Introducing Hannah and A New Find!!

Yesterday I put in the final stitches on Hannah Pepper (from the magazine Fine Lines). Over the past few weeks I was able to spend more hours a day than usual stitching because we were with Tom's father as he recovered from surgery.  Some days, we didn't even leave the house.  It is amazing how much one can accomplish without many of the usual distractions you have when in your own home.

I used 36-count light sand linen from Zweigart and one ply of DMC thread.  The linen is yellower than shows in the photos.  I hope to get a "truer" photo once Hannah is framed.

I always "sign" my samplers in the linen margin where it won't show when the piece is framed.

Several people have asked me about getting the chart for Hannah Pepper.  The chart was published in three issues of  the magazine Fine Lines which is no longer in business.  Most people I know treasure their issues and aren't willing to sell them.  Try checking Ebay because issues occasionally show up there.  Good luck.

 Since returning home (after having been gone 28 days--yikes), I've been very busy catching up on things as you can well imagine.  There have been chart orders to fill, supplies to order for my upcoming classes in Michigan, as well as the directions for my newest teaching project, Kindred Spirits.    Progress is slow, but steady.

Earlier today I finished making the thread cards for the A Lady's Worke Box class, minus the one thread I still need.  Here they are on my spool cabinet in my family room waiting to be taken into the basement with the other class supplies.

Did you notice the hexagonal black box on the top of the left side of my spool cabinet?  It was a new find yesterday at Hobby Lobby.  My original idea was to stitch six small samplers or sampler motifs for the openings.  However, yesterday I wanted to come up with something to put in the openings temporarily.  I went through photos of my antique samplers and came up with six samplers that were nearly square (to fit the openings).  I've decided that I'm so happy with the antique sampler photos that I may not replace them with stitching after all.  The lid of the box comes off, and is the perfect place for me to store some of my stitching needfuls.  There is a lazy Susan on the bottom so I can spin the box around.  I'm tickled pink with my new find.

Over the next few weeks my days will be mainly occupied with getting my new class project ready.  This means that there will be little time for stitching during the day, other than my usual very early morning stitching.  So last, but not least, here is the project I started this morning.  I had made more progress than what you see....until I discovered that I needed to frog two of the berries.  Phooey!!

I still need to pick up my Snooty Parrots sampler from my framer.  I'm very anxious to get it, but between working on the new teaching project and getting ready to have a very special weekend house guest (our six-year old grandson, all by himself), it may be next week before I can get it.  At the same time, I can drop off Hannah Pepper for framing.