. Meet Dave and Roseanne. This is the third year in a row that they have stopped by every day on a regular basis. I am a sucker for all wildlife, so naturally they get fed. The female will walk up the sidewalk almost to the front door, but Dave hangs back. We used to have real neighbors named Dave and Roseanne. They moved away, and then moved back to our community twice. So, I decided to name them in their honor since they keep returning. It makes no sense to you, I'm sure. They even brought family and friends with them on one of their first visits this year. I counted eighteen Mallards in the front yard. It was crazy.

No stitching to show but...

2011-03-21T16:26:00.001-07:00

I do have things for Show and Tell. I dusted off my sewing machine and made some pillowcases this weekend. I've had this fabric that came from here for awhile, and I decided that they wouldn't make themselves, so I'd have to do it. It was a nice way to brush up on my sewing skills as I hope to make a quilt eventually. At least, my unnamed friends think I should. I don't know if I'm up to the task, but pillowcases...I can do.

I celebrated another birthday last week, and I received some lovely gifts. The Necessaire box is very special to me as it was made by my friend, Vickie. It has a wonderful verse about little things in life...

Do you see how it's lined? Yes, that is the Jane Tindall Sampler inside. You are so clever, VJ! I couldn't love it any more...thank you.

These weren't exactly a birthday gift, but I love them also. My dear friend, Patti knows that I love The Beatles...who doesn't, right? These Beanie Baby Beatles belonged to her Mother. Aren't they the cutest? Each one represents a different musical phase. After some research, I discovered that only 25,000 were made and mine are numbered 11,978 on their tag. I'm hiding them from the grand kids. My favorite has to be the gray one with "I Want To Hold Your Hand " embroidered on it. The backs and bottom of one foot has The Beatles embroidered. Thank you, my friend.

If you'd like to see what I did recently with an old spice cabinet...go to my other blog.

May I have more hours in my day, please?

2011-02-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

Country Life is now in it's beautiful burled wood frame. I thought it would be a real bugger to stretch and pin, but it wasn't that bad. I came close to running out of pins though. My guess is that I used close to a bazillion. It is so hard to photograph closely so here it is in sections.

We've had some gloomy, cool weather lately. Perfect weather to plop in front of the TV and indulge myself with my new wool obsession. I can stitch all day and night and never get tired of it, but this is a nice change of pace. I tried something new and tea dyed the cream colored mat part. It was just too bright. I even dunked the pennies in for a bit. I love the result. I wasn't sure if the wool would take a tea bath well, but I read that all natural fibers will. I have an idea to try next that will combine both penny mats and my love of samplers.

Here's the resting spot for it.

Like I said in my post title, I wish I could order up a few more hours in the day. I never seem to have enough time to get to all the crafty goodness that I want to. I miss making collage art and cards, and I really need to make more effort to do that again. I've just finished my first cross stitch design. The model will soon be stitched, and I'll share that when I can. Then there's the myriad of samplers waiting in the wings, not to mention a couple more must do's from market.

Something needs to give. I know... I'll give up exercising, laundry, and housework.

Have a wonderful week.

Juggling and struggling

2011-02-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

Country Life is finally finished. I have joked that I started this back in the 80's, and actually it was late last summer. There were so many times that I wanted to put it aside and start something new, but I'm glad I persevered. I have the most enabling bunch of friends (you know who you are!) and I can be easily pulled off in another direction. I did chart and stitch Maria Tilley in between though. The hardest part will be the framing since it's so long and awkward. I have a wonderful burled wood frame that will work great. You should be able to click on the picture and see it bigger. (Nope, it didn't work for me, I'm definitely in need of a blog overhaul.) I had a doozy of a time photographing it. I had to lay it on the floor and stand on a chair to capture it all.

I feel like I'm struggling and juggling to get to all the things that I want to accomplish. We all have overflowing stashes with samplers that are waiting in the wings. Then there's the new stuff coming to tempt us from the Nashville market. Adding to that, I've started charting my antique Sarah Elizabeth, plus I want to design a sampler, and I still want to play with wool. I'm overwhelmed by my desires. Sounds like a cheesy line in a hopelessly romantic novel, doesn't it?

I literally woke up this morning and my very first thought was to start Sophia's Sampler from Scarlet Letter today. Seriously, the world is in total chaos and this is my first thought? Sad...but true. My pal, Sandra has stitched Sophia. I watched and drooled over her progress forever. I'm going to do mine on 40ct. vintage Lentil that has a lot of mottling. I think the colors in her are great. There's a bit of free-hand stitching and I haven't done much of that on samplers. It'll be a challenge.

This sweet little sampler was stitched by nine year old Emma Mills in 1839. It is now hanging in our guest bathroom. I treated myself to her for Valentine's Day. It was hard to get a good photo through the glass, but I plan to reproduce her this year.

Thank you so very much for the comments and congratulations on the birth of little Rowan.

Here's what's happening...

2011-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

As I inch ever closer to finishing Country Life, I am so ready to have it done. I wish my photo would do it justice because it is such a beautiful sampler. There's just a bit more of the border, a line of verse, and the over one animals in the corner. I'm considering adding a sheep and a cow in place of repeating the pig and horse as charted. In continuing my new love affair with wool and penny rugs, I made this candle mat recently. The black bottom was once a nice blazer from Goodwill.

I had this in mind when I chose the colors for the pennies.
Please ignore the old woman in the photo and meet my new granddaughter, Rowan Elizabeth. She was born on Wednesday. She's pink and perfect, and we are all in love with her already.

Here I am on Christmas day with the other grand kids, Olivia, Quinn, Kai, and Sawyer. We'll need to make room for Rowan next year.

I plan to start charting Sarah Elizabeth Brooke this week. I bought another antique sampler which just arrived yesterday, and I'll be doing that one, also. I'll post a picture next time. My plan for 2011 is to have those two ready and possibly an original design thrown in.

With a little help from my friends...

2011-01-26T08:13:00.001-08:00

is the perfect title for this post. I made this penny rug mat with the help of two special friends. Katrina bought the kit to make it, but had a case of buyer's remorse. I bought it from her because I've always wanted to work with wool. Since it came as a kit with everything included, it was a great first piece for me to start with. I did stray from the original design and omitted a couple of things. My friend, Sandy (no blog ) who I call the "wool master" was a patient teacher and is my personal wool guru. She visited the Phoenix area over the holidays and spent a day with me. She got me started and taught me a few of her tricks. Now I blame her for my newly acquired addiction to wool. I've been searching the local Goodwill stores in search of blazers to cut up, and they are starting to recognize me there. Who buys wool blazers in Phoenix? So, it's not really surprising. It's a great way to build a stash of wool, but it does take a bit of work, especially the felting process. I'm very happy with my first attempt even though I made a few mistakes. It was definitely a learning process.

On the stitching front, it's still Country Life for me. I keep thinking that I'll finish it soon and then another week goes by and another and another...My overall photo doesn't do it justice so I've taken pictures of it in sections.

I love the little dog and bunnies. I'm not so crazy about where that gun is pointed though. Let's just ignore that part of the sampler. The doves on the feeder and the bunnies are stitched over one.

I need to mention that there is an extra skein of AVAS 3734 needed for Jane Tindall's grass. Thank you to Margaret for pointing that out. It was a crazy time when I was finishing up Jane before the St. Charles market, and it didn't get mentioned on the chart. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Happy stitching everyone.

Maria Tilley 1835

2011-01-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to show you Maria in her beautiful frame. She was an absolute joy for me to stitch. I have to admit there were times when I questioned my sanity at choosing 45 ct. fabric, but I couldn't be more pleased with her. The chart is now available from NeedleWorkPress. Many, many thanks to Vickie for once again entrusting me with bringing another one of her girls to life. Maria is on display at The Attic, if you are in the Phoenix area and would like to see her.

I'm still stitching away on Country Life, but I'm getting closer to finishing it. I can't remember a sampler ever being so labor intensive as that one, but it is a beauty. I'll post a photo soon.

I saw a spool cabinet like this one on The Twisted Stitcher's blog awhile back. After a few emails with Vonna, I decided it would be perfect for holding my DMC thread. I thought it was time to replace the plastic storage boxes that have held those fibers for more than thirty years. The plastic trays fit perfectly in the drawers. This is a reproduction that I found on eBay, but it really looks old. I have looked forever for a real antique one, but they were either way too expensive, missing knobs, or the drawers were wonky and warped. The height makes it perfect for sitting next to my stitching chair. Thanks for convincing me, Vonna. I love it.

Thinking ahead...

2011-01-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011 everyone! As I said last post, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I hope to accomplish this year. I sat down today with my binders which are overflowing with charts. I limited myself to the 15 that spoke to me the loudest and made my list. Before I get to the list though, these are the samplers that will see action also. Country Life (above) will be first. I love, love, love this sampler. Next will be the Prairie Schooler Alphabet that I am doing over one on 30ct linen . I think I started it last January and it is such fun. I can't remember what sidetracked me away from it.

Lastly, poor Harriet Burry has been languishing away in my wip basket. It's been so long since she's seen a needle that I'm sure she has a complex by now.

I'm not the type of stitcher that can handle a bunch of unfinished projects, so I need to wrap these up. I can't be too hard on myself because I did finish eight beautiful samplers, two of which I had to chart first.

Here's what I hope to work on this year:

Goode Huswife's Peaceable Kingdom

Carriage House Sampling's My Home Town and Pear Orchard Farm

Scarlet Letter's Sophia's Sampler, Sally Hunt 1795, and Jenny Bean (A Massachusetts Sampler)

Cantebury's Jane Woodward Sampler

The City Stitcher's Strawberry Sampler, Two Fine Ewes, and Prize Shorthorn

Homespun Sampler's Ann Sims Sampler

Polly Bartlett Sessions by Hope's Dwelling Place

Heaven Doth Ask by The Sampler Co.

The Heart That Gives by Ewe & Eye & Friends

Hannah Pepper

Some of these have been in my stash for a long, long time and I'm looking forward to them. Of course, I may change my mind a million times, and I know I'll have to squeeze Ann Grant in there somewhere. Wish me luck.

