Off to see the framer

I have so many finishes that have been languishing in a pile for quite some time. I am so excited to finally be able to drop them off with the hope of them gracing my walls soon.  So today I am dropping off Sail Away by Shepherd's Bush,  Wedding Sampler by The Sweetheart Tree, Beneath the Sunlight Sky by Blackbird designs,  Matchless Grace by Heartstring Samplery, Quaker Hornbook by Exemplars from the Heart (this one is just getting glass, spacers and core board as I have the frame already), Darning Sampler by Trenner Designs,  and Home is where the heart is by Blackbird designs.  I cannot tell you have excited I am to get these things framed. I have been saving for quite a while. I have a hard time getting to the framer so that makes it even harder. I want to try a couple of other framers from out of state like Jill Rensel and the framer with the Attic but I am just afraid to put the pieces in the mail. I would never get over it if one of the big pieces got lost. I am saving CHS Alphabets back until I get up the nerve to mail to Jill Rensel. I love her work.  I should probably send one of these to each of the framers and see who I like best and compare costs. I think the Attic framer is having a sale quite soon.  Maybe I will try a piece and see how it goes. It is quite expensive up here to get framing done due to the cost of ordering supplies (everything is barged in). So in reality the cost might not be so much different. Oh, I cannot wait. I enjoyed each one of these all the way through the process and cannot wait to see them completed.
I am almost at the halfway mark for the hummingbirds so I will post a picture soon.
Today is my first lace knitting class. I am looking forward to it as well. We are making a cowl. I have wanted one for a while so I couldn't be more pleased to be able to take the class. The trouble is the store that has the classes is inside a quilt store and so many of the people don't knit that work there so you can't get any help if you are shopping for yarn and not fabric. It is frustrating as I work the same hours the stores are open so my opportunity to get there is limited and then when I do they cannot help me.  I am going to try go in early to get the yarn as it is supposed to be ready to knit when we start class.  I hope someone will be there that can help me pick out the right yarn.  They were out of the needles needed as well. The store that just sells yarn does not offer very many beginning classes. The small local shop doesn't  offer summer classes. Plus I have a coupon for 15% off so I want to use it on class supplies at that store. I do get excellent service from the other two stores though. I am crocheting a scarf and a baby blanket for a co-worker so always plenty to do.

Well, I have to add a couple of beads to the wedding sampler before it goes to the framer so I best be off. Thanks for visiting. Photos of needlework next time I promise.  This is a shot of the view from our condo from our May trip out. It was gorgeous and I would love to be back there right now.....
Hope you have stitchy time in your day.
Marjo

First knit project

Depending on where we hold our stitch night and how tired I am when I get there makes me decide what I will be working on. All of my stitching buddies knit, really well. Me, not so much. So I decided I needed to learn and took a class. So here is my first project, a hat for my husband. He is a knitter but he is left handed so he could not teach me. He is helpful when I run into problems.


I have crocheted for many years and am working on a couple of small things but got some great yarn so added a scarf to the baby blanket I had started while I was on vacation.

So much to do, so little time. Have some stitchy time on your 4 th of July! Marjo

Progress and a small finish

I have continued work on my hummingbird piece for my sister but just for fun I had to take out something small to work on and my go to piece this time was another Blackbird design stocking. Still back on February designs I finished Be mine and started February violets. I am pleased to make some progress on the large piece but satisfied with the small finish.

Hummer progress

You know it frustrates me that all the different sites that we use to communicate with each other seem to think they need to make random changes without telling the user about them. Suddenly now I have to post differently than I used to do it. Facebook, I can't find half my friends or sometimes I get the posts for the sampler groups I belong to and sometimes I don't. I do wish they, whoever they are, would just leave well enough alone.
 Enough of a rant. I have had very little time to stitch but the time I have had I have used to work on a gift for my sister. She bought this kit for me to do for her years ago and I started it and into the depths of the WIP pile it went to rarely see the light of day. When I went on vacation I decided to make this my focus piece and I spent most of my stitching time on it and have continued to keep it in the forefront. I really want to get this done and off my list. I don't stitch on Aida much anymore  and the thread is terrible (it knots all the time) but too far now to make any changes.

Vacation stitching

Progress since I got home

The fabric is not green as it looks in the second shot, it is a cream color closer to the top shot. I have made a bit more progress since then even. Lots of half stitching to it for shading that changes color a lot. It is a large piece but I am determined to get this done.

I have not stitched on anything else for a while. I have so much I want to do. Sigh. Love every stitch I get to take though. Have read a couple of books and that is always a good thing as well. 

