Thursday, March 06, 2014

Stitching away......

I'm still here and still loving my stitching.   I'm sorry so many of you are still dealing with awful winter storms the last month or two....it's the perfect time of year here in the southwest.  I took time off work this week to entertain houseguests and attend 2 spring training baseball games.  It was wonderful being out enjoying good weather - we'll have  our bad weather this summer when the high temperatures get here.

I've been stitching on the Valentine Sampler pieces by With Thy Needle & Thread for awhile. For some reason that project seemed to take me a long time to do.  It wasn't only the stitching, there  was finishing work to do, the box to paint, etc etc.  Anyway, I'm happy to say it's finally finished.  I had a few of the Whitman heart-shaped candy boxes that are called for in the pattern.  You are supposed to paint one and mount the main stitched piece on the lid.  Well I got my box painted but I was a bit dismayed at how flimsy those boxes are and really there is very little room to fit in the stitched accessories and I'd already put a lot of work into them.  I decided to look for a better box so I headed over to Hobby Lobby. I was prepared to get any shape that would work but luckily they had a heart-shaped box paper mache that fit it just great and is very sturdy.  It's a bit taller than I wanted it but it worked out well. I lined it with music-themed scrapbook paper.    I changed things up a bit and did my own pincushion version using a few motifs from the chart and I made my needlebook with a snap closing and rickrack trim instead of the hanging buttons. I want to keep this set by my recliner and use it instead of just displaying it.


"Valentine Sampler" kit by With Thy Needle & Thread
stitched on Lakeside Linen Vintage Exampler linen



 The stitching accessories - folded sewing case for needles,  a pincushion and scissor fob
 
 
I also started a few new pieces in the last month.  I'm doing an SAL with a friend and we're stitching "Forever Young" by Heartstring Samplery.  Love the verse on this one which is from a song by Bob Dylan,  and also performed by Rod Stewart:
 
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others and
  let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
  and climb on every rung
And may you stay Forever Young
 
You can see the completed version of this on Beth Twist's blog:    http://thetwistfamily.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-forever-young.html   Here's my progress so far, I'm close to done with the verse and anxious to start on the bottom half of the sampler.  I substituted some of my own overdyed flosses and didn't use exactly what was called for in the chart but it's close.
 

 
 
I also started a piece for my mom from Little House Needleworks.  I grew up in a town in Illinois along the Mississippi River.  We used to go on the paddlewheel excursion boats occasionally although there aren't many of them left now.  When my mother was a young girl she spent several summers at her aunt's house along the river and she has always loved the riverboats.  When I saw this pattern I knew I wanted to stitch it for her.  Not too much to see yet but the boat is starting to appear and one of the two islands in the 'river' is done.  I'll be visiting my mom in May and want to have it done and framed to give to her then.
 

"Mississippi Riverboat" by LHN
 
I've been seeing some of the Market reports from various stitching shops...more cute items of course but nothing I didn't feel I had to rush out and buy.  Of course when you've got a room full of stash waiting to be stitched it sort of dampens the urge to get even more!   I can't think of hardly any of my charts that I don't want to stitch so I'm content to keep on stitching from stash for awhile.  I've got several projects kitted up and I'm so anxious to get started on them but I need to keep my head down and finish these couple of pieces first. 
 
I think I'm finally going to cave in and join Facebook...I've been resisting as I don't know how I'll find more time to spend on the computer when I can't keep up with all your blog posts.  So if you have any tips for me as to stitching groups I should check out please let me know!  
 
Hope spring is headed your way soon - thanks for stopping in!
 

30 comments:

  1. Lots of nice projects in progress. I just bought Forever Young...live that. Have fun with your stitching.

    Bobbi

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  2. I had not seen Forever Young before. Love it!! The LHN piece is great too, and your smalls are lovely.

