I've been led astray! (AKA--I've been a bad girl!)

On Monday night I put the final stitches in on I Sigh Not For Beauty. What an enjoyable stitch this was! I hope to take “her” to Carol, my framer friend, later this week.

Thank you to all who wrote about my faux pas on using the wrong color for the over-one text. I think Terrie phrased it perfectly when she called it “serendipitous”. I think that is the only change I made to this design that was not done on purpose. As you might notice I made a few minor changes. I think that by now you know that I consider a chart the “jumping off” spot. Each needleworker takes a chart/design and makes it her (or his) own making whatever changes she (or he) wants.

We have a lot going on in our lives these days, and I’ve found myself unable to concentrate well enough to work on any new designs so I’ve been just stitching away on others’ designs. I’ve certainly found it a great stress reliever.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly have my share of WIPs. Sometimes the threads get separated from the linen and chart. (Heavens knows how that happens!! LOL!!) Anyway, I’ve come up with my own way of clearly identifying which threads go with which project.

I simply print a color photo of the project on card stock and then punch a hole in the upper corner to insert a metal ring to hold my threads.  (The photo on my thread card looks much better in person that it does here.)   I didn’t think much about the idea until a couple of friends at my sampler guild stitch-in started carrying on over the idea. (Yes, Marsha G, you can have this thread card since I no longer need it.)

I decided that once I was through with I Sigh Not For Beauty, I should go through my mountain of WIPs and finish up a couple of those before starting anything new. How could I rationalize starting a new project?

I was very good yesterday morning, when I worked on Catherine Theron’s Examplar 3 which was an August class with The Queen City Sampler Guild. The class was in the midst of my back problems, but before I got to the point that I couldn’t sit up to stitch. Once I ended up on my back, my poor Examplar 3 went into my stitching basket. She resurfaced Tuesday morning, and here is my progress so far.

But alas, I have been led astray!! Knowing that I will likely be going to Florida to help out with my father I wanted a travel project that I could take with me and one that I could also work on my plane ride to England for the May classes. But what to choose???

After lots of searching, this is the sampler I chose. Do you have any idea who “she” is?

Perhaps this will help you.

Yes, the sampler I chose was Ann Rayner from Threads Through Time. I’ve decided to use the DMC threads that Nancy Sturgeon used on her model. Wow, aren’t they cheerful? Perfect for a springtime stitch!

My original plan was to use 36-count Pecan Butter linen from Lakeside Linens. By using 36-count linen I can be lazy and stitch with only one ply of thread—no railroading of my stitches. Then I started pulling out my threads. That is when I discovered in three spots the sampler uses a blend of two threads. As hard as I tried I could not figure a way around this because I like my antique reproductions to be as close as possible to the original samplers. That is when I decided on using 32-count toasted almond linen from Zweigart. Nancy’s model was stitched on 30-count linen, so my version will be only slightly smaller than hers.

Perhaps this linen size choice was also serendipitous because it will be much easier to work on the larger count when traveling. I’ve found that I don’t dislike railroading my stitches as much as I thought I would. Perhaps you’ll have to check back with in a week and see if I still feel the same way.

Remember how I was holding off on putting the last stitches on Elizabeth J. M. Mears until I went to Accomack County (Virginia) to see my aunt? Well, those plans have had to be put on hold not knowing if and when I’ll need to go to Florida to help my sister with Daddy. I think that either tonight or tomorrow I’ll go ahead and put in those final stitches so that I can take Elizabeth to Carol along with I Sigh Not For Beauty.

I’m hoping that things will soon calm down so that I can concentrate on some new designs. I have a couple of ideas in mind. Wish me luck.