I finished Celtic Banner by Butternut Road yesterday afternoon. I added strip of linen on the bottom so it can be framed ( I can't believe I had left about 6 inches at the top--what was I thinking!!!) and it will be traveling with me to the PSS Retreat to pass on to a framer. Whew....just in the nick of time!!!
I stitched this on 29 count hand dyed Glenshee linen; I was lucky enough to find a lady selling the originally called for fabric (from the Heart's Content) on FB and snatched it up. I stitched using the called for fibers except switched out Wildflowers Cedar for Copper. For anyone thinking about doing this, the number of skeins of needed of WiIldflowers wasn't stated on the chart. I used 2 skeins of Black Forest and 1 of Copper (with only 2 strands left).
Here are the photos...one long shot and 4 segmented shots. The finished size is approx. 6.5 X 44.5. This is going to hang nicely on the wall where I have And They Sinned.
Hope you're staying dry where you are...storms are forecast pretty much the whole weekend in between periods of sun. I hope the driving time is between the rain...once we get there I won't care!!!
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
P.S. Blogger has stopped sending me e-mails when a comment is made so it's become necessary for me to go and check the blog itself to see if someone left a comment. If I am not as timely responding as I like, that is why...and I may miss some if you are commenting on an older post. So, it is important if you'd like a response from me.... and I do want to respond....that you add your e-mail if you are set up as a "no-reply blogger". Thanks!
A quick post today in honor of my youngest daughter's high school graduation.....could it really be 19 years ago??? Here is the sampler I did to commemorate that day; it's called Graduates Record by Leisure Arts.
We are so proud of the strong, independent woman she has become. After four years at Ohio University, she moved to NC and got a job as a counselor at an Eckard Camp for 'at risk' young people. She lived 5 days a week in a tent (which the attendees built from scratch) in the DuPont Forest. It was a rough/tough way to live, but she thrived and devoted 2 1/2 years to that venture. She fell in love with the area and has put roots down, as well as many of her fellow "chiefs" have done....a testament to the beauty and culture that abounds around Brevard, Hendersonville and Asheville. She went on to earn her Master's degree and now works for a local school district with special needs children and teenagers. You've come a long way baby!!!!
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
Happy Memorial Day.....a day to remember those who died to ensure we live free. Please take a few minutes to honor these brave men and women and offer up thanks for their heroic acts.
I have been slowly organizing my sewing room and re-discovering lost treasures. This piece has been laying in my file cabinet for over 20 years, with the buttons sitting on top, patiently waiting for me to sew it into a pillow---its patience finally paid off!!! My newest Stroll piece is Shepherd's Bush Americana Folio, stitched in 1995 on Home Sweet Home fabric. I'm sure it was stitched as called for, since I didn't veer off track much back then. I had the perfect "flag" fabric in my stash and kept the pillow finish rather plain...no cording or trim. I thought I'd keep the fabric and buttons as the "stars" of the show.
I am frantically trying to get my Celtic Banner completed in time to take to the Prim Stitcher's Retreat with me. All I have left are these navy blue circles at the bottom.
My friend, Tracie from Ft. Thomas KY, arrives on Wednesday and Thursday we'll start our adventure up to Harrisburg, PA. I am so excited but lots to do to prepare.....decisions to be made...what projects do I take to work on.....what will the weather be.....what to pack, etc. ??? I know I'll look like I'm going away for a month, not a few days...but..even though I was never a Scout...I must be prepared!!! :) I will give a report on the retreat when I get back.
On a closing note I wanted to share Cora's first completed stitching project. I had bought a small piece of 14 ct. pink Aida, about a year ago) to teach her to cross stitch. She decided she wanted to draw a heart on the fabric and fill it in with long stitches. I top stitched on my machine to hold the long stitches in place and sewed it into a tiny "pillow-ette". She was tickled with it!!! (It's about 4" across)
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
......bathing suits for the Grand's AG dolls. These will match the dresses I made for the girls.
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship! Have a great weekend!
Stasi
Stasi
My Celtic Banner piece is winding down and I narrowly avoided a "pothole"! I only have about 5 more inches to do and am in a race against time to get it done before next Thursday. I am going to the Prim Stitchers Society retreat next weekend in Harrisburg, PA and Patti Nicolosi, a well reviewed framer, will be there. I am on the hunt for a new framer since my preferred framer in Cincinnati is selling his business. Well....as I turned my scroll rods to move the piece up, I was shocked I only had 6.5 inches of fabric left!!! Now, this could be my fault because I automatically add 3 inches round my design area but I had bought this piece because it was custom cut and sized for this project. I guess they only allowed 2 inches and I am angry at myself for not double checking (who knows...I may have checked and forget). Long and short is I will sew a couple inches of fabric to the bottom so there is enough to stretch for mounting. I like my framing up close to the stitching so I should be A-OK. Here is the last part I stitched:
Had a pedicure this morning so, as my friend Pam would say, I have happy feet! I plan to spend this afternoon doing some more organizing in my sewing room...then stitching tonight while watching the finale of Survivor.
