Morning Progress~~~ over half done!

Moving right along ~~~~~~~~

 

I made the date this year instead of 2011. This is the completion of one skein of DMC 3750, starting on the second now. I've got to frog out the motif on the far left and redo, count didn't come up right but then it should progress fast after this.

 

I can't wait to finish and frame!!! I may put in my new/old refinished Hoosier cabinet for display.

I'll have to say that I LOVE the linen which is 28 ct Antique Autumn Gold. And I love the virtues of the Quaker times.

 

 

Wrinkles and all,

Jennifer

“An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion. All is safe with a lady engaged; no harm can be done.” Jane Austen, 1775-1817

Morning Progress on quaker freebie

Hello sweet readers! This morning I worked a little more on the Quaker Freebie from Liberty House Primitives and Needlework blog. I just thought I would share my morning progress.

Soon I'll be adding some great Fall pics but the trees haven't peaked here yet. When they do, I'm sure I will see the world in Gentle Art or DMC. :)

Libety House Primitives and Needlework, designer

WIP using DMC 3750 antique blue

on 28 ct Antique Gold linen

 

I thought this would fit in my new box which I stained and dried nicely. However it's about 1/4 in too large. That's ok, many more to choose from for that box. This one will be framed.

 

Have a great Tuesday!

 

 



Weekly Thrift Finds and Progress on Quaker freebie

Thursday thrifting was fun! I found a new thrift store and one treasure in it. I went to look at junk frames because I needed a 6 x6 or so square frame. I came home with this instead!!!!

 

 

A brand new Sudberry Oak box for 3 bucks. If you order online or buy it's about 45.00.

What a deal!

 

I stained it and it's still wet in this pic but I wanted a more distressed darker wood.

 

 

And boy, what a mess I made in the kitchen with this. I first applied with a rag then when I started using a sponge applicator, it was way too much dripping it everywhere. I burned the corn on the cob in the process as I was cooking supper at the time, BUT, I think it will dry out well and our dinner turned out to be fine.

 

 

Abbie was glad as she got her own grilled salmon, taters, and beans in a chi size serving! :P

 

 

The heavy metal (sounds like music) copper distressed frame was another find at the thrift store.

 

 

I went to a second thrift shop and got this for 3.00. I may try to redo the pattern for this old, old motif.

 

 

 

I found this frame for 3 bucks there of which I plan to take apart and frame the sampler I am working now, Doing Right Quaker freebie by Liberty House Primitives.

 

My progress is here:

 

 

I know it's a slow-goer for me but at least I'm moving forward. :)

 

The above frame will be the one I use and after I take out those lovely cross stiched hearts, I will use that to make a needlebook most likely.

 

 

I got this piece of wool at a local quilt shop. It's a fat quarter. I have in mind to use for some Christmas ornies.

 

Well, Fall is certainly here. The leaves are changing if ever so slightly and the peak should be next weekend here.

The colors are definitely inspiring and the cooler weather is helping me get in the Christmas ornie stitching mode.

 

 

I still have these to read through as well. Historical patterns are very intriguing to me as it seems that the motifs symbolize whatever the stitcher was experiencing at that time or her hopes and dreams.

 

A sampler design certainly is a symbolic story-teller.

 

On the designing front, I'm still working on a Downton Abbey, rather large sampler, that you will like if you are a DA fan like me and Mr. Darcy. We are still catching up on episodes and into the mid of the second season now. We for sure, will be ready for that January 6th new season!!!

 

Happy Saturday and Happy Fall to all,

Jennifer

 

Progress on a Quaker freebie

Good Sunday afternoon!

 

Mr. Darcy and I are going to watch Season 1 episodes 3 and 4 soon from the CD collection.

We had a great dinner. Last night I thought I would post my progress on this Quaker sampler.

 

 

Vicki was right on her guess! This one is on Liberty House Primitives freebie, Doing Right quaker sampler.  I love all her freebies. If you haven't checked her blog out, hurry over!

 

Previous photo is:

 

 

 

 

 

Abbie is chowing down on her "snack mat" a bone and enjoying every bit of it.

 

We had a good dinner of roast beef, rice and gravy, pinto beans, green beans and dessert in the frig.

 

 

 

Chocolate pudding with whipped cream.

 

While it's chilling nicely, we are going to chill with a few more episodes of Downton Abbey!

 

It's just one of those days to chill. :P

 

Cloudy, but still moderatatley cool temps and falling tonight to the 40's.

 

Bring it on Fall!!!!

 

Till later,

Jennifer

 

Sampler Magazines and Sundries

I've always loved Sampler Antique Needlework magazine but hesitate sometimes to get it.

However, this week I caved and got two of the backordered ones from 2006.

 

Amazon also shipped out to all who ordered, the Season one and two, 6 CD collection on Oct 2!

