My Calendar Blew Up

  I had big plans for stitching this past week.  I was sure I was going to get Francis Poole finished and maybe even get caught up on the Ann Bowers SAL.  It was not to be. My calendar totally blew up, with some things moving from someone else's list to mine, and I got very little stitching time, again.  There were a couple of evenings I didn't get to stitch at all!!!!
  I did manage to get some work in on Francis Poole. This is where it was last time.

 I got the rest of the vine in and happily, it met.  The vase on the right was all the way in and I decided I didn't like the color so I ripped it out and stitched it again in a different color.  I was going to loan this to my local shop when it was finished but I think I have changed nearly all the colors now so probably not.

  So far, the calendar is light for this week.  My local sampler guild is having Betsy Morgan in to teach a class next weekend but other than that, I am free as a bird.  I hope to finish this in the coming week and get caught up on Ann Bowers before the next assignment comes out.  Hmmm...... sounds vaguely familiar....

A Day with Catherine

  My EGA chapter had a workshop today with Catherine Theron.  Eighteen ladies from our region gathered here in the burg for a day of fun, laughter, and stitching with one of my favorite designers.  The sampler she taught is called "Morning has Broken" and is pictured here.

Anything with a house and I am pretty much in.  Make it a red house and I am totally there. Let the house be off-center and I am on the moon!  This definitely rang all the bells!
  Catherine is a wonderful teacher.  I've taken more than one class with her and she is always charming, witty, and  manages to keep things moving so everything gets covered.  Here she is (standing) with our Special Events Coordinator.

The time passed quickly.  We learned some new things.  Got reacquainted with some old things, or things we didn't get quite right the first time we learned them (i.e: Spiral Trellis Stitch!! Don't know if I'll ever get this one  right!!).  Here as some of the ladies with noses to the grindstone.

A great day and a good time had by all!  I'm looking forward to our next class together.

Not much stitching time...

  I've spent most of my time this week spring cleaning.  An ugly job but someone's got to do it.  And like everything else, it always takes more time than you think!  I have company coming in a few days and I really wanted to blow the winter stink off the place before they get here.  I'm sure you know what I mean.
  With all of that going on, I had very little stitching time to work with. I usually stitch in the evening which affords me at least 3 hrs. a night but that wasn't even possible this week.  I did manage to get a little stitching in though not on the pieces I said I would be working on in my last post.  What can you do?? You have to work on what calls to you!
  I managed to get the outline for the scalloped eyelet row in on A Flamestitch Sampler.

  This whole band is supposed to be done in Algerian Eyelet.  I have done just about all of those I can stand ( the whole top of this piece is just about all A. eyes!) so I think I will fill in the colors with rice stitch.  That seems to be popular with others who are stitching this one as well.
  The other piece I worked on this week was Sarah Elizabeth Brooke by The Scarlett House.

This is one of the pieces I started in preparation for a trip to visit my friend Tommye in February, a year ago. I had gotten about 3 inches of the vine done in each direction and then put it away. It didn't get any love on that trip or at any time since then.  I have picked it up a couple of times since then but it was always put aside for something else.  When I took it out this week to work on it, I knew I had changed the color of the vine (Shocking isn't it!) but I couldn't figure out what color  I had changed it to and neither could any of the ladies in my stitch group.  So... I ripped it out and started it again.
  Now this is supposed to be the year of the UFO.  Finishing some of the multitude of these I have around the house is the objective.  Does it still count as a UFO if you start it over??  Sure hope so!  I have been really good at sticking to my guns on this point.  I have not started a new piece this year at all yet!!! And the temptations have been great.
   Have you seen the new one by Shakespeare's Peddler??!!

Sarah Chapple
by
Shakespeare's Peddler

Ordered it as soon as I saw it!!  I will try to hold off but I don't know how long I can stand it!!!! Of course that would mean another BA UFO!!

Catching Up My SALs

  Since I finished Tommye's birthday gift and the 2 memorials I needed to complete, I have moved back to working on my SALs.  I am woefully behind on the Maryland Inspiration Sampler and have been working on that for the last couple of days.  I've had some issues with some of the colors (what else is new??) so I have stitched and ripped and stitched again to get it the way I want it.   I have converted from the over-dyed to the solid silk in a couple of places (both of the vines) and had to dig for older skeins for a couple of others so the dye lots are better matched to what the designer selected.  This is where it is right now.

Maryland Inspiration Sampler
40 ct Lakeside w/ Belle Soie &
Needlepoint Silk

I love this piece but it is huge and there are a ton of color changes.  Good thing it's in a rotation!

  Ann Bowers saw a little stitching time as well.  I'm not too much farther along than last time but she is next up to see some serious needle time!

45 ct Italian Linen w/DMC

 Last but not least, I have revived a piece for the Scarlet Letter Challenge.  I finished Ann Grimshaw back in February and haven't worked another SL since then.  Next up in that category is Flamestitch Sampler.

Flamestitch Sampler
36 ct Summer Khaki w/DMC

Sorry for the creases but I try not to iron until I'm ready to frame.  This piece is just getting to the good parts and I'm looking forward to getting back to work on it on a regular basis. The bargello is going to be so much fun!!

  I do still have Francis Pool waiting patiently in the wings and I will try to get her back in the rotation as well.  She is close to a finish so that should act as motivation!!

Mystery Revealed

   My friend has confirmed receipt of her birthday gift so it is now safe to show it here.  I started this piece for her about 5 years ago and when I got started on the 2nd band, I knew there was no way I was going to get it finished in time. So, I put it away and stitched something else for her birthday.  I meant to get back to it sooner but always seemed to be too short of time.
   I keep all of my WIPs in tote bags, many, many samplers in many, many tote bags, and this past fall it seemed that the tote bags were taking over my room!  I decided that this year I was really going to make an effort to get some of those WIPs finished.  While evaluating just what I was up against,  guess what I found??!!  I don't have a before picture but here is the after.

Spanish Bleu by Sampler Cove

  My very good friend Tommye was the recipient of this sampler and her much better photography can be seen over on her blog I'd Rather Be Stitching. She has also graciously posted pictures of some of the  samplers I've gifted her in the past!
  This is the companion piece to Spanish Rouge also by Sampler Cove and as you might imagine it's done in the most luscious reds! That one is for me and although not slated for finish this year, maybe next!