Samplers and Sheep

2010-12-28T13:56:00.001-08:00

Maria Tilley 1835 is finished and awaiting her frame. She is the reproduction that I have been charting and stitching for Needle Work Press. Vickie, who owns the original was brave enough and sweet enough to let me choose the fabric and silk and adapt the sampler as I chose. ( Since I chose to stitch her on 45 ct. vintage Sand Dune from Lakeside Linen, let's hope she doesn't do that again!) Truthfully, it turned out really beautiful and the labor was worth it. And the good news is that I didn't go blind. As soon as I am able to get her framed, the chart will be off to the printer and available soon after.

Lady's Garden from Carriage House Sampling was a nice change after the last two big samplers. As with many CHS designs, I sometimes wonder initially at the colors chosen, but I always like the result. I chose not to do the back stitching veins in the large leafy things. So now I've picked Country Life back up and I'm making great progress. I had hoped to have it finished before the end of the year, but unless I give up sleep for the next three days, it's not happening.
I've had fun seeing the endless lists of projects planned for 2011. I've also given a lot of thought to what I hope to accomplish next year sampler wise. I'll post my list next time. With the exception of the upcoming Ann Grant from Shakespeare's Peddler, everything that I plan to do involve old, old charts from my stash.

Samplers and sheep...I don't know which I love more. In my perfect world, it would be a sampler with sheep. Every winter, the fields by my home are dotted with these grass eaters. They are brought in and moved continuously from field to field to mow. I look forward to seeing them every year.
One more thing...I received several emails and inquiries about the bird cookie cutter that I used for my cinnamon birds. I wish I could tell you where I got it, but I have no idea. I've collected them for years and most likely found it in an antique shop. It isn't old, so they might be out there somewhere.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season, and here's to a very Happy New Year to come!

What goes around, comes around...

2010-12-15T12:01:00.001-08:00

In need of a hostess gift for a Christmas party that we are attending tonight, I had to channel my inner Martha Stewart. What to do? What to make? I immediately thought of my friend Yolande's macaroons. Yolande is THE best macaroon maker ever. Fortunately, I have her recipe, (and you will too at the end of this post). I've shared it before in years past, but it is so worth repeating and maybe some of my new blog readers will appreciate it.

They look like coconut snowballs, don't they? The recipe is supposed to yield a dozen cookies, but somehow I ended up with thirteen. Hey, that's no problem. That one will be my test cookie.

This little plate will work perfectly for them.

See?

And here they are all wrapped up and ready to go. You might be wondering what the blog title has to do with making cookies. Well, Yolande will also be at the party and maybe she'll have one of my (her) macaroons.

Also, the cute cellophane bags were bought one day while out shopping with tonight's hostess. I'm fairly certain she took home the very same bags for her own homemade goodies. Maybe she'll get a laugh out of getting one back.

Yolande's Macaroons

Beat 4 large egg whites until frothy.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. Beat until well-mixed.

Stir in 3 1/2 cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut.

Drop dough in 1/4 cup portions on a buttered and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees until macaroons are golden~about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon birds and orange slices...

2010-12-05T16:54:00.001-08:00

On my last post, I mentioned that I was going to try my hand at drying orange slices to decorate a small tree. Any normal Arizonan would simply lay the slices out in the sunshine to dry. Eventually, that is exactly what I did, but first I went surfing the net to find a faster way. My Google search led me to this site. Thinking that the microwave way sounded easy, I went that route first. I followed the directions just like it said, and lets just say the slices resembled well-done barbecued potato chips. Not exactly the look I was going for. I then tried the oven method with slightly better results. Not wanting to spend 3-4 hours flipping orange slices every half an hour, outside they went after a short turn. I let them dry for most of the afternoon and they were ready to hang. I think they are really primitive and simple, exactly what I wanted.

The cinnamon birds were super easy to make, and they smell wonderful. Here is my recipe:

3/4 cup applesauce

1 bottle (4.12 oz.) ground cinnamon

1. Mix applesauce with cinnamon in a small bowl to form a stiff dough.

2. Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll out to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.

Make a hole in the top of the ornament for hanging.

3. Bake on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours. Place on a rack to cool. Use ribbon or yarn to hang.

Here is Scarlett peeking out from her spot on my (okay, her) chair. Our three Bostons do not like to be cold, and they all have to burrow down under a blanket to sleep. Talk about spoiled...

Thank you for all the enthusiasm and love for Sarah. I'll get busy charting her soon.

Meet Sarah Elizabeth

2010-11-29T07:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas has come a little early. I had been drooling, obsessing, ogling, and dreaming about this antique sampler since September. She arrived from England last week, and is now front and center and the focus of my craft room wall. To say that I'm one happy girl is putting it mildly. Thank you, Mr. B. She has everything I love about samplers including the big red house, birds, and four dogs. As a friend said, "it's definitely a Tanya sampler." Did I mention it has a big red house, lol? The verse is wonderful, too. I'm always amazed at the ages of these young girls. Sarah was 11 yrs. old when she stitched this in 1842. I will be reproducing her in the near future. I can already picture the linen and fibers in my head. I think I had that done before I even saw her in person. Here she proudly hangs:

I am finishing the model for Maria Tilley any day now. I hope to show pictures soon. When my eyes can't take any more of Maria's 45ct linen, I put a few stitches in Lady's Garden from Carriage House Samplings.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure went straight into Christmas, didn't we? I spent yesterday decorating the house. It's exhausting, but I love the results. My next adventure will be making cinnamon ornaments and drying orange slices for a small tree. Stay tuned to see how that turns out...

Still playing with paper

2010-11-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I'm still in the paper crafting mode. I had so much fun making the journals that I thought I'd give some note cards a try. Of course, they have a sampler theme. My husband would say "what else is new?" I can't help it. If one is going to make things, it should be what one enjoys, right? They come in a set of six with two of each design and are available through my Etsy shop. Email me if you have questions or would prefer one design only.

Have you seen the upcoming repro from Shakespeare's Peddler? My friend Katrina, who is also THE Master Enabler couldn't wait to point it out, and all I can say is WOW. It is going to be fabulous and I'll be looking forward to that one. I've now reached the top portion of Maria Tilley which includes a brick house and a very cool cow. I hope to have it ready soon.

In unrelated news, the Midwest relatives are flocking to AZ. It's been a little warm for November, but it's making my garden grow. I can't believe that Thanksgiving is three weeks away and the stores are already promoting Christmas. The holidays all seem to blur into each other these days. It seems like only yesterday it was last December and I was thinking of stitching more tiny samplers for the feather tree. Have I started? No, I have not. I'll be lucky to have even one finished for this season.

Making Journals

2010-10-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

No stitching to show you, but I am making good progress on the model for Maria Tilley. Now that my planting is done and my garden is in, I had an urge to make some journals. These are currently available in my Etsy shop. This one kind of makes me laugh. I hope all you stash queens find it funny, too.

I love these sweet vintage images...and the birds. Gotta have birds.

What a look on her face! I wouldn't want to be her teacher.

I made this collage a couple of years ago, and I kind of forgot about it. I recently found it while cleaning the craft room. I call it the Scissor Sisters.

And last is the grungy fairy.

Planting time

2010-10-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

It's the time of year that we love in AZ. While most of the country is preparing for cold weather, we are shopping for plants and flowers and enjoying outdoor living once again. Last weekend was spent trimming and planting. One more monsoon storm roared through last week and the yard was a mess. The temps are starting to fall and soon the 90+ degrees will be behind us. The old galvanized tub holds some chives, parsley, sweet cherry tomatoes, and marigolds for color.

The patio is my favorite "room" of our house. We literally spend most of our time out here. I love Boston ferns, so I hope these three will thrive. I used to have a huge one inside, but they can be so messy. As usual, I planted red geraniums. They are so easy and kind of my thing. If you look close at the ruby red grapefruit tree, you can see lots of fruit. It's going to be a great crop this year. If you get sick of winter...come for a visit.

This is what I came upon when I came in from taking pictures of outside. Mr. HB must think he's a cat. Lately he's been sleeping on the top edge of the sofa. It is sort of soft and squishy, but what a nut! He is a never ending source of entertainment.

Resuming Country Life...Literally!

2010-10-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

Once Jane Tindall was ready for market, I worked a little on Country Life again. It is such a cool sampler, but that border...Geesh! Getting one flower finished is a major accomplishment. I probably won't get too far along as I am also working on another model for Needle Work Press. Next up is Maria Tilley 1835. I finished the chart before our vacation to Iowa, but I wasn't able to stitch on her much. I am using 45ct linen, and it was too hard to see in the car.

Here are some photos from the trip. We took our bikes along, and this path was near the lake that my in-laws live on. I was riding as fast as I could because there were snakes...lots and lots of snakes. I saw at least thirteen. They were only Gartner snakes and most of them had been run over, but they were still SNAKES. And we all know that I hate snakes.

Loved checking out this huge tree...while keeping an eye out for snakes, of course.

This is the lake that my hubby grew up on.

I wish we had more of the blue skies, but unfortunately it was cool and rainy most of the time. I skipped the county fair because it was a nippy 41 degrees. How was I to eat fair food in the freezing rain? Paul went without me and probably ate enough junk for the both of us.

Henry, Ruby, and Scarlett are now sailing dogs. They took a ride in the pontoon boat.

Bad weather can't stopped me from antiquing. I hit every store that I could. My favorite find is this pewter canister or tea caddy. I'm using it to store my tea, so that's what we'll call it. I've wanted one for some time but the prices always stopped me. This one was a deal.

I always look for more canning jars for my craft room. This one came filled with buttons, so in the cart it went.

Naturally, I found a couple of crocks that needed a home.

On the way to Iowa, we made a stop in Colorado Springs so I could see my good friend, Katrina. It was so fun to meet up with her, and we had a great time talking, eating Mexican food and looking through each other's stitching bags.

Many thanks for the very sweet comments left on my last post about Jane. It meant the world.

