Sunday, May 31, 2015

Rhoda Hastings 1863 - week 5





Page 5


Page 6

Pretty amazed at myself that I managed to stitch this much. Last week was just a busy week withcommitments.  Unfortunately, commitments as well as the sometimes necessary afternoon nap 
take away from stitching time.

I think another day or two and I will be completely finished with this sampler.  I will take a few days off before I begin another because I just have to work on the slip covers to cover the floral love seat and couch.  Going to the boys townhouse for college, and the floral print was not their style.

After that, it'll probably be a few small projects to take with me to our annual family vacation in the outer banks.  Then next on the list is Isabella Gray 1838

Had this in my stash for awhile, fabric color and count as well as the designer will follow when I actually start stitching it.

Managed to go to another stash sale by the Woodbridge stitching group.  They meet on Tursdays at the Wegmans.  They are helping liquidate the stash of a member who passed away.  After an hour I managed to purchase 3 pieces of fabric in larger cuts and various cts. and a chart.

This Is MMS 1758 by Sampler Workes. 

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Rhoda Hastings 1863 - Week 4

My big goal this week was to finish page 4.  I finally put the last few stitches in a few moments ago.  


It was rather slow going as there was so many motifs. Plus the alphabit in Algerion stitches.  Not my favorite stitch!  They look so pretty when completed but it seems like it takes for ever to do them and see any progress.

The border is quite detailed too.  Zigzags, has cross motifs at each point with a single stitch in the middle.  Followed by more zigzags with leaves with alternating birds and animals and more Algerion stitches. Plus names. Then if that isn't enough a single line of cross stitch along the bottom.

I have been going through DMC like Sherman through Atlanta.  I can not tell you how many times I have been back to Michael's, AC Moore and Walmart to purchase more thread. If you have this in your stash, buy 3 skeins of pretty much everything, especially the greens and golds and blues. It'll save you on multiple trips.

I always feel quilty for wanting to add to my stash.  Be it charts, fabric or thread. To be honest, I do downsize the charts from time to time.  By giving them away or donating them.  I also set a monthly budget for myself of how much I will spend in my hobbi.  Sometimes I'm over and sometime I'm under.  This month I think I spent under $40.  Included a yard of linen I bought on an eBay auction and the extra skeins of DMC.

Being a part of FB I read the stories of stitchers that their stash collections go back for decades.  Then they, or the loved ones are forced to dissemble the collection within a very short period.  It's heart breaking to read the stories because you can hear how overwhelmed they are.  

Just something to think about.  I have had to think about it due to a sudden loss of someone, plus moving my mother's things.  I guess the question to ask is, is my stash organized?  Do I want my family or myself to be overwhelmed by having to rid should it be necessary? If you have things that are older than 10 years you have to ask "am I really going to get to this?"  Just food for thought!

On a bit of a better thought.  I managed to purchase some baskets that attach to the railing that leads to the door of the mud room. My hubby installed them for me.  Picked up a few more posies today and planted them.  I think they'll brighten up that entrance a bit.




Sunday, May 17, 2015

Rhoda Hastings 1863 - week 3

Felt like I made a lot of progress this week when I was able to finish pages 2 and 3.  

I received the replacement needlepoint yarn from the designer and was able to rip out the purple and red I had already stitched and replace it with correct color.






So I'm back on track.  Another weird thing I discovered about this chart is the grid lines are off.  Never seen one like this.  When you go from pages 1,2 & 3, the grid lines should be consistent from top to bottom.  When you get to pages 4, 5 and 6, the grid lines across are not where they should be.  Oh well!  Still a beautiful sampler and I ran a few grid lines of my own to make sure I was keeping on count.  Especially since this is a wide sampler.  I'm using 36" scroll rods.

I have already picked out my next project.  Won't be sharing till I finish this one. It's definately a sampler and my guess it's of Scottish origin.

The delemma continues with what I should purchase next.  Is it more fabric, fiber packs for some time charts I already have?  Or do I purchase 3 more sampler charts?  Hmmm what to do? 

