Rose Shield - Finish!

Brace yourselves, I'm back with yet another post and another finish!  I know, right!  Two in a row.  Someone get the smelling salts, I think some of you just passed out.  LOL!

Seriously though, I mentioned last time I had a new start and now it's done.  I just need to ornamentify it.  I had gone stash diving looking for something else and ran across this little cutie in my "basket o'joy."  Let's just say it's been in that basket a really, really long time waiting it's turn for some love.  Here she is!

Design: Rose Shield

(from the Christmas Roses II leaflet)

Designer: Mary Beale

Fabric: 32ct. Natural (2 over 2)

Floss:  Called for DMC

Started: 11/6/16

Finished: 11/13/16

Completed: TBD

I still love this one as much as I did the day I laid eyes on it.  This just hits all the right buttons for me.  I love the colors, I love the pineapple (or that's what it looks like to me), I love the vintage feel of it. Everything is just so me.

Here's the leaflet it came from in case you are wondering.  It's old, like published in 1989 old!  The charts are all hand drawn.  I did a quick search on the "bay of evil" aka eBay and there are several of these leaflets still to be found.

I haven't decided yet how I'm going to ornamentify it.  I need to dig the original leaflet out to see if there are templates in there for the shapes.  I usually make a working copy so I don't mangle the original.  I'm kind of doubting there are templates but you never know.

Several folks at the guild meeting were nostalgic about this one when they saw it.  I guess Mary Beale was pretty big back in the day.  Who knew!  I'm pretty sure I'll do some more of her ornaments.  There were several of her designs in the "free box" at the LNS the day I found this one and yes, they came home with me.  They've been ripening in the stash dontcha know.

~*~*~*~

Well friends, it's a quick one today but I just had to share. I hope your week is off to a good start.  Thanks for visiting today.

More next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

To the Beach Freebie - FINISH!

So last time I mentioned a project I'd worked on earlier this summer.  I thought I'd share this finish today and show you all the goodies I made to go with it.

First, a little back story.  I took a Saturday road trip early this summer to The Finishing Touch in Louisville, Kentucky.  I just love Saundra, the owner, and Carol, fabric cutter extraordinaire!  As a parting gift, Saundra gave me the "To The Beach" freebie by Hands on Design.  I have a great affinity for Cathy Habermann designs and I couldn't wait to stitch it.  Let's check it out.

Design:  To the Beach Freebie

Designer:  Hands on Design

Fabric:  40ct. Vintage Pearled Barley

Floss:  GAST as charted

Started:  6/12/16

Finished:  7/4/16

Completed: 10/9/16

I knew from the start I wanted to finish this as a tin topper.  I intended to take it with me as my travel tool box on my trip to Myrtle Beach for the PALs Retreat in October.  I had heard that Hands on Design might be one of the vendors and thought it would be fun to show Cathy in person but she wasn't there.  Want to see the inside?

I decided to put a sheet magnet in the lid for needles and such.  I also padded the bottom and added cording around so the needles wouldn't get lost in the gap.  I also made a matching ORT catcher using the same fabric and some coordinating fabric.  Then I decided those naked scissors needed a fob.  All scissors need fobs, right?!

Design: From the chart On Beach Time

Designer: Hands on Design

Fabric: 40 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley scraps

Floss: GAST and DMC

Started:  10/9/16

Finished: 10/9/16

Completed: 10/12/16

And if you are going to make a fob, why not a two sided fob!  I used the finishing instructions from Jeannette Douglas' chart called "Friendship Sweet Bag."  She suggests using two quarters to give the fob weight.  Now this finish could not be easier and it really gives a nice look and feel.  I also just had to add a couple tiny embellishments too where the twisted cords meet.

These are two things that also live inside the tin.  I love those LoRan threaders and always pick one up when I see them.  I'm pretty certain I have one in every project bag.

Now the other "tool" you might recognize from a trip to ULTA or Sephora!  It is one of those spoolies they give you to test mascara!  It works wonderfully as a "boo boo" stick.  Now I can't claim this as my own brilliant idea.  I heard my blog buddy, Vonna, from The Twisted Stitcher blog/FlossTube mention it.  She's really the brilliant one.  Go get yourself some of these 'cause they are awesome and best of all, free!  You're welcome!

~*~*~*~

So there you have it, a fun finish I thought you'd enjoy seeing today.  Every time I use this sweet set I think of being at the beach.  The beach soothes my soul and I absolutely love being there.  Too bad I live in the land locked midwest.  LOL!

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  I'm off to a guild meeting and all day stitch tomorrow.  I'm hoping to make some progress on "Heaven Above" and I couldn't resist a new start last weekend so I'm going to work on that too.  More about that another day!  Thanks for visiting.

Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher