Stitching Update - Includes a Finish

Let's jump in with a finish since the last time we visited; it's been a while!

Ann Rayner
Threads Thru Time
32 ct Lakeside Linens Strawflower
DMC 2 over 2

Ann was an exciting stitch for me. I love red/green and larger people figures. The over one lambs about caused me to have lamb stew a few times!

I have quite a few starts, but I can't show them all here because no one has that kind of time to devote to reading blogs!

Susan Singleton
Scarlet Letter
36 ct Lakeside Linens Lt Exampler
AVAS Silks

Wisdom Sampler
Vermillion Stitchery
36 ct Lakeside Linen, Magnolia
NPI Silks

I thought you might like to see what it's like in my head. This is what happens when you are not sure of what you really want. I have to stitch it in all different counts and threads. I ask myself on a daily basis, why can't you just stitch it as charted? 

Here are three of the same birds, Saxony, by GigiR. The first one is overdyed cottons with a few color changes.

This second one is in silks, picked by me.

This third one is overdyed cottons, called for in the pattern. 

You will notice that his beak is missing because I didn't

like how it looked; and it was in a creme color. 

Charlotte Clayton and I are going to part ways in the near future. Either that or I am going to change some of the dusty greens. I can't abide by stitching with colors that aren't going to show up on the sampler.

Charlotte Clayton
36 ct Lakeside Linens Meadow Rue
NPI Silks

A bit of knitting to show. A fair isle vest in the works, knit in Shetland Wool.

Mr. Cooper says to look quick because he's not allowed up here for an extended time.

Stay tuned for more works in progress.

Tip: did you know that a seam ripper is the best tool for removing stitches? Just put it under the top cross and slide across the row. Turn over and pull out stitches.

In Stitches,

Robin

Meet Mary Tillinghast and the Quilt is finished

Mary Tillinghast, Sheepish Antiques
36 ct Lakeside Linens vintage examplar, called for AVAS silks, 1 over 2

She is complete now. I haven't decided whether I will frame her yet or not. I would like to do all of my Rhode Island Samplers first and then have them framed at the same time, so they can hang together. Hubby, as a carpenter, does not like holes all over the walls, so a person needs to know where they are going to hang items and NOT move them. LOL  I just tell him I'll put some toothpaste in the holes...he doesn't think it's funny.

I have to laugh every time I look at Mary because if you look at the bottom yellow and blue freehand flowers, located on the left and right, you will see that my right side ones are waaay bigger and that would be because I was on pain killers for some minor surgery that I had this week.  They look like they are on steroids. LOL

Mr. Cooper oversaw the photo shoot for the sampler.  He is now a rock star on face book and when I told him that, he wanted to know if he could be in the next post. I said that he would have to share with his sister dog, HoneyBear, and he walked off pouting. Cats.

It was a beautiful morning in the Helena Valley.

My view out my kitchen window over the green fields.

 

 

The view out of the front door, to the Elkhorn Mountains.  Eagle eyed facebookers said it was a cat or a rabbit in the clouds...good catch!

Northern Bullock Oriole

The Quilt is done!  But, it gets its own post because I want to put the binding on and wash before presenting her to the world.

HoneyBear demanded equal time as the "dumb" cat. She truly thinks that Mr. Cooper is inferior. Can't you see it in her eyes?

Hey look what came! Such a lovely book.  The samplers are incredible. Hail Specimen of Femal Art catalog...it's more like a book than a catalog.

   

Ann Rayner is squaking to get finished so I guess I'll keep my attention focused. I've got the other samplers locked behind a closet door so I can't hear their pleading to get worked on too.

In Stitches,
Robin

A Close Finish and The Whales of August

 

Here's a peak at Mary Tillinghast. I want to be done so bad that I dream about it at night. If you are not familiar with her, she is from the collection of the Newport Hisorical Society, Newport, Rhode Island; this is a product of Sheepish Antiques.  I am using 36 ct Lakeside vintage light examplar fabric and AVAS silks. I force myself to do one strand of algerian eyelet stitches and one strand of the over one alphabets before I can work on the regular cross stitch. If I feel the need for speed, I'll skip the over 1 and eyelets and just go for the cross stitch and work some flowers and vine; after all, it's my game, and I can make up the rules as I go, right? LOL 

 

This missy looks like she has an olive complexion or a good sun tan from sitting outside with her dogs and the gentleman should probably join her outside for a while and get some vitamin D.

 

 

 

 

 

An antique Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt that I purchased in 2013, obviously from the date on my little camera.  My favorite part of the quilt is the green walkway between the hexies. Such color inspiration here in this quilt.

After a boat load of "out of the ordinary life happenings", I slipped on my timeline of finishing the blue piney quilt. Back to it today.  If I don't stay on track I will find my self wandering aimlessly, starting new projects and letting the old ones get stale.

Happy Easter to all that celebrate.

