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Cute Cross Stitch

This still needs to be washed and framed, but since my goal for January was to finish up a bunch of projects, I had to show off this finish. This is the Autumn Sampler from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery and it was so much fun to stitch!

I stitched about one square each day, which kept the project moving along (well, until I ran out of a couple of the floss colors). The charts were clear and since they came as pdfs, I was able to bring them up in iBooks and zoom in on each square, which made following the charts easy.

I'm seriously thinking about stitching another one of their charts, but until I get this framed, I'm going to wait. If you are a stitcher, I highly recommend their patterns.

Framing Needlework

I haven't had any needle work framed in years -- over a decade, most likely, and when I did have it done, I remember it being very expensive.  So when I stitched up this little project a few weeks ago, I decided to try tackling the framing on my own.

I have to say that I'm super happy with how it turned out and the it was pretty much free since I already had the supplies I needed.

First I ironed my needlework -- face down, on a plush towel, using steam.  Thank goodness nothing bled -- a serious concern when using hand dyed threads.  Next I had Pete cut me a piece of acid-free mat board to size.  I already had a frame from IKEA that I had bought at some time in the past with another project in mind.  The frame already had a mat, but since it had a hole in the middle, that wasn't going to work.  (Pete has a mat cutter, which I highly recommend if you are cutting this stuff since it's super hard to get through with scissors or even an exacto.)

After that, I centered the piece and started threading back and forth across the back.  Since I used a scrap pf fabric, I didn't have a lot of extra, so this part was a lot harder than it needed to be.  Once everything was tight, but not so tight that the board was bulging, I tied off my threads and popped it into the frame. 

Now I just have to find the right size frames for a few other completed projects -- I'm all about this framing stuff.

Finished Stitching

So, I finished up that needlework project I started a couple of weeks ago.  It's from the Blackbird Designs book "Thank you, Sarah Tobias" but done in colors of my own choosing and on an old piece of linen I had in my stash.  Fun to work on while watching Downton Abbey (I'm so hooked).

After I attempt to frame this, I need to get to work backing & quilting my current quilt project, and after that, who knows.  I have a few ideas brewing...

A Little Needlework

A big thank you to Mrs. Douglas, who taught me to do cross-stitch back in grade school.  (I believe she was also the math teacher, and I distinctly remember her always complaining to the boys about their need to wear deodorant -- I believe math class may have been right after recess.)

Just doing a little stitching to ease my self back into creative work.  I'm following a pattern, but had to improvise on the colors, so there was a little room for thought.  And now that I've started this piece, I have plans for a year long sampler.  I love how working on one little project can get the cogs and wheels turning.

Time for a new project!

Just finished up Strawberry Garden!  It was a lot of fun to stitch and I will definitely be doing another Blackbird Designs project in the future, but next up is actually a Christmas chart from Blue Ribbon Designs called Poinsettias and Pines. 

Question for all you cross stitchers out there -- what do you do about framing completed cross stitch projects?  Do you do it yourself and if so is there any good tutorial on the web?  I haven't had much luck finding anything.  Or perhaps you leave it to the professionals -- if so, who?  Do you use the local frame shop or are there people who specialize in needlework framing?  I have two completed projects that I need to have framed, so any advice would be great!

Stitching Progress

Not too much has been going on here because I gave myself a bit of carpel tunnel syndrome in my left hand.  Just about everything I do with that hand is somewhat repetitive -- work, crafting and playing DS.  Oh yeah, could it be that I was playing a lot of Mario Kart on the DS last week?  I'm sure that is what set off this recent bit of pain, but now that I read up on carpal tunnel a bit on the web, I see that I've had symptoms for a while now -- especially pins and needles in the  hand in the middle of the night.  Hmmmm. . .

So, I took a forced break from crafting for a good part of the last week and it is feeling somewhat better.  I knit a little on a new sock for Maddie Sunday night though and the pain started creeping back. 

