Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket...DONE!

I finished the Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket yesterday!!  I couldn't be more pleased.  I love how it turned out.  You'll notice I just had to put the acorn motif front and center!  You know how I love my acorns.

Design:  Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket

Designer:  Barbara Bernard

Fabric:  32 ct. Country French Latte

Floss:  My own conversion (see below)

Started:  12/29/12

Finished: 3/14/13

Completed: 3/17/13

The fabric you see in the background is what I used to line it.  I had originally thought I'd line it with an acorn fabric I have in the stash but the background was too grey for my taste.  Then I found this one and it suited me just perfectly.  The button is from the button show my mom and I attended last year.  It's a vintage carved nut button.

Would you believe there is a full 5 yard skein of red in there?!  Yep, sure is!  I tried to stay with the colors that were called for but as you'll remember, my dye lots were really choppy so I went with my own choices from the stash.

In case you are wondering what I used, I know you are, here's my conversion.  Keep in mind your mileage may vary when it comes to dye lots.

Red = WDW Baked Apple

Blue = Threadworx #2010

Green = Waterlillies silk #106 Olive

Brown = GAST Apple Cider

Gold = CC Honey Comb

Orange = WDW Tiger Lily

Beige = Kreinik silk #7024

Backstitches and twisted cord = DMC Perle #642

 

Several of you have asked me how to get in touch with Barbara Bernard for her charts.  I have been in contact with her recently and she can be emailed at babernard@verizon.net.  I'd love to see your rendition if you stitch this chart!

Thanks goes to Barbara Bernard for designing such a wonderful project and a most enjoyable stitch!  Thanks also goes to Faye aka Carolina Stitcher for inspiring me in the first place.  Had I not seen her incredibly beautiful version of this chart I would have never known it existed or stitched it.

I truly enjoyed this