Jane Tindall 1864

2010-09-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

The model of Jane has been finished and framed. She's packed and ready to travel to the St. Charles Market on Thursday. The charts have been printed and will soon be available through Needlework Press.
This project has been a labor of love for me. I first saw Jane in the Summer 2010 issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. I immediately wanted to stitch her, so I volunteered to stitch the model. Little did I know that it would lead me to collaborating with Vickie Jennett, who owns the antique, in reproducing this wonderful sampler. The original Jane spent the summer with me while I charted and stitched. I become very curious about this twelve year old girl. I would find myself sitting and staring at her sampler and wondering...always wondering what she was like. Hers was stitched on canvas with wool, and she had the most unusual way of using a variety of greens for the grass area. Was this her way of being creative or was she simply using what wool she had? I've stitched many samplers, but this one touched me like no others have. In an odd way, I felt a kinship with this young girl. When you stitch from a chart, the connection to the real thing is only through the cover photo. As I stitched, I constantly compared my sampler to Jane's. It was imperative that I stayed true to the original, while enjoying the linen and threads available today. I'd like to think that she would be pleased and happy to know that others will want to stitch and enjoy her sampler, these one hundred and forty-six years later.

It's that time...and another sneak peek of Jane

2010-09-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Here's another peek of Jane Tindall. This little shepherd fellow reminds me of a Quaker. Don't you just love the speckled dog? And the rather large duck? I have to laugh at how out of proportionate it is. I think it could herd the sheep on it's own. Many thanks for the kind comments and encouragement on peek#1.

I had precious little time this week to do much blog reading, but I did see that a few of you have decorated for fall. It's always so inspiring to gather glimpses of your homes and treasures. It is still warm here during the day, however, the mornings are almost chilly. I had to wear a light jacket, forgo my usual flip-flops and wear real shoes when I rode my bike early today. Next week, we'll be travelling to Iowa for a visit with family. I'm looking forward to eating some fair food, doing a little antiquing, and sitting and stitching by the lake. Maybe I'll even see some frost on the pumpkins. Since autumn officially begins while we're away, I spent some time this morning arranging some bittersweet and readying our house. I know I show you the same pictures practically every year, but I hope you enjoy seeing them again.

This cabinet and crow greet guests in a bathroom.

My husband will hate this. He'll complain about bumping into it, but I like the clock with a little bit of berry spray. Surely he can deal with it for a couple of months.

I wish I had enough bittersweet to fill every crock. I brought what I have back from the Midwest a few years ago. Each year I carefully pack it away, but it gets so brittle and breaks easily. At least I have some to enjoy.

Tomorrow is Henry Blue's 1st birthday. As I sit and type this, he is annoying the girls. It's what he does best. They'll be nice to him for a couple of days... in the event there is cake!

A sneak peek at Jane

2010-09-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a little peek at Jane Tindall 1864. The last stitches have been put in the model, I 'll soon be framing her, and the charts are in progress. She'll be travelling to market at the end of the month. It has been my absolute thrill and pleasure to reproduce this wonderful pastoral sampler, and I cannot thank her owner enough for giving me this opportunity. I'll be offering more snippets in the next couple of weeks.

And now for something a little different, it's what every sampler enthusiast needs, right? I made this pillowcase yesterday. I love this sampler fabric and the contrasting colonial print. It's my hugging pillow. The one I scrunch up with and travel with. Here's the front:

and the back.

Now that it's September, the mornings are starting to be cooler here in AZ. We are approaching my favorite time of the year. I can't wait to drag out the pumpkins, gourds, and bittersweet and decorate the house. Is it too early? When do you do it?

Thanks for the sweet comments about my Minnesota souvenirs, and also for the new grandchild congratulations.

Souveniers

2010-08-25T11:18:00.001-07:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. My apologies, but I've been a busy one lately. Still no stitching that I can reveal, but I'm making progress on the model. I'm excited to say that the plan is to release the chart at market in September. I'm stitching as fast as I can. Hopefully, we can show a sneak peek here soon. I just returned from a quick trip to Minnesota to see family and do a little antiquing. We attended this show. It was simply amazing. Row after row and building after building of the most wonderful things. If I hadn't been flying, plenty more would have come home with me. My favorite finds were the samplers, the tons and tons of crocks, and the many weather vanes, just to name a few. We walked for at least seven hours and probably missed some things. I spied this guy, and had to go back and get him. I've always wanted a Hubley Boston Terrier doorstop. He certainly weighted down my luggage. The TSA went through my suitcase and I'm sure they were surprised to see him. Well, maybe not...they probably see lots of unusual things. The real Bostons weren't quite sure what to think. I caught Henry chewing on the ear. The cast iron had to have sharpened a tooth or two.

No trip to the Midwest is complete for me without buying another crock. It had to stay behind until I drive back there next month. I think I got a great deal on it, especially after seeing one priced at $4,700 in a shop. It was a 5 gallon jug, with a nice leaf design in mint condition. I've never seen one that expensive before.

This silhouette was too cute to pass up. The same dealer had the sweetest spinning wheel with the original blue paint. I'm kicking myself for not getting it.

I came home to some exciting news. We are going to be blessed with another grandchild in February. What a homecoming...I'm thrilled.

Out of the blog loop

2010-08-03T12:55:00.001-07:00

Wow...I rarely go this long between posts. Like my title says, I am out of the loop. I haven't had time to update mine or read many either. I have no sampler progress to show, at least none that I can share at this time. I put aside Country Life a few weeks ago to begin stitching a model. It's a wonderful reproduction sampler, and I was absolutely smitten at first sight. You'll just have to take my word for how awesome it is. I've also been working on the charting, in fact, I just finished it today. So, now my focus will be in finishing the model. I'm finding that I love the whole process, so it might lead to me attempting some designs of my own.

I was asked to make a journal for a gift. Here are the photogenic Beagles. It's a nice little break from stitching, and I love making them.

Awhile back I posted some photos from a bathroom remodel. The last project was to replace the existing mirrored medicine cabinet. We finally finished it. You can see pictures of the punched tin door that we made here.

I've been riding my bike like a woman possessed. I try to get out early in the morning before it gets too hot. On the weekends, we take longer rides and recently went to this park. The trails were great, we saw plenty of wildlife including huge jack rabbits. Thankfully, no snakes crossed my paths.

Gone fishing...

2010-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello from steamy, hot Arizona. Sitting next to some cool refreshing water while holding a fishing pole sounds really good right now. Since I don't ever go fishing, my progress on Country Life will have to do. Even though I'm thoroughly loving this sampler, it isn't going to be a quick stitch. The row after row of grass seems to take forever. The border is oh so pretty, but also very time consuming.

I took some time out from stitching to make some journals for a couple of friends. The adorable girl on this one is Ami. Check out her muddy paws. I was really inspired when I saw the picture, so that is what her tag says. Her parents are lucky that she lives several states over, because I'd be tempted to steal her. Love that face!

The back of the journal. Doesn't this photo make you smile?

If you've been lucky enough to find Laurie's blog, you'll recognize these two. They are of course, the very photogenic Emma and Owen. Naturally, that is the princess herself wearing the crown.

I love this photo of them on one of their daily walks through the prairie, and thought it would be perfect for the back of the book.

I love to use pictures of dogs in my art. You would think that I would have plenty with my own three. But, as you can tell from this photo, my dogs are a bunch of lazy bums. Trying to get them to pose would definitely cut into their busy schedule.

If you would like a personalized journal featuring your adored pet, drop me an email for more details.

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My non-blogging friend has been reducing her stash, and she has some great things for sale. If you're interested, send me an email, and I'll forward it on to her.

Interrupting the Country Life

2010-07-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Country Life was put aside for a few days to work on Seek Joy in All Things from Stacy Nash Primitives. I wanted a pin keep to place in a Shaker tray that sits next to my stitching chair, and this was a quick and easy project. There were a couple of firsts involved. It was the first time I have used walnut crystals for aging the linen, and it was a first in using crushed walnut shells for the filling. I love both. The shells really give the keep a nice solid weight. I bought a bag of the stuff at PETCO, and when the cashier rang me up, he wanted to know what kind of reptile I had. Eeeeuuuwwww... I found that funny since I have such a strong aversion to anything that has a darting forked tongue and slithers. Since I now have a huge container of the stuff, I need to stitch up the other SN designs waiting in the wings

Isn't the sampler fabric wonderful? I have to say thank you again to two friends for sharing it with me. I think it matches perfectly.

Now back to life in the country...

This little piggy...

2010-06-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

sits in the corner, and is stitched over one. It's a darn good thing I love this sampler like I do because I'm going to be working on it for a long, long time. There's nothing complicated about it, but the border alone is quite involved and time consuming. I'm thinking of taking a tiny break from it to stitch a pin keep.

Sorry to be such a downer on my last post. I'm leaving the news off for the most part, so if an asteroid is heading towards Phoenix, let me know, will ya? It was nice to hear from many of you that I'm not alone in taking comfort in my stitching. Wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we needle workers were in charge?. Although that would mean major decisions would have to be put on hold while we added to our stashes, converted fibers, and fondled our precious linen. That could be a problem.

There is nothing like a little retail therapy to cheer a girl up. So, I took my own advice and went shopping for charms online late one night. Here is what landed in my cart:

The artist palette is vintage, but not the others. I found a great source here. The Mini-Cooper is my dream car, and my hilarious dh says this is as close as I'm getting to one. The sewing machine wheel turns, and the bottom opens up to reveal scissors, needle, and thread. The one on the bottom left is Noah's Ark. The apple in the center is the really special one as it opens up to these two.

Adam and Eve pop up out of the apple. Is that cool or what? Mr. dh doesn't get it, but you do, don't you?

I've spent a good part of today going through some charts to offer for sale. I don't have a list yet, but I'm working on it. Email me if you'd like to see the list at thescarletthouse@gmail.com.