I don't go to the theatre much so this definitely was a good buy for all the hours of Downton Abbey intrigue. This also includes a CD of the making of the movie and the house itself.

 

 

 I missed last year's entire season and I loved the fact  I could rewatch the first season~ like who can watch it too much????  I love this series.

So happy dance today at the mailbox.

 

 

 

So, of course this Abbie and myself are getting ready for bed, BUT...............

 

 

a few more stitches in a mystery sampler I picked up. Still no clues? The first clue is it's a freebie from a stitching blog.

 

 

I love the shade of overdyed blue.............more clues later.........when finished this will make my first cupboard pillowkeep for my Hoosier cabinet.

 

 

Other mail happiness came in this package. 2 older Sampler Antique Needlework magazine copies, Summer 2006 and Fall 2006

 

 

 

 

I love reading these and both of these historical samplers caught my eye.

 

 

 

And~~~~~ I got a copy of the Just Cross stitch 2012 Christmas magazine at Walmart today.

Gorgeous finishing of many beautiful ornies in there from all designers.

To all designers who participated, Yay!!!

I'm looking through it and wondering which ones I will have time to stitch.

What is it? Like 10 weeks left to get some done??????

 

I have designed a few myself for Christmas and will be putting them on the blog soon.

 

With sleepy eyes of the needle,

Jennifer

 



The Eyes Have It

This week flew by quite fast but it always does when spending it with a very close friend. Went on a trip this weekend and in the process am being trained with a new gun.....yup it's pink. LOL  I'm serious but what a gun! I would post pics but I don't want any political groups aiming at my blog for gun ownership. :)

 My first lesson of target practice at an indoor shooting range, with my new gun with an advanced instructor is this:

Yep, my instructor asked me to shoot to aim for the head and my first and third shots were between the eyes!  Shocked him!  Yup. The afternoon was quite fun and I did pretty doggone good. Then he had me aim for the center of the chest and I did that pretty doggone good too. I shocked myself.

Of course, my self-defense, advanced-training instructor is here:

and ALL his targets were right in the center. This man can shoot.

And in between this, we grilled out, watched a good movie and laughed alot.

I didn't take my magnifier light so even with my prescription glasses, I was slow but did get some progress on the sampler by BBD.

I hope to work on this some more tonight WITH my magnifier light, wrinkles and all, at least to finish the Quaker star motif. The Mulberry overdyed fiber is so pretty!

Abbie enjoyed the ride in the car and was the perfect "lady" until we went through drive-in's for food. OMG she turned into a BIG dog then. She didn't like the employees through the window.

Quite embarrassing, but she is now out like a light on a quilt asleep from her trip.

Speaking of the perfect lady.......I move on to........

In the reading arena, my Kindle goes from Jane Austen books to Ana and Christian's love story in the trilogy of Fifty Shades.  I have never read a book like this before, Fifty Shades of Grey and it definitely is for MATURE audiences but it's actually got a good background love story to it. It started out very slow but by halfway the romance was better, the storyline actually had a plot and then Wham. The end.

The ending was dissapointing and a cliffhanger. Sad.

So, I wasn't going to read the second one above but I caved and got Fifty Shades Darker. Will start on this one soon and I hope it has text to speech feature on it so I can stitch at the same time.

Will I read all three of the books?  I don't know. We'll see. I've heard such conflicting reviews but mostly the second one is a bit sweeter so I'll give it a try.

I'm also reading a Mr. Darcy book and going from Christian Grey (main character in Fifty Shades) to Mr. Darcy in another era is like turning the light switch on and off. :P

With my Kindle, I read more books (rated PG or less) LOL along with stitching at the same time with using the text to speech feature. Although a little monotone, it's great and easy on the eyes.

Just remember the eyes have it.

 Either aim with 'em or read with 'em, stitch with 'em, or sleep with 'em but...................the eyes are an important accessory. I'm thankful mine are still working well with help.

Hope your weekend was insightful!

Talk later,

Jennifer

Thankful Thursday--a freebie Christmas ornie and a great blog site

Peace in Your Heart

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2010

revisited 2011! ;)

I designed this last year and wanted to repost for new (or old) followers and visitors if you are collecting freebies for Christmas ornies!

colors suggested are :

Gentle Art--Freedom--darker blue

Gentle Art--Liberty--lighter blue

Gentle Art--Holly Berry--deep red

Gentle Art--Goldleaf--gold

Crescent colors cotton--Snowball---white

Just change the date to what you please, if this year or to prim it, a vintage one.

I have enjoyed catching up reading blogs after so long and soooooo many talented designers offering freebies. We are truly blessed as stitchers.

One of my favorite blogs and always the most beautiful sampler freebies are found at 

 Liberty House primitives.

