Logan's Castle

This is a piece waiting to be re-finished. It was a door pillow, but got dirty and had to be unassembled and washed. I think I'll redo it in a frame this go. Logan is a little old for a door sign now!

Needlepoint blues

Here's the first (and perhaps last) needlepoint I've ever made. My ex-mother-in-law started it and hated it. Thus, it wound up in MY sewing basket. I like unicorns and the color blue, but this was a bit much!


Honestly it won't be the last needlepoint I do, since I have a work in progress. Of course, it's been in progress since 1997....

Berries

This is another old piece that I quite like. I bought the Scandinavian kit in Granville, Ohio back in the mid 1980's and this is the result. It is done in Danish Flower thread on linen and has more shades of green than can be imagined.

Spring is just around the corner

Inspiration from my garden was the turning point in the decision-making process of what to do next. Here are my lovely crocus and snowdrops.


I have an Easter piece that is destined for my mom. Here's what it looks like now.

Hopefully, I'll have it done in a week or two, then framed and off to her in the post for Easter. (Orthodox Easter, that is! It's on April 27 this year) I still hate working with metallic blending filament, but I really like the colors in this one. The lilies are especially nice, even though they have miles of backstitching.

Myths and Legends

The poetry reading I attended tonight focused on myth and how it is embedded in every culture. That made me think of a myth (legend? story?) that permeates childhood in the US. So here's my tribute to the Tooth Fairy. I made this when my kids were small and losing their baby teeth. I think I will have to make a second one someday down the road so they will each have a pillow for their children.

What to do, what to do?

I think I will return to my most-nearly-completed embroidery, even though it's not the most interesting. The satisfaction of finishing something is pretty high and for now it outweighs the interest factor. In addition to finishing the Monticello sampler (typing that just FEELS good!) this weekend, I managed to clean my house, do all the laundry and hang it outside (I'm in Bulgaria - no clothes dryers), and to half re-organize my workroom. I'm going to finish the re-org tonight, then start stitching. I am also going to a poetry reading by Vladimir Levchev and Kristin Dimitrova this evening, which should be interesting.

Done, done, done!

Monticello is ready for pressing and framing. Woot! I have the entry tickets from our visit last November and I think I will have them framed with the sampler. It should look good and I'll post another picture when it's done. My first finished project of 2008!

Almost there

I've only got one more block and the Monticello sampler will be done. Hopefully this weekend will see completion! I'm debating what embroidery project to move on to when the time comes - it's a debate between oldest and most guilt-inducing and nearest to completion. Choices, choices.

I also am looking forward to more photos. I need to shoot the smalls in the daylight - flash photos looked terrible. It has been suggested that I need to note how big things are, because the photos aren't to scale. I'm happy just to be blogging regularly, but I guess that better go on the list too!

I'm also being sucked in to more actual sewing. Family members are coaxing me to attend an event in June that will require historical clothing. I haven't done any costuming in quite a while and the idea is very appealing. Especially since I have all the necessary materials on hand......

Ravelry!

Hurrah! Thanks to the kind folks at Ravelry and a bit of tinkering, Hotmail has been overcome and I'm now a member. On to the crochet!!

Smalls

I was rummaging through my sewing basket and noticed the number of small items I've made. Scissor fobs, pin cushions, that sort of thing. Interestingly, there's lots of purple. Not anywhere in the rest of my house, but in my sewing basket for sure. (including the basket lining!) And lots of flowers, which are also not found much in my home. Hmmmm. I wonder what this means?

Titled!

This is a totally non-stitching link, but too funny. Here's mine:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Marchioness Lydia the Decent of Burton-le-Coggles Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Linen Quarterly

I knew I'd remember eventually (actually, I went and dug the magazines out of the cupboard) and the name I couldn't remember was Linen Quarterly from Gloria and Pat back in 1989. The piece is called the 17th century mini band sampler. It certainly didn't feel "mini" while I was making it!

Cut!

This was my first foray into cut work as well as many new counted stitches. I finished it in 1994 on a Christmas trip to Foulis Castle in Dingwall, Scotland. It was from a quarterly that I think may have been done by Ginnie Thompson or Gloria & Pat. Oh, the memory is the first thing to go!

When was the millenium?

Oh my, I remember these! Finished one just before midnight and put the first stitch in the next after some champagne. Too bad it was between 1999 and 2000, not at the real turning of the millenium a year later.....

A good night to stay home

It's cold and nasty outside with lots of wind, so I'm glad to be in and making progress on the Monticello sampler. I'd love to finish it this week, but the International Week evening programs are taking a big chunk of my stitching time. I found yet another Just Nan:

I have no idea where the blue line came from!

I also have this one - Marlyn Leavitt-Imblum's Family Treasure 3 from her Told in a Garden collection.

More pastels

I must really have been in a huge rut. I just keep finding more Just Nan stuff on the walls, in the cupboards, and on the shelves!

Fuzziness on a cold day

As I got ready for work today, I realized the scarf I would wear to keep me toasty on a minus 1C day was red and pink and fuzzy. Perfect for Project Spectrum! It's my daughter's work, so it should be on her blog, but what the heck!

Counting

Well, I started to inventory UFOs this weekend and it was alternately exhilarating and depressing. I have an almost finished quilt top and all the materials to finish it (maybe by the end of the month?) and about a million half to 3/4-done embroidery projects. Plus two sets of Christmas tree ornaments that need assembled. I'm thinking the way to go is this - one piece at my bedside (the Monticello sampler that can be worked in low light), a second piece by my easy chair (Genny's wedding sampler), one sewing project in the workroom (the quilt), and a neatly organized basket of the rest. As I finish one up, I can then replace it with another UFO. This should work! The good part is that I find I still like the older projects. Sometimes in the past, stuff I've set aside is no longer appealing when I get back to it. Now to stick to the schedule...... Oh yeah, and to crochet too!

Crochet is good, too.

Okay, it looks like this is NOT going to be a sewing only place. I have the urge to make an afghan again, so I'm off to get some yarn later this week. I need some photos of old ones to inspire, but they were all given as gifts, alas. The crochet bug also inspired me to ask to join Ravelry, a knit/crochet/spin/dye community. There are only 6,435 people ahead of me on the invite list!

Sunny Day

It's gorgeous here today and so I have to post sunny pictures for Project Spectrum. The fruit makes me feel like spring is really coming, even though it's only February.
I just flat out like the repro prehistoric bear statue. He looks like he's done hibernating!

Red!

I love Valentine's Day (actually, I love any reason to decorate or have a party), so here's my Saturday homage to hearts. The candy dishes are full of Hershey's Hugs and Kisses xoxoxoxo.

TGIF!

It's Friday, I'm home, and all's right with the world. I have supper cooking (stir fry) and I'm going to settle in and sort out all the new things I brought home after the holidays. Lots of needlework magazines and books to peruse! I really love Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly and Piecework!

Home Sweet Home

It's good to be here and even better to post more pictures of finished projects, even old ones. Here's a piece I did in fall 2000 while living in York, UK. It was for my son, who felt we really needed it in our house after seeing the model at the Viking Loom.

Project Spectrum

My daughter (and partner in stitching crime) turned me on to Project Spectrum this week. I love the idea and now that I'm home in Bulgaria I plan to follow along as it unfolds. I have my first red photo today and have a number of projects in mind that I'll be starting in the next few weeks. Of course, this wrecks my plans for UFOs only, but what the heck! Here's my red for today.