A Visit from the Finishing Fairie

   At the time of my last post I was expecting company.  My good friend from Atlanta, who also is a wonderful finisher, came to visit and we had a GREAT time!  There was stitching, lots and lots of stitching. Good food, provided by my husband the family chef as well as various restaurants in Virginia and North Carolina. Shopping adventures which included the addition of so much stash I think we might be keeping the industry afloat between the two of us!!
  Then there was the finishing. Lots of wonderful finishing! You may remember that I stitched this lovely back in August.

Stacy Nash Summer
 Gathering Pin Drum

I absolutely adore this piece but had the most terrible time trying to do the finishing. I asked my friend if she would do it while she was visiting and she graciously agreed.  This is what it looks like now after her considerable skill was applied. So, so cute!  I can hardly stand it!!

   Then we went to the beach for a glorious week of more stitching, eating, walking on the beach, more shopping, etc.  I think you're getting the picture.  I actually had a finish while at the beach and you may remember this one.

Scarlett House
A Sampler  Grew

 It took me a lot longer to finish the stitching than I thought it would (Surprise, surprise!!) but there was also a lot more over one than I realized.  This is the what it looks like now. Love it!!

 It is stitched on Lakeside 40 ct. Maritime White with the  listed colors.  We found the chenille on our trip to Dyeing to Stitch on our way to the beach. It was a nice break in a long drive. And a real treat since I hadn't been there in quite a while. So long in fact that they had moved the shop, a year ago, and I didn't know it!!  Just down the way from where they were before though so we had little trouble finding it.
   I had kitted up several fall inspired pieces prior to the beach trip and after I finished stitching 'A Sampler Grew', I pulled out Beggar's Night. This has been very popular. I have seen it finished on several other blogs and just had to stitch it.
    Mine is stitched with the Gentle Art conversion. Pumpkin Pie is now my favorite color!!   I did make a couple of color changes, one to accommodate the color of the pumpkin on my choice of linen, again the Maritime White, and the other for the raven. I could not stitch him in any color but black!!!  It worked up pretty quickly so I had a start and finish while at the beach.

  The next piece is from the current JCS Ornament issue.  We both love the Victoria Sampler cupcake and when my local shop had the finishing kits for it I couldn't pass them up.  I got one for me and one for my friend for her October birthday!  We got those stitched up pretty quickly, just a bit of basic hardanger and some sewing on of buttons and beads and it was good to go.  These are just too cute for words!!

  Then, (I know this is getting long) while searching for something else, I came across a piece I thought was lost.  I have been looking for it forever and just could not remember where I had put it!!  You know what I mean, this has happened to you too! Put it in a safe place and then can't remember where that is!!
   Anyway, it was a pre-stitch piece for a finishing class.  Loved it and thought I would once again tackle the finishing demon and learn how to do this.  I found the stitched part right before my friend got here and she WANTED TO DO THE FINISHING FOR ME!!!  How could I deprive her of that pleasure??

   This is another class designed by Holly.  It was a President's Challenge for her guild and you pick all your own colors.  I saw it on her blog and immediately approached my sampler guild to have her come and teach it.  I knew right away what colors I wanted to use and I actually had that silk tucked away in my stash.

The other supplies I collected from various places online, just looking at pictures on the computer, and I think it all matches pretty well.

   Well, that's about all for now. We had a terrific time together and I believe there was some discussion of me coming to her house next time.  I don't relish the drive through Atlanta and I won't be able to stay for 2 weeks but I am sure we will have a great time!!!!

*I also feel like I need to make a disclaimer here.  I did not chain my friend to a rock and make her do finishing the whole time she was here.  I had fully expected her to take the finishing home with her to be done at her leisure.  She did all of that finishing, including another one of the cupcake ornaments that she stitched and finished for herself,  in a remarkably short period of time.  She's just that good!!!

A Whole Lot of Stitching Going On

   In the time since my last post I have gotten some major stitching accomplished.  It may not look like it when you see my pics but I can tell you it has been taking up most of my time!!  I managed to get the last of my memorial samplers finished over the weekend.  YEAH!!!!  I really had to push through that one  since it was the same pattern I had just finished and I did them both back to back.  Won't make that mistake again!
   Then, I was feeling the need for a 'new start' fix.  So when I woke up one morning with  this piece on my mind, I took it as a sign and started it!!

AW 1662 by Scarlet Letter
38 ct. Italian Linen w/ DMC

The colors are gorgeous and I just love the checkerboard pattern in the middle!  Yes, I know I already have 2 other SL pieces that I am supposed to be finishing this year but when something is calling you from a dream, how can you resist??!!
   I have also worked on the pincushion challenge this past week and wrapped up the latest today.  It is Stacy Nash's 'Summer Gathering Pinkeep Drum' and I think it us just the cutest thing ever!!!  I admit to taking some liberties with the colors but what the heck, it is mine!

36 ct. R&R Old Mill Java w/
mostly listed threads

As we've discussed previously, I am not a finisher but I am going to give it a try and when it's completely finished, it should look pretty much like this.

Also, while I was rummaging around looking for something else, I can across this.

It is a pincushion mattress that I am embarrassed to admit I stitched in 2009 and never finished, even after taking the finishing class from the lovely Holly not once but twice!! (You can see a picture of her finished piece in her blog header.) That makes 3 different styles of pincushion I have stitched for the President's Challenge and that should be plenty!  I am going to try to get them all 'finished' soon, maybe even this weekend!

   Last but not least, I have finally dragged '272 Words' back out and given it a good dusting. (Please disregard the fact that I have a needle minder weirdly at the bottom.  I was trying to hold the linen up to take the picture.)

272 Words by Primrose Needleworks
45 ct. Italian Linen w/ GA threads

I started this some time ago, not sure exactly when, but really made good progress on it last summer during the Olympics.  I made it to the half way point and it has languished, gathering dust, ever since. I took it out this afternoon for its photo op and it is now waiting patiently in the family room for me to show it some love.

The hubs hasn't said anything about it yet, don't know if he's even noticed it, but I bet he will be happy to see it.  I don't think he believed me when I said I was bringing it back out the 1st of August.  I admit to being a few days late but it is back in the rotation, or whatever you might call what I do, and I have every intention of having it finished and framed for Christmas!!!  Let's just hope that old nugget about good intentions and the road to hell doesn't come back to haunt me!!!