Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Long Time, No See....


I'm very sorry I've been so remiss in updating my blog. Our lives have certainly been in a whirlwind over the past few months.

We are now pretty well settled in our new home although there are still a few boxes to unpack. We have hung  over 250 things on the wall. Yes, you read that number right. Most of the items are framed pieces, and of the framed pieces most are needlework. It  has been a very time-consuming process. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my new sampler walls. You can click on the photos for close-up views.

First, is a view of what I see from my new stitching spot. All of the samplers on these walls are reproductions.

Here is a close-up of the samplers on the lower wall.
Identifying the samplers starting with the top sampler on the left
in the hallway of  the 1st photo--a partial view of  Dutch Beauty (Permin)
 Column 1--Isobel Doig (The Examplarery); Rachel Allen (The Scarlet Letter)
Column 2--Amy Eliza Herbert (The Porcupine Collection); Janet Gibson (Hope's Dwelling Place)
Column 3--Sarah Owen (The Essamplaire); Frances Eden (Handwork Samplers--OOP)
Column 4--Sovine Palphryman (Handwork Samplers--OOP); Rachel Hyde (Threads Through Time)
Column 5--Lucy Adams (The Examplarery); Mercy Hopkins (The Examplarery)
Column 6--Ann Bowers (The Examplarery)
Column 7--ES Sampler (With My Needle)
 
And here is a close-up of the samplers on the staircase. It was quite a process to get the spacing right.
Identifying the samplers starting with the sampler on the top left
Column 1--Elizabeth Mears (Queenstown Samplers); Sarah Salter (Sheepish Designs)
Column 2--Ann Raynor (Threads Through Time); Hannah Lancaster (The Porcupine Collection); Elinor Simpson (Historic Stitches)
Column 3--Mary Gibson (Haslemere Museum); Margaret Gibson (The Scarlet Letter); Mary Sharp (Handwork Samplers--OOP)
Column 4--Anne Maria Clarke (The Essamplaire); Ann Hair (The Scarlet Letter); L. Haworth (The Marking Sampler)
Column 5--Deborah  Walker (Just Cross Stitch--The Chester  County Collection--OOP); Hannah Pepper (Fine Lines Magazine--OOP); Mary Katz (Mercer Museum)

Here are three samplers (non-reproductions) which are on the wall above the tv.  I can see 35 samplers from my stitching spot. How wonderful is that?
Identifying the samplers starting on the left
American Sampler (Treasures Magazine)
Queen City 20th Anniversary Sampler with minor changes (Heart's Ease Examplar Workes)
Snooty Parrots with minor changes (Barbara Ana Designs)

Next  up are photos of some of the models in my office. The one on the floor is a new one--just waiting for us to write the directions. I chose the wall color to  go  with the drapes that were already in the room.

Identifying my With My Needle samplers starting with the sampler on the top left
Column 1--partial view of the Family Record Sampler
Column 2--Accept This Posey (from a Friend); Adorn Thy Heart (can be adapted to be a wedding sampler)
Column 3--Kind and  True; Elizabeth Wood

Identifying my With My Needle samplers starting with the top one
An Emblem of Love (single color version); Caroline Bevan

Next is a view of one end of the hallway at the top of the stairs between my office and our guest room. (There are four more samplers there that aren't shown in the photo.)
Identifying the samplers starting with the sampler on the top left
Column 1--Williamsburg Lady (Historic Stitches for Kreinik's Remember the Ladies series); Three Things Sampler (Moira Blackburn)
Column 2--Gratitude (The Scarlet Letter)
Column 3--Ellen Murray (The Essamplaire)
Column  4--Mary Trelfall (The Marking Sampler); Eleanor Taylor (The Examplarery)

And  here are some samplers at the other end of the hallway.

Identifying the samplers starting with the sampler on the top left
Column 1--Let Virtue (Sheepish Designs); Elizabeth Easton (The Good Huswife--OOP)
Column 2--Marquoir Sampler with quite a few changes); Wisdom Sampler (Vermillion Stitchery)
Column 3--Jacobean Sampler (??); Aires of Green (Sheepish Designs)
When looking for the names of some of these samplers I ran across the old Geocities  page where I used to show my needlework. The photos aren't particularly  good because most photos were taken before the advent of digital photos. Nothing has been added to the page since 2007, but you can see lots of my older pieces which are in other rooms of our home.  http://www.oocities.org/heartland/4801/gallery.htm
 
I have several new designs, but it will be a while before I can get the directions written as I'm in the midst of developing  a couple of new teaching projects that will premier with the Western Reserve Sampler Guild in October. In a future blog post, I'll have more information about those classes and also classes in Madison, Wisconsin in September and in  Sturbridge, Massachusetts also in October.

In closing, I thought  you might also enjoy seeing new photos of our little girls. It's hard to believe they're already 5-1/2 months old. Both have been plagued with ear infections especially Norah who has had three ear infections already this year and a ruptured ear drum right before Christmas. Katie got two teeth last month. Norah  doesn't have any yet. Her favorite thing to do is roll over, and over, and over.  It's so much fun to watch the changes as they are discovering the world around them.

