A Thanksgiving Start

Here is my new start for Thanksgiving, this is Christmas Garden by Blackbird Designs.  I didn't used to be someone that needed to mark an occasion with a new start but I was ready for a new project so saved it for Thanksgiving day. 

I'm stitching this with silks on 36 ct. Vintage Navy Bean linen by Lakeside linens.  I originally purchased this as a silk conversion but changed three of the four colors to suit my tastes so I think I'm calling it my own conversion now.  So, since I was playing with colors and ripped a brown and a gold before settling on this combination I needed to do more than just the border.  I'm happy to have done so too, it's fun to work on the motifs as well as the border. 

I will probably continue like this, working to finish the border but popping in some motifs from time to time too. 

I hope that everyone reading this had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  My parents were in town for a few days over the holiday and we had a really nice visit and holiday weekend!  I just didn't even think about taking a photo of us all together!  Oh well!  Thanks for dropping by, I'll be back with more progress soon! 

JM Gardner Finish

JM Gardner stitched on 35 ct. R&R Abecedarian Blend Linen

I've finished JM Gardner, a super fast, super fun sampler from With thy Needle and Thread.  I absolutely loved this sampler when she came out and she was such a joy to stitch!  I really should have been doing some stitching for my sampler guild's ongoing project but am so happy that I snuck this little girl in here first.  Isn't she pretty?? 

I've also been doing a little framing and home decorating lately.  A few weeks back I framed my Paradise Lost (finally, I've had the frame since Mother's day).  I've hung her in the guest room over the headboard that I made from two old shutters.  I am thrilled with how this came out!  I just bolted the shutters together and then mounted the headboard on the wall using hardware to hang a chalk board or dry erase board (I found the hardware at my local Home Depot).  It was super easy and I'm so proud of doing the project myself and so happy with how it all turned out!  Now, I just need to make the quilt I'm thinking of for this bed and paint the wall.  :D

Thanks for stopping by!  Jen

November TUSAL and a JM Gardner Update

It's time for my November TUSAL report.  Don't know what a TUSAL is?  Go to this post by Daffycat to find out and to come play with us!

Some days I feel like all I do on this blog is report my monthly TUSAL but I've been trying to be better!  Actually, I've done a bunch of stitching and framing lately that I need to share on here but haven't taken the time yet to photograph it yet.  You might notice that I've got a bunch of red threads at the top here, that's all from JM Gardner, I'm a bit farther along than in the picture below and should have a finish to show you soon!  Now it's time for my monthly squish the TUSAL threads to push them farther down in the jar so I can keep stitching and filling this jar again.  It's good that the year is almost up since this jar is getting pretty full! 

I've been stitching and stitching and stitching on JM Gardner by With thy Needle and Thread lately.  I started this little sampler when I was visiting my parents at the end of October and even though I haven't had a ton of time to stitch since getting home when I have I've just been devouring JM Gardner.  She stitched such a pretty sampler and it is such a fun stitch!

Here is the last progress pic that I took, I've gotten some of the red in and should have a finish to report and show you soon!  We had our guild meeting last weekend and my friend Katrina and I are both stitching this sampler, her linen is a darker tan where mine is more on the beige side so our samplers look totally different!  she inspired me to change the reds so they were less rusty and more pinky-red.  However, we looked at some teals since we both loved the look of this with just the greens and tans stitched.  In the end though I decided to go with the pinky-reds so I could eventually hang this with a collection of mostly red samplers.  Stay tuned for a finish soon! 

JM Gardner Start

Due to a friend who emailed me practially the moment that the JM Gardner chart was available, I got swept up in the frenzy and I have now started this charming and adorable little sampler! 

I had been thinking about starting BBD Christmas Garden next but figured that this little gem won't take very long.  This is my progress after just a few days with needle in hand. 

When I was home the other weekend a friend asked me if I was tending to stitch the border first now.  I hadn't really thought about it except that I have done every sampler with a border this way since stitching Mary Roe this spring.  I guess I just like knowing that the border will match (or where I'd have to fudge in the case of Ann Sandles).  Plus the border is boring and then I have all the fun stuff left!  So, I guess I am starting with borders and then doing the rest now but I don't know that I'm always going to stitch this way! 

A Long Overdue Update!

The last two posts I've made have been my monthly TUSAL updates, so all you've seen from me in awhile is all the ORT's that I've generated but not what I've been stitching on to generate those ORT's.  So, here's an update of all the stitching that I've been up to! 

First off, I finished By My Hand by Barrick Samplers.  I personalized it a bit and now it's off at the framer's who has a stunning frame picked out for it.  I can't wait to show you! 

Next up was Margaret Cottam.  She was a really fun stitch and perfect for fall with those rich jewel toned colors.  I must admit, I didn't have any plans to stitch her but then I saw one stitched up in person and fell in love.  I took progress pics along the way, so here is Margaret Cottam. 

Margaret Cottam was stitched on 35 ct. WDW Cocoa with the called for threads.  All I did was pick a tighter weave so she'd be a little smaller (and so I'd only have to use one thread to stitch with).  I was back in Wisconsin last weekend and picked out a fabulous frame for her at Lynn's of Madison. 

I've obviously been stitching a bunch and just too busy to post.  One of the reasons I've been so busy lately is that Sage and I are in the process of becoming a certified pet therapy team at one of the local hospitals.  We spent three weeks in class and are now doing paperwork and tests to finish our certification.  Here we are graduating from the program!  Next we will get certified through TD, Inc as a team and I will complete the volunteer training at the hospital and then we'll start visiting patients.  I'm looking forward to having my rescue dog help others in need!