Tuesday, July 31, 2007

WIP - Molly

July 31, 2007
Well it is not the greatest picture of Molly and her cat but you can certainly see that not only have I made some progress but she is nearly finished. Turns out my fabric is a little too light for her neck and arms to show up so I may have to do a bit of backstitching to give them some definition but other than that I am happy with it. A bit more filling in of background and I may have a finished product later in the week. I haveto pack as much blogging in as I can during the next three days since we will be away for awhile after that. So watch for a couple of finishes tomorrow and the next day.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Some pictures

July 30, 2007

Obviously my blogging has suffered in the past week so I will try to make up for it by showing some of the fabulous stitching the Thursday stitchers have been producing.

This first one is Barb's HAED Santa. He has a beautiful face. Barb, very wisely doesn't work on him here on Thursdays!

Olive is doing this entire chicadee in french knots!
Judie has been most diligent to stay with her Cows with blankets. We have tried to talk her into starting another project to give herself some variety but she is bound and determined to finsh this one for her daughter before she starts anything else.

Jane only started stitching this spring and has already completed a Bent Creek wedding design for her daughter and is now doing this gorgeous butterfly picture. I managed to get a great deal of stitching done myself this weekend thanks to having Dani and Christin here. We stitched like mad Thursday to Sunday and tomorrow I will have the fruits of my labour to share. You will have to check out their blogs to see their progress. In addition to stitching they helped both Beatrice and me jazz up out blogs a little bit.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Thursday Stitchers

July 21, 2007

Let me introduce Muffy...this was Lisa's beloved dog. We found a pattern for her on ebay and sent to England for the kit. Lisa claims that this dog is just exactly what Muffy looked like and didn't she do a great job of stitching her? Lisa has been stitching for only about three years now but has been producing some great things. I must get a picture of her completed Lynn Nicoletti "Loons"

This gorgeous Michael Powell Wedding sampler was stitched by Barb for good friends of theirs who are getting married this summer. Barb has been stitching for many years and has numerous projects on the go at the moment, one of which is a HAED Santa on 25 ct fabric over one. I will definitely be posting a picture of it!



By the way...this is a good moment to mention that all my in-stock Michael Powell kits and charts are currently on sale at http://www.knowledgeandneedles.com/ for 20% off the regular price. Shipping in North America is free. And last but not least for today, Anne just finished this south western themed project. It is her first major stitching project and she even added her own special touch by including beads which were not in the original pattern. Great job Anne!

I am so fortunate to have so many stitching friends and I certainly do love sharing their great work with as many people as possible in the world of blogdom?...the kingdom or blogs?...is there a term? ... maybe just cyberspace?


Friday, July 20, 2007

Egyptian Cat

July 20, 2007

I know I have posted this picture before but a blogger asked me where the pattern originated so I checked with Wendy who stitched it...It comes from Cross Stitch Gold magazine from at least a year ago. Sorry I cannot be more specific...it may actually be from 2005 !



Yesterday during our Thursday stitching group I was getting concerned because Dani and Christin were supposed to be coming for a visit and I knew they had wanted to be here to join in the Thursday stitching fun but it was getting toward mid-afternoon and there was no sign of them. Beatrice and Kathy arrived late due to another earlier commitment and I was informed that I was only off by a week for the visit. They are coming NEXT Thursday! Didn't feel too stupid! Oh well...now I have another week of anticipation of a good visit and lots of stitching!

Today is another wet rainy day and today I actually feel like stitching after a bit of a time crunch and a slump these past 10 days or so...so I am looking forward to hauling out little Molly from Carriage House samplings and seeing if she can't end up with two arms and the other half of her cat.

I am also pleased that it is raining since it means I don't have to cut the grass and I can use my newly repaired dryer ...ahh soft towels again. No guilt about ignoring the clothesline when it's raining!