Katie
Norah
If you ask me a question in the comment section of this blog post,  please make sure I have a way to contact you. For many of you, there is no email listed.  So if you ask me a question, and  I don't respond you now know why. You can also email me if you have a specific question.

24 comments:

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Can I just say that my heaven's to mercy Ellen, I aspire to be just like you. I hope my hands work gets many samplers up on my wall so that when I'm entertaining my grandbabies I have such a lovely view! Thank you so very much for sharing them with us!
I love those babies to bits! One looks like Daddy and one like Mommy, I'm thinking, that's exactly how ours were too :)

Marilyn said...

OMG!
ALL of your Samplers are beautiful Ellen.
What a great accomplishment.
The babies are too darn cute.
Marilyn

Unknown said...

Lovely!!!

Barb said...

Thank you for sharing. Wow, I need to get busy and work harder so that I can devote a space with samplers. Sad to say I only have two so far.

Looking forward to your new projects.

deb said...

All the samplers on the walls of you new home look marvelous, Ellen! Such a delight to see so many pieces of lovely needlework hung with such care - thanks for the peek!

The girls are just beautiful!

Faye said...

Oh my goodness I have nearly passed out in pure bliss here! Your new home is just beautiful especially adorned with all these absolutely beautiful stitched treasures~ Like so many others, you are an awe inspiring person Ellen!

Bethany said...

Ellen, Your stitching is always amazing and your new home really show cases your samplers. I wish we still had a stair case to place some of my pieces, but alas, our home is much smaller. I am not sure yet of my date in October, but, when making my reservation, I will remember you are coming to guild. I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon for mom's, we will enjoy our time together and stitching with all of mom's dear friends. We have a couple of days where we are getting together with quite of few of her friends for stitching, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. I wish you lived closer to Akron, we would love to see you as well. Enjoy your beautiful grand daughters. They sure are lovely.

Anonymous said...

Ellen, what a dazzling display! Thank you so much for sharing these photos!!

Barb said...

I just can't decided which is more wonderful all those samplers or those two babies. If I really had to pick it would be the babies. You must be thrilled to have them in your life. It's the perfect group with the two wonderful boys. Now about the samplers. If my house looked like that I would think I had died and gone to heaven!! You and your husband have done a great job of placing them on the walls. That can be tricky. It all looks amazing.

Margaret said...

Oh my gosh, Ellen, such a treat to see all your samplers in your new house! Just magnificent! And your little granddaughters! Adorable! I do hope the ear infections don't become a problem. My daughter had the same problem -- ear infections galore. She ended up on low dose antibiotics every winter. My son had a ruptured eardrum once too. Not fun. Anyway, thanks for the lovely post!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Oh, Ellen! What a beautiful home and an amazing collection of samplers! I also loved getting a peak at your office and other rooms, too. Love the floral drapes! The girls are growing fast, and are so darling. Ear infections are awful, poor babies.

marly said...

The placement of the samplers on the staircase is perfect. I can't imagine how long it took to work that out! Very much enjoyed seeing your amazing collection of needlework. And those adorable girls.

Susan said...

Your collection is stunning, and perfectly displayed.

LaNelle said...

Absolutely amazing what a treasure to be surrounded by that beauty daily! So enjoyed seeing your home and the samplers Thank you for sharing so appreciated, blessings.....grand babies are adorable too!

Vickie said...

Whoa! And wow! Very, very awesome display. Your home looks so absolutely gorgeous. And so are those two precious babies.

Theresa said...

Such beautiful sampler walls! and its wonderful to see such happy thriving grandchildren... how blessed you are!
Thank you so much for the inspiration. Time for me to get cracking! : )

Annette-California said...

Oh Ellen! I love your displays of your gorgeous samplers! All of them. I too loved getting to see your office and how beautiful everything is.
YOU did an amazing job decorating and where to begin how incredible all your samplers you got hung up. WOW! Sweet grandbabie girls and hope Norah heals. love Annette

Ann said...

So happy to see your blog again! And the girls are absolutely precious.

And your home looks lovely, as I knew it would--so envious of all the framed samplers hanging!

Sweet Sue said...

hiya ellen, happy new year to you! beautiful post, looks like you deserve a good looooong rest lol:) xo

LINDA Z said...

Thank you, Ellen for sharing your wonderful samplers and those darling girls. Looking forward to seeing you in October at WRSG with your new designs.

woolwoman said...

Ellen your new home is so elegant and the sampler collection is simply amazing. What a wonderful palette you have to display them all and Tom did an excellent job making everything so cohesive. The grands are darling - so adorable with those big bunnies. I bet you are having the time of your life setting up a new home and playing with all your children. We sure miss seeing you and Tom - hard to believe it's been a year since you were here. Sure seems longer doesn't it. Can't wait to hear about your new designs Hugs Mel

Karen said...

I am in awe of your sampler collection. And a little jealous, too. Really a stunning display.

Carol said...

Oh, my! I think it would take me an hour to walk up the stairs as I would have to examine each and every sampler! I am just amazed by your work, Ellen!! And they are hung so beautifully.

And on top of that two such happy, precious baby girls--you are truly blessed!

Cathy B said...

Your new home is lovely Ellen. How lucky to have so many beautiful samplers to look at.

Your granddaughters are so precious!

Anxious to learn more about your new projects!