Catching Up Part 1

   I had intended to make this post in July.  I even had these pictures taken.  But once again, life conspired to keep me away from the computer and it didn't happen.  In the mean time, I have been stitching away so in order to catch up, I will need to post in 2 parts.  Hope you all can stand it!!
  So,  in the period covering this post, I had 2 small finishes.  I have borrowed several OOP charts from the Facebook group Blackbird Lending Library this year and was able to stitch the 2 pieces below.  They are older patterns and I just pulled from my stash for colors and linen and just made them my own rather than try to match up the old dye lots.

Evergreen by Blackbird Designs
40 ct Lakeside linen
w/ overdyed threads

Wild Garden by Blackbird Designs
40 ct Lakeside linen
w/ overdyed threads

  Then I worked through a rotation of most of my SALs and made some progress on each of these.

All Creatures Great and Small by Barbara Ana

Love, love, love the chickens in this new section!!

Jane Plews  from the Facebook group Sampler Heart

This is so pretty and I really like that strawberry band!

Old Glory by Rosewood Manor

Bet you didn't think you would see this old nugget again!  I did pull it out and work on it a few times but those stripes take forever and it doesn't look like anything for the time involved.

Quaker Mystery Sampler from Facebook

   Last but not least, I made a start on the Quaker Mystery Sampler from Facebook. Stitched on 40 ct. Lakeside linen with the colors from Ann Bowers.  I gave Ann away and I thought it might be nice to stitch something with the threads I had left over from that finish.  There are a lot!!  So when this came up, it seemed like the perfect thing.
  So, that's my catch up for July.  I will post the newer  things in a day or so. Hope you come back for part 2!!


Hope you're enjoying your stitching as much as I am,  Laura

Finally Stitching Along

   Even though I  promised myself I wouldn't, I have signed up for a ton of SALs again this year, most of which are on Facebook. (That darned place gets me in so much trouble!!)  I knew there were quite a few I still hadn't started and it was beginning to make me feel pressured about my stitching. Again! So yesterday I got it all organized and made a plan so I could work on them and all of the other things I have obligated myself to stitch this year in a more reasonable manner.  This is my current rotation:

My favorite and the farthest along is All Creatures Great and Small by Barbara Ana.  I've added quite a lot to it since my last post.

I REALLY wanted to go on to the next section, the one with the chickens that I just love, but I need to work within the schedule if I want to get all of these done this year.

Next is one I signed up for in the Facebook Sampler Heart Group, Jane Plews.  It is a mystery so I have no idea what it will look like when it's finished.  I don't usually do that since I have been burned in the mystery category before but it is a Scottish Reproduction.  How bad can it be?!

40 ct. Lakeside Meadow rue
w/ DMC

The next SAL I am finally working on is Marquoir de  Dymphne.  It is a sampler available on a blog I read and is up to part 6 now.  I thought I better get it started if I had any hope of getting it done.  She very graciously does a SAL every year and this is the first one I have actually gotten any traction on.

40 ct. Italian linen in ivory
w/ DMC

This is part one.  It is quite a large sampler so it will probably be in the rotation for a while. It is moving to the right and those next few sections are mostly alphabet which goes pretty quickly.  I hope to have it almost caught up in the next round.  If you are interested, you can find this sampler here:  https://www.tresorsdeboitesacouture.fr/marquoir-de-dymphne-6/.

The next sampler is one one on Facebook, The Quaker Mystery Sampler.  I plan to start it today, after I finish this post, so I have no pics yet.  Next time, for sure. It is pick your own everything, which can sometimes be a challenge for me, so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed on this one.  I have selected a pretty Lakeside linen, Pecan butter I think, and I have decided to use the threads left over from Ann Bowers since I have a ton of them.  I love those colors and it can be a reminder of Ann.

Last, but not least, I pulled out Summer at Cherry Hill by WTN&T.  I love this one and it would be wonderful to have it hanging on my wall before the end of summer.

I couldn't find the before picture but basically I added the lettering and symbols from 'A' down, stitched the skirt of her dress, and put in the trunk of the cherry tree.  I'm not sure I like the stripes in the tree but I am going to live with it for a while and see.

Love her face! So sweet!

  So that's where things stand today.  I am a lot calmer about my deadlines and am really enjoying this new rotation.  I plan to add some new things in as I finish what's already here, either a WIP or a new start.  I have plenty of each!!  And lets not forget those gift pieces that need attention too!!  Then there's that Catherine Theron pilot class I am doing the middle of July and the EGA workshop in November.  I guess I need to figure out how to stitch faster!!!!

Hope you're enjoying your stitching as much as I am,   Laura