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
After an extremely wet...and noisy..weekend at the beach, I am home and the sun is shining. My brother and SIL had invited us to meet them in Ocean City, MD for "Cruiser" weekend and we accepted. Unfortunately, it rained pretty much all weekend...and I don't mean just rained....I mean poured cats and dogs. We got there Thursday and didn't even leave the condo on Friday, except for dinner, as the rain was blowing horizontally and heavy! Made for a relaxing 'stitchy' day for me ( I got week 21 stitched on the Red Sampler Band SAL) while we watched some movies on TV.
The rain however did NOT stop the cruisers from racing up and down Ocean Highway revving their motors with cheers from an admiring crowd. This lasted until the wee hours of the morning EVERY night!!! Can't say I'll be going back for this, though hubby and brother loved seeing all the souped up cars.
Of course I couldn't be in OC without a visit to Salty Yarns , so in between rain showers on Saturday, I was able to stop by and deliver my birthday presents to Sara and Sally. I was a little late with Sara's but early with Sally's and I much prefer giving them in person, if possible. So, a few additions to Stasi's Stitch Stroll:
For Sara, I stitched, for a second time, F is for Friend by Heartstring Samplery. I love this piece and it makes such a wonderful gift.
For Sally, who is celebrating a milestone birthday, I did Happy Birthday Heart by Lucy Beam. I stitched this over one using a 32 count periwinkle mystery linen and the called for fibers. I changed the candles on the cake to her celebratory age and added the crown charm. I finished as a flat piece with the rick-rack around the edge.
And, since this is a special birthday for Sally, I was ecstatic to find a Mardina My Favorite Beading Tools box for her. It is a truly lovely collection of fine beading tools and needles.
I finished my exchange piece for the PSS retreat and am pleased with how it turned out. I did a nun stitch around the perimeter of the stitching and attached it to a wooden spool that I had painted. I added itty bitty bee and caterpillar buttons. I'm including a tiny pair of black scissors.
Well, that's all folks! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
I had to make a quick swing by to tell you that Asher loved his pillow and I am so tickled! He should have a new bedroom by the end of the week (my SIL divided up the girls larger room into two separate bedrooms for the boys and the girls have moved to the boys old bedroom) and said he's going to put it in there. Here is the pillow again:
I'm pretty sure Sue Hillis has a soccer one that I will do for James for his birthday in June.
The other thing I'm so darned excited about is this:
A friend had shown one of these PVC lap stands on her blog made by a company called R&R from England. As I was googling where to buy it, I found a blogger who told you how to make one yourself and being a DIY-er, I had to give it a try. She gives you a list for all the parts needed to make a smaller one, but you could adjust sizes up and/or down to fit your needs. After you've made it, you just need to buy the Q-snap clamps (spare pairs) in the right size and voila....a lightweight, portable lap frame. Now to be honest, Rich cut the PVC pipe for me with a special tool he had just for that purpose, but it was quick and easy and I could definitely do it myself. It was called a PVC ratchet cutter and can be found for as little as $10.
Edited: If you decide to try this yourself, take a Q-snap clamp with you- we found two different 1/2" pipes--one measured by the inside diameter and one by the outside (which was too small).
Here is a link to the R&R version on Amazon:
R&R lap frame
and one to the blogger for a DIY version:
Mommy Fang
Now, I'm off to wash it in hot, soapy water because there is printing on the PVC. I doubt it will wash off, but I figure if it doesn't after a good scrubbing...all will be okay.
Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and grandmother's!!! I hope you are able to spend the day with your loved ones while being lavished with appreciative gestures thanking you for all you do! And...that you can show that love and appreciation to your own mothers. We are always in a quandary as to spend these special days with my parents in Baltimore or stay home to be with my older daughter and her family. This year we are staying put.....we have two new grandchildren to celebrate with!
