Thursday, January 21, 2010

A Small new start and a new project for Sunday

Started a little on a new small project in the Valentine Booklet I got from The Sampler Girl. It's called Know Your Own Happiness. I thought it very appropriate for this week. I love the colors. Using DMC floss and a remnant of fabric I had left over from the Northanger Abbey project.
Keeps my little mind busy until the Emma Project. I'm thoroughly enjoying the needle sent by Sandy J. in New Jersey!


Got the pattern for the Jane Austen and Me, the Emma Project and threads ready and organized on a floss card. The program Emma will be on PBS on Sunday night.

Besides trying to clean the house which is a disaster almost as big as Haiti right now, I will try to get some time in to work on this one.
I also have several unfinished projects to sew and finish on my working table, one as old as Christmas, so I am going to try today and tonight finish those. I really like to complete it as soon as possible instead of having finished pieces lying around waiting for a frame of pillow making.



The Valentine Booklet is full of small projects for any time of year and I know I will enjoy every piece in it because really, every day should be Valentines Day and shared with the one we love.
This is my off day today and like I said, many things to catch up on. I also will be drawing a name for the Cabin Fever Give-A-Way. Last night I crashed early to bed and woke at 3am with the barking Labs outside and didn't go back to sleep. Now, I'm feeling a little nap coming on...........maybe.
Abbie, of course, is nice and rested and ready to run the Indiana 500 about the house, searching for socks, shoes, or anything that she can play with. We play a game of hide and seek that she loves and she thinks this morning I need to run and hide for her. I'm pooped out. But I ran around the house and played with her a little and now she is napping.
Ren missed it all. He is turbaned in his blanket oblivious to his environment right now.
Till later,
Jennifer

8 comments:

  1. Stopping by to say hi. Once again, great projects. Do you just have a 'feel' for where to stitch on linen? I'm afraid of it.

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  2. Hi Jennifer, how nice is that work, and also the new magazine. I really enjoy your blog, this message I am writing to you with Google translator, I hope you understand. Te mando un beso grande desde Argentina!!

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  3. Oh, Marela! How nice that translator!! I can read it now! LOL
    Thanks for the compliments.
    Parsley, Hi, I've been up early this morning cause my Labs had a Barkfest at 3am!
    For linen, at first it is scarey. I remember the first time I stitched on linen but the more you do it, the better and then you will not want to stitch on Aida again. It's a strange phenomenom...but most of the time the design will give you the count both ways and in alot they give you the design's final size which is oh so helpful for us challenged in math like me to figure out the count and size....
    anyways, cut your linen about 2-3 inches bigger than your final design size, so that the border is 2-3 inches. I have scrimped and stitched 1 inch from the border.
    Then take you cut piece and fold in half, then fold again and pinch or put a needle through the middle. Unfold the linen and that's the middle of the design.
    Then, you look on your pattern and look for 2 arrows (sometimes in rare cases they don't put them).
    One little arrow at the top of the pattern and one at one of the sides.
    This will show you the middle where to start on the pattern.
    Sometimes, if I know my piece is plenty big, I just pick a spot to start in the outer left corner top, about 3 inches in.
    The thing about linen over aida is the cost. But there are some good ones, Charles Craft, I think, at Hobby Lobby or other stores you can order in basic colors like cream or white.
    then you can start coffee dying it or tea staining it to give it that old look if you want to.
    Don't be afraid of it. A good light, magnifying light if possible, is really good with linen.
    If I mess up, I just frog it out. or cut and remove the threads and start over.

    Jennifer

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  4. Your new start looks so pretty! I love the colors. You are such an enabler LOL I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more stash for a while, but the Sampler Girl's new booklet does sound great!

    Carolyn

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  5. Great start, anxious to see it grow!
    The Indianapolis 500, I bet she'll be the first female winner ;)

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Comments are welcome at the homestead at any time! I appreciate your time out of your day to stop and say hello!!
I hope you find some useful information and gentle inspiration for your day.
Jennifer