I took some pictures yesterday of some great stitching and will show them on my next post.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Our Girls

July 18. 2007

I have been very remiss with my blogging this past week and for that I apologize. It has been a hectic time with FIL hospitalized and our weekend at the Holstein rodeo.


I was very glad to have been able to sit and stitch for a couple of hours yesterday with Joyce and her daughters Tita and Kim. It was a welcome calm time in the midst of what seems like chaos (but really isn't). That is all the stitching I have managed in nearly a week, hence there are no progress pictures to share.


I will however show you our beautiful girls Mollie and Paddy and the Heritage design Golden Retriever I stitched for Dan a couple of Christmases ago. As you can see they know how to make themselves at home. We do have new furntiure since these pics were taken and now they are not allowed on the living room furniture!



Monday, July 9, 2007

Another WIP

July 9, 2007

This is a picture of the Exotic Rug from Stitcher's World Magazine from a few years ago. I fell in love with the wildness of it and the crazy bright colours so over time I managed to stitch it up. It is done on 14 count aida with two strands of floss which of course makes it very thin and really not suitable for a rug at all. It is very large so I don't want to frame it but someday perhaps I can make it into a wall hanging. Meanwhile it is languishing somewhere around the house.


So I have one large useless piece of stitching here ... what else could I do but start another large piece that will likely never be a rug either? This is the beginnings of the Garden Rug from Stitcher's World magazine. This time though I am doing it on 28 count (over two) with 4 strands of floss. Perhaps it will be a little more substantial and rug-like. Although I doubt that if it ever gets finished I will ever let anyone set a foot on it!

I guess I just like the idea of stitching a rug!





Saturday, July 7, 2007

More WIPs

July 7, 2007
Here is little Molly with part of a cat and most of a fun looking bird. She is moving along but I think I am tiring of the black and gray and will move on to another WIP for awhile. This Maureen Appleton kit hasn't seen the light of day for a few months but I doubt that I am in the mood for 29 count over one stitching to-day.
This little piece is actually finished. It was a round robin that we did within our stitching group, before we became the Thursday stitchers. I dug it out the other day and finished it by adding the names of those who contributed to it around the outside. Now I will be on the look out for some colourful Christmas fabric to use to convert it into a pillow.
And by no means my last WIP...just the last picture for to-day...Mary Engelbriet's "Its good to be Queen". I last worked on it in April and may just be ready to pick it up again now!

Thursday, July 5, 2007

WIPs

July 5, 2007

As promised I am finally showing some of my works in progress. Here is Molly with feet. Her long black dress was getting a bit tedious but now I am working on the cat and perhaps it will progress at a faster pace.
I am involved in a small neighbourhood round robin and the theme of this one is winter. Unfortunately I think we may have to involve a few more people in this endeavour since I put my house way "out in the country" quite a distance from the other two building and the skating rink already stitched on this piece. (sorry Marsha)
When I was working on Molly's long black dress, I decided I needed a colourful diversion so I stitched up these two pin cushion tops from the June issue of Gift of Stitching magazine. The fabric is called Strawberry Milkshake (Silkweaver) and the thread used was GAST Raspberry Parfait. Both were fun to stitch. Of course the trick now will be to actually make them up into pinkeeps!


Wednesday, July 4, 2007

HAED Wip and Fabulous Cat finish

July 4, 2007

Happy Independence Day to all our American stitching friends. We just finished enjoying our own Canada Day on Sunday. I guess that is why I have been so long between blogs. Where does the time go?

Anyway, yesterday I stitched with Joyce and took a photo of her progress on The Tempest. I think you will agree she is doing a fabulous job and the design is looking great.


Yesterday was a good stitching day since I also had the opportunity to stitch with Wendy who was just putting her finishing initials on this Egyptian Cat last evening. Isn't it stunning?
Tomorrow I'll bring you up to date with some of my own WIPs....like Molly, who now has two feet, and my entry into a local Neighbourhood RR that I am participating in and my two pin cushions (stitched but not assembled) from June's Gift of Stitching magazine.