Hannah Lancaster - Week 9

Well I'm almost finished.  So happy my border lined up perfectly!  

Still a lot of stitching to do, but I think I'll be done before next Sunday.  So thankful because my wrists need a break!  Think I'm going to take a week off from stitching once this is complete.

Maybe do a little house cleaning, some baking, sew some doll clothes.  Get back to the tread mill which I have neglected.

My husband took my mom and I to see Lord of the Dance:Dangerous Games.  It was wonderful, although very much the same theme as the other shows.  Good vs. Evil.  Although the background reminded me of a cross between the video game Spyro and the movie Transformers.  Still it was wonderful to actually see Michael Flatley join the cast for the finale and encore! All the other live performance I've attended, it was just the traveling casts.

I was rooting around in my storage room and found these two pieces, that I stitched almost 35 years ago.  These were in my oldest son's nursery.  Crewel used to be what I stitched before I transferred to cross stitch.

A little wrinkled and stained, but I bet they'd clean up pretty well.  I don't know why I saved them. Probably hoping that eventually he'd marry and start reproducing. But that doesn't seem to be anywhere on the radar!

My pal Cathy has been in quite the search for fabric to make a valance for her kitchen window. Her family room is attached to her kitchen. Since I know what fabric she has hanging in there, I invited her over to look at the coordinating Waverly fabric I have that I held onto.  She's pretty giddy.  Someone might as well use it! 

I also found a large container full of various colors of felt.  I know now, I'm never going to make that Christmas Tree Skirt, and all my kids are well past the felt art project stage. I'll try to find somewhere to donate it.

Found some brand new sweat shirts that I put in the Goodwill box, that I bought when I was doing waste canvas stitching phase. 

Well that's bout it for this week.  Happy Stitching!

Week 8 - Hannah Lancaster

Hannah Lancaster Sampler

Worcester Art Museum

The Porcupine Collection

35 ct. Unbleached linen

DMC

Really slow going on this sampler.  Thought I'd be well in to something else already and I'm still not to the bottom of the chart.  

I think what is taking so long, is there is just a lot of fill in of straight cross stitch. There's not a whole lot of empty spaces between motifs like some of the samplers I've stitched.

I have stitched so much, that I actually put a hole in my finger from pushing the needle through.  I tried a band aid.  That didn't work!  Kept catching the thread.  Tried some various forms of thimbles I already had. The metal ones made my finger sweat and kept sliding off. I tried some other form of thimble and though my finger didn't sweat it  continued to slide off or get caught.

So I bought this little gadget at a quilt shop. Seems to work okay.  At least my needle isn't sliding into the hole on my finger. It feels like it's going to fall off, even though it hasn't.  And I have taken it off and put it back on at least 3 times, and it's still holding.

I've ordered some sticker type thimbles. When they arrive, I'll let you know which one I like better. Anything to save my finger!

Speaking of ordering.  It surprises me the lack of customer service some of these LNS show to their customers.  Or maybe it's only me.  Within the last month I have ordered things from LNS which I located via the web to purchase something I wanted.

In two instances, after waiting more than 10 days, I inquired about the status of my order.  In both instances, the LNS was out of what I wanted, and instead of notifying me, to give me a chance to shop elsewhere,  or just simply letting me know my order would be delayed because they didn't have it. The both waited for me to inquire.  If you wonder why some of these companies don't make it, perhaps this is just a little of the reason.

Well that's about all for this week.  Happy Stitching!

Hannah Lancaster - Week 7

Wow, if it hadn't been for my Blogluvin showing up in my mail, I might have completely forgotten to post this week.

Can't' believe it's been 7 weeks.  Well, that's not exactly true.  It feels like seven weeks of stitching, with no end in sight. 

Although when I went to copy more of the chart to work from, the bottom border is shown on it.  But there is a lot of stitching still to do.

This sampler has been deceiving, I thought I could whip it out like many of the prior samplers I've stitched. Not so much.  Lots of color changes.  Been trying to stitch everything in one thread color, before I get sick of that and move onto another color.  

I estimate it will be at least 2 weeks before Hannah comes off the scroll rods and another project begins.

Next project is the Skyros Island Schooner sampler.   Wouldn't have been the next one but I agreed to join in on a SAL. I might have to play catch up! 

I ordered another chart.  Dutch Beauty.  I have always been drawn to that chart, but didn't purchase it before because of all the browns and beiges. Recently I saw one in FB where the stitcher changed the colors. It was gorgeous!   

I did some research. It only takes 13 colors. I can pick 13 colors (I think). Found the chart on Stitch Bits and Bobs on sale.  Now just waiting for chart. 

Weather here in No. Va.  Has been something else. It snowed here Sun. And Mon.  Very cold too. But my husband got to use his snowblower. 

He says it's already paid for itself. Warmed up a bit late yesterday, only to freeze everything over.  We'll be sticking close to home.

Well that's bout all for this week, til next week...happy stitching!

Hannah Lancaster - Week 6

Whoosh!  Thank Heaven!  On Sunsay, I put the last stitches in the house.  That is all I worked on.  If I never see DMC 3045 or 3046, it'll still be too soon.

I finally got to move my scroll rods.  I was actually quite happy that I could see a few lines of the lady's head on the piece of chart I was working from. Course there is a lot of stitching before I get to her, but I guess it's the small things that make you just as happy!

I got a new chart this week. Ada Hansem. I have also been bad in that I ordered another chart, and put my name on a wait list for the Queenstown sampler coming out in Mar.  Must, must must stay off the internet!  I'm just too tempted.  But then I watch a few episodes of Hoarders and feel much better about myself. My stash is not to that point yet!

I also agreed to be in a stitch along which starts in February.  Skyros Island Schooner.  Gonna do that one for my youngest son.  Thankfully I have no further children that I need to stitch a piece for.  No grandchildren in the horizon either.

My sister bought one of her grandchildren a Cabbage Patch doll for Christmas.  Guess they aren't as popular as they used to be and she couldn't find any additional clothes.  I found a pattern on eBay. Hope to sew a few dresses before the stitch a long starts.

 It'll give me an opportunity to use up some of my scrap material.  

Until next week happy stitching!

Hannah Lancaster - Week 5

Little late in my post this week.  Not really sure why, it's not like I have been all that busy.  

I finally managed to move the scroll rods again, and I ONLY have 30 more rows till the house is complete.  Remind me again, not to do a sampler that has a large building in it!!!!!

I have been helping my mom put together some jigsaw puzzles, which is probably why I haven't stitched as much.  My mom works on the puzzle in the early morning, and then after she goes to bed, I move the pieces she put in the wrong spots.  Sort of like when the kids decorate the Christmas tree.

In her defense, the light and her eyes are as great as they used to be, and theses puzzles these days, are a real challenge.  Especially if all the puzzles pieces are exactly the same, or the colors of the puzzle are muted and it's difficult to tell where, they are supposed to go.

One of these puzzles will go to my brother in Georgia, and the other to my sister in Illinois. We all like putting puzzles together, it's something my mother started us all on when we were young.  

I have been bad again, as I just bought another chart.  Ordered myself some Velcro for fabric for my scroll rods.  And....I think I know what I'm going to do with the $75 gift certificate to In Stitches.  Queenstown Sampler has a new sampler coming out after the Nashville Trade Show.  

The snow has practically all melted.  Thanks to higher temperatures and some rain.  I hear that it's going to be an early spring.  But really, can you trust a ground hog?

Oh, I also started a pinterest page.  If you want to check it out here is the link https://www.pinterest.com/addictedxstitch/

Until next week, happy, happy stitching!