"Spanish Mystery Sampler" Finish

Gentle Friends, over the weekend I finished up this really big piece, and I'm really sorry to see it end.  It's always the same, you work on a piece for a few months and then it's over and you move on to something else.  Oh well, I am happy it's done and now for some snaps.....

upper left corner.....

.....  upper right corner.....

..... lower left corner....

..... lower right corner...  and here's an overall shot.....

"Spanish Mystery Sampler" - designer Shakespeare's Peddler

March 21, 2014 - August 3, 2014

LL 40ct Bisque

my conversion to Belle Soie

Here's my conversion - as you remember I pulled the DMC conversion that Theresa gave and then chose the Belle Soie from the palette.....  

840 - Mudpie

3828 - Teddy bear

733 - Scarecrow

3811 - Babbling Brook

3031 - Briar Patch

829 - Espresso

814 - Rose of Sharon

3831 - Poison Apple

White - I don't like white stitching, and I really didn't like the white stitching in this piece so I went with a pale green Limited Edition hank of silk I had, it has no specific name.

I also added a pink colour "Carnation" that was not called for, but I like what it added.  Now, in stitching this piece I shifted some of the colours charted for other colours as I went along, because I thought it looked better - my stitching my choice!!  It really is a big piece of work measuring from edge to edge 24" x 16"  and it was my first time stitching on 40ct linen.....  and I really enjoyed it immensely!!  The only thing I am thinking about with this piece is stitching the bottom border that is missing, I'll have to see about that.....

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Stitchin'

Gentle Friends, the weekend was on the warm side, upper 70's with a ton of sunshine!!  Until yesterday late the weather was lovely and then in rolled the fog, the wonderful wet cool fog poured over Twin Peaks and I had to click on the heat in the house - or I'd have had four shaky little who hounds!!  I did get more stitching done on SMS and here's an updated snaperoo of where it stands at the moment......

.... I've finished up the bottom row and now I'm working around finishing up the border - then all I'll have left is the bits a pieces filling in between the rows, and they seem to work up quickly.

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by dos top again!!

Take care,

edgar

A "SMS" Stitchin' Update

Gentle friends, the computers were down all morning yesterday and once they came back up I was playing catch up all day, which has followed me into today - but, like I always say "it'll get done when it gets done!!"

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I did want to post a snaperoo of where SMS is at the moment.  We had Rico's Mom, two nieces and a great niece up over the weekend along with two extra Chihuahua's, to say it was a house full would be a little understating it......  so I'm not as far along as I would be normally, but still chugging away......

... as you can see I'm finished with the main horizontal elements, and now it is the decorative bits to be done on them and the doo dads between.  I'm still fixing bits and pieces as I go along to either make them look better or fill out designs where I would presume there were missing stitches.  Since my trip is coming up shortly I may start something smaller I can carry along with me.......  I have some ideas, but nothing definite.

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Stitchin' on SMS and a Colonial Gatherings Finish

Gentle Friends, I got some snaps with the old camera of some recent stitching.  

First up lets take a look at SMS....

..... this is were it was last night.......  and I got back the second stitching piece in the Colonial Gatherings Club.  They were designed by Tanya of Scarlet House, here are the finished pieces from Faye.....

....  a great little pyn pillow and matching fob. I attached a pair of my favorite scissors to the new fob.  Faye once again did what I know I would have botched up - 

That's about it for today sports fans, short and sweet.  My new camera is coming today - or at least the tracking says it will arrive today - I can't wait!!  Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Stitchin' on SMS

Gentle Friends, I thought I would show the progress I've made over the last couple of weeks on my SMS....... here's a snap......

........  on the fifth vine I am changing up the green leaves, where some of them are incomplete on the original sampler, I'm completing them and I'll adjust the placement of the do-dads between it and the sixth vine to accommodate the fuller leaves.

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

An "SMS" Stitchin' Update

Gentle Friends, I thought I would post an update snap of the "SMS."  Since I finished up the Colonial Gathering piece and got it off to Faye, the mail brought the next project - a great little design from Paulette at Plum Street called "Cotton Bird."   Here's the snap of "SMS" - 

I finished up the "clover" row last night, it just seemed to go on and on....  I really like the last row since it is using a great Belle Soie colour "Rose of Sharon."  I'll probably work on "Cotton Bird " this week and get back to "SMS' after it is completed.