One thing I can do because I mostly use my right hand is cross stitch, so I've made some progress on Strawberry Garden.  The snow is really coming down today, so I'm going to try to take a bit of a break from work this afternoon to do a little stitching while curled up under a blanket.  My local printer had a machine breakdown, so my patterns aren't here to work on anyway.  We'll see how far I get!

Completely Obsessed

I am completely and totally obsessed with watching all the old episodes of LOST on the computer.  Abc.com has all the old episodes on their website in streaming HD -- I'm partway into season 2 and I've been doing a lot of cross stitch while watching.  So here is my completed Mystery Sampler (more info on this design).

And I started Strawberry Garden from Blackbird Designs.  Now usually I find the center of the cloth, mark it and work my way out, but I've seen a lot of people online who stitch the border and work their way in, so I decided to give it a try on this design -- it seemed like a good choice since this design has a border right around the edge.  And I actually find that I'm enjoying it.  When you start in the middle, you are restricted to working on one part of the design, but working the border first leaves you free to work many different areas.  I'm enjoying it -- and the boring border is already finished which is nice.

Sorry, I have to run. . . there's another episode of LOST calling my name!

Sampler Almost Finished!!

I am completely cross stitch obsessed lately -- which isn't all that surprising.  I learned to cross stitch back in grade school and took to it right away.  I love that you can do it in front of the TV since it's seldom that I can sit and watch TV without my hands doing some project.  There's more to it than that, but I'm not sure what it is.  Perhaps it's the fact that women have been making samplers -- and doing embroidery -- in all parts of the world for so many generations. 

I've been working on this sampler for most of the year -- my last update posted on the blog was back in March.  As you can see, I've gotten a lot more done since then.  In fact, I am on the very last band!  Unfortunately I just ran out of the dark blue color floss, so I need to run out and get that.  But I fully expect to finish this up before the end of the year. 

Next year's cross stitch project just might be this:

This is Quaker Christmas from ByGone Stitches and I'm a bit obsessed with it.  I think I'll treat myself to the floss, fabric and chart for this design as soon as I finish the sampler.

Samplers & Such

I think I'm about halfway finished with the Mystery Sampler that I've been working on.  I'm having so much fun stitching it that I hardly want to do anything else! 

And speaking of cross stitch -- I spent a little of my birthday money on some Blackbird Designs stuff.  I got a kit for Strawberry Garden and I bought the great new book (more like a booklet, but very nicely done) from Blackbird Designs too -- With Needle and Thread.  There are a few designs in here that I could definitly see myself stitching.  My favorite is this one:

It's called My Quaker House.  There's also a simple alphabet sampler and a monochrome design that I like quite a bit -- there are even a few pinkeeps!

I also just downloaded the trial version of PC Stitch Pro -- I'm thinking of designing a few cross stitch charts myself and I'm looking forward to playing around with this software.  Does anyone have any experience with any cross stitch software?  I'm really curious to hear your opinions.

Comfort Food

It's been a difficult week for me -- when you have clinical depression sometimes things that aren't that awful hit you harder than you would like.  I work hard to keep my life structured and secure and for the most part I am able to keep things in check.  This week caught me off guard although I'd been preparing my self for it since November.

Back in November I posted about a rough week, well one of the reasons that week was difficult was becuase it was announced that the company my husband works for was being bought out.  Now, this isn't a terrible thing -- but there was the chance that his job would disappear.  Well, this week that was confirmed.  Happy Birthday to me!  (My birthday is Sunday.)  I know that this isn't a bad thing.  We have lots of notice (his job is still there until April and the company actually told them they could job hunt during work hours) and I'm pretty crazy about saving money, so we have a nest egg.  And my husband will have no trouble finding a job -- he's so smart and good.  (Really!  Go read him!) 

But I'm a little stressed out anyway -- and I have a feeling that a bit of it has to do with my upcoming birthday.  I don't know why that would bother me either -- I love my 30's so much more than any other time in my life.  I'm so happy now and love my jobs  -- which include homeschooling my brilliant, funny daughter.

I'm neurotic.  I know it.  I try to deal with it.  How?  by baking bread, of course!

