Haul - it's a rare thing

On FlossTube (stitchers' YouTube channels), there are a lot of people who video post about their "haul" each time they buy stuff for needlework.  I may have mentioned my stash - it is deep but old.  Most of the kitted patterns that I have date from the late 1990s, early 2000s.  But there are still a LOT of things I want to stitch in those tubs, so I have only purchased a very few things over the last few years and mostly just patterns.  And occasionally, supplies to finish something in progress.

But when I saw Plum Street Samplers new market release "Corgi Caboodle", I knew I had to stitch it for Angie!  Her Corgi cross, Zoe, has sold me on the breed and I'm hoping to be able to adopt one from a local(ish) breed specific rescue once I retire. 

So I asked the gals at The Silver Needle in Tulsa to kit it up for me and I got squishy mail this morning!  I have already pulled the DMC colors that I have on hand.  There's only three or four missing.  As much floss as I have (five large bobbin boxes worth!), I always seem to be short a color when I kit up a project.

I'll need to pick up the DMC colors that I am missing and find a backing fabric (hoping for one with dogs or doggie footprints or similar).  Or maybe I'll frame it, I'll check with JC and the kids to see what they think Angie would prefer.

It's a very rare project that goes from the shopping or shipping bag directly onto the scroll rods and into rotation without ever hitting the stash per se.  But that's what's happening with this one.  Excited to get it slotted into the "modern" slot as soon as I finish the Victoria Sampler ornament/quilt block. 

Slow Sunday Stitching - December 1, 2019

First off, an apology for not posting for an entire month!!!!   November whooshed by in a blur of overtime, sniffles, deadlines both personal and professional, contractors missing appointments and more overtime.  It was a mess.   I pretty much swore off of social media of all kinds for the duration.

But I have only a few more things to do for the guild treasurer (and I won't do it again until after I retire, it's just too much work), the contractor finally got everything finished (roof and gutters are all nice and tight for the winter)!!!!   And work is - still work.   I'm just holding on until we get back to full staff (at some point).

I kept up with dishes and laundry in all of that, though I have not done much cleaning.  Usually I have a deep cleaning done before I put up the Christmas décor.  But not this year.   Something had to give, and it was that and crafting. 

I did have one very small finish.  But I want to celebrate it.   I got the finishing done on the last project from last year's Silver Needle Camp.

And since I didn't go to camp this year (see above for the mess that November was), for the first time in several years, I have NO Silver Needle UFO/WiP projects!!!!

The next project in the queue is the assembly of a bunch of knitted hexagon puffs into a bench cover.   I finished the knitting back in April of 2017.   And put together all of one single hexi set since then.   Having to report on them here over the next few weeks will hopefully get me off of high center with this project. I will start working on that project on Monday.  Today will be all church stuff almost all day - bells play at the morning service AND at evensong. 

Linking up (after my break) with the Slow Sunday Stitching crew.

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK - Beekeeper Smalls - Tray

The last of the projects from Silver Needle camp 2018 are from a set of smalls - a tray.   Both this and the fob that I posted a while back are designed by Heartstring Samplery from the chart "Festive Little Fobs: Beekeeper Edition". 


For this project, I used the tray tutorial by "Magic by Mona".   Mona is the finisher at the Silver Needle in Tulsa and taught this finishing technique at camp back in October of last year. 


There were a couple of issues - I applied the fabric glue that holds the structural pieces (the four sides and the base) with a far too liberal hand.   It oozed into the linen all the way to the edge in a couple of places and made the edges very difficult to stitch through when attaching the backing and edging.  And the corners were tricky due to stitching through so many layers (linen, folded over linen, folded over calico cotton, interfacing, outside calico - for just one side of two!!)  Thank goodness for a stout thimble and heavy needle.

But the set is finished and since I didn't go to camp this year due to work deadlines falling just wrong with the camp date, I am finally caught up with ALL my Silver Needle projects for the first time in years!

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK - Beekeeper Smalls - Fob

The last of the projects from camp are a set of smalls - a fob and a tray.   Both are designed by Heartstring Samplery from the chart "Festive Little Fobs: Beekeeper Edition". 

The first part of the project is a simple fob - done like an ornament with two padded boards, backing fabric wrapped around one and the embroidered fabric wrapped around the other, stitched together around the edge with the hanger (and cording ends) sandwiched between the two boards.   Stitched with Gentle Arts Sampler Thread and there's a tiny brass bee charm on it.   I finished this one at the end of November but forgot to actually post the finish.  

