Serenity Update.......and some silk

Well, here we are Thursday and all I've been working on when I stitch at all is "Serenity." I am really feeling it for the finish now!!! You know how you get when you've worked on something for a few months and the light at the end of the tunnel is a winkin' and a blinkin'....just a few more stitches...in, out, in, out...almost there.
Now with a little dramatic lighting and a maniacal laugh, I could be Vincent Price, bwahahahaha......... :)

Here is a snap of the work as it stood last night.


I am sorry about how dark it turned out. I'll try and get a better snap in the full light of day.

I also got another installment of silk from Needlecraft in Baltimore. Isn't Drema just the greatest!!! I took a snap of the skeins on the actual linen that Village of HRH will be stitched on. I have laundered the linen and gotten quite a bit of the starch out so it is quite a bit softer and will feel much nicer when I start on the first.



It is really amazing how the picture makes the linen seem almost dark grey...it is really not THAT grey or dark, oh well what can one do.

I have also come to the conclusion that a daily stitch rotation is what I need. I have seen so many stitchers out there using them when they stitch and those stitchers all seem so organized!!! I sit down and go "Oh look 'Serenity' is on top and NEEDS my attention" and so other things just fall to the bottom. On September 1st I will figure out my rotation and on Tuesday I will drop a sidebar with the list. This will solve all my organizational problems!! :) Also I will have no excuse...or I should say I will have fewer excuses not to work a little on everything each week.
My goal for VoHRH is to do one square a month and then next September 1st 2008,
I will be able to start HoHRH.

I can't believe I just wrote September 2008 and set a goal for that far distant date....but if it is writing then I will have to stick to it!!!!! or maybe not. :) We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

More Serenity stitching and some kitting up

Over the weekend I finished up the leaves on Serenity, woohoo!!! Here is a picture of the progress.


If you have been following my on going blathering in this blog :) you know I got "Forgiveness" the newest release from Exemplar Dames. It is in the same style and scale as "Serenity" if not just a tad bigger. I want to do them as a pair and had thought of regraphting the
colours to be more in line with "Serenity."
If you remember "Forgiveness" has an overall beige orange/yellow colouring.

This weekend I visited my LNS and was there a good 3-4 hours choosing linens and kitting out projects for the fall. But, for "Forgiveness" I pulled the DMC and NPI conversion just to see what the colours would be. The model was stitched in HDF from Vicki Clayton. Although the model is lovely I knew I did not want to work this project in silk and my LNS does not carry HDF, so to see what the colours would sort of be like I needed to see the DMC and NPI colour conversions. I know that sounds crazy but that's how in my feeble mind works and I needed to see it before I committed to the colours.

The way I chose the colours was to take individual skeins of floss and check against the overdyed floss to see what would be closest to the colour, and there are alot of those to go through. I think I have converted this to overdyed pretty well and that the colours are still in the family tones that the model was stitched but in overdyed floss'. I also found a perfect match to the fabric, it is to be stitched on 28ct Country French Cappuccino, from Weichelt.

Here is a picture of the acquired linen and floss' I have gotten for upcoming projects.



What you are looking at is 5 different projects to be worked up. From left to right is:

"Emblem of Love" - to be stitched on Birds of a Feather 28ct Sandpiper in Glorianna silk "Seaweed." If you cast back your memory I had already chosen "Seaweed" and a linen to do EOL on, but after I started I did not like the combination. The silk was to blue/green and the linen was turning to red/pink. So I pulled that out and was waiting to get back to the store to get a new piece of linen. I still wanted to work this in the Glorianna Silk as they are sooooo nice to work with and I really liked the colour.

The next piece of linen is for Blackbird Designs "Autumn Silhouette." To be stitched on Weeks Dye Works 30ct Tin Roof using Weeks Dye Works floss called Confederate Gray.

The third piece of linen is for Blackbird Designs "Garland Fair." using Weeks Dye Works 30 ct Cappuccino using TGA Sampler Threads Cinnamon.

The fourth piece is for "Forgiveness" 28ct Country French Cappuccino by Weilchelt.