Thought I was full up on charts since I have some real beauties in my stash.  But then I saw some by Heart's Ease Exampler.  The Maryland sampler and Norfolk sampler are to die for!  Especially since my hubby's family reside in Md. And my daughter was born in Md.  The Norfolk chart!  I spent many a year's residing in that area while my husband was active duty Navy.  My youngest was born in Portsmouth and my oldest is living in Norfolk right now.

I may have mentioned that I have my 93 year old mom living with us.  She has taken up residence in my office chair which goes to my sewing machine.  Probably because it's close to the TV.  But when she gets a bit bored with watching the Hallmark channel or NCIS reruns I find her spinning the chair in my direction as I stitch away.  She keeps asking me "are you almost done?" 

I don't think she has any idea how long it takes to stitch something and as soon as this project is finished I'll be putting a new piece of fabric on my stand to start another!




Tuesday, May 12, 2015

EH 1875

I just got my sampler from being framed. She's another beauty!  Michaels did a lovely job on it.  And it was made better because they were having a huge framing sale, then I cashed in two gift certificates from my boys, so it cost me $23.00 to get framed.


It's EH 1875 by European Reproductions.


Monday, May 11, 2015

Rhoda Hastings 1863 - Week 2




I was hoping to have completed page two as of this posting.  But it was a busy week last week!  Spent most of one day at the JMU campus moving my son out of his dorm room.  

I don't remember how the rest of the week went but I know for a fact, I didn't have much stitching time.

Plus I ran into a snag when I ran out of the purple needlepoint yarn on the first page when there were 5 more pages to go.

I thought I could waltz into the LNS and just purchase some more.  Not so much. Both the red and purple had been discontinued.  Now what!?

Many years ago I did collections in the mortgage industry.  So I know how to find people.  Handy thing to have.  It's helped in finding classmates for high school reunions and....locating the now retired designer, Rebecca Dorrie of Samplers and Such.

Somehow when the chart was made up the colors were mixed up on the legend.  Where "z" shows purple on the legend it should really be red. And where "<" shows red it should really be purple. The chart is correct but the legend wasn't causing me to quickly run out of the yarn.

Ms. Dorrie had some extra yarn in her stash and is kindly forwarding some purple to me.  The way the chart is layed out it is easy to skip around the purple motifs for the time being.

I will say this is a beautiful sampler and I have enjoyed working on it.  Can't believe I had it my stash for so long!  

Another little project finish is my flower bed below the bay window in the living room.  I have for years tried to grow something there, but the lawn people keep mowing it over or weed whacking everything.  My husband put some border stones there and I planted a bunch of perennials there.  Hoping by next year if they survive that that area will be beautious!





Saturday, May 2, 2015

Rhoda Hastings 1863 - Week 1



Rhoda is coming along quite nicely! I'm already starting on page 2 of the chart. Although not sure how much stitching time I'll get next week as it's time to
bring the college kids home.  Which will include packing up and moving the youngest completely out of the dorm.

I look forward to them coming home even if it's only for a few days since both of them have signed up for classes in what they call Maymester.  Hints will noisy for a few days and then quiet again when they head back to school.

When I pulled my threads for this chart I thought I had plenty of DMC.  The designer actually put skein amounts on several of the numbers.  But I have quickly gone through one skein of two colors and feeling a bit panicky.  So the first opportunity I'm going to pick up 2 more skeins of the two colors.

Another thing unusual about the chart is that it called for the use of needlepoint yarn.  It is enclosed with the chart.  Several strands of purple and quite a few strands of red. I'm hoping that I don't have any more call for the purple because I'm almost out already.  

I also cut the strands in half before using them, because of the thickness, I didn't want fraying or breaking.

This designer is also retired.  I located her on FB but I don't think she visits her page often. I had a few questions about the use of the needlepoint yarn but since I received no reply I just winged it.

Guess that's what happens when you hold onto your charts for so long before stitch them. Also why I'm trying to stitch things I've had in my stash for awhile.

I managed to give away some more charts that I will never stitch and passed them on to someone I hope that can use them.

Those charts you just had to have at the time because they were calling to you. You just had to have it.  Now there isn't even so much as a whisper from them.  Time to let them go and call out someone else's name!