Life goes on

2010-06-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Country Life by Scarlet Letter

40ct Sandstone~NPI silks

The dog days of summer are here. My three pups are lazy during the heat of the day, spending most of the time napping. Occasionally, an eye will pop open to see if they're missing anything, like treats being handed out. I can't really blame them, the heat has the same affect on me.
Maybe it's not only the heat that's wearing me down. What a crazy, conflicted, out of control world we seem to be living in. I can hardly stand to have the news on as there seems to be little good news out there on any continent. I honestly believe that is why we needle workers lose ourselves in our stitching. These pastoral sampler scenes are reminders of simpler times. We need this escapism. It soothes our souls. As I stitch on Country Life from Scarlet Letter, I occasionally yearn for a country life myself, far away from the rat race of the city. I'm envious of those who can look outside and see rolling green hills that are dotted with cows and sheep. Wow, I had no idea what I was going to post about when I sat down. I seem to be feeling melancholy today, so I'll stop.
To answer the comments left on last post about whether I frame my own. I do frame them using archival foam core, light-weight batting, billions of pins, and framer's tape. It's not hard, it just takes some practice. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions.

Framed!

2010-06-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Ann Wragg

40ct Lakeside's Meadow Rue

NPI

What's a person to do when the temps are nearing 100 degrees? I think the answer is to stay inside where it's cool and frame these. It is summer all of a sudden. Spring is just a memory now. I've heard that it's supposed to be anywhere between 108 and 112 this coming weekend. I'm not ready for that.

Isabella Johnstone

S&ANQ Summer 2010

45ct vintage Lentil from Lakeside

Belle Soie

I love love love this frame. I'm not sure if it will be visible, but the filigree part has bits of red showing through. I thought it was too perfect for Isabella, and I ordered it before I even finished stitching her. I've put a few stitches into Country Life, but very few. I wished someone would have warned me about the border on that one. That will be a long term process. It's okay though, the hibernation for the next 3-4 months has begun here in AZ.

Remembering

2010-05-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

those who served, with gratitude, so that we may enjoy the freedom we treasure so dearly.

My Father

Nearing the end

2010-05-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Isabella Johnstone is close to being done. While I will enjoy seeing her hanging on the wall, I've enjoyed stitching her so much, I almost hate to finish. Even the border has been fun. That's an unusual statement coming from this border procrastinator.

I've spent the last couple of days choosing fabric and converting fibers for the next one on the horizon. I've always wanted to stitch the Country Life Sampler from Scarlet Letter, so I'll be putting in the first stitches very soon. It's a wide one at 660 stitches. I'm doing it on 40ct. Sandstone linen, so it won't take up the whole wall anyway.

Thanks for the nice compliments on my charm bracelet, and especially to my favorite Brit, Jen, for her help in answering my question. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet. I've been lifting weights so I can build up my arm strength first. No, not really.

Charmed, I'm sure.

2010-05-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

How many of you buy your own anniversary gift? This year, I bought mine. I've blogged before here and here about my love for vintage charm bracelets. I saw this one for sale, obsessed about it over night, and caved the next day. It's all sterling silver and has 52 charms. I try to find bracelets that have unusual and movable charms. To me, they tell a story about what the collector liked, and where she travelled to. This one has many charms from the UK, which was the main reason I wanted it. Some of my favorites are the Tower of London, which opens to show a teeny tiny person with their head on the chopping block, and a person holding the ax over head. Gruesome, but still awesome. The double Decker bus opens up to show people riding and a ticket taker at the door. The Bobby hat opens and displays a whistle. Some others are a Cornish pasty, coat of armour, Shakespeare's head, thatched roof cottage, Old Curiosity Shop, Scottish thistle, and the Tolbooth Church, which is near Edinburgh Castle. The ones I love the most are the London Transport and British Rail. Can anyone tell me what Berwick on Tweed stands for? It has a small cow standing in front of a tree, and looks like a coat of arms of some sort.
Some of the American charms include the state of VA., the Mayflower, Pilgrim's Arch, Boston bean pot, lighthouse, lobster, antique bicycle that moves, and a spinning wheel.

I could go on and named them all, but I won't. Happy anniversary to me.

Here's more of Isabella Johnstone. I love this sampler, and I'm really having fun stitching it. I'm using 45ct. vintage Lentil with the called for Belle Soie silk. I'm having better luck with this silk now that I'm using shorter lengths.

If you want to see what the four-legged ones have been up to, check this out. One more thing, Cari asked what I named my iPhone. She's Isabel.

Moooving on.....

2010-05-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

Ann Wragg is finally finished, I'm happy to say. I really enjoyed stitching her, but as always, I'm anxious to move on, or I should say mooove on. The Summer 2010 issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly is by far my favorite one. I have found myself stitching more and more from this magazine, and this one does not disappoint. As a former farm girl, I saw this sampler and fell in love. I have to confess to having a kitchen decorated with cows many, many years ago, so stitching Isabella was a given. The most amazing part is that I was able to see the antique in person. The owner and author of the article, Vickie LoPiccolo Jennett, is a friend and lives nearby. It was a thrill for me to see all the antique samplers in her collection.

Oh, the frame is to die for, also.

I am stitching mine on 45ct. vintage Lentil from Lakeside. I love it. I can't put it down, and I'm not getting anything else done. I really need to pick up my paintbrush and finish some sets for some very patient ladies. I will, I promise.

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day. I certainly did. Saturday was spent with the family, and it was a great day. The four-legged kids surprised their Mom with an iPhone. Woohoo! I wonder how they knew I wanted one? I can't put it down either.

Thursday at our house

2010-04-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I could be found sitting out here on the patio. It's my favorite place to sit and stitch. It's usually very peaceful except for the cooing doves and chirping birds. I encourage the birds to hang out in our yard with feeders and birdbaths.

Here's some progress on Ann Hicks. I had taken a little break from her to work on Ann Wragg. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with this sampler. One minute, I'm all enthused, and the next I want to stuff her in the bottom of my stitching basket. I think I dislike some of the colors, and for once I'm sticking to the original. If you like pink and (mostly green), this is the one for you. Even a couple of the crowns are green. Nagging thoughts of what I want to stitch next have begun. The funny thing is, if I go with what I think I'll go with, her name is Ann, too. Last year it was all about the Sarah's.

While I was stitching, I had mama dove to keep me company. She's made her nest in our grapefruit tree.
And where were those lazy dogs you might be wondering? They were in their usual spot. They can be such bums.

I also spent some time skimming through the new issue of Country Sampler, and saw this: I want this to be my kitchen. Isn't it awesome? If I ever get to replace my cabinets, this would be what I'd choose. I love the way they mix it up and leave the shelves open. If I could have a stove area like this, well...I'd actually want to cook.

Oh, it's fun to dream....

The three S's

2010-04-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sneezing, stitching, and sports pretty much sum up the week for me. I could do without all of the sneezing. My allergies are driving me crazy, so I've been housebound working on these. I'm moving up to the big Algerian eye alphabet. I like this sampler a lot, but I'm getting to that antsy point where I want to start something new. I think I'm a little burnt out on these bigger pieces, so maybe I should focus on some smalls for a change. So without further whining, here's more of Ann Wragg.

Before I started the Anns, (Miss Hicks has been temporarily kicked to the curb), I started Lucy Maria Wiggin from the Scarlet Letter, shown below. I love the look of the design, but I'm so not a pastel fan. I didn't have the green fabric like the original, so I pulled out a piece of Sienna Night from Lakeside.

I tried to use the charted colors, I really did try. But, after doing a small section of border and the whole bowl of berries, I couldn't make myself go on. I ripped it out and started over. I'm choosing the colors as I go, something I've never done before. I'm not sure if I like it better or not. You can see the original colors of the border that I've yet to remove. At least it will be my own version if nothing else.

In between watching both the Coyotes (series tied 2-2) and the Suns (series tied 1-1) playoffs, I found another silhouette on EBay. It reminded me of my sons when they were younger, even though they wouldn't have been caught dead dressed like that. AND, they certainly would never have held hands.. Pummeling and punching each other would be more like it. Okay, maybe it doesn't remind me of them so much, but I like it anyway.

A whiteout, memories, and a little stitching

2010-04-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

In a little less than four hours, the Phoenix Coyotes will host the hated Detroit Red Wings in the first whiteout game of the 2010 playoffs. Anyone who knows me well will agree that along with stitching samplers, I am passionate about hockey, and especially the Coyotes. I had season tickets with my sister for the first five seasons. I gave them up when the team moved to it's new stadium which is fifty miles one way from my house. The photo above shows me on the right with my beloved boxers, Lucy and Otis. They were special dogs, and I miss them dearly. I was on the season ticket with them for one game. The contest was held to show why you are a real fan. The picture was actually meant for our Christmas card, and I wasn't supposed to be in it, just the dogs. I was trying to get them situated, and my husband snapped it. It was pure coincidence that I had on a Coyote sweatshirt. I sent the picture in at the last minute, and they chose it. We also took the dogs to the opening game and got to walk out on the ice with the other winners. It was quite a night to remember. It's been eight years since Phoenix made the playoffs, so you can understand why I'm excited. I won't be going to the game, but I'll be cheering from my Lazy Boy. Go Coyotes!

Here's a little bit more of Ann Wragg. I'm headed up to the long verse. Don't you just love the long tailed sheep?

Thanks to several of you for keeping me busy painting this week. You should be receiving your sets any day. There were a couple of comments left asking about special orders. I am always happy to take them if a design you like is gone, just drop me an email.

Two more sets

2010-04-08T16:18:00.001-07:00

just added to my Etsy shop.

A good Goodwill find

2010-04-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

No stitching to show this week. I have made more progress on the two Ann's, but I thought I'd show some other favorite things instead. Over the weekend I made a trip to the art store, and quickly dashed into the Goodwill store around the corner. It's fun to see what you can find now and then. The silhouette of the girl above was my bargain. It was 99 cents. I couldn't believe it, especially when I saw the artist's signature. The silhouette below is of my darling granddaughter, Olivia, and it was done by the same person. I wonder who the mystery girl is. I can't imagine anyone donating something so special. Even if I didn't love silhouettes, she would have still come home with me. I felt sorry for her, and decided on the spot to give her a place on the wall. I hope to add more to my collection, starting with new ones of our other three grandchildren.

Three is a beginning of a collection, right? Hopefully, I'll find some antique ones eventually.

These three sets will be in my Etsy shop tonight.

Two Anns

2010-04-01T14:47:00.001-07:00

I've decided that I like alternating between two samplers. Any more than two though makes me crazy. The top one is the beginning of Ann Wragg. I'm using 40ct. vintage Meadow Rue with a conversion to NPI. Ann was only 8 yrs. old in 1764 when she stitched hers. Isn't that amazing? Did you hear me, Melissa? She was EIGHT! I keep telling you to not be afraid of these big samplers. Here's a link to this one completed.

This is my start to The 1820 Ann Hicks Sampler. She was in volume 37 of Sampler & Antique Quarterly. It doesn't show her age, but she was a girl who would have used every crayon in the box. Lots of color changes and quirky little checkerboard critters. My favorite part? She's darn near border less with the exception of what you see at the bottom. Adam and Eve are also included, and they are wearing crowns. I forgot to scan the picture from the chart, so I'll include it on another post. I'm using NPI on vintage Lt. Examplar.

I try to go for a walk or bike ride every day, and the other night I took my camera with me. I'm not a fan of cacti, but these Beavertail Prickly Pear are pretty when they're in bloom. It seems like everything is in bloom right now and my head is about to explode from the pollen.

This is the San Tan Mountain, and it's right behind our house. I love the colors and shadows that play off it at sunset.

These guys and gals were hanging out on the golf course. I never get tired of seeing the Mallards.

Thank you all for the kind words about Sarah Woodham.

I'm in love with Sarah and a bathroom redo

2010-03-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's my version of Sarah Woodham. Let me start out by saying that if you are on the fence about stitching her, fret no more. She is well worth the effort. I will come out and say that she is this close to being my all time favorite sampler. I heart her, big time. Even the pain of the over one verse is long forgotten. (sorta like labor and childbirth, when you see the baby). Speaking of the verse, click on the pic so you can read it. It's wonderful. I knew when I started stitching her exactly where she would hang. We recently updated the guest bathroom, and here's her place of honor.

I have to say that it is next to impossible to photograph a bathroom, but I tried. As always, I tried to capture a colonial meets farm house feel. Since we live in a typical tract home with the builder's choice fixtures, this is what I was able to do without ripping the entire room to the bare bones. Have I mentioned that I need to be living in a saltbox in New England?

Here's what I changed, I repainted the walls to match the rest of the house in my yummy salt-glazed crock color.

We then took down the humongous mirror, cut it in half and framed it. I hated our light fixture with a passion. It was one of those giant round bulb thingies that looked like it should be in a circus clown's dressing room. Ish...and then more ish. I think Home Depot sells them for $7.98, so that is why they go that route with new homes.

I love this hanging cabinet, but I think it needs to be a different color now. It looks gold but it's more mustard. I enjoy changing it out for the seasons.

We also replaced all the shiny fixtures with rubbed black ones, even the toilet handle. My hubby thought I was insane when I suggested black fixtures. We rarely have the same vision, but he likes it now.We have one thing left to do. We're redoing the medicine cabinet with blackened pierced tin, but it's not ready to show. Another day...another post.

Thanks for coming along on the tour of the loo. You might be wondering what I'm stitching next. I'm working on Lucy Maria Wiggins from the Scarlet Letter. I kind of like having a couple of samplers going at the same time, so I'm thinking of adding Ann Wragg to the mix.

Ann Rayner

2010-03-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

Here she is in her new framed glory. I always wonder if I've chosen the right frame, but fortunately I think this one suits her. The little bit of gold around the inside pulls out the gold in the sampler. It also tones down some of the brightness. I'm stitching away like crazy on Sarah Woodham, and I'm almost done. The frame for her is also waiting, and I'm very anxious to see how she'll look in the guest bathroom. I think I'll be able to show her before the end of the week.
Thank you for all the birthday wishes. I had a very nice day, that included a wonderful dinner and surprise get together in the evening. I couldn't have asked for more. I have to show you the birthday card that my niece made for me. I'm still laughing over it. Who knows who those women really are, but they could very easily have been my mom and her sisters, back in their day. Unfortunately, today I only feel the old part, especially after yesterday's vote.

What happens when you drink too much Guinness?

2010-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Or Harps for that matter? That's me on the far left throwing back a pint at a local pub in Ireland six years ago. I was traveling with my niece, sister, and friend through the UK and Ireland. We had the trip of a lifetime, and I long to go again. This picture was actually taken on March 18th. I was born on St. Patrick's Day, so we were a day late in celebrating. We spent most of the 17th sailing from Wales to Ireland on the Irish Sea. So, here's what happens when you have too many!

I'd like to say a special thank you to my friend, Cari for giving me this award. I love being in the sisterhood of stitchers, and I feel honored that you enjoy my blog.

I am going to break the rules, however and refrain from nominating seven others. I enjoy many more blogs than a mere seven, so it would be impossible to choose. With that being said, I'm going to try to think of seven interesting things about myself.

1. I dislike my name. I wish I had been named Shannon, Kimberly or Jamie. Being a St. Pat's baby, I was almost named Patricia Louise. Patty Lou? I don't think so. My mom decided on Tanya at the last minute.

2. I have been in every state in the country with the exception of N. Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. I've also travelled to Europe, Mexico, Bahamas, and Canada.

3. I can't bear to look at a truck hauling livestock. I always have to look away, which is dangerous if you're driving. It makes me too sad to see any animal on the way to market.

4. I once skydived over the ocean in Mexico. I jumped out of a 1941 cargo plane. I was Crazy!

5. My favorite music is from the 80's, and my all time favorite band is Crowded House.

6. A highlight in my life was seeing the hand written words to the song Imagine by John Lennon, along with his famous army jacket and glasses while visiting this place.

7. If I won the lottery, I would go to Australia and New Zealand. I'd also look for a cottage on a beach somewhere to buy.

Have a Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Remember Mary Ann?

2010-03-11T12:17:00.001-08:00

Here she is again, sporting a new frame. I had to wait for several weeks for the molding which was back ordered, but now that it's done, it was worth the wait. I'm not sure if the photo will do it justice, but the frame has a similar shade of blue that matches the fibers. I've been asked if I aged it before or after I stitched it, and the answer is both. My hubby thinks it looks like it was backed over by the car. That's the idea, dear. We call it primitive.

I'm on the home stretch with Ann Rayner. There are two rows of over one alphabet to do right after the Z. Gosh, I can hardly wait for that. At least it's in my favorite color red. I'm also working on Sarah Woodham, and I'm about 2/3's done. The wheels are starting to turn in my head about what to stitch next. I can't resist showing what's popping up in my raised garden bed. It's time for fresh asparagus!

Henry Blue insisted that I post his picture today. He just had a bath and is all silky and soft. He's usually a stinky little boy who likes to dig and get dirty. Here he is soaking up some sun.

Look what I found today...

2010-03-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

A neighborhood nearby held a community garage sale today. My husband and I got up early, and we were the second car through the gate. At either the first or second house we stopped at, I spied this old sewing machine. Actually, I saw an old spinning wheel first, and the cabinet was behind it. I cackled with glee when I saw that it was marked $60.00. I have seen these go for much more and in worse condition. Other than a few minor scratches on the top, it's in great shape. The gold filigree is very pretty, and the drawer pulls are original. I don't know if you can see it, but I love the built in ruler across the front. The machine will sew, but it needs a little work first. I doubt if I'd ever use it though, as I'm partial to my Kenmore. It now has a home in my craft room. I thought it needed an old quilt and some sewing notions to add to the interest. It would look wonderful with lots of Blackbird's pin cushions in a basket. I've only the one done, so I need to get busy.

This week found me organizing my craft room and fibers. I've tried several different things, but these photo boxes work best for me. After printing off labels for Floss-A-Way bags, each type got their own box, for example, all the NPI is in the black boxes, Sampler, Weeks, and Crescent Colors, are in the red, and the green holds misc fibers. It will work until I come across an old Coats and Clark spool chest.

Awhile back I mentioned that I had started a sampler wall in my room. I can't get a good picture because I have a large window that lets in too much light, but you'll get the idea. They are hanging over the table above.

This is my desk area where a closet used to be. I forgot to take a picture of my work table, so I'll save that for the next post.

I think I've showed the bookcase wall before, but it recently got a make-over, too. You gotta love Ikea storage boxes. The room is small, but it's cozy, and it's filled with things I love. I probably spend more time in here than any other room.

It would be a nice chair to curl up in and stitch or read, but it's rarely unoccupied. Ruby and Scarlett decided it was their chair long ago. I'm sure it won't be long before Henry joins them.

Back to Ann

2010-02-25T13:20:00.001-08:00

So, I've been switching back and forth between Sarah Woodham and Ann Rayner this week. I'm trying to give them equal time. They are a such a contrast in colors with Ann being so bright and perky, while Sarah is more muted and subdued. Whenever that hot pink gets to me, it's back to Sarah. I'm really anxious to wrap both of these girls up. There's always so much that I want to stitch that I can get anxiety just thinking about it.

It has been a few months since I've picked up the paintbrush. Too many distractions that included visiting relatives, the holidays, and of course, Henry. My paint would dry out each time I had to get up and go see what he was chewing on. Ruby and Scarlett are lousy babysitters. They like to look all innocent when Henry is being bad. I think they secretly enjoy it when he's in trouble, which is often. I did get these three sets done, and they'll be in my Etsy later.

I wish my photos were better. I love these drab colors, and since I've always loved penny rugs, that was my inspiration.

Are these tulips? I'm not sure.

This set has a different needle case. I sponged and antiqued it, and

there's a matching sheep on the cap. You should be able to click on each photo for a closer look.

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are.