Yes, I finally decided to give the no knead bread that everyone has been talking about a try.  I have a lovely cast iron LeCruset pot that my mom got for me a couple of years ago and it worked beautifully.  (I've also been eating massive amount of chocolate -- thank goodness V-Day was last week!)

And I've been stitching:

I'm a good way through part 2 of the mystery sampler. 

So, I'm fine -- just crazy. 

Cross Stitch Progress and Incredible Cross Stitch Books

I completed part 1 of the mystery sampler and started part 2 last night.  I'm really enjoying stitching on this -- maybe because each band is different so I never get bored.

I've been thinking a lot about cross stitch lately.  When I start thinking about a craft, I turn to the internet and begin manically searching for everything I can on the subject.  My search brought me to two books that I want to share with you:

First, Quaker School Girl Samplers from Ackworth by Carol Humphrey.  (I'm afraid it is still unavailable at Amazon.)  This book is *incredible*!!  You can tell that a lot of research went into this book.  And it is absolutely filled with photos of many samplers and other items.  Here is a sample:

This is just a random page showing some of the samplers -- there are probably over 100 photos like these showing hundreds of different motifs.  Just beautiful.

And I thought these were pretty.

And pincushions!  And pinballs -- these are knit and there is another book (which I don't have yet) called Tokens of Love which is all about the knit pinballs the girls made.

I purchased my copy of this book at Criss Cross Row and was very pleased with their service.  It arrived quickly and well packaged.

The second book is Petit Points et Toile de Lin by Marjorie Massey of Passe Compose.  I love the Passe Compose charts, but they are very difficult to find in the US so I was excited to find this book.  It is packed with charts for everything from whimsical (in a folkish way) farm animals to beautiful monograms and samplers.  It features mostly monochromatic designs -- which I love.  Here is another photo:

The book is all in French, but really it's all about the photos and charts.  I purchased this book from The French Needle and was also pleased with their service. 

So that's all the cross stitch news I have for now.  I hope you enjoyed a peek at these books!

Mystery Cross Stitch

No knitting in sight because I'm in love with cross stitch again!  After I reacquainted myself with the Paradigm Lost Sampler, I got antsy to find another project to start -- something on Aida and with some color.  (Why Aida?  Well, Aida is easier to stitch on because it isn't evenweave like linen and has holes which are easier to see.  I'm stitching Paradigm Lost on linen and my eyes get very tired!)

So I started browsing around the web and I came across The Gift of Stitching which is a digital cross stitch magazine. I was excited because Julia Line was doing a "Mystery Sampler" in the current and upcoming issues!  Let me explain -- first of all, Julia Line is the designer behind Long Dog Sampler and she designed Paradigm Lost.  Secondly, I should probably explain a Mystery Sampler to non-cross stitchers.   Basically you get part of the chart for the design each month.  So this month I work on the top 1/4 of the design and next month I work the next section and so on.  As you can probably tell, I've been having fun stitching this up.  Now I just have to find the time to start one of the cross stitch projects from the latest mailorder!

Chocolate Alert!!!  I just posted to The Chocolate Blog!

Cross Stitch & Chocolate

See, I have been crafting too!  (Although I've been playing Zelda *a lot*!)  Right now all I can think about is cross stitch and I've worked on my Paradigm Lost sampler over the last two weekends.  Those of you who don't do cross stitch probably can't appreciate the number of hours that have gone into this small portion of the sampler, but I assure you -- this photo represents *many* hours of stitching.  I can't get enough of it either!

If you would like to see the photo of what it should look like when complete, I posted about it here.

In addition, I've decided to start a new blog!  (Yes, another one -- this makes 7 active blogs for me.  Well, somewhat active.)  So what is this new blog?  Well, the title of this post may have given it away.  It's called the Chocolate Blog and I've got tons of chocolate bar reviews that I need to get up there.  I'll also be posting chocolate news and recipes along with whatever other chocolate things I can think of! 

Perhaps tomorrow I'll post some book reviews here -- I have a backlog of those to publish.  And I also want to write more about cross stitch -- I'm obsessed!