If you like Quaker designs, you must click here

for the best and latest from Liberty House Primitives.

The sampler says "Doing Right is Never Wrong". AND it's FREE. I just love it and it's so inspirational~

Nancy is the sweetest designer I've ever met and I truly mean that. She has an awesome Ebay store as well and if you order from her, I promise she will add extras that will make your package special.

Hope your week is going well. Zipping by for me! I can't believe Thanksgiving is 1 week away!!

Woke today with a quite nippy day and feeling much more like Fall. A cozy fireplace today is a definite pleasure.

 I hope wherever you are, this finds you cozy, rested, and stitching with beautiful fibers.

Till later,

Jennifer

Wednesday Wonders

I'm soooooo enjoying reading through all your comments and am so sorry I can't answer them each and every one but there are some things I would like to tell you more of.......

This is one of the largest samplers I made back a couple of years ago. I spent about 9 months on it. I was fortunate to have heard about a SAL through a LNS, formerly the Dogwood Patch, now the Stitch Store and I dived into working on this piece. This is called Quaker Christmas by Bygone Stitches.

I thoroughly enjoyed working this large piece and carried it with me everywhere. This one, when finished I did get professionally framed and I was very pleased with it but that did encourage me to frame my future ones on my own because of the high cost.

I used the recommended fibers in the design. Many in our group stitched using different colors and each was so beautiful!  The beauty of taking one design and interpreting and expressing those differences was so exciting fot the stitch-a-long group.

I finished it then in late October and it's been hanging in my front room in a group of samplers ever since. I do not take it down after Christmas. The flash in the pic above makes it look lighter than it really is.

This is a better pic of the true lighting in our house.

This sampler took 20 skeins of Crescent Colors Balsam Fir cotton floss, CC Ye Old Gold skein for the angel and the cross, and 1 skein of CC Cupid for the red.

The stitch count is 320 x 205. I stitched 2 over 2 it's on 32 count (if I remember right) linen of the exact name I can't remember at this time...........Framed by a shop called Joan of Art in Hawaissee, Ga who did a great job!

I remember when choosing I was quite distracted by another sampler about this size, Quaker Virtues by Bygone Stitches. I loved it too but I chose this one to work on.

And then this started a sampler wall in our front room.

The other samplers on this wall are from Homespun Elegance, The Sampler Girl, My Big Toe, the Scarlet Letter and one I can't remember at the top that I stitched a long time ago. The one from the Scarlet Letter is actually one of 2 sets, I have another one in my WIP pile which I started and completed about 1/3 of it, nearly 1/2, but took a break as it is 1 over 1.

Thanks again for all the comments!  If you haven't entered the giveaway, you may click HERE

Well, best get ready for bed. It's been a very busy 3 days and I'm pooped out and for this nightowl, I must be tired to go to bed at 10:30pm!  :o

The Fallower Fall Give-A-Way starts here~~~

Who is in the mood for some Fall stitching?????

some Quaker stitching?????

something practical for Fall and Quaker???????

Yep, if you are the lucky Fallower for this Spectacles Pocket ( Quaker Pocket Needfuls) by Primitive Traditions

PLUS!

32 count Vintage Autumn Field Belfast linen

Plus a Kelmscott Acorn Threadkeeper

(threads not included)

for a Fall Stashing Give-a-way

on Feathers in the Nest!

I'm itching for Fall right now, literally, with a Ragweed allergy from......well, a hot place. ;)

Ezema is the name of the game right now.

So, I'm looking forward to that first good frost which is probably a good ways away when ragweed and other allergens pass away; however,

getting a jump-start on Fall stitching is just plain fun to do in anticipation of cooler days, sweaters, boots, pumpkins, mums, and leaf-color, day-tripping here in the mountains!

If you are like me and usually can't find your spectacles to stitch your designs, you need to make a pocket for them to stash in your purse or stitching bag.

Included in this give-a-way are the new pattern of The Spectacles Pocket by Primitive Traditions (Quaker style), Kelmscott Acorn Thread keeper in Mother of Pearl, and a 13 x 18 cut of 32 ct Vintage Autumn Field Belfast linen!

Important reminders are:

1) post only to this posting if you want a chance or two or three for this lovely set

2) must be a follower new, or old, or anything in between. New followers are always welcome!

3)international accepted

4) for 2 chances make a separate posting and name your most favorite thing about Fall, whether it be flowers (mums), food, cooler weather, football games, school-starting, or any other Fallower-friendly thing that makes you smile.  ;)

My favorite thing about Fall is starting up the fireplace at the homestead. I love warming toes together with my honey by the fireplace!

5) for 3 chances post a separate posting that you have shared this on your blog (if you have one) in some way.

Starts today and ends August 31st at midnight EST USA.

Good luck!