The last piece and most exciting is for "Village of Hawk Run Hollow". This is Weichelt's Lambswool in 32ct. I did not like the yellow cast that some of fabric's had and went with a more grey white. I also chose 32 ct over 36 or 40 because
I know my limitations and patience and those higher counts for this old blind man
I just cant do and still stay clam and have fun doing it!!!
The plan is to start this on the 1st of September and do one square a month. Or I should say sitting here in August the plan is to do one a month!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!!


Take care,
edgar

Working on Serenity

Last night I stitched on the leaves crawling up the side of Serenity. I think I will finish up the leaves and then go back and fill in with the Sassy Brass floss. Here are a couple of snaps.
This is an overall picture of the piece.


This is a close up of the corner potion I am working on.



I did all this stitching watching TCM and their salute to Ann Miller during the Summer under the Stars. The flick was Easter Parade, 1948, and although a breakout flick for Ann it is really a Judy Garland and Fred Astaire film.
But Ann's big number "Shaking the blues away" is worth the watching!!!

Well back to work!!!

Thanks for stopping by, love those comments!!!!!


Take care,
edgar

A Fall finish and some puppy pics

Here is a finish for the fall, Autumn Bouquet it stitched up quick and now it is finished. The only thing I am rethinking is my initials/date in the straw coloured floss of the alphabet. I really liked the dark red but jeez I don't want that to be the first thing you look at.
It is only one over one so pulling it out will be no trouble.....

Autumn Bouquet Maria Gossard - Cedar Hill
28ct Graziano Milan
Included DMC Floss


I forgot to post a picture of the roses we got for this weekend. Since we are coming back into to the fall the Leonidas coloured roses are back, they are one of my favorites.
Here is a closeup....



I got some shots of the other puppies last night so here is Mama aka Hunny and sweet Pete.



She was yawning her fool head off, although she does look like this when she sleeps,
with that silly tongue just hanging out.
But just say the word cookie


and boy does she perk right up.....

Then there is the Pete, a busy little boy that just keeps trotting around the house. Although here he is running from the paparazzi chasing him....

That's a crazy Batman angle I must say.


We had a two day heat wave where the temps climbed into the upper 70's.
I actually did not have to wear my sweatshirt in the afternoons!! :)
I think today it will be back to normal as the fog was pouring over Twin Peaks.

Here is one more of the Mama..... you know she is thinking....


"Didn't I hear there was a cookie somewhere."


I know I'm pretty silly about these little dogs!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

It was a great Party!!! and a little stitching

WARNING.....this is a very dessert picture heavy blog today.......

Saturday night was a great success!!! Rico had picked up the cake in the morning and here is a picture, as promised.....


The dinner buffet that we served was two kinds of pork loin, peppercorn and BBQ, almond/garlic haricot verts ( because when you do more than steam them a green bean needs a better name :) ) roasted little Yukon gold fingerling potato's and buttermilk biscuits. Kimmie and Kevin also brought over two wonderful pies, one cherry and one chocolate creme.






Sweet Carol and Pat brought over a gorgeous fruit tray but I didn't take a picture. :(

We all sang Happy birthday with the candles and everything......


Then we hacked into that beast and I had forgotten how nice the filling was as it is flavoured with rum.......




I did get a little stitching done last night on AB while watching "Down to Earth" 1947 with Rita Hayworth. A silly movie but worth watching just for Rita. Wasn't she just the most gorgeous thing, and what a talent!!!!

Here is a snap of AB



You can see how the alphabet colour is very subtle. Eileen brought me more #301 DMC - brown-orange so I could finish out the left side leaf. All that's left is the back stitching and the little saying at the bottom. I really like the fall colours that are used
and this stitched up so quick.

I'll leave off today with a picture of the Peach in disguise as
"Togue-Zilla" the lickiest dog on earth!!


Hunny and Pete had gone to bed already but the Peach will wait till all hours until the lights and TV are off and everyone has gone upstairs to bed before she takes off to her bed
or her pillow in the big bed.

Thanks for stopping by, hope all is well and everyone had a great weekend!!!!!

Love those comments!!!!


edgar

Stitching Bloggers Question of the Week

I have read many of these questions on lots of blogs and find the answers fascinating. Since we all Blog or are read by people interested in cross stitching learning bits about each other is wonderful and makes each of us understand just a little more about our compatriots in the cs world. I think that we all share so many things in common and yet are all different in the way we approach this hobby/craft.
To get to the Question:

How did you get started stitching? Was there a person that inspired you?