Slow Sunday Stitching - December 30, 2018

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday.   Even though we had rather cold, nasty rain instead of snow (much to the grandkids' disappointment), my family and I had a great week.   The bells did well on both our pieces at the Christmas Eve early service.   Here's a picture from the bell balcony in the back of the church as we were setting up - about twenty minutes before the service.

The music was glorious.  Brass and percussion, all the choirs - main choir, children's Choristers, Men's and Women's individual ensembles.  And our organ is lovely.    Grace Episcopal Cathedral - diocese of Eastern Kansas, btw.

There's finally been some down time now that the holidays are winding down.  And I have a couple of things to actually report this week!

First of all, the Christmas Candy Gnome is finishing finished.  (details at the link)

And I finished a block for "Aunt Lottie's Garden".   This is Block #13 of 30 that I need to hand applique for the center of the quilt.

And I am SO CLOSE to finishing Marita's hand knit afghan.  She got a 'promise' card on Christmas Day, and I'll deliver it sometime this week.   I have an issue with these afghans.  They are triple stranded on US15 needles.  That makes them nice and squishy, but also very heavy.   If I'm not careful, I can strain my wrists if I work too long on one and I just ran out of minutes.

I'm hoping to get the last 20 rows (ever decreasing) to complete the corner of the afghan done after church today.  I also want to spend some time getting the finishing part done on the last of the Silver Needle Camp projects.  And prep another quilt block to work on over breaks and lunch at work.
Linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching blog.  

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: Christmas Candy Gnome

This little guy has been the perfect simple project over the holidays. 

Design by Lindy of the Silver Needle for the November 2016 Secret Needle Night.   A limited edition kit.

Stitched on: 18 count rustic linen over two
Threads: Perle cotton, Suede cord, Angora needlepoint yarn
Buttons (eyes and nose) by Just Another Button Co and Mill Hill (snowflakes)

Finished as a shaped easel using the finishing kit provided. 

Slow Sunday Stitching - December 23, 2018

Gosh, there's been next to no stitching around here the last couple of weeks.  

About all that got done craft wise was finishing up the gnome.   He's not finishing finished though.

I'm going to put him together as a stand up easel type ornament.  


Bell choir is playing for Christmas Eve early service tomorrow - need to be there around 4:30.   And I have to bake a couple of pies for Christmas Day lunch at the kid's house.   And I still have a couple things to wrap!   Not going to be Slow Sunday today for Stitching or much of anything else.  More like a 'Hurry up Christmas' type of day!!

But there's peppermint tea and Manheim Steamroller and a quilt to wrap up in when it's all done.   Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.


Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching

Weekly check in - Dec 16, 2018

Missed the Slow Sunday Stitching round up this weekend.


There's been a dearth of crafting.   I did get some of the work on the gnome done

Slow Sunday Stitching - December 9, 2018

Work is end of the year busy.  My boss is out on maternity leave - she had the baby last Tuesday and he's a cute little man.  But that means I've got extra responsibilities and it doesn't help that I have an annual filing this week AND internal audit dumped four data requests on me on Friday afternoon that are due on Tuesday!   So no lunchtime knitting or applique for me this week and I'm driving the carpool, so no commuter crafting either.  Some weeks are just like that. 

But last week, I did get Millennium to a stopping point

And I got started on a little Christmas gnome.   He's from a limited edition kit from Silver Needle.  Not a camp kit this time, but one of the monthly projects from the store for their "Secret Needle Night". 

Knitting time is going into Ri's afghan, and it's slowly approaching the center.  At this point, it feels like there's no progress because the rows are so long.   But I know that soon I will make the 'turn' in the middle and the rows start decreasing.

No quilting to speak of this week.  The guild potluck and Christmas party is this Tuesday.  I need to figure out what I'm taking.  It has to be something I can make two of because there's also a potluck at work that day!

Holiday crazy has officially taken over......

Linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

Needlework Rotation: Millennium and a Christmas Gnome

I worked a bit over ten hours on Teresa Wentzler's "Millennium" and got the angels both completed except for the backstitching on the lower half.   I would like to do that next, but really need to get at least a few stitches worth of the landscape area completed up against each inner edge.   On St. Michael, it's easy.  If I do the area between the robes and the sword edge, I can complete all the back stitching except the very bottom of the under robes (though I'll probably leave all the under robes on both sides to do with the arch base just to make it easier to keep track of where I am).   On St. Raphael, it will be a little more difficult.  I'll have to just work along the edge on that side a "needle's worth" of stitches.  Next time.

At the end of this rotation

And for comparison, here's where I started:

And now I'm back to the 'modern' sampler slot in the rotation.   I thought I would start another one of the Victoria Sampler pieces, but then this bit of Christmas frivolity caught my attention.  Being on a large count over two with perle cotton and only a half dozen colors, it's just what I need while I'm crazy busy with the holiday season.

I picked him up from the sale table at the Silver Needle camp a couple of years ago.   He was a 'secret needle night' kit, not a camp project.   One of my co-workers made me a big stand up gnome last year for our holiday gift exchange, and he needs a friend......

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: Hocus Pocus Oversized Ornament

For the finishing on this piece, I basically used the tutorial from Twisted Stitcher EXCEPT, instead of folding in the excess and gluing it down on the back, I ran a basting stitch around the fabric and gathered it to the back of the chipboard form.

I find that gathering instead of folding works much better for round and oval ornaments to give an even distribution of fabric.   Then I taped the edges (just in case) before putting the two pieces together.

I also whip stitch my cording or other edging in place instead of gluing.   I think it gives a nicer finish.  

Chart is "Hocus Pocus" by Heart in Hand
Fabric is 18 count rustic linen (over two)
Threads:  Silver Needle kit (included DMC perle, Gentle Arts Sampler Threads perle, Firewerks ribbons)

Slow Sunday Stitching - October 21, 2018

Major part of my crafting this week was to get back to my poor abandoned socks.  The gussets are done and I'm ready to start down the feet.   Blue marker sock is a side shot, showing the heel and gusset.  Orange marker sock shows how the sock is set up on the needle for magic loop technique - sole on one end of the needle, instep on the other.

I did take time to do the finishing finish on the first of the Silver Needle Camp projects.  No "Finishing Friday" on this one, I just followed the instructions on the Sudberry House base.

It looks off center in this picture, but my camera was at a slight angle.  It really is quite straight and centered.

Linking up with the rest of the Slow Stitching Sunday crew

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: Mistletoe Pincushion

Chart is "Kiss a bit: Squareology" by Hands on Design/Just Another Button Co.

On hand dyed charcoal Aida (no source on the Aida, it was kitted with the pattern, button and floss)

Finished in a 3 3/4" Round pincushion base by Sudberry House/Item #1574.  Finished as per the instruction that came with the pincushion base.   (No in-progress shots of the finishing.  The directions on Sudberry pieces are quite detailed.)

My only additional suggestions are 1) when doing the first running stitch, about half way around, shorten your stitches for an inch or so.  2) cut a bit generously when trimming back your ground.  I cut at about a half inch instead of a quarter and was still concerned about fraying. 3)when starting the second running stitch, start where your stitches are shorter in the original pass.  Offsetting the two rounds of gathering stitches will make it easier to gather the ground fabric easily.  4) use surgeon's knots to secure your gathering threads.   5) the piece will be loose in the tray if you pull it tight against the matboard base.   I used a chunky boucle yarn to fill in the gap, lightly glued.

My photos of this project are not quite from straight above, so the needlework looks a bit off center.  In real life, it's quite 'square with the world' and centered nicely.

Slow Sunday Stitching - October 14, 218

BRRRRR.   OK, Mother Nature, stop it.  First there was no spring with snow on Easter.  Now there's no fall with snow two weeks before Halloween!!!   Not nice!

I feel like hibernating LOL.

This week, I have spent my crafting time getting all the stitching done on the projects from Silver Needle Camp that I brought home last week.  (Chart/designer details in this post.)

And there they are.  Still quite a bit to do to get them all to 'finishing finished'.   As always, the finishing kits were included with each project.   Left top - fob/small ornament, Left bottom - tray, Center - large ornament, Right - pincushion on Sudberry wooden base.
I was so good at camp, no stash or charts and only my new scissors, a new needle magnet, a pretty mother of pearl thread sorter and a spritzer that makes a very fine mist for pressing.   I have a huge needlework stash and one of the things that I want to do in the move is to inventory it ALL.   I have all my yarn on Ravelry, and I will check those entries, too.   I'll share the results, no matter how embarrassing.

In the mean time, head over to Kathy's blog to see what the rest of the slow stitching gang is up to. (link is to current round up)

Needlework WiPs: The Silver Needle Camp Projects

Last week was Silver Needle Camp.   This was my third time at the fall camp.   I know the directions and feel comfortable on the drive now, and I had a great table of people to stitch with.