I am contemplating a new rotation for next year. A week on each WIP in one long rotation so I can say I have worked at least some on them all. Hum......wonder if I could do that or what progress would I really make. I tend to get stuck on a piece and work until I am done or more likely make a big mistake I can't find or easily fix and just set it aside for a while.  I have less WIP's than there are weeks in a year so some would get more than one week. Hum, will have to consider that. I even enjoy planning my stitching. Well off to do some stitching while the sunlight holds. Yeah, gotta love summer in Alaska, 10 at night and still sunny. Hope you have some stitchy time in your week.

Marjo

Another little finish

I am addicted to the BBD stockings, really I think I am. I find these little things such fun to stitch. They are colorful, they are quick to stitch even for someone like me who is a really slow stitcher. Really, what is not to like. I finished another one Thursday night at stitching group. I have been stalled on stitching them for a little while just because I had picked up a couple of other things, but once I pick them up I can't put them down. As soon as I figure out what I did with the fabric for them I will work on the other 2 stockings for February. These are travel pieces for me. I take them in my work bag as I have to wait a bit for my ride home after I get off work. Not much but a few stitches at a time add up.
I have gone back to stitching on Dorothy Walpole. I just love the colors on this one. I am still just at the top on the alphabet but it is such a great pattern.  I would love to have her as a finish this year.
I am frustrated with needing supplies and not being able to get them quickly. I am stitching a gift for a friend. I was done with the stitching and washed and ironed it ready to put the beads on and take it to the framer in time for her birthday. I made it to the very last small section and there were not enough of two of the colors of beads. Reason number one why I rarely buy kits. Now I will have to order those beads and wait for them to come in the mail.  That means it won't be ready by her birthday. Sigh. I really miss being able to just drive to a LNS and get what I need. Oh well, I am lucky to have great online stores to order from that will send me even just a couple packs of beads when I need them. I can't wait to get them as I really want to get this piece framed and delivered. I won't post a picture until she gets it but I will eventually post something.

Hope you have some stitchy time in your day. I am off to work on Sally Munro.
Marjo

Time flies...

I don't know where March and April went. I can't believe it is already May. I did start the month with a new finish. I always try to do the SAL with Ellen Chester's newsletter group. I almost always start one of them. Finish, not so much. I am proud to report I have actually started and finished one of the two chosen samplers. I did the Trenner Darning Sampler and enjoyed every stitch. I used Devonshire Cream and a beautiful rose colored AVAS silk. I love the way it turned out and am really thrilled with it.  I love the accomplishment of a finish no matter the size of it.

I am starting the other design, Rachel Hyde for the SAL as well. I got the pattern, fabric and threads and hope to start it over the weekend.
I am going to start back on Sally Munro as well. It has a lot of rice stitches (the entire border is done in rice stitch) and I find that a fun stitch to do as well.  I am enjoying the history lessons provided with this class. I will update with a photo on Sally next time but I am afraid there is not much to see.
Hope your day is full of stitching.
Marjo in Alaska

Some stitching progress

I did order some new books all stitching related. One came today "Seventeenth and Eighteenth century fashion in detail" by Avril Hart and  Susan North. Over 200 pages of drawings and color plates of the embroidery detail. Better than I had even anticipated. I have purchased a couple of other stitching related books.

Stitching is slow going around here. Mostly because I am working so much overtime that by the time I get home I am too tired to stitch. It is that time of year where the light gets longer so that makes stitching easier on the eyes. I have purchased way too much stitching of late. I have so much I want to stitch and so little time to work on it as well.  I am really enjoying my class with Sally Munro. The webcast was confusing to me to log into (my fault entirely) and I am glad it is reposted on the website for reviewing. I love the colors on this and really want to finish it but no way am I going to be able to keep up with it. I have not been able to keep up with Amy Mitten either just not enough hours to stitch. I am downloading it all and will keep working on it. I do love both of them. I think I will just do class stitching until I am all caught up. I will add Dorothy Walpole back once I catch up and Mary Wigham. I have to get more disciplined. I have two small pieces that I am working on in between as well. I love doing the BBD stockings but even those are behind. It is all okay. I love every stitch.

I need to start shopping my own stash. But it seems every time I say that some new design comes out and there goes my resolve. I want to get the new LHN Lisa Snow sampler. Love the roses across the bottom of that. I need to wait a bit though. These classes are going to take up most of my stitching time for the next while. But that never stopped me from looking.

My last progress picture from Mary Wigham. I love the colors and they are even nicer than this picture shows. 

This is my updated Anniversaries of the Heart. Very little progress on this. I am stitching it on 40 count with recommended colors. 

I did want to thank two people who left comments on a previous post giving me an award for blogs that have less than 100 followers. I really appreciate it. 

I hope you are all getting lots of stitchy time in this week. I promise to post more pictures soon. I really am stitching more than I am blogging. 

Hope you have a stitchy day.