Friday, December 25, 2015

Samplermaker- Carriage House Samplings

This is to be my final finish of 2015!  I know I don't have a thing in my stash that can be done before the chimes ring out 2015 and welcome in 2016.


Tavern Signs - Samplermaker
Carriage House Samplings
30 ct. Iced Cappucino
DMC

I have so much to share on this post!  We had a wonderful Christmas.  I received a new camera, a notebook and several gift cards.  The food was absolutely delicious  and we will be enjoying leftovers for many days. 

I want to share the pictures of the Altoid sewing kits I made. One for myself, which was for practice and to work through the kinks.  The other two were gifted to my sister and my bestie, Cathy.  All the tops were the same, but I finished the insides to coordinate with the crane scissors.

 Inside I put needle threader, tweezers, scissors,  and some packages of petit needles.  Yes the black on the inside lid is a magnet. Pretty proud of myself with the making of all the coordinating cording out of DMC.  My electric hand mixer, sure got a workout!

Once I finished the last sampler, I pulled out my stash.  Talk about being over the top!  I actually made a spread sheet of my existing stash.
I had someone point out to me, with all these charts, I'd have to live to be 200 to finish them all.  Never underestimate a driven stitcher like me! Got me thinking of my completions in 2015.

Here they are:

EH 1875 (started in 2014)
Amish Life- Tending the Garden
Dunvegan Sampler
Family Name Sampler
Amish Life- Hanging the Quilts
Rhoda Hastings 1863
Isabella Gray 1838
Ann Pegg 1877
Tropical Quaker Sampler
Antique Sampler
Karoline Beringer
Mexican School girl Practice Sampler
 In addition to
Knitted 3 baby blankets plus 3 teen scarves
Knit one eternity scarf
Made 3 tin topper sewing kits
Plus made slip covers for a couch and love seat, cushion covers for both. Plus recovered the pillows.
And made a valance.
Made one small baby quilt
Samplermaker Tavern Sign

If I hadn't been so crafty with sewing and knitting, I'd had a few more samplers finished!

Which brings me how I will decide what is next in my stitching rotation.  I decided to go by copyright year, and start with the oldest.  However, anything overseas had no copyright year and so I may occasional slip one of those in randomly.

So with that being said, if I have the right material my next sampler will be Hannah Lancaster with a 1985 copyright date. 

Next post will officially be in 2016.  May the New Year bring you happiness and joy.  May it allow plenty of time to stitch!










Sunday, December 20, 2015

Mexican School Girl Practice - Week 6

Mexican School Girl Practice
By Samplers Remembered
40 ct. Porcelain linen 
DMC

Just put the last stitches in this beauty! Now the hard work begins of deciding what is next!  So many charts, so many to consider.

It's time to do some more administration and organizing of my existing charts before I start pulling threads, and putting needle to fabric.

I have, in this last week managed to finish wrapping all existing Christmas purchases. So the only things left are those still in transit.  Hopefully they'll arrive before Christmas.

We also got the tree decorated. My husband was in charge of lights and beads. I was in charge of ornaments, and icicles. This tree is smaller in height than previous years.  I know that because I didn't run out of either ornaments or lights.


Again another short entry this week. To all my followers. May you and your family have a very Merry Blessed Christmas!

Until next week!  Happy Stitching!!!!!


Sunday, December 13, 2015

Mexican School Girl Practice - Week 5

I am at the point where each of us gets when working on a larger piece!  I just want to be done, finished! I only have one more page to go, and at least it's not a full page.  



I don't know why I'm in such a hurry.  It's not like I have a clue what I'm doing next. Still haven't been able to figure out what to do.

Besides, I have so much to do besides stitching! I have my shopping done, but I still need to wrap.  The house is partially decorated. We got the outside done, while the weather was being cooperative.  It was actually 73 degrees here today.  Sure doesn't feel like Christmas!

The tree is up, lights in, but no decorations. I kiddingly said to the hubby, well if we don't put anything else on, it'll be less to take down.  

The youngins will be home this week from college. So I really do need to get their stuff wrapped. And am trying to figure out how to wrap my mother's gifts when she is always with me.  Guess I'll have to wrap them after she retires one night.  But by the end of the day, I just want to zone!

I finished all the gifts I made, and I'd share the pics but some of the recipients read my blog.  So pics will have to wait until after Christmas!

Short post this week!  Happy stitching!


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Week 4 - Mexican Schoolgirl Practice

Mexican School Girl Practice
By Samplers Remembered
40 ct. Porcelain linen 
DMC

Slow progress this week and yet I still managed to finish a while page from the chart.  Can't tell you how much stitching I did, followed by ripping out, restitching, reripping and finally the third time was either a charm or as good as it was gonna get.

But alas the joys of stitching! Sometimes it is one stitch forward and two stitches back.

I have managed to get some of the house decorated for Christmas. All the candles are in the window. The wreaths are hung and the stockings too.  The tree sits in its stand no lights, no ornaments.  Wish I had had the gumption Saturday night to put the lights on it.  

We still need to add lights and the inflatables to the front yard.  My mother hauled out her Christmas decorations that she brought with her.  I'll have to figure out to work those into the decor.  

I am pretty pleased with myself, that other than my husband , Christmas shopping is almost done. I've got a few things to mail as well.  

But back to stitching- it's usually bout this time in a project that I'm already thinking "what's next?" Or I already know what's next.  This time my mind is a total blank.  Not a clue.  Maybe I should number my charts, put pieces of  papers with duplicate numbers and just pick randomly!  

But at least I'm not adding anymore new charts.  Didn't even ask for a single one. I did ask for Michaels gift cards for framing and 123stitch for supplies.

I'll have to ponder some of my ideas over the next week!

Until then happy stitching!!!!!