A weeks worth of Sarah

2010-02-18T13:38:00.001-08:00

I'm still chugging along on Miss Woodham. Poor Ann Rayner is still waiting her turn with my needle. I know you've heard me say this over and over, but I hate borders. Simple ones are okay, but these involved ones, no. I'm still not in love with the Belle Soie, but I have taken your suggestions to shorten the length and it is better. I took the top photo in the sun and the one below in the shade. The one above looks more accurate in color. My friend, Margaret is probably finishing her Sarah Woodham any day now with that fast needle of hers. We always laugh at how we start in opposite corners. Since we seem to often be stitching the same thing, we can meet in the middle. I was asked if I always start in the bottom right. Yes, always. Starting in the upper left seems very awkward to me, but it seems to be what most others prefer. I'd love to be a fly on the wall this weekend at the Nashville Market. I'm sure there will be much to tempt us. I'm looking forward to seeing the new book from the Blackbird gals. Talk about eye candy! Have you seen this freebie from them? It's as cute as can be, and I want to stitch it teeny tiny.

I found time this week to plant lots of petunias. I'd show a picture, but I'd hate to be accused of rubbing it in. Our weather has been wonderful lately, but the new blooms on the trees are making me sneeze nonstop. While I'm busy working in the yard and garden, look who's lounging on the patio. Scarlett will now sit by Henry but she won't look at him. Still a little standoffish that one is. Henry loves Ruby because she'll play and chase after him like a puppy herself.

Say Cheese!

Thanks for stopping by and as always, I appreciate your kind words and comments. One more thing, I took a break from painting my needle case accessories because we've had several visitors over the past two months, and life has been hectic. I hope to have some news items to show very soon.

A new start

2010-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Ann Rayner has been set aside. I enjoy stitching her, but recently we updated the guest bathroom, and I've decided that Sarah Woodham needs to hang in there. Her colors are very similar, and since I've wanted to stitch her since first sight, it didn't take much to persuade me. I'm using 40ct. vintage pearled barley from Lakeside, with my own conversion based on the called for fibers. It is my first time using Belle Soie silk. I had to give it a try when I saw that it used "Sister Scarlet". While I think the color is pretty, I am not a fan of the silk. In my own opinion, it fuzzes and shreds way too much. Don't be booing and hissing at me, Laurie. That just means that there will be more for those of you who love it. I'll stick with NPI. As I went outside to photograph Sarah, my blooming geraniums caught my eye. I couldn't help snapping a photo. It always amazes me that there can be blizzards in other parts of the country, while we are immune to all that fun in the snow. Now don't be leaving me nasty comments, ha-ha. You can wait and rub it in July, when our gooses are being cooked out here.

Just a word about Henry Blue. He has settled in just fine. Ruby loves him, but little Scarlett still has a bit of an attitude. She's coming around a little more everyday.

Meet Henry

2010-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Here's my new baby boy. His name is Henry Blue, but just Henry for short. He has settled in quite nicely. The girls aren't totally taken with him yet. They don't like to sit or sleep by him unless I make them stay. Notice Ruby in the next photo. He loves to play, and is bigger and stronger than Scarlett already. I, of course, am absolutely smitten with him already. I give it a week, and I think the girls will be, too.

Here is my progress on Ann Rayner. I took the photo when there wasn't much sun. She's a beauty with all those bright colors. I started Sarah Woodham over the weekend. We just updated our guest bathroom, and I've decided that she would look great in there, so I'm anxious to get her stitched.

Thanks for the wonderful comments about Mary Ann. I was asked how I age my pieces. I have a couple of ways. If I'm trying to make my plain linen look more vintage, I use a few drops of Ritz liquid dye in a sink filled with about 2-3 inches of water. I prefer the tan and yellow colors.

For Mary Ann, I got the piece wet and rubbed it with Distress It. It's sold in a spray bottle at needlework stores. Originally, I didn't like the stuff. If you just spray it on dry fabric, it looks too speckled. But, if you wet your fabric first, then spray some on a cotton ball and rub it right on until it looks aged enough, it works much better. I've tried tea and coffee, and I never seem to get the look I want. Email me if you have any questions.

1827 Mary Ann Selenah Mott Sampler

2010-01-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

1827 Mary Ann Selenah Mott Sampler

Winter 2009 Sampler& Antique Needlework Quarterly

I just put the last stitch in Mary Ann, and then I had to rough her up a bit with some distressing. In my last post, I mentioned that it was brought to my attention that she would look good with my collection of salt-glazed pottery. I was asked by JoAnn what that is. It would be hard for me to describe, so here is an example. I've also been working on Ann Rayner. It's too gloomy here today for me to get a good photo, so I'll try to post again in a day or so. That Ann is one incredible sampler despite the pinhead people.
The last couple of weeks have been really busy. I have a part-time job doing accounting for a small dealership. I've had visions of W-2's, 10-99's, quarterly, and yearly taxes dancing in my head. I haven't had time to read many blogs lately, but now that taxes are done, I hope to get caught up. Hopefully, I can find time to do some painting on my needlework accessories, too.
I also want to comment on the fact that many of you left comments on my last post bordering on hostility and sarcasm because I was outside in short sleeves. Well, all I can say is after I had to endure several months of plus 100 temps, you should be ashamed of yourselves. In case you can't tell, I'm only teasing. I remember all too well what winters are like in other places. I hate the cold, so I feel for those of you dealing with it.
Take a look at these faces. A big change is coming on Saturday, and their world is about to be turned upside down. Ruby and Scarlett are getting a baby Boston brother. He doesn't have a name yet. It looks like they are saying "Brother smother, we're not happy one bit, and we're sticking together". I'm betting they'll change their minds...

Pinhead man and a dog outing

2010-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

The man went from headless to pinhead. He has such a peculiar body. He reminds me of Napoleon. Maybe he's just some dude with his arm in a sling. Ann Rayner is such a joy to stitch, with one exception. I think the chart directions for the couple could have been grafted better. The heads are over one, which is okay, but the blending of the body and head are confusing. There's also a beard, hair, and a hat done in straight stitch. I decided to modify my guy and omit all of that. I've been working on the house, but when I need a break from all the bright colors and perkiness of this sampler, I switch over to this one. It's the 1827 Mary Ann Selenah Mott Sampler from S&AN winter 2009 issue. I admit that at first glance, it didn't do much for me. It's all alphabet and border. But, it was pointed out to me that it would look really nice with salt glazed pieces. I hadn't thought of that, but it sealed it for me. Actually, the more I work on it, the more I'm starting to love it. I plan to hang her in our bedroom where the colors are similar, and the decor is more primitive. When I finish it, I'm going to age it more.

I'm sure that those of you who are freezing in the snow and cold will hate this, but over the weekend, we visited a new park near our house. It has a nice bark park area. The girls were beside themselves. They chased their ball from one end to the other. They weren't intimidated by the other larger dogs one bit. If I could only bottle some of their energy...

They even made a friend. This Boston, who's name is Otis, loved running after the ball, too. He didn't seen interested in bring it back though. Maybe he was just chasing the girls.

A man without a head

2010-01-02T12:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to you all! I've had precious little stitching time recently. Partly due to the holidays, and partly because I came down with a nasty bout of the flu on the day after Christmas. Our entire family caught it one right after another. It was a miserable couple of days. The only good thing is that it helped kick start the annual January 1 diet. I'm not a big goal person, but it's always nice to start a new year. After the Christmas stuff gets put away, I always tear into cupboards, closets, and drawers, and reorganize. As much as I love the coziness of my Christmas decorating, it feels so good to throw out or donate unused things, and get my house back to normal.
Above is my progress on The Ann Rayner Sampler ~1839~ from Threads Through Time. This is such a pretty sampler. I'm using Lakeside's Buttercream , as charted but converted to NPI. The man's face is stitched over one, as are the small sheep.
Below is my take on the Prairie Schooler alphabet that I'm stitching along with this group. I'm doing it on 30ct. Legacy Linen over one. It's fun, but I try not to think about the 25 additional blocks. I'm SWP (stitching without pressure) on this one. If it takes me a year to finish, so be it.

Recently, I've had several new visitors leave comments. Thank you very much for taking the time to say hello. I am very, very behind in catching up with my blog reading, but I look forward to visiting you , too.

Sugar Cookies and Granddaughters

2009-12-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

I made sugar cookies with my Granddaughters, Olivia (5), and Quinn (3 1/2) on Tuesday. It was quite the event. I think I'll be vacuuming up sprinkles for months to come, but that's okay, we had a great time. I'm not too much of a baker, it's just not my thing. I do love these particular cookies though, and my family has come to expect them at holidays and birthdays.

While waiting for a batch to bake, here is Quinn checking out Grandma's ornaments. This one is a favorite with the girls. The angel's harp plays music when touched. I love it, too.

Look at these faces. They are my darling girls, and such good helpers, too. I think Quinn was feeling a little sad in the next picture. It was taken shortly after the sprinkles hit the floor. They were stacking the bottles, and I told them not to. Of course, they toppled over. How could I get mad at them? Impossible! Especially after Quinn says "I'm sorry Grandma" in her sweet little voice.

Most of the cookies ended up with unusual colored sprinkles for Christmas treats. The girls were far more interested in decorating with pink and purple than the traditional red and green
colors. You have to love little girls!

Here is my recipe:

Best Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 teas. vanilla

1 egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teas. salt

Beat butter, cr. cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg in a lg. bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour (I sift mine first) and salt until blended.

Cover and refrigerate dough at least 2 hrs., but no more than 24 hrs. Heat oven to 375. Roll one fourth of the dough at a time 1/8 of an inch thick on a lightly floured surface, keeping remaining dough refrigerated..

Cut with assorted cookie cutters and place about 1-in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack and decorate at desired. Makes 6 dozen.

Have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Another one bites the dust

2009-12-17T14:36:00.001-08:00

Can you hear the pitter patter of me doing the happy dance? Finally...the A&E is done. It's not actually mounted, the frame is just sitting on top. I'll have to save that for another day. I feel like I started this one back in the 90's. I know I've worked on other pieces right along with this one, but it still felt like it would never be finished. The chart pages actually fell out of the magazine from so much handling. I had planned to give the magazine away to the person who wanted it the most, and I still will. Just know that it is not in pristine condition. The first person to email me with an address gets it. Now that it's done, I am very happy with my version. It looks much different than the magazine's reproduction.