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  3. All of your projects are wonderful, especially the Valentine pieces!! Facebook can be a real time drain. I broke down and joined last fall and I have to be careful not to get too drawn in!! There are lots of needlework groups and sals though so I find it helps keep me motivated to stitch. No stitching slumps any more!! Laura

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  4. Great projects.
    Love the WTNAT set, you did a great job on it, the box is perfect!
    Marilyn

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  5. Wow Jeanne!! Your Valentine's set is so gorgeous. Your other projects look great too.
    So glad that you are having wonderful weather!

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  6. Valentine Sampler is great. Great finishing. Forever Young is looking great too. What a perfect gift for your mother.

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  7. smart idea on the valentine box! It is a beautiful piece.

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  8. The Valentine Sampler set is such a beautiful finish! Your other stitching is great, too--I especially like the Mississippi Riverboat that you are stitching for your mom!!

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  9. The VDay Sampler set is just lovely!!! And I have to say that this is the first time seeing "forever Young" Hmmmm I don't NEED a new chart LOL

    I am part of a few stitching groups on FB This one is VERY active, there are always posts going this is the name of the group. The Superstar Serial Starters and Divine Disciplined Divas Club

    Enjoy that beautiful weather down in the SW Hope your weekend is fab!

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  10. Lots of very nice progress! Love the Valentine's set. I'm hopeful spring will come soon to my corner of the world too.

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  11. Your Valentine's Day box set is so cute! I really like how it's set on the box top. Great progress on your sampler and the gift for your mom.

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  12. So many pretty projects you are working on! I love the Valentine's pieces so much. A great present for your mom -- hope she loves it when you finish it and take it to her.

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  13. Beautiful stitching Jeanne. Your box and accessories is gorgeous. Love the WIPs.

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  14. What a wonderful finish on the Valentine pieces! I admire you for completing them all and finishing them! (Mine would get stitched, but sit around a long time before finishing). I like your Mississippi River piece you are working on for your Mom. Where did you live? We are about 50 miles east of the Mississippi in Illinois.

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  15. You HAVE been stitching away!! Nice job~ and! I love all your ongoing projects!

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  16. I can easily see why you don't want your sewing set for display but for use. It's so perfectly stitched and finised and such a beauty that you want to have it at your side every day.
    Love your new starts, they already show nice progress.
    I'm still resisting FB, I already spend too much time on the computer with all the blog reading and commenting, lol. I definitely don't need more. So far ...

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  17. Just love the Valentine set so much--beautiful work!!

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  18. Adorable stitching and box finishing, and all the set is just beautiful!

    Hugs,
    Tatyana

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  19. Gorgeous! I did the Valentine box and the smalls but now I am dying to go and do the fold etc. Wha a wonderful piece!

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  20. Your Valentine's set is gorgeous, congratulations.
    Great progress on your other projects, they are lovely

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  21. Your Valentine Sampler pieces are beautiful. Your other two stitches are looking great as well.

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  22. Wow, I love your Valentine finishes. They are just absolutely gorgeous! I like your WIP's too. You have wonderful tastes! ;-)

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  23. Lovely stitching and finishing too :-)

    Glad you were able to find the little owl chart, he is really cute isn't he?

    I caved in and joined facebook too last year, i keep up to date on my phone and don't spend any more time on the computer for it, like you say it all takes time.

    Have a great week x

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  24. Love the Valentine's finishes, and the new LHN piece looks so summery and cute!

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  25. Your Valentines accessories are just lovely!

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  26. Wow! That Valentine's box and accessories are amazing!! Each little piece is so sweet and beautifully put together. I love that song! So great Beth is putting it into a sampler! Hugs!

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  27. Lovely finishes! And I really like the Forever Young sampler. Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog. :) Your dogs are adorable!

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  28. I love the song Forever Young and your sampler is looking beautiful.

    Love the box finish. It's all so beautiful.

    Lovely start on the LHN piece of your Mum.

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  29. Hi Jeanne! I put the entry on my blog about our meeting yesterday!! That was so much fun and it certainly improved my day by 1000%!!! Hope you had a good trip home and look forward to reading your blog more in the future!!!!

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  30. Sliczne prace
    http://zmierzchluny.blogspot.com/

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