The weather was so-so.   As is often the case in mid October, there was a mix of weather.  I was chased all the way south from Topeka to the OK state line by thunderstorms closing in behind me.  Lots of lightning in the rear view mirror.   It was starting to rain hard and it was about 10 pm on Wednesday night when I got to Independence KS, so I stopped for the night.  My co-worker, Kelley, is from around there and recommended a nice hotel, The Appletree.  I got a room with minimal hassle despite it being late and having no reservation.    Their breakfast bar was good, too; I got back on the road by 9 am. 
Thursday was glorious weather, crisp and blue skies with bright puffy white clouds.

Got into Tulsa and met up with Beth at a great restaurant near the Silver Needle shop called "The Silver Skillet".   I highly recommend the Chicken Avocado sandwich - but come hungry because it is HUGE!!!   Beth had to go back to work, and I got some shopping in at the Silver Needle.  I bought a new pair of cutwork scissors from the German company Dovo.   Very skinny points on those, which should be just the thing.  I can't wait to try them on the next Victoria Sampler Four Elements project.

The accommodations at camp are two to four person rooms.   I was in with three other 'solo' campers.  If you come in a group, you can room together.  

the "Bunkhouse" and the pool

The food was wonderful as always.   Breakfast and lunch in the cool retro restaurant onsite.  One dinner of pizza from a local (non-chain) pizza place plus Lindy's huge salad bar, other dinner is at an Amish farm.  Miz Rachael does a wonderful family style dinner for us.   The little daughter of the house who was just a toddler the first year I was there is now about five or six and solemnly handed out rolls from a basket.  So darling.   Alexis is about the same age and I can totally see her helping like that.   (I don't take pictures at the farm, it would be rude.)

retro dining, yummy food

We got three charts and four projects for camp.  

Pincushion in a Sudberry House base. 

Chart is "Kiss A Bit"  by Hands on Design/Just Another Button Co.

On hand dyed charcoal Aida

Two projects from Heartstring Samplery from the chart "Festive Little Fobs: Beekeeper Edition".  One (bottom) to finish as a fob, the other (top) as a tray.
On 28 count "Homespun" linen over two with Gentle Arts Sampler floss.

And last but largest, "Hocus Pocus Halloween" by Heart in Hand.  The original on this is tiny - 32 count over two.  Blown up to 9 stitches per inch (18 count Rustic Linen over two) and done in perles and ribbon floss, it's still darling.  It will be finished as an oversized ornament for a holiday display or to center in a wreath. 

Great weekend, then it rained on me all the way home LOL. 

Slow Sunday Stitching - October 7, 2018

Home from needlework camp.   

Four projects, much fun and a finish!!

I got the 'Tree of Life" family tree sampler completed on the 'bring your own stitching' day.   I knew if I just buckled down to it, I could get it done.   I don't know if I am going to fill in the blank at the top with more leaves and cherries - they MIGHT have another child....... 

I didn't get any knitting time in on the socks - I still need to pick up the second gusset.  I may have a chance to do that after Bible Study tomorrow.

Right now, though, I am exhausted.   I will do some posts with the new needlework projects later this week.   Most (but not quite all) of the actual stitching is done,  but there will be lots of finished finishing coming up as NONE of that is completed.
Linking up (very late!!!) to Kathy's Blog for SSS.   There wasn't a lot of Sunday Stitching today, but there was a LOT of diving.  I'm so glad to be home.  

Home again, Home again

I am just in from the Silver Needle Camp in Oklahoma.   I am exhausted and still have to sort out something to wear to work tomorrow.

Our "bunkhouse" - big stitching room to the left,  Rooms off camera to the right.

It was earlier this year due to Lindy's daughter's wedding.   But I think she got so much positive feedback that she's considering making the earlier date permanent.   I would love that. 


Cool retro lodge on the other side of the pool.  I keep expecting the cast from "Dirty Dancing" to show up

Cute projects.....  More details to come.


FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: Plum Street Samplers 'Scarecrow' Open Triangle

This is a cute fall décor piece.  Needlework is extracted from Plum Street Samplers "Cinnamon Stars" chart.   Stitched with Sampler Threads Limited Edited Perle Cotton 5 on 18 count Rustic Linen (over 2).    Buttons from "Just Another Button Co."

Finished as a "open triangle".   This piece and the finishing supplies and instructions were one of the classes at the Silver Needle Camp - fall 2017.