Now on to Ann Rayner ~1839~. Isn't she the loveliest? Look at all the red. I'm in sampler heaven with this one.

Here's my start in the corner. The little sheep is over one. I'm using 40ct. Buttercream from Lakeside. You'll be surprised to know that I have almost half of the border done already. Quite a shocker for this border procrastinator. I think this sampler will be more fun than most. It's very colorful, with some quirky color blending, which I won't be doing. Like Sarah Palin, I'm Going Rogue, and will do my own thing.

1804 York ornament

2009-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

One more for the sampler tree. I finished this last night. It is stitched over one on 40ct. The stitched part measures 1.25 x 1.50 inches. I just noticed that my cording is slightly off center. Oh well...I've been a digging through my stash for some more charts that can be stitched tiny enough. I think I'll try to do a few more by next Christmas. Right now, there's too many other things calling my name.

Sampler Ornaments

2009-12-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the sweet comments about my sampler tree (in progress). Vonna has asked to see the ornaments up close, so here they are. I want them to be teeny tiny for the tree, so I've stitched them all over one, with the exception of this one.

My finishing skill leaves much to be desired. Very simply done. I'm using odds and ends of rick rack and ribbon, with the backing being felted wool scraps.

I think all of the patterns were the freebies that are sometimes included in the orders from the needlework shops. Freebies are good!

Every year, I buy the ornament issue from Just Cross Stitch. I can hardly wait until Sept., when it comes out. The funny thing is that I rarely stitch anything from them. I just look at the pictures. I do love this one by Carriage House Samplings from the 2005 issue though.

It will be this year's contribution to my tree. I'm stitching it over one on 40ct. Navy Bean from Lakeside. I started doing full crosses and it was just too tight and not much fun. I started over, and the tent stitch is much better. I added the ruler so you can see the size.

Over the weekend, I ordered my frame for the A&E. I have to finish it now! I'm close.

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I have an extra Christmas needlework set if anyone would like one. I'll be adding it on my Etsy shop.

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For those of you in the throes of the winter storm, be careful. Hopefully, you can stay inside where it's warm and dry with your stitching.

A little of this and a little of that...

2009-11-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

Harriet Burry has been exiled. I had to put her aside, or else risk going crazy. The windows are all satin stitched, which I've decided against doing. When I started in on doing crosses, I realized that the spacing wasn't equal for the panes. Long story short, we needed to part company for awhile. I went back to the A&E, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel at last.

I'm still taking my time with the over one verse.

I just love red! All samplers should have some.

Blyler House finally made it's way in to a frame this week. I've started a new sampler wall in my craft room. I tried to take a picture, but the lighting was awful. I'll try another day.

Black Friday found me decorating the house for Christmas. I love making the simplest things look festive. The tree in my bedroom will eventually have more tiny samplers. For now, there's just a few, but it's a start. I stitched these a couple of years ago and never got around to the finishing. I don't like that part, at all.

As if I don't have enough to do, I joined my first SAL with these gals. I have wanted to stitch the Prairie Schooler alphabet as one piece for years. Vonna started this project going, and I'm really excited to be participating. Mine will be over one on 30ct. linen.

New Christmas set...and more of Harriet

2009-11-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

Here's my set for Christmas. Email me if you're interested.

I'm about to give up on photographing Miss Burry. The one above was taken inside under my Daylight. I had to hang it up with clothespins on poster board to get it all in. The bottom two were taken outside and the fabric looks all washed out. As you can see, I'm working on the big yellow brick house. It has fourteen windows and a door that are all done in satin stitch. I'll be there while. Finally, a color change of blue with the door. How much green can a person stand? This has to be the worst charted reproduction EVER. There are tons of mistakes on the graph. Originally, I thought it was the way the antique was stitched, but after constant comparison, it's the chart. It's horrible, but I still love every minute I spend on her.

More Harriet and something new

2009-11-12T16:33:00.001-08:00

It's Thursday, the day I usually get around to updating my blog. Harriet is coming along. Have I mentioned before what a big girl she is? I laid her under my Daylight to take the picture today. It was one of those very rare days in AZ. when we had no sunshine. Actually, the colors are pretty accurate for once. You would think that I would be sick to death of NPI 348, as that is the main color. I absolutely love this sampler to pieces. I'm at the point where I can move on to the big brick house, and I'm not afraid, Melissa! I might be a little afraid of the time it will take me. It's a really BIG house.

When I wasn't working on Harriet, I found time to do these. Any serious stitcher can relate to at least a couple of them.

I'm sorry that I forgot to add the link to the source of my lovely sampler plate. I got so many emails about it. I hope you all placed your order. Here it is again, just in case.

By the way, my husband never did notice it. He finally read about it on the blog. I think I can safely sneak new stuff into the house, if I don't blog about it.

It's all about samplers

2009-11-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

Harriet Burry is addictive. She's hard to put down. I am so surprised that I'm not bored with this sampler yet...you know, the big border, few color changes, lots of repetition. My photos pale in comparison with the real deal. She will be a beauty.

The A&E is only slightly more than half a sampler. I managed to add a couple more birds and a bit more of the border. I still plan to give the chart away, if I ever finish the piece, that is.

I ordered this red ware plate a couple of weeks ago. I copied the idea from my good friend, Siobhan, who has one. I felt a little guilty about borrowing her idea until she told me that she borrowed the idea from another good friend of ours, Carol. I happen to know that another good friend, ummm, Margaret has ordered one. The cycle never ends. It just came yesterday, and I love it. The funny thing is that my husband hasn't even noticed it yet. He is sick to death of the word sampler. It's everywhere in our house and on my car, lol. He finally said "what if I want to drive your car and they think I stitch samplers?" Remember my license plate? Oh, well....

I went through some more stash, and I've put together another list of stuff to offer for sale. One of the ones that I'm parting with is A Most Noble Pursuit which was a collaboration from several fabulous designers. It was a limited edition. I know I probably won't be stitching it, too many others calling my name louder. If you are interested in my list, EMAIL me. Please don't leave me a comment to be included. The list will go out on Saturday. Same as before, I'll accept PayPal as payment.

Lastly, I've been "encouraged" by Vickie to do a Christmas needlework set. I have an idea for one, so look for that in the near future. I'll be taking orders if anyone is interested.

A hodge podge post

2009-10-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start this post off with the ladies in red. They are doing what they do best...napping. This is "their" chair in my craft room. At least they provide company for me when I'm painting. Even though I have to turn the Ipod up sometimes to drown out Ruby's snoring, it's still nice to have their "support".

Today's high was only in the low 60's...chilly for AZ. Here they are soaking up the sun. It made me laugh to see them sitting there like a couple of old ladies. They have the life, don't they?

Above is a set that I did for one of my favorite customers, Jen. It's on it's way to the UK.

This is my messy work table after an all day painting session. Being a fairly neat and organized person, this made me cringe when I stepped back from it. I had to go grab my camera.

And here is some Harriet progress. I know this picture is just awful. I tried to take it without much sunlight left outside. The gate is really different. It's all done in satin stitches. One of these days, I need to get back to the A&E, but I'm enjoying this one too much right now.

1827 Harriet Burry Sampler

2009-10-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

The A&E is still a half finished sampler, because I got sidetracked by this one, the 1827 Harriet Burry Sampler. It was in the summer 2008 Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. I fell in love instantly when I saw her. The garden gate is kind of unusual. The original antique was stitched on 50ct. linen, over one and two, with some specialty stitches thrown in. I'm using 40ct. summer khaki that I over dyed to age it a bit. I really liked the original color of Harriet's linen, so this is close. My thread colors appear to be more vibrant, even though I converted the charted DMC to NPI. She must have loved green, as it is the most dominant color. I'm using a brown for the trees. I'm proud of myself for getting so much of the border done already. I usually put it off for last, and then regret it. Since she's a big piece, I'll do a little everyday as I go.

We are having glorious weather here in the Valley. I planted pansies yesterday. I feel for those of you who are getting your winter clothes out. No, not really...we had to suffer all summer to get to these days. All I want to do is sit on my patio, stitch, and listen to the birds. Unfortunately, I'm behind in painting, so it's nose to the grindstone for me.

Half a sampler

2009-10-12T14:33:00.001-07:00

Not much to show in the stitching dept. I am half way done, so I guess that's something. Yesterday, I sat in front of the TV, watching football and finished Caleb and Joshua who resemble a couple of Santa's elves. The verse in the upper corner is over one, and every word is a different color, so I'm taking my time with it. I confess to starting a new sampler. It's the 1827 Harriet Burry Sampler from the summer 2008 publication of Sampler & Antique Needlework. I could not resist...she just kept calling me over and over. It's another one with a whopper of a border, but a very pretty one. I'll post a picture soon. And of course, Sarah Woodham is waiting in the wings.
I'd like to say welcome to the blogging world, to my friend, Laurie. She is a fabulous stitcher, a dog lover, and "mom" to two Corgis. Stop by and visit her at Corgi Cottage.

Here's a few more pictures of fall decorations. I picked up the seeded pears on my recent trip. Someone spent a whole lot of time individually gluing those seeds on. I think they are just too cool.
On my last post, Terry asked about the little folk art birds by the bittersweet. I would love to tell you where they came from, but I have no idea. I know that I ordered them online from somewhere...sorry.

Love this witch riding a crow!

Thanks for the comments on my finds and new plate. As always, I love hearing from you.

Back to the real world

2009-10-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

We are back from our shopping excursion through seven states. Other than a small disappointment in the Cranberry Festival, we had a great time. Before I show you what I found on the trip, I have to show you this. It's my new license plate, and it was waiting for me. Is it cool, or what? I think it says it all!

These are a few of my bargains. The gingham apron is like the one I made in 7th grade Home Ec. It was my introduction to sewing, and I loved both hand stitching the x's and using a machine. It was a whopping $1.99, as was the small oil can. Now, I can make one of those pin keep birds from With Thy Needle. The vintage photos are my favorite to find. I always wonder about these people. What was their story? I love to use them in collage art, which I've neglected to do for a very long time. The ideas are there. The four women are going to become awesome witches. I'm sooo glad I don't have to dress like that!

