Merry Christmas, Belle Watling?

I was able to get in quite a bit of stitching this week while I was too sick to do anything else. I finished up three more ornaments for Christmas. We decorate our tree on Christmas Eve, but I was thinking of decorating an Advent Tree this year with Old Testament themes. I have been going through various Mary Beale publications and finding many must-stitch ornaments!
The story of Rahab has always intrigued me, and the above ornament is a highly stylized symbol of that Old Testament episode. It is so highly stylized that it makes me think of Belle Watling's apartments in Gone with the Wind! ;)

I enjoy Mary Beale's color schemes, although I usually hold my breath a bit as the first few garish colors meet on linen.

I have had quite a bit of stitching and tea this week, although not under the best of circumstances. Fortunately I have occasionally felt well enough to go out with the puppy and enjoy some autumn sunlight. Hope you all have relaxing, sunny weekends!

Well, knock me over with a feather...

I have cross stitch finishes!

I was in a major cross stitch rut. I was working on an autumn design, and I messed up. I know it can be fixed, but I was just annoyed. But this weekend I jumped back in the saddle. Nothing like a new project to cure the stitching blues! First I stitched Tanya's newest ornament from the 2011 JSC ornament issue. Then I searched through my JCS ornament magazine collection. I probably could have stitched 3 or 4 ornaments in the time I spent going through those magazines! I finally chose a Little by Little design from 2001. The colors are so much brighter than they appeared in the magazine photo! I picked out a Mary Beale ornament to work on this week while the girls are at dance. I just need to find a lighting arrangement for the van.

Hector the pound puppy is doing well. He is healthy and happy and loves his new family. Every mom needs more of this in her life!

That's better!

Finish and New Start

Jerry and I started watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix - again. This time, Netflix's instant viewing unpredictability was a good thing - they have added more Midsomer Murders. Last night I started stitching 'The Harvesters' by Little House Needleworks. I don't have the overdyed orange called for, but I have decided to use one of the dozens of overdyed oranges I have on hand. I also plan to change the little boy into a little girl to represent my daughter.

Cue the Count from Sesame Street: I have 1, 1 lovely Christmas ornament - Ha! Ha! Ha!

Only 11 more to go to meet my Christmas ornament a month goal! WhooHoo! ;) hmmm....

Colonial Stitching

I have big plans for this design by Little House Needleworks! I need to get some more acid-free foam board and get blocking!

I always set a goal of 1 Christmas ornament a month. So here is a start on my 1st ornament of the year in month 8. Hmmmm, I don't know if I will catch up! This is a design from Tristan Brook's 'Christmas in the Colonies.' I love the colors!

It is so difficult this time of year - I know I should be doing Christmas stitching, but the slight, very slight, nip in the air this morning makes me want to pull out the autumnal stitching. What are you working on?

Cross Stitch Finishes

It is amazing that I found some stitching time this past week! I finished "The Mermaid" by CHS. I changed 'Margaret Mailey' to 'Margaret Mary' just because. I thought I was stitching it for Nutmeg's bathroom, but now I am not so sure. LOL!

I have been attracted to Darlene O'Steen patterns for years, and have collected several. Her small designs are incredibly complex! She always includes stitches I have never dreamed of! This is the first time I have done queen stitches with two colors per stitch! I left out some of the satin stitch on the blue backstitch band. No matter how many times I tried it, it just looked messy.

I have mentioned before that I spent (and still do spend) hours poring over my mom's old cross stitch magazines from the eighties and early nineties. I am still amazed that in so many issues, among the patterns for geese with ribbons, geese with laundry baskets, geese starting the first day of school, and geese baking pies, I occasionally find a truly timeless design such as one by Darlene O'Steen or this design by Kandace Thomas. I can't wait to start it although I don't know what the last word of the second line says. I assume it is "was," but that is not exactly what the chart says.
My mom also gave me another "vintage" design this weekend. I would like to start it also.

A special thank you to my stitching friends for being patient and understanding about my homeschool post last Friday. I will only post them on Fridays, and the title will always be "Weekly Report. Feel free to skip if that is not your cup of tea! :)

APP

Yesterday, I finished up the date and a few leaves on 'Ann Pennsylvania Peacock'. I have drooled over this design for years, and she did not disappoint! I love the combination of colors, and who could resist that paper face? I made plenty of mistakes, especially pulling the striped band in the middle of the house too tightly, but it will all be alright, I'm sure. I used the called-for threads, but I changed the fabric to 32 count.