My start came while I was in college. Although my mother has been in the past an avid stitcher doing cross stitch and needlepoint
she was not the person to get me interested in cs or needlepoint.

I went to East Carolina University for my undergraduate degree, GO PIRATES!!!!!, and my first year there I rented a room from a friend of my mothers. Mrs. Pascal rented all of her upstairs bedrooms out to college students. Being a widow living alone in a really big house I think she enjoyed the noise and activity. Well, it was there that I met LouAnn. Just the sweetest girl and she was a stitching fool. Every afternoon I would get home from class and there she was working away at some project watching As the World Turns, another bad habit I picked up. :)

She eventually showed me how to cs and how different patterns could be interpreted in needlepoint as well as cs. The first needle project I did was a needlepoint pillow that was charted for cs. I had lots of fun making it and it lives at my mothers house. Every time I see I see all the problems that exist in the needlework but also after all these years I still get a rush of satisfaction about the finish. I went on to other projects always working on Aida cloth. Then for about a 10 year period I didn't touch any needle project at all. I don't know why, no inspiration, burned out who knows......

Then last year I felt the need to finish those stockings I had been working on for so long they were truly a UFO!!! That led me to looking back at the little bit of stash I had kept from before. The momentum kept building after working up a project on Aida cloth. Then I found a linen project I wanted to try. Up until that time linen intimidated me something awful. I finished that, the fruit basket with bird in my kitchen.
That all led to today where I am once again stitching almost everyday and really enjoying it!!!!

Hope that answers the mystery that is my stitching past.

Take care,
edgar

More silk for VOHRH and some stitching

I worked on Autumn Bouquet a little last night. I was paying more attention to "The Painted Veil." A movie that was even too boring for me to watch. I couldn't really get into it so I didn't even finish.

Here is the progress for AB.


If you look in the upper left you can see the start of the alphabet the surrounds the entire thing. These letters are stitching up rather light, but I guess in the end will be just fine. The piece really looks kinda funny with the floating little flower heads but it will all tie together after the backstitching is done. I didn't stitch to long last night as we are having a load of people over for a birthday jamboree on Saturday. I was really busy as I had to polish up the silver and iron out the linen napkins. I will pick up the linen tablecloth at the dry cleaners today. I just don't have the patience or stamina to iron out a giant linen tablecloth. I have tried and it just isn't worth the effort as I can never get it as crisp as the professionals do using a hand iron.

We also ordered a St Honore cake from Dianda's bakery in the Mission and will pick that up Saturday morning. If you have never had one of these wonderful things they are basically just cream filled puffs of pastry that is slathered in more cream, who could ask for anything more. Or for the official definition that I lifted : A traditional French cake named for Saint Honore the patron saint of pastry bakers. It consists of a base of pâté brisée topped with a ring of cream puffs that are dipped in a caramel coating prior to being positioned on the base. This caramel coating "glues" the puffs together. The center of the ring is then filled with Saint-Honoré cream--crème pâtissière lightened with beaten egg whites or whipped cream.
It is one of our favorite cakes!!! mm mm good :)

I also had a visit from the silk fairy. More fabu silk for the VOHRH. Boy am I itching to start this piece. Here is a snap of what Drema from Needlecarft Corner sent me.



She is so nice and the speedy delivery is a real plus!!!!! If you have noticed I am over ordering these skeins. Not only because I am a nervous sticther and really worry about running out of silk, but they are on sale and you can't beat the price. Worrying about running out of silk is just one of my many mental disorders I guess!!!! I am almost there with all the colours and only need to get the linen. The acquisition of linen is really hard as I have to feel/touch it and really look at it before I can buy it. I find it hard to buy on linen on line if I have a project in my mind and an idea as to what I want to do it on. As we all know the difference in dye lots can really be dramatic...so I will go in person to my LHN and pick it for myself. It also rationalizes the trip over..... and there may other things I have to get, you never know.

Have a great weekend!!!!! I love those comments, THANKS!!!!


Take care,
edgar