My prize find is the crock on the bottom right. I didn't realize that it was such a cool and different color until I placed it with the others.

We stopped at a couple of farmer's markets, and I picked up some gourds. For now, this big boy is sitting in the entryway with the fake pumpkin. When it's dried out completely, I'll make another bird feeder out of it.

No trip back to the Midwest is complete unless I bring home some real bittersweet. I swear, in my next life I'm going to be a bittersweet farmer. This batch cost me $10.00, which I was more than willing to pay. I'd love to have tons of it growing all around me. More than anything else, it says that fall is really here.

To those of you who are patiently waiting for me to fill your orders for needlework sets, I promise I'll get to them this week.

A hunting we will go...

2009-09-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

for antiques and other cool stuff. Thursday morning will find me hopping on a plane with my sister and friend for a flight to Minneapolis. There, we will meet up with my niece for several days of shopping till we're dropping. Every year we get together for giggles and a good time. This year, we're heading here. There's supposed to be a ridiculous amount of craft and antique vendors. We've heard great things about this festival. Hopefully our rented SUV will be so weighted down with our fabulous finds that it does wheelies all the way home. I'm hoping to find at least one piece of salt-glazed crockery. Who knows what else will catch my eye?

Here's a small bit of progress on the A&E. I'm not sure about the blue ship...that color may have to be changed. Remember, I'm giving this magazine away to the best comment. I've been highly amused and impressed already, but I won't decide until I'm finished with the sampler.

A&E from May 2009 issue of Cross-stitch and Needlework

Are you all excited about the upcoming market? There are some wonderful things coming our way. I've already ordered Sarah Woodham. Isn't she a beauty? I hope she's waiting for me when I get back.

Monday's show & tell

2009-09-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Blyler House by The Goode Huswife is finished. As with all of the GH designs that I have done, I'm always surprised at the charted thread colors when I lay them out. I have a hard time imagining the outcome, but I'm always pleased with the result.

Rebecca Robinson now resides on my bedroom wall.

I went with a simple frame since the design is so busy.

Since Melissa wondered what my next "big" sampler would be. Here it is. I wouldn't call it big though. The design was in the May issue of Cross-stitch and Needlework magazine. The picture below shows the original antique. There was also a reproduction which I won't bother to show because, well...I don't like it at all. They used Olde Willow threads, and I thought the colors were odd. I came up with my own DMC and NPI conversions which are closer to the original. I'm using 40ct. vintage Homespun from Lakeside. It isn't as yellow as the antique, but more than my photo shows. The border's a breeze , too. I'll be giving the magazine away when I'm done. I'll give it away to the person who comes up with the most original, humorous, "begging or needing it" comment that I receive. Obviously, it won't be until I'm finished, but start thinking.

I know it's still early...

2009-09-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

new set on my Etsy

but I'm done with summer. I'm completely summered out! I know that I just used horrific grammar, but I'm moving on to fall, even if I have to go by myself. I'm dying to dig out my pumpkins, gourds, and bittersweet. I love decorating for autumn more than any other season.
One can only handle just so much of the sunshine and blue skies. I want a cool, cloudy day. I want a pumpkin bar with my pumpkin latte. I want some leaves to fall off the trees. I want to wear real shoes, not just flip flops. I want to need a jacket when I'm outside. I want to burn a cinnamon spice candle. I want to make a pot of homemade soup when it's below 90 degrees. I want a caramel apple. How about you? Are you ready for a new season?
Digging through my stash for something different, I came upon this one from Notforgotten Farm. I love the willow tree and tombstones on her dress. I might stitch this up and make her into a pillow. If I start now, I might be able to enjoy it this Halloween.

The border didn't kick my butt...

2009-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

I survived the border...woohoo! I finally finished her on the last day of August. Now she patiently waits for her frame. If you've been considering this sampler, go for it. She's a little repetitious, but much prettier in person. Here's a sampling of Blyler House by The Goode Huswife. I'm using 40ct. vintage something with NPI. After stitching the full figured Rebecca, this one is a treat.

I mentioned on my last post that I had painted some thread keeps for Bloom Woodworks. Here's a few:

This one can be personalized with one or two initials.

Men are clueless

2009-08-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know you're wondering what this post is all about after seeing my title. I'll get to that in a minute. Here's more of Rebecca. Only twelve more of the alien looking border flowers. I'm forcing myself to stitch at least two a day. I'm starting to feel that I'll eventually finish her. I have to admit that the border is pretty...not just pretty boring. I've been sneaking a stitch or two in Blyler House by The Goode Huswife, also. It's an oldie that I've wanted to do forever.

Tonight, my husband will come home and ask me what I painted today. When I show him my version of Adam and Eve, he's going to say "who would want little naked people on that?" I'm going to reply "hopefully, somebody". He just doesn't get some of my subject matter. The tombstone angel set was the perfect example. He didn't understand why anyone would want that either. The look on his face was classic when I told him it sold right away. Now, it all makes sense, right?

I sent my first package off to Bloom Woodworks on Tues. They will soon be offering assorted thread keeps that I've painted. I'll show photos in a day or two.

Something new...

2009-08-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

from The Scarlett House studio. I am happy to now be offering these complete sets on my Etsy shop. The four piece set includes a needle case, ruler, thread keep, and scissor fob. The scissors are my own beloved Ginghers, and are not included. For the longest time, I have wanted to complete my sets with a fob and thread keep. I was recently contacted by Bloom Woodwork's about painting for them. They make these wonderful horn book fobs and thread keeps in all kinds of fun shapes out of solid cherry. Their workmanship and attention to detail is the best I've seen. I am so thrilled to be partnering with them. In the very near future, you will be able to purchase individual items from them. I'll occasionally show the designs here on blog. If you've purchased one of my previous sets and would like the matching pieces, please email me for details.

On the stitching front, I'm still working on that darn Rebecca border, and hating every minute of it. My friend, Margaret, is stitching her, too. She has turbo needles, and I've threatened to go take her needles away if she finishes it before I do, since I've been working at it so much longer. She only thinks I'm kidding.

I did finish the third sachet for my Stacy Nash grouping. The little coverlet design took the longest. Let me tell you, the lavender filling smells wonderful.

My new obsession

2009-08-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

For the past week, I've put Rebecca Robinson's border aside. I've had so much fun stitching these little lavender filled sachets. The designs are from the new Stacy Nash Primitives From Hollyhock Farm. They are stitched over one on 30ct. cream fabric that I've tea stained. It is definitely my favorite linen for over one projects. Finished they are about 5x5. I wanted to change the decor on the blanket chest at the foot of our bed, so this is how it looks so far. I have one more to stitch for the grouping, and it's a coverlet design. I think I'm going to look for a couple of her Halloween and Christmas designs, and do them the same way. The Peace and Plenty piece was finished like this and is hanging on the armiore.

Nothing but the border...

2009-08-04T15:13:00.001-07:00

All that remains is the border on Rebecca Robinson. I should always do that part first as it is my least favorite. Only 35 1/2 of the funny looking border flowers left to finish. I have a honey colored frame already picked out.
As usual, my mind is already full of possible new starts. I bought a couple of new charts recently, and we'll see if they go to the top or the bottom of the stash. I was able to find The City Stitcher's Strawberry Sampler, which I absolutely have loved forever. There's also Mary Corey, 1809 by Threads of Gold, another Stacy Nash design, and lastly Betsy Davis 1797 by The Scarlet Letter. I almost wish someone else would make the decision for me. There is so much to stitch and never enough hours in the day.

Peace and Plenty

2009-07-27T17:14:00.001-07:00

I took a break from Rebecca Robinson this weekend to work on this. It's one of the designs from the new book, From Hollyhock Farms by Stacy Nash Primitives. I don't usually stitch this type of thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even stitched it in cotton thread and to my complete surprise, it didn't kill me. I'm not sure whether it will go into a frame or find itself made into a small pillow. It has a home in our master bedroom either way. The colors are perfect for it there. I plan to do the other designs, too, but I'm missing Rebecca, so they'll have to wait.

New Needle Case Set

2009-07-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

This set just went up on my Etsy.

Stash...subtraction and addition

2009-07-21T13:28:00.001-07:00

The Rebecca Winborne Sampler

by McIntosh Samplers

Mary Pets Sampler

by Queenstown Sampler Designs

First off, a huge thanks to those of you who emailed me and participated in my stash reduction sale. Everything is on it's way to you. It was a bit crazy trying to keep up with the emails, and first come~first served order, but overall a great success. I've been asked if I will be doing it again. I think so, but not right away. I was able to make some room for a couple new charts, another Rebecca and a Mary. I love them both, and they might have to go to the top of the list of upcoming projects. I also bought From Hollyhock Farms. I've never stitched a Stacy Nash design before, but I couldn't resist it. There are several wonderful primitive designs in the book. I hope to stitch them all.

Lastly, Rebecca Robinson is coming along. I took the picture under my Daylight this time. It shows the color of the linen much better than my previous photos. I figure that I'm half way done or a little more, and usually at this point, I'm so anxious to be done that I can hardly stand it. I'm not feeling that way yet, of course, I'm not to the boring border either. I still think it's going to be one of my all-time favorites.

The List

2009-07-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I am working on the list right now, hopefully I'll send it out later this afternoon. I didn't think it would take me this long, but I couldn't get to it the last couple of days. Thanks for your interest, and I appreciate you taking the time to send me your email addresses. If you have left me a comment on the previous post, could you please also email me. My email is on the sidebar. Thanks, it will be easier to include you with the others.
I just got off the phone with my niece who I have given my old charts to for years. She still has them and will be returning to me. Looks like another list in the future.

Stash Reduction

2009-07-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have too much stash! So, I decided to go through it and weed out some of it. Some charts are brand new, but ones that I know I'll never stitch. Others are gently used. I'm in the process of putting together a list. Email me if you're interested. I'll be accepting PayPal as payment, but I will consider a trade, also.