I am in two minds about stitching the names on samplers. Of course this design is not a reproduction. I like stitching my own name on my own work! But sometimes the name really is part of the design. This design solved the problem by leaving a space for my initials before the phrase "her work for Ann." I really loved that!

Last night I started a design I have been considering for years. I actually hunted it down on eb@y, after having seen it in an old JCS of my mother's. I wasn't sure that I liked the verse, but it is growing on me. My favorite bit is the little people. It says 'men' on the chart. Whether they are men or women, I still felt a little silly stitching THAT particular eyelet. Ahem. I have stitched 1/2 a dozen naked little A&Es, and stitched their little nipples without batting an eye, but a crotch eyelet? LOL! But Darlene O'Steen is the Master (or Mistress, if you prefer) so it must be alright! ;)

For years, before I had my own stash, I spent countless hours poring over my mother's old 80s cross stitch charts and magazine. I have found (and added to my own stash) many timeless treasures such as designs by Prairie Schooler and Darlene O'Steen. I feel like I am so far behind, not only because I am just now finishing to "Ann PP," but also I have so many older charts I wish I had done decades ago!

I may have already gotten beach stitching out of my system. ;) I pulled CHS 'Margaret Mailey' out of one of my many large and overwhelming WIP piles. I plan on stitching her during our upcoming beach trip. But I will take a couple other pieces just in case I feel fickle.

Back to the Beginning

Do you see the differences between the first two pictures? 3 buttonhole stitched flowers, 3 eyelets, a bird beak, and 2 initials. That's it. That's what has been holding this up for....4 years! Wow!

This morning, I finished off a freebie beach design from The Sampler Girl. As I stitched, I thought about the very beginning of this blog I named The Striped Rose. I began this blog as a place to show off a H@rry P@tter freebie designed by The Sampler Girl in 2007.

Click here, and scroll down for my very first post which is also my very first Sampler Girl post

As I continued to stitch, I began thinking how familiar the combination of greens was, and realized GA Mountain Mist and Bayberry were originally purchased for this Blackbird Designs chart.

Here is the link to my start on 4 years ago!!! I blame it on those pesky buttonhole stitch flowers; they terrified me then. Today, they took a total of about 5 minutes.

Another Quick Beach Stitch!

Can you tell I am in beach mode? ;) It won't be long now!

This morning while listening to Nutmeg practice violin, I finished this summer freebie by Tanya The Sampler Girl. Stitching to a metronome is not pleasant!

This is a 2011 freebie available on her blog. Tanya left the fabric and fibers up to the stitcher, so I chose WDW: Pebble, Cinnabar, GAST: Mountain Mist, Sea Spray, Bayberry, and DMC: 950, 3862.

Here is a photo of a super-yummy cake I had this weekend at a friend's birthday cookout. She got the recipe from a recent M@rth@ Stew@rt magazine. It was a big hit with adults and children alike! In fact, My Louisiana Man said that next year he wants it for his birthday cake! GASP - He is changing from yellow cake with chocolate frosting to something new and different? What was in that cake? :)

Quick!

It is way past my bedtime, but I just had to finish this design! I have been looking at this free chart by The Sampler Girl since 2005!!

I was trying to go for a faded palette, but I may have gone over the top with the purple. Ah, well. I used GA Bayberry, GA Raspberry, DMC 3866, OWS Virtue Teal, and CC Plum Paisley.

Good Night!

Summer Projects

I just finished the final stitches on 'Land of the Free.' Well, I have not decided where my initials will go. If I were clever, I would try to frame it in this wreath that has been hanging under my mantel.
This design is the perfect size, by the way. It is small, but includes several specialty stitches.

If you can get a hold of a copy of "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady," I know you will be inspired. I have seen this book on several homeschool blogs where the ladies display a page of this book for the children to look at during the day. This is the a facsimile of a 1906 natural journal with paintings, verses, and records of things seen each day of the year.

Here is an update on my ongoing Pantry Project. So far, I have cleared out all my seasonal candles, potting soil, and Mod Podge to make room for all these glass jars from W@l-M@rt and T@rget. My plan is to have super-cute matching labels for each jar. I am also eyeing more baskets to keep paper products, grab-and-go snacks, etc.

This is my training ground for The Ultimate Organizing Project - The Craft Closet!

Baby Steps! ;)

Seeing Red

I finished this french marking sampler from the Summer 2011 S&ANQ while I was avoiding Ann Pennsylvania Peacock. I used DMC 3831 and 356.

I think I finally found a pretty good match for the sampler thread on Ann's dress. It still stresses me though. Look at the warped band on the house. I can't decide whether it bothers me enough to actually rip it out and restitch it though!