For all of you baseball fans out there, you do know what today is? Opening Day!... GO BRAVES!!
I find a real stitching speed when baseball is on, because I can listen while I stitch and not look up. Then, if there is a flurry of activity I can back it up and watch the action.  When we watch a movie, I'm constantly looking up because if you miss the face and body movements you miss half of the movie...so stitching is a bit slower.

Which brings me to the other half of my title..."The Whales of August". 

I don't know if anyone else has seen this movie or not...I will tell you ahead of time that it does have samplers, and hand knit sweaters, and an old Singer sewing machine in the most comforting house on the shoreline in Maine, with a lighthouse in the background.

The movie came out in 1987 and we just saw it a few nights ago. Bette Davis (78), Ann Sothern (77), and Lillian Gish (93); Vincent Price (70's); all wonderful actresses and actor in their hey day. I wasn't so taken with the story line or acting, but after all, Bette had a stroke, Lillian was nearing 100, and Ann was using a cane. Lillian was a favorite silent screen star and was one of the few that made the transition into talkies.  I loved all of Ann's movies from the 30's to the 50's and Vincent Price was so handsome and suave in his earliest of films...hhmm, not so much later on when he played in horror movies. I will confess that I never liked Betty Davis except in "Now, Voyager".  BUT, I kept this movie on the tv just to go back and look at the wonderful old house they were in, the seashore and lighthouse AND the two samplers on the walls; (their sweaters and shawl were hand knit too). 

My husband complained that we would never get thru the movie because I kept stopping it to show him samplers and the old Singer sewing machine! LOL 

It is difficult taking a picture of the tv screen, obviously.  Sampler number 1, when I screeched and jumped out of my chair, scaring the dog into a barking fit.

 

Sampler number 2.

 

Here is Miss Lillian stuffing koala bears for the local charity fair.  See the Singer behind her?

A lovely hand made sweater, needed at all times with the cool breeze off the shore. The time frame was August, when the whales would appear and bring with them the change of the season.  Here she is painting out in the garden.

Miss Lillian talking to Mr. Price about joining her the next morning to watch the whales come in to the bay, wearing that gorgeous hand knit shawl.  Alas, Betty put a stop to that and Mr. Price disappeared from the movie.  Such a visual treat for me.

I felt like I was somewhere else in time while I watched the movie; I just felt as if I belonged right there, in that house, on the shore; using that Singer and making those shawls and samplers....it was all so me. Have you ever felt like you belonged somewhere else than where you are currently sitting?

Three of my favorite girls together...aren't grandkids the bees knees? Kisskisskiss....mmwaaa!

You can tell it's not really spring in Montana yet, and I'm watching it snow right now.

My favorite fella; he didn't think a thing about using his sister's pink bat...what a honey guy!

Off to the quilting this afternoon and then some sampler making tonight with the opening game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

No Rest for the Ailing

Although I have been home all week with a sinus infection, I am a true believer that if you can sit upright, you can stitch! (never mind going to work because there is alot of other "stuff" to deal with when you are around people and who feels well enough to do that?).  Here is what I accomplished:

Blue Piney was stuck with 11 needles, each with 24" of thread trailing behind...that's over 250" of thread and to be honest, it wore me out that day.   I have 9 piney's left to stitch...that is how I do my countdown to be done on this one.  To relax, I stitched on this beauty:

Oops, too much light behind the linen. It was hanging on the railing outside.

 

Sarah Hatton McPhail is developing before my eyes...such an exciting sampler to watch come to life. She is at the top of my favorites.

I cut out 7 block pieces for the dahlia quilt blocks that I am hand piecing. These were already pieced. I know, not enough to make a quilt, yet.


I did knit a bit in the vehicle on Sunday, coming back from Missoula, because my husband wouldn't let me knit while going there....I was driving.  But, it's a bit boring, garter stitch strips in blues, to later be sewn together, so no picture...at a later date when I feel more accomplished in the strips. Ha!

In Stitches!

Dear blogger....

 

 

Why does the uploading of photos and making a post have to be so difficult?  I think I have to go medicate with a pepsi after trying to get these photos uploaded....oh man, talk about stress!

 

After years of enjoying other peoples blogs I have finally taken the plunge...kind of like a baby's first bath...first very delicate and apprehensive, but soon will feel like old school and we'll be splashing around.  Bear (lol) with me as I learn. I will try not to complain too much each time I try a post.

 

A decision has to be made...quilt or stitch the sampler...I think I'll do a bit of both today.  I am off work for the day so stitching is on the calendar.

 

Quilt

 

Blue Piney, hand pieced, hand quilted, ca. 1990's

OR

Stitch


Sarah Hatton McPhail from the Essamplaire





Would you like for me to press it next time? LOL 


 

Why do these pictures come out so pixilated? ugh...there is obviously a lot that blogger and I have to come to terms on and they may be the winner.
Stay stress free with your favorite beverage and stitch on!

Robin