Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tired of landscaping...............

Finally – time to share some progress on my Pride & Prejudice sampler! You can see on my right sidebar in my WIP photos where I was last time I posted an update on this – I had just finished stitching the house at Netherfield Park, the home of the famous Mr. Bingley. Well I have been busy over the last month doing lots of ‘landscaping’. It sure takes a lot of time even though I had made notes on what I wanted to do. I have added a formal garden from a Prairie Schooler chart, a fence from another Prairie Schooler chart, a lovely fountain from one of the cottage series by Elizabeth Designs, some grapevines inspired by a Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers pattern (had to chart my own as theirs wouldn’t fit), and finally Mr. Bingley his very self from an old Sudberry chart. So here is the finished vignette and a photo of the estate used in the 1995 movie. I hope he’s happy with what I’ve done with his estate. I have the hardest time getting the color right on my photos - it's so frustrating! I need a class on digital photography!


Here's a close up look at Mr Bingley at the entrance to Netherfield and his photo from the movie.

I’ve also added some grass here and there around the Bennett sisters’ home and a front walkway you can see below. The trouble with not working from a set pattern is you keep finding more things to add – a bird here, some flowers there, more grass here, etc. I'm still tweaking little things here and there. I am getting worried about fitting in all the rest of the things I had planned for this sampler but will just see how it goes. I’ve sized some of the objects on graph paper and been playing around with the layout but unless you really sit and chart the whole thing out (way too much work!) you aren’t totally sure what is going to work.

Here’s a photo of the whole sampler so far – I think I am close to halfway done! It measures about 19" wide by 16" tall.

The next portion I’m going to be working on the lower right corner where I’m placing Lizzy & Darcy as a couple. Last year I bought a cute pattern on eBay from a lady who has created several charts inspired by Jane Austen themes and I’ll be using Lizzy & Darcy from that chart. I believe this designer only sells her charts on eBay but if you like Jane Austen themes you may want to check them out. http://stores.ebay.com/West-Wind-Cross-Stitch-Designs

Also if are a fan of the A&E version of Pride & Prejudice I recommend this book on the making of the movie. It's not very expensive - got mine on Amazon - and it has a lot of great photos and details about the locations they used for the filming, the costumes, etc. This is my favorite photo of the modern-day actresses taking a break while filming - so unlike the ladies of the era! Note that one of them is doing needlepoint - yeah!

35 comments:

  1. How very creative and lovely, will be watching your progress!

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  2. Ok, that is just simply wonderful!!!!!! OMG! I love it! I love how you're creating your own unique design like that. I can't wait to see more! I'm in awe....

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  3. I love the sampler and Pride & Predjudice. Your design is beautiful. I think I am going to get my dvd out now and do some stitching.

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  4. Your design is stunning. You doing a great job of putting everything tograther. I will br waiting for your progress.

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  5. This is such a gorgeous design, so creative! Keep up the wonderful progress :)

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  6. Oh Jeanne - it is just simply smashing - I adore it ! I can not believe how it is coming along - I love every single thing you've done - the research and time and care you are putting into creating this Jane Austen masterpiece is incredible and admirable. Thanks for the inspiration. Mel

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  7. Now I have to say...your sampler is absolutely wonderful...stunning...I commend you. What a great piece to pass on to your family. Dianntha

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  8. Jeanne, it's beautiful! You've made significant progress. I too can never get photos of my stitching to come out true color. If the fabric is right, the thread is off and vice versa. One day I'm going to learn photoshop! I think that is the only thing that will help.

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  9. Anonymous6:40 PM

    OMG, your sampler is fantastic. You are amazing. Love your version of the grape vine. It is beautiful. I like the fence to with the stone base. Your landscaping has certainly paid off.
    Thanks for the info about the book. I will have to look into getting a copy. A&E's version is by far my favorite, exspecially because it is 6 hours long. One can never get enough of P&P.

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  10. What a gorgeous sampler, you should be very proud of yourself. It looks just like the real photo!

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  11. The sampler is absolutely wonderful! And wait until it is finished! I am a great P&P follower, too, and I am quite inspired to stitch some of the P&P houses! :o) I am very keen to see the rest!

    Cathi

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  12. I am so impressed with the sampler! especially so because you are landscaping it. Amazing!!

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  13. You're doing an amazing job with your sampler - it's just beautiful! All of the elements you have pulled from other designs come together perfect. I can't wait to see more!

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  14. Fantastic sampler! I love the idea, and your putting so much though into it! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  15. Your sampler is amazing - well all your work is beautiful! I enjoy reading your blog and seeing all that you have acomplished. I have a blog (new at the whole thing)and a few weeks ago I wanted to put a cross-stitch picture on it, I took it outside put it on the cement and took a picture. It was early morning so the sun wasn't actually hitting it and the colors came out perfect - a little cheaper than photoshop....

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  16. Oh wow your sampler is absolutely beautiful.
    Great interpretation. It´s amazing. I love all Jane Austen books. I´ve missed my words for this wonderful work.
    Is this sampler created by yourself ???

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  17. Your sampler is gorgeous.

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  18. Your sampler is absolutely breathtaking!

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  19. Oh wow your sampler is amazing!!!

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  20. Oh wow, really gorgeous!!!

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  21. I can see why you're probably tired of landscaping, but oh my goodness, what a beautiful sampler! Well worth all the "gardening"!

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  22. It's looking gorgeous!

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  23. Wow this is SO creative and very well thougt out/planned. Its going to be a pretty neat finished piece!

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  24. Oh Jeanne, this sampler of yours is stunning, just stunning. Such a creative way to combine many different motifs from different designers and make them into a great sampler! It looks fantastic.

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  25. Jeanne,

    How lovely! WOW! Just love this to pieces! And you know what, Don't Fret about the colors not showing up well on the photos - honestly, I think they came out fine!

    I can't wait to see our Lizzy and Mr. Darcy together at last! What will be up in the upper right hand corner though?

    BTW, the actress in the picture is doing a needlepoint design from Beth Russell Designs. I recognized it - it's not hard to recognize her works.

    Will you list a posting of all the designers you used for this pattern and what you used from them as well? It is soooooo inspiring to do one just like yours! :D

    And because of this, I want to do a sampler of one of my other favorite books - Moby Dick! That would be a whale of a job too! :P Yes, pun intended! LOL

    Hugs,
    Jennifer H

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  26. What an amazing piece this is!
    Wow, I just love what you're doing and can't wait to see more.

    Margaret

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  27. WOW! That is all looking wonderful... I cannot wait to see the finished sampler. I love the movie.

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  28. Wow, wow, wow! This is just amazing! I want to create a sampler dedicated to my favorite authors and this is totally inspiring me. But first I have to move and get more UFOs out of the way. I am anxious to see more of your sampler evolve!

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  29. Oh wow that sampler is massive!! It is looking fab. The PnP version you are speaking of was filmed very near to my house at Lyme Park in Disley. It is lovely and is National Trust which we are members of so we can go in any time for free and stand at the lake where Colin Firth did his dive! x

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  30. O, that's so beautiful! WOW, make your own sampler, I wouldn't know where to start.

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  31. Jeanne, this is an amazing project! I love how it's turning out and can't wait to see more updates.

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  32. This is just gorgeous - I love all the little details you've put in this. I can't wait to see the rest - lovely work!

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  33. I am so impressed with your sampler, and of your talent!

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  34. It is totally fantastic. Me and dd are wathcing it on our film night. I have seen it many times before but I just love it. x

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  35. That is amazing! I cannot wait to see more!

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