Getting it Finished

This year the focus of my EGA Guild programs will be on finishing techniques. Using a suggested list we have started collecting and organizing our finishing supplies. For some of us that means getting all our supplies in one place and for others starting to collect finishing supplies. Along the way we will be decorating our supply box/chest or other storage area and learning to use the various bits and bobs on our list. Many stitchers love the stitching but dread the finishing. Hopefully these programs will take some of the dread away and enable us to get more professional results on the items we choose to finish on our own.

The first project, a pinkeep, was started at the February meeting. While there is no stitching on this project it was a good intro to the finishing process. At our next meeting we will be making twisted cord for the pinkeep. I have pulled some perle cotton and floss that I think will go well with the design. Not sure yet which one I will use.

I finally got out my tools and strung my beads to made my scissor fob.

I did some stitching and some frogging and some restitching on Margery Dean and finally got the inside border to match. I haven't stitched on it since so, nothing worth showing there. On Wednesday, I will be sharing my Valentine's finish for the 2014 Smalls SAL, hopefully my belated February birthday present will be at it's final destination and I can share that as well.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2014

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

This year I took part in Jo's Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop. There are 18 participants so hop on over to Serendipitous Stitching , visit at leave some comments and love for the bloggers.

I'm off to visit and find out who received my picture.

Gwen

Day 26

The past two weeks I have been rotating between Snooty Parrots, Margery Dean and French Lavenders. So far I have made the most progress on Snooty Parrots. This week I will try to get some of the flowers put in, though I really need to concentrate on Margery if I am to get her finished by the end of the challenge.

Snooty Parrots

Coffee dyed Lambswool with DMC

I remembered to pickup some large lobster claws the last time I went to Hobby Lobby. Now I should be able to put my fob together.

Off to get some stitching done. Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

My First Finish

Just a quick post to share my first finish of the year, Album Souvenir.

Though this is not a large project I am excited to get it  stitched and assembled. Album Souvenir was a companion project from Attic Treasures, designed and taught by Jackie of It's Fine-ally Finished. I was fortunate to take the class at The Attic Needlworks.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Day Five

Happy New Year!!!
Not much stitching to show in this post. I have decided to take part in the Smalls SAL hosted by Heather of Stitching Lotus. I cannot begin to count the number of smalls that I have to be stitched. Some are just charts free as well as purchased. Some kitted, some not and some already stitched and in need of an assembly session. Hopefully this will provide some motivation to get some smalls done this year. I decided to make French Lavender (It's Fine-ally Finished) my New Year's start and my first Small as part of this SAL. I am almost done stitching the scissor pocket.

I was enabled to take part in 2 SALs in a FB group. I spent Saturday coffee-dyeing fabric for both projects.
I will be stitching The Snooty Parrots (Barbara Ann Designs) on coffee-dyed 32ct Lambswool and Quaker Medallions (Sampler and Antique Needlework Magazine Winter 2000) on coffee-dyed 32ct oyster linen from MCG Textiles. Neither piece came out as dark as I wanted, next time I will go back to tea-dyeing. I think I get better results with the tea-dyeing.


Fabric and fibers for Quaker Medallion

Fabric and fibers for The Snooty Parrots






Until our next visit, thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

December 2013

To say that my posts have fallen by the way side is an understatement. I hope that this post will get me back on track. I have been stitching since our last visit all-be-it very slowly. I have almost made it to the half way mark with Margery Dean. Note well, my goal was to have it done before the end of the year. Not going to happen. Hopefully I will be done by February and that will be my accomplishment for Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year. Keeping my toes crossed. (Need the fingers to stitch and type.) ;-)

In October I finished a piece that had been in the finishing basket for some time. Whine and Weave was an online class of Jackie's. There was much whining while I was weaving but, I did finish. Then came the finishing, for some reason after starting I put it aside. I pulled it out in Oct., and now have a completed project that I am pretty happy with.

In November, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Jackie du Plessis Workshops hosted by Jean at The Attic. The site was great and of course a visit to the store is always a treat.  I will be working on finishing the stitching on Ebony and Ivory in January. I am almost done with the necessarire.

This piece was a treat from Jackie for attending The Unplayed Piano class. It's all stitched and ready to be assembled.

Not much stitching this month. Hope to be back on track after the First of the Year.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

August Already?

WOW!! It's been a whole month plus since I've posted. We are now in August and the kids are back in school. Well they are, here anyway. Fall will soon be here with cooler temperatures.

I don't have much stitching to share but I did finish two projects. The My Vintage Sampler Cloth (whitework/drawn thread piece) that I shared back in May & June. I changed a couple of things but all in all  tried most of the stitches. Now it's ready to be framed.

The second project is ready to be finished as an ornament or pin pillow or ... I haven't decided yet. One of my friends was de-stashing and brought this Prairie Schooler  freebie kitted to our last get together. Thanks Steph.











Until next time, Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

The Fourth and a First

On the Fourth, I decided to do some seasonal stitching. So out of  the stash came Acorn House's Patriotic Drum Box. This design came out a few years ago and is super cute. I managed to get the drum sides stitched and now need to complete the top and bottom as well as the scissor fob. Not a lot of stitching on this one.






 


After working on the drum box for awhile I gave in to Stitcher's Startitis
and started a new Scarlet Letter  reproduction. S.Wood is a miniature sampler that will measure about 4 x 3-1/4 inches when stitched.  The border is 3 rows deep. There is a verse, a cartouché and some small birds and strawberries motifs. Two rows of the border and the first row of the verse are done.

Margery Dean is my usual project for Sunday. This week I had to restitch the portion I worked on at least twice before I could get it right. Because of the frogging Margery is not making and appearance this week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Margery June Update

Most of my stitching last week was on Margery Dean. I envisioned being half way through with her by now. I am no way near that goal. I did get the top cartouche border filled in, with just a few stitches still missing. I stitched the saying a few threads higher. I wanted a more centered loo, like the photograph. The charted saying sits lower in the cartouche and is only about 2 threads above the border.  I also worked some more on the right side border. Now I need to fill in some more honeysuckle and decide on the next big motif to work on.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Progress

Making a little progress on Margery Dean. The border of the top cartouche is almost complete.

My Vintage Sample Cloth will be about 12 inch long. I have most of the bands framed. Next I will be working on cutting and weaving.

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

A New Look!

This past weekend some friends and I visited The Attic Needlework Store. This was our first visit to the store since they moved to their new location. The store is much larger now and the lighting is wonderful. The classroom area is also much bigger in the new store. Everything has not been unpacked yet but, Jean and staff didn't disappoint. Everyone found something to add to their needlework stash treasures. I can't wait to go back after all those wonderful samplers are back on the walls.

Of course the main purpose of our visit was our ASG Retreat. The project this year asks the question 'May I Have This Dance?'. Rae's description says it all. "A collection of stitching and sewing accessories that celebrate the custom of dance cards and boutonnières, glamorous silk purses and dance slippers of the Victorian Era." Our practice piece was this dance slipper pincushion.

 

Thanks fo stopping by,

 

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