And...today is also Asher's 10th birthday!!! Yes, I'm going to say it....where does the time go? It seems like yesterday I got the call that he was born and packed my bags to drive immediately down to Richmond to meet our first grandchild. My poor hubby was on a home inspection, in an attic and couldn't answer his phone. I called the realtor who yelled the good news up to him through the attic access!!! Asher was tiny...only 4 lbs. 9 oz. but oh so sweet!!! No health issues and was able to come home in two days. He has grown into a wonderful boy with a kind and caring heart, a thoughtful mind and physicality that amazes us all!!! He also "bleeds" baseball! Last night he got to be a guest announcer at the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game (he's the one with the hat).
Adding as an official Stroll piece is his birth sampler, stitched in 2008. My daughter wanted a Noah's Ark theme and picked Lizzie Kate's Noah's Noel. I tweaked it quite a bit so it wasn't "Christmassy". I changed the wreath on the front door to a flag, added elements from the Trilogy's Zoo Line-up and some JABCO buttons. I also added the rainbow and saying around the perimeter. The crocodiles are special because he's had a huge "Croc" as his stuffed friend since he was a baby. Happy Birthday dear Asher!!!!
On the stitching front, I have been busy working on two birthday gifts. They will be delivered this week and I can then share them with you. I'm a week behind on the Red Band SAL, but hope to catch that up soon. I have been working on an exchange piece for the PSS retreat the end of this month. I still need to do the nun stitch edging and then it will go around a spool. I don't now any info on this piece; someone designed for a friend of mine's Guild and, knowing my love for bees, she passed it on to me. I had to adjust the height a bit to fit on the spool I had and I added the JABCO bee button in place of a stitched one.
Rich
took me out for breakfast this morning to The Egg and I---it's the
first time I've ever had to bring some leftovers home with me. It was
delicious but waaaay too much food and too good to let go to waste. We
are going to my daughters for dinner to celebrate our two special occasions.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
Greetings! Hope all is well in your little part of the world...we are experiencing a HEAT wave...three straight days of 90 degree weather!!! I wilt quickly in this heat so hopefully some serious stitching is in my immediate future. We haven't put the A/C on yet..the house is actually cool. I'd love to throw open the windows..but maybe next week when temps return to normal.
I'm making my grandson Asher's pillow an official part of the Stitch Stroll. His favorite sport is baseball and we enjoy many a game on the weekends. I've stitched this for his tenth birthday which falls on Mother's Day this year. Not sure a ten year old boy will appreciate it, but I'm hoping one day it will bring back memories of his Mimi. :) It is Play Ball by Sue Hillis and following Judy B.'s inspiration, I made it into a pillow stitching it on 20 count Weeks Dye Works linen over two, using a combination of #5 perle cotton and Caron Collection Impressions from my stash. I wish I'd used a slightly darker blue on the top letters, but made do with what I had on hand. Judy also used this baseball fabric which I found at Serendipity quilt shop recently. It turned out nice and plump since I used a bigger than called for pillow form. It's approximately 16 X 16.
I'm up to date on my Red Band SAL and waiting for the next installment..due tomorrow.
I've stitched a birthday gift which I'll have to share after it is bequeathed, but managed to get some more done on the Celtic Banner. I would love to get this done and be able to take it with me to the Prim Stitcher's Society Retreat the end of this month to pass on to a framer. Not sure I can mange it, but I'm going to give it the ole college try!!!
I also need to get cracking on an exchange piece for the PSS Retreat...... at least I have it picked out!!! I may have forgotten to mention that I am going to the PSS Retreat. I had been on the wait list and got in due to cancellations. A friend from Cincinnati is going to drive to my house and we're going to drive up to Hershey together. I'm not taking any classes...just relaxing and stitching and, hopefully, making new friends and running into some old. It sounds like a fun group from their FB page and I am really looking forward to it.
Have you heard about Stitch Maynia??? I guess I am out of the loop because I just heard about this recently. Evidently, you are to pick a new project to start each of the first 15 (?) days of May. Not sure if you have to commit to keeping them going or just start them, but it's intriguing....maybe next May! :)
I have not gotten in floss tube, but watched a few yesterday as I heard two ladies I know had started one. It was nice seeing what they are working on, and I was interested because I actually know them. I can see the usefulness of tutorials but kept wondering about how much time is invested in watching these when you could actually be stitching!!! Am I clueless? Do you watch floss tubers? Are their ones I should check out in particular for hints or ideas? Let me know...I remain open to the idea if it can be a learning experience or entertaining.
We're
going to have visitors tomorrow night and they've been threatened to
within an inch of their life to NOT get up at 3:30AM as they have the
last two times they've slept over!!! Fingers are crossed as we're
hitting our first Farmer's Market of the year Saturday morning.
I hope you are relaxing with needle in hand.....thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