Needlework Rotation: TW Y2K progress and Plum Street Scarecrow Introduction.

I have a solid ten hours in on Teresa Wentzler's "Millennium".    I got the rest of the over one on face of the right hand angel done, and all the back stitching (face, hair, upper wings, hands, hourglass, robe, torch) on that side done down to the page break.   Other than the beading and blending fiber that will be added at the end, the top half of this project is completed.

Here's where I started:

And here's where I am now.   In addition to finishing up on page 2, I started to establish some of the lower robes on the right side.  

When this project comes back up in rotation, I'll do the same on the left hand side.   There are at least a dozen blended shades each in the upper robes, the under tunic and also in the lower wings, so it will be a while on those two sections.  

In general, I think I'll work from both sides in toward the middle on page 3 and 4.  There's a landscape section in between the two angels and then a bottom frame similar to the upper arch with foliage sections and a verse in over one and backstitch.   Still a very long way to go on this piece.

The next slot in the rotation is my slot for modern samplers and smalls.   I still have one project from last fall's Silver Needle camp.   So I picked that one from my list of 'possiblities'.  The designer is Plum Street Samplers; and we are again extracting a section of a larger chart to make a small décor piece.   This one will be finished as a 'open ended triangle' and will use the scarecrow, fence and corn rows from the bottom right side of the "Cinnamon Stars" chart.

Nice 'autumn' pallet on this one.  Looking forward to starting it this week.

Slow Sunday Stitching - Feb 4, 2018

Well, I have a couple of finishes/milestones to report this week on Slow Sunday Stitching.

First done was the finished finishing on the Plum Street Sampler Skating Santa.  I finished the stitching on this at Silver Needle Camp, but didn't get the assembly done there.   All the finishing materials and directions are provided in the camp kits.  We got three this year, each with a different finishing technique.   I now know how to make faux boxes and cubes!  This is a  cute way to make a display project for seasonal décor.   I am still a bit in love with the jingle bell feet.  I can also see using wooden spheres/cubes, dice or chunky beads on non-Christmas type pieces.

Next is the last of the EPP for the "Aunt Lottie's Garden" quilt.   Now, I say 'last EPP' with the caveat that I have not yet fully designed the borders and I may drop a few single round Flower Garden sets into the proposed 'vine and leaves' design.   We'll see when we get there. 

And finally, knitting.  No, not the socks, though I DID finish the foot on sock #1.  (No picture of that, it's just a slightly longer version of last week!)    There was EMERGENCY knitting this week!  There was an online presentation at work on Tuesday.  These are one-way Skype sessions, you can comment, type in questions and view the presenter/slides, etc.  But nobody can see you; you are in your cube, alone.   Keeping my hands busy lets me focus.   I'm sure most of the participants were playing on their phones.  I was MUCH more productive with my knitting and more attentive to boot. 

But the yarn management issues that I have alluded to before made the socks not a prime project.   So I cast on a simple ribbed hat.  I make this pattern for charity all the time.  It's called a "LOSY Hat"  (Left Over Sock Yarn is what the acronym stands for.)  It uses two strands and as long as you more or less coordinate the palette, I haven't had a single one of them come out as a 'fugly' finished object.   

I chose 'beachy' colors for this one, lots of blue and white with a bit of brown and green.  Most of the sock yarns were Regia Surf  Stripes (cotton wool blends) or my much beloved and deeply mourned discontinued Regia Cotton (the solid version of the Surf).   There's a bit of the nasty Regia Cotton Stretch (which is NOT a substitute for the Cotton, despite how it's marketed) and some Vinca (which doesn't have the cotton in it, but is machine washable).    I got the entire body of the hat done during the presentation.   Came home and whacked out the 16 rounds of crown decreases.  Voila! Finished project.   Summer Shores Hat on Ravelry  (if you aren't a member, you'll have to sign up.  It's free, no spam, and the ads are modest - I promise.)

This next week will be all about getting the binding on the Scrappy Sister's Choice.   I have the binding all made and ready to install.   That's the task for after church.   Then lots and lots of hemming.   I sew my binding on the front and then flip it over and hand stitch it to the back.   Even though this is just a double bed quilt, it's still about 320 inches around at 7 or 8 stitches to the inch!  Good thing I love to hand sew!

Speaking of hand work, run over to Kathy's blog and see what the other Slow Sunday Stitchers are making.  (Link to this week's round up.)