Saturday, March 30, 2013

A special gift

It's finally framed! This design has always been special because I met the designer, Cynthia Zittel back in 2000 and Cynthia shared the in progress stitched piece that Patti her assistant was working on with our group telling us it was a secret. I made the decision right then to stitch it. I completed the major portion of the sampler in 2009 when suddenly my father died, I suffered thru a bout of shingles and a federal investigation at work, we bought another house and moved and started renovating the old one all in a six month period, so this piece was just long forgotten. I was enlightened that the flag was upside down, so that was corrected and I hated the bottom right house (I charted the house our kids grew up in) so ripped and redid that and it suddenly seemed done. I could not be happier with it and have all of 9 months to enjoy it before it goes to live with my son. He plays chess, and I put his name and birthdate above and below the crown motif.





Framing

I have to admit that I have OODLES of XS that is completed and just sitting in drawers. I get big crap when I am asked what I'm going to do with a piece once it's completed because I say I'm going to add it to the stash of finished projects. But this past week I picked up a piece from the framer (OUCH) and am so thrilled looking at it that I think I'm going to get on a roll with getting busy with framing again. I do not enjoy stretching and framing like I enjoy stitching, but still. Our new house also has less wall space to actually hang things (at least it seems that way), but I'll start in the living room section of the dining room and see how that looks.
 
Samplers: Left to right, top to bottom:
Queen Sampler: Rockome class piece by Eileen Bennett & Linn Skinner
Heart and Hand: Ewe and Eye and Friends
Fraserburgh's 400th Anniversary: by my friend Annie in Scotland
The Thistle Sampler: Charland
Secret Garden: Lizzie*Kate
Little Paradise Sampler: Virginie Mendzildjian (SANQ #27)
Wedding sampler I made for my gr grandparents married 1886
Phyllis Sampler: JCS 2003
A Time to Rend and a Time to Sew: Margaret & Margaret
Patience is a Virtue: Eileen Bennett (Sampler House)
Lo How a Rose: Brightneedle

Inspiring/Depressing/Overwhelming

I have to say that going thru all the old stuff I have kitted up and started and not finished can be so inspiring and so depressing at the same time it's overwhelming. But most all of them I do love and want to complete one day. With that said, I have started yet another piece. It's Love Letters by Ewe and Eye and Friends. I've long loved this piece and cannot help myself from digging out the old EEF's that call to me. They are such a fun stitch. The girls also make it easy for you in that they give you the Anchor floss colors as well as the DMC, so it's easy to pull the Anchor fibers rather than do the conversion first. Here is my tiny bit of stitching so far...
LOVE LETTERS
Ewe and Eye and Friends
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

President Obama

Stitched just before the 2012 Presidential election
This chart was provided free at Subversive Cross Stitch and apparently has since been removed.
It was very striking and fun to stitch.
I have a postcard of the Shepard Fairy iconic Obama Poster that I will frame with this piece.

Here is the chart that was offered free on the internet.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Quaker Garden complete

Quaker Garden
by Blackbird Designs
This version was featured at the
2006 Shepherd's Bush Retreat.
I could not resist.
Only 6 years in the making, but now to get it framed.

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

EEF in French

You and No Other
by Ewe and Eye and Friends
Such a tiny fun stitch. Love the Anchor floss.

Elijah with the funny legs

Elijah's Angel by Barrick Samplers
 
Such a charming piece that I've wanted to do for a long time.
It took no time to stitch up.