August 22, 2018

Where did that hot and humid summer go?  I have been reading about the difficulties stitchers have doing French knots.  They are relatively simple.  I am using perle cotton here so you can see quite clearly how to make a French knot.  Normally you would use two or three strands of floss.  Watch for more videos as I receive requests.

 

 

I have been busy working on Blackwork project and I am almost finished, maybe 2 more days and then we have to bead it.  Hopefully it will be finished by the end of September.  Watch for photos.

May 2018

Well here we are mid May and the days are flying by.  My magnolia bush has bloomed in all its glory and thanks to the chipmunk or squirrel, I now have Solomons Seal growing in the front of the house.
What have I done so far?

I am working on the Tangram Blackwork SAL found on Lakeside Needlecrafts UK.  You can also find them on facebook.  We are now on Part 3 and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I went to Knowledge and Needles for their Nashville Open House and spent 6 months allowance but it was so worth it.  I now have 2 samplers to work on, numerous mouse in the house patterns.  So that will keep me busy for the next little while.  I do post photos on facebook and eventually by the end of this month.  I will upload them here.

I have organized friends to go on a bus trip to Toronto.  We went to Gitta's to make those exotic purchases of silk and other hard to find items in our area.  Then we had lunch at a Greek restaurant located across the road from Gitta's, the food was excellent. Then off to the textile museum where we saw the Kimono exhibit. It was magnificent! There were 6 - 8 kimonos in each grouping, separate they were stunning but when put together, they created a landscape scene of Japan or China.  We also had the opportunity to see the Jane Kidd weaving exhibit.  It was quite different and unusual.

I have been organizing a Stitch In at the Montrose Inn and I have about 20 persons going.  It is going to be a lot of fun including lunch at a reasonable cost and then stitching on the veranda.

Projects I currently have on the go:

Linens and Threads Mystery 2018 SAL
Lakeside Needlecrafts UK Tangram SAL
Threads of Delight Blackwork by Elizabeth Almond (6 blocks to go).
A Swedish Weave Afghan which was almost finished until I found a glaring mistake right in the middle so I had to rip it out and start that row all over again.
The wool flower applique is on hold temporary and the weaving on the meat tray is not my thing so its in limbo.  All is good.

The goals for this month are to finish the tangram, the Blackwork and the afghan.  Hopefully I can get it all done in the next 2 weeks.

That's it for this month and hopefully I will have some finish photos to show you by 31 May.

April 2018

I am a little late this month, just have had a very busy month.  I was organizing retreats for July and September and next April, along with an 80th birthday party.  However I did manage to get some stitching done and I am trying some new techniques in stitching.

Come My Dear

I finished my "Come My Dear" piece and I am pleased with the way it turned out.  It was supposed to be all cross stitch but I did some blackwork and a few speciality stitches on it.

 

 

Then I signed up for a wool applique class in the Cataraqui Needlearts Guild.  I decided I would like to demonstrate my stitches on flowers.  So here is what I have so far, eventually I will give a cheat sheet showing what stitches I used and where.

 

 

 

 
 
I have always enjoyed doing Swedish Weaving on monks cloth, I find it very relaxing.  Here is the progress on my blanket so far. 

Then it was onto weaving on warp threads and we are making a small clutch type bag.

 



Last but not least is my Linens and Threads Mystery SAL slow progress but I am happy with the results so far.  I might actually catch up by the end of April.

 

 

 



March 2018

As promised, here are some photos of what I am working on.  First is my Swedish Weaving, I am creating my own design as I go.  its much  like working out blackwork.

Next is my Opus Magnusson, LDS, we are making slow but sure work upon it.

My blackwork piece, Threads of Delight by Elizabeth Almond

Finally, Linens and Threads Mystery 2018 SAL

i am not a fast stitcher but I get a lot of enjoyment from stitching whether alone or in a group..  i also have quilt on the go.  Watch next month for a progress report.

February 2018

Welcome to my new blog.   I have been stitching and crafting for 50+ years and so am familiar with a wide variety of techniques.  At the end of the month, I will post photos of my work and activities during that month.

I have tried various methods for stitching rotation and finally I have found one that works for me.  I work on a project for a week, then put it away and take out another one.  This helps to keep me focused.

For the month of February, I am currently working on the following large projects:

Opus Magnusson by Long Dog Samplers
Threads of Delight by Elizabeth Almond
Hardanger Challenge by Mary Lou Wilson:

For the Year 2018
Some of the Stitch Alongs (SAL) I am planning on working are:

Linens and Threads Mystery 2018
Lesley Teare Floral SAL
Lesley Teare Sunbonnet Sue SAL
Reflets de Soie  Mystery SAL

Other projects will include UFOs and previous SALs that I didn't have time to work on. 

Peace In My Heart by Bees Needleworks
Knitting sweaters for grandkids and hubby
Christmas ornaments for exchanges
Embroidery Guild group projects.