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That's about ti fro today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little Sitchin'

Gentle Friends, it was a nice long weekend... and although I did some laundry, vacuumed and went to the grocery store....  it felt like I was a total lay-about doing nothing..... and it was lovely!!  I did do a little stitching on a couple of things, two I can show you today.....

... after the craziness with the chart I finally got a start on the Colonial Gathering piece, not much but a beginning..... and ...

... I worked on the SMS some and it is still coming along nicely.

That's about it for today sports fans.... thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

Winner, Winner Chickin' Dinner... and a Stitchin' Update

Gentle Friends, again, let me say how overwhelmed I was by all the kind comments left at the 7th Blogaversary Post - and can only thank you all so very much!!!!

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Over the weekend after printing and then cutting the entries into strips and folding them into unidentifiable little faux-rigamis, I got out a cut glass BoD from which the hag Claw and who hounds could draw a winner....

... of course you should never work with children or animals, and I am sure the hounds thought we were going to drop a picnic ham or something on the floor, they got really excited, the Peach was beside herself with glee......

... Smokie was the only one to stay still long enough to really see what was going on.....

... when they saw it wasn't going to be a brisket or ham, they all lost interest quickly!!!  But, a name was drawn.... and .....

.... Sharon over a Seaside Stitcher was drawn as the Winner of

 Blacksheep's 7th Annual Blogaversary Gift-a-Way, congratulations!!!  Thanks again to everyone who entered!!  I have sent off an email to Sharon and my plan is to have the box-o-goodies winging it's way to her in the next few days, once it arrives I'll talk more about what I sent.

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I worked a little on SMS and here's an updated snap...

.... this week I'll be putting this piece aside to finish up my Exchange piece.

That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!

Take care,

edgar

A SMS Stitchin' Update

Gentle Friends, wow, such kind comments and wonderful things you are all saying about the Blog.....  basically it leaves me speechless with a lump in my throat.  I have been thinking all weekend about the "gift-a-way" and whomever is drawn from the "BoD" by the Hag claw and who hounds will enjoy what I send.

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My little schedule in my pea brain, Mondays are reserved for stitchin' updates, and today is no different, I worked on three things...  an upcoming Exchange piece, my Colonial Gatherings piece (and at some point I relate the saga that surrounded this) and I got a bit more done on the SMS.......  here's a snap......

....  I finished off the small green leaves, and some of the medium gold leaves and started the "Teddy Bear" clovers.  In my mind I have named all the different lines just to keep them straight.

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by and for all your kind comments!!! 

Do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Little "Briar Patch" Stitchin'

Gentle friends. another weekend quickly passed.... why is it that weekends creep up, fly by and then are 5 looong days away????  It's a phenomenon I do not understand but deal with constantly.  :)

This past weekend was no different from others, we shopped at thrift and consignment stores, 

ate out, drove around , visited a lovely space......  and I stitched.

Today let me show you an updated snaperoo of the "SMS"......

... as you can see I spent the weekend stitchin' with the darkest brown, "Briar Patch."  I finished out the right side arm and couple of the wavy lines.  It seems that quite a bit was done , but there is still a mountain left.....

There you go sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Stitching Snap

Gentle Friends, I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.  It was a low key one for us starting off Friday evening with services for Good Friday.  The weekend itself was a lovely four days off. We sat around with the TV going, watching TCM and assorted DVD's. 

 I did get a bit further along on SMS.  

Here's where she stood last night before getting rolled up and put away.....

......  I put this on the floor to get an overall snap of it, and from the peanut gallery (Rico) the comment I got was "That's a really big one this time!!" - and the who hounds were all over it, you can't see them but there are quite a few hairs that didn't get shaken off.

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by, dos top again!!

Take care,

edgar

A "SMS" Stitching Update

Gentle Friends over the weekend I got a bit o'stitcing done on the "SMS" and today want to show you an overall snap of the piece as it stands.....

.... I really had an itch to see just how big this sucker was going to be - so I worked out the border to the turn.......  I've got quite a way to go!!  I am really happy with the way the piece looks with the colour changes I made..... I am sure there will be others as I go along.

