Oh Happy Day! Oh Happy Dance!!!!

Well, fourteen weeks to the day, and its done! On Monday January 3rd I started Teresa Wentzler's Wedding Sampler and today Monday April 11th I finished it! I was really aiming for a weekend finish, but the sampler needed about 3 more hours worth of work today. But now, its DONE!!!

I stitched it on the recommended 28ct Platinum Lugana and it is stitched using DMC cotton and rayon floss, accented with Mill Hill Beads.

So here it is : Wedding Sampler by Teresa Wentzler c2001 Leisure Arts (from the Best of Teresa Wentzler Sampler Collection)


So now comes the tough decision... what do I stitch on between now and May 1st when I start my Celtic Band Sampler SAL with Katrina? Hmmm..

Well I know I do need to stitch my April ornament, and I have something picked out if my supplies for my ornament RR haven't arrived in the next day or two. Also my Wee Beasties RR is finally home! But I don't want to share a picture yet because its missing my bug and I'd like to put a border on it. I plan to make it into a bell pull. My current travel project is Michael Powell's Mini Cottages 2, there's that. Or there's Celtic Banner by Butternut Road, or my long ignored Noah's Sub from Stoney Creek.

Oh the decisions, oh the agony!!!

Now For Something Completely Different...

So this weekend I also framed two more pieces for a customer :



And I've finally posted a picture of a piece I framed earlier last week for a different customer (see, when it rains it pours!)

Keep an Eye on This Space....


Tee hee.... whoosh! (that's me getting off of the computer!)

Stitching Blogger's Question Of The Week

Q : What is your next specialty stitch?

A : Well I KNOW that my next specialty stitch that I will do is the plaited stitch on TW's Wedding Sampler its the border for the bottom box. However this is not a new stitch for me, I actually did it for the first time years ago on TW's Celtic Inspirational Band Sampler. Now I will have to pull out some instructions and review how it was done and probably take a look at CIBS. I always find its a great help when I have an actual stitch or a very good picture to refer to. My favorite place to go for great (and animated) diagrams is Victoria Sampler's Website, click on the VS Club... be sure to join if you're not a member its the only way you'll access this area. Not only are there great animated stitches but there's a gazillion freebies there too!

In the last year I've learnt some very cool and difficult stitches through Chatelaine's Mystery VI. The queen stitch was new to me last year and so was the Jessica Stitch which is just gorgeous! Another designer that really challenges your ability for specialty stitches is Jeannette Douglas, she takes conventional specialty stitches and tweaks and changes them to the effect she wants to achieve. I found that her instructions have been fabulous in the designs I've stitched from her so far.

Is there a new stitch I'm going to learn... I don't know. Each new stitch I've gone out and learnt has been because the design I'm working on makes it necessary. In TW's Wedding Sampler I'll be doing : Plaited Stitch, Satin Stitch, Rhodes Stitch, Wrapped Back Stitch, Lazy Daisy and Eyelets. My next start which will be Celtic Band Sampler by Homespun Samplar I don't think has any specialty stitches.

Good news on the Wedding Sampler front : last night I finished the bottom right hand spray of flowers and I've almost finished the top!!!

Week 13 Progress Report

I was all ready to share my progress on TW's Wedding Sampler last night and *pout* I couldn't get into Blogger to post, and just now its been super slow loading up the template.

So without further ado....

As I've mentioned in a previous post I want this piece done before the end of the month so I've started taking it to work and stitching during my lunch hour. Today it received many ooohs and ahhhs from the ladies. I imagine the flowers will be completely done this week and I can start the bottom section.

Over the weekend I was a good girl and ordered my supplies for the next Ornament Round Robin I'm taking part in. Janice of Traditional Stitches is shipping most of my supplies right away but there's one item that's needed she's got to order but says I should have it in time for May 1st our first mailing date for the RR. I'm also anxious to get my kit for Mini Mystery I by Chatelaine which is on backorder... normally I'd be done stitching a section of these mysteries by now but alas... no kit, no stitching.

Sunday afternoon I finished my two framing jobs that I mentioned and here they are :


Immedately upon delivery on Monday my customer gave me two more which are to be done with the same molding by next week... sure no problem. I was also given several School Letters last week and this morning I was asked if I could frame a portrait. Go figure no one wants anything framed since Christmas and now it pours! Oh well I'm not complaining.

Last night I put together the frame for another piece that I was asked to do back in March. After work I picked up the glass so tonight when I get home from Taekwon-Do I'll just pop everything together and I can deliver the piece in the morning.

March Review and April Stitching Goals

I think its been awhile since I've reported my goals on my blog, yes me bad. However I do so religiously over at the Needle and Thread the bulletin Board which I run.

Okay so here we go ...

March Review :

Finish Mini Mystery H - Yes!
Make Progress on TW's Wedding Sampler - I think I did great!
Stitch 1 Ornament - Yuppers!
Start a New Project for March Break - No I got sucked into Wedding Sampler
Dragon Dreams SAL - Started and finished a freebie

April Goals :

Stitch part 1a of Mini Mystery I - if my kit ever gets here (on backorder)
Finish TW's Wedding Sampler
Stitch one ornament
Start a Dragon Dreams Freebie on SAL day

Well, I had a fantastic day yesterday! The weather for driving was horrible, it was windy and raining ALL DAY... I mean it didn't stop, it was still pouring when I rolled in at home at 1:30am! I found the Kingston Guild's merchant mart not as big as last year, there seemed to be less vendors and what vendors were there didn't have really anything I wanted to buy. I got away pretty easily, I bought one chart from Knowledge and Needles, Lavender Lilacs from The Silver Lining. I also bought a pair of funky earrings from Dragon's Lair Beads, I look forward to wearing them to work tomorrow. The afternoon was spent visiting and stitching with Beth and Christin. Late in the afternoon I picked up Vicki from the merchant's mart and we had a great time of show and tell with our finished pieces at Beth's house and we had a fantastic dinner and sat around the dining room table and talked for HOURS! What a great day we had yesterday!

Today I'm getting some framing jobs finished up, and then I'm going to blast away at TW's Wedding Sampler... like I said I want it DONE!!!!!

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week

Q : How has your stitching evolved since you first started stitching?

A : I think its evolved the way most stitchers do. I started with kits on aida, and over the years progressed to stitching on evenweaves and linens, from neutral colours to hand dyed fabrics. I've also become adventurous in what I stitch, I find I have a wide range of charts by different designers, they are not all one theme or level of difficulty. I have to say I have a lot more charts that would be considered quite difficult or large to stitch. I of course have learnt many specialty stitches, especially over the last two years, and I've come to work with many different types of fibers. Also I've moved from just stitching to being a model stitcher from time to time. I think that's the biggest compliment to how far you've come along in your stitching!

Fob-O-Rama

Last night I sat down and put together six more scissor fobs. Its been a little while since I've made any. Five of the six were ordered by Knowledge and Needles to be sold (if you like something you see feel free to e-mail the owner to purchase one). One of them (with the cat charm) is for my good friend Beth who I am going to visit tomorrow.

These are the fobs that are for sale :










This is the one for Beth :


I'm looking forward to tomorrow! Christin and I will be driving down to Kingston to check out the local needlework guild's merchant mart. First we'll be meeting up with Beth then going to the mart where our friends Ann and Vicki have booths. We're hoping to "be polite" as Beth and I like to put it (spend a little money) also check out the other vendors there. After the mart closes Beth, Christin, Vicki and I will be getting together for what promises to be another excellent home cooked meal by Beth! I love my Kingston visits.

Now on the stitching front... Wedding Sampler has been coming along quickly now. The sprays of flowers are filling in quite nicely. I am predicting that I'll finish it by the end of April. Which would be perfect because in May I'll be starting a stitch along with Katrina the Kiwi we've agreed to work on Celtic Band Sampler by Homespun Elegance together! I can't wait! I know a number of stitchers who have had great fun with an overseas SAL partner. Katrina are you ready??? I've got my fabric chosen, Queen Ann's Lace Joblean from Wichelt. I've also been making some progress on my travel project, Mini Cottages II by Michael Powell. But soon I'll have to put that aside to stitch my ornament for the month.

Speaking of ornaments I should get off my butt and order the supplies for the ornament round robin I'm in that will be starting on May 1st. I want make sure there's time to get in all the bits and pieces. Janice at Traditional Stitches... you'll be hearing from me soon, so watch out!

Well its almost time to get to bed, since I've got a wee bit of a road trip tomorrow!