Rosewood Manor -American Quilt Sampler update 6

Not enough stitching time as I would have liked.  Busy, busy week!  Starting out with a soccer tournament in Richmond, of which my youngest son played in the early game.  My oldest son and his girlfriend came up form Norfolk to spend the weekend with us. School started on Tuesday.  It hen on Thursday, hubbie and I drove to Chesapeake for dinner with some Navy friends, a change of command ceremony on Fri. Jump back in the car for the return trip to Manassas, because we had company and my step daughter coming for a visit as well.  Plus two more soccer games, one Sat. And another Sun. Plus still in search of contractor for our bathroom renovation.  Needless to say, I only managed to complete two states this week.  Oklahoma and Nebraska.   Hope next week is a bit less busy! 

Rosewood Manor - American Quilt Sampler - update 5

Well have managed to complete three more states. Utah, Rhode Island and Florida.  Worked on a lot of the wording and the background for the wording.  Slow going!  But, at least each state is like working on a mini sampler each time, so maybe just maybe, I won't come to the "I can't wait to get this finished stage."   The stage you come to when you are ready to mentally move onto another project.

I don't know why the last pic is so blurry.  You will note there is one state I am having some difficulty with completing.  I just haven't liked the way it looked, so I sort of skipped over it and get back to it!

Rosewood Manor - update 4

Making progress!  It may not seem that way, when I look at how much I have completed and how much I have to go.  The pattern is printed on a very large piece of paper, and I'm only on the front side.   I do skip around a bit, between the top part and bottom of the pattern. Especially since there are so many Algerian Eye Stitches.  Lots of additional back stitching of different colors within each square of each state.  Plus, each state is outlined via back stitch in brown.  So proud  of myself when I get a state finished!

Cross stitch Outer Banks style

Just returned from our yearly family vacation in Southern Shores, NC.  We rent a house that is within walking distance of the beach, which the kids and their friends take advantage of.  In the three years we have rented the same house, I have never been to the beach.  I prefer the pool. Granted I only got to use the pool the first couple of days.  By Wednesday, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees, the skies were gray and it was either raining or drizzling.  

But...as long as I have a few romance novels and cross stitch projects, I'm a happy camper wherever I am and no matter what the weather is.         

I did have a visitor/supervisor of my work.  Normally I dislike bugs, spiders, snakes, amphibians and all other manor of reptiles.  But this was sort of cute, because it was clearly a baby.

                     

Rosewood Manor - American Quilt Sampler Update 3

Surprise!! I have managed to finish 3 more state squares.  My own home state of Michigan, the W. Virginia, and also Maryland.  Pretty proud of myself, although at least this time I was not so arrogant with my stitching abilities, that I figured I could knock a state out every day.  Not so much on Alphabet blocks,  took me 3 days to finish each square.

 

Rosewood Manor - update 2

It's amazing that I found any time whatsoever to cross stitch.  I have been so busy with things to do.  I have had to resort to making lists for things I need to do, including cleaning out my refrigerator. (Ugg!) make doctor and dentist appointments,  for not only myself and the kids, but the dogs too.  I did manage to finish one pending project today.  These are night stands that I purchased in 1984 at an unfinished furniture going out of business auction.  I don't remember how much I paid for them, but when my oldest son was in grade school he has them. And they were stained wood color.  My daughter came along, 14 years later, then they were white with pink drawers.  Then two years later my youngest son came along.  He used them too.  They were white, with a red, blue and yellow drawer fronts.  Coat of paint, new knobs and they were recycled.  I am now using them to store sewing supplies.  I certainly have gotten my money out of them.

I managed to finish two more states.  North Carolina and Idaho.  I sort of skip around on the piece because there is a lot of fill in stitching.  Especially since the last several pieces I have worked on have over their fair share of the Algerian eye stitch.  Speaking of which, several months ago I was searching the web, and came upon The Scarlett Quince website.  They have a lot of helpful hints, but what I found was directions for what they call a "pinhead" stitch.  They have illustrations how to use the stitch on both linen and Aida.  It has been a real lifesaver for those charts that have that one pesky random stitch.

Rose Hill Manor - American Quilt Sampler

Back to working on this Sampler!  Not gotten as far done as I would like, but sometimes other things in life just take a priority.  I did manage to complete my spare bedroom, which I had planned to do before my company from Michigan arrived.  But...due to my trip to Daytona Beach with my oldest son, everything was postponed, because he needed me for love, support, etc.  It was more important for me to be with him, then doing anything else. So I returned, started catching up on laundry, and painting the Guest bedroom.

 

 

 

I like the way it turned out, still a little tweaking to be done!  I have to put the blinds back up, and new valances (color of the accent wall.) My husband is going with me on Fri., to go to Front Royal, Va. where they have an architectural selvage place, and we are hoping to purchase something interesting to hang above the bed. I would like an old window frame, I think my husband is thinking more stained glass.  My alphabet blocks sampler is on the right, and the colors blend with the bedding and wall colors.  We also have purchased a ceiling fan for this room, and need to get the electrician into wire it for us.  Plus eventually run cable in this room as well so that we can put a TV in for guests.

 

 

Which brings me to the progress on Rose Hill Manor - American Quilt Sampler.  The latest block finished is the State of Washington.  I found what I thought to be a missing symbol on my chart.  I ended up, checking out the Rose Hill Manor site and found a bunch of corrections, which I am glad that I found.  But...it didn't reflect the symbol that was showing up that seemed to be lacking in the legend directions.  I contacted Karen Kubla of Rose Hill Manor, and she was so nice and helpful.  Come to find out, this particular pattern won an award at the Rosewood Manor Plantation Embroidery show in Alexandria, Va.  Ms. Kubla asked me to send her a picture of my work when I finished.  Won't be anytime soon I can guarantee that!