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There you go sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by.  This will be a short week for me as I am off this Friday and I took off next Monday, so it will be a nice long weekend!!  Do stop again!

Take care,

edgar

Some Weekend Stitching on "SMS"

Gentle Friends, over the weekend I made a little headway on SMS.....

...  I seem to do a bit better with weekend stitching lately than with evening stitching - go figure.

Also, I received the next "Colonial Gathering" kit in the mail, so that will be the piece I work on this week.... remember my Candle Pocket - HERE - this time the piece is a pyn cushion and scissor fob......  as soon as it's complete I post a snaperoo.

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Stone appears and a"SMS" Update

Gentle Friends over the weekend, Saturday evening about 7:15 or so, the "stone of death" that has been plaguing me for the past month or so passed..... I was doing my thing and whizzing through the cone/screen that the Doctor at the Emergency room gave me  - like I have been for two weeks and there it was, no pain no nothing, just one second it was not there and the next it was...... so I'm taking it to be analyzed as I was requested to do and I'll probably be cancelling my Urologist appointment for later in the week, now that the problem is no more.  BTW the stone seems pretty big to me, I'll not pop a snap on the Blog since that ain't classy.  ;)

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Here's a snap of where I am with SMS as of last night....

... I've changed a couple of silks along the way and will catch all that up later on. 

I made it over to Needle in a Haystack and picked up some fun stuff, I'll show tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Mystery Update

Gentle Friends, the weekend came and went without a bit of a stone in sight.  I aim for the little cone shaped screen and there's nothing to see when its through.  For now, I'll be just moving along and doing the regular things I usually do and just not think about it too much.

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On the stitching front, I continued to work on the Spanish Mystery Sampler, to be referred to from now on as the SMS......  here's the progress...

...  as you can see I have worked the left side to the end, I am not sure if I'll stitch a bottom closing vine or add my personal info, there's lots of time to think about that.  One of the changes I am making is that I traded the white for a pale green coloured silk, I thought the white was on the dull and washed out side.  Another change I made is in the sixth row, the "blue ribbon" row I call it.  The green and red "rose" looking bits were stitched all in white on the original, I am stitching them more as flowers, now the dilemma is whether to leave the dark "Rose of Sharon" silk or change it for a lighter shade of red/pink???  something else to think about.

That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Stone, A Finish and a New Start

Gentle Friends, usually one thinks of the Blarney Stone on St Patrick's day....  I had a run in with another stone, a kidney stone, on Monday.  I actually felt it about two weeks ago , but having never had one before didn't know what it was and the pain went away so I didn't think about it again...... until this past weekend, Sunday morning to be precise.  And I am nothing if not stubborn.  So I hung onto a heating pad all morning and the pain went away again....  then it came back Sunday night, Rico kept insisting I go to the hospital, but I kept resisting.  Then Monday morning after I got to work I was doubled over in pain and went back home to my heating pad and the fetal position in bed with the who hounds......  Rico left work and came home and unlike the "feral cat" I had become... hissing and fighting to not go to the Emergency Room, it hurt too bad and I gave in and went.  After a few hours, a CT scan and some great drugs....... they sent me home with the knowledge that yes, I had a kidney stone, and some prescriptions for more drugs.  So that's what I have been up to the past 4 days - just taking pills and trying to feel somewhat normal - and waiting for this stone to pass........

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On the cross stitch front........I did finish up the band sampler last weekend......

A re-working of "Hibernation Day" by Heartstring Samplery -

With all the changes I call it "Winter Band Sampler"

36ct PTP "Truffle"

Here's my Floss conversion...

Mullberry - I went with - CC Apple Fritter

Shaker White - "         " - CC Snowball

Mustard Seed I Kept

Old Hickory - "            " - WDW Dirt Road

Piney Woods - "           " - Victorian Motto Green A

Pecan Pie - "                " - CC Hickory Sticks

Here are some close ups.....

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I did start a new  sampler.......

"Spanish Mystery Sampler" - Shakespeare's Peddler

40ct "Bisque" - my conversion of Belle Soie, and some colour changes 

I am quite a bit further along than this snap shows, but you get the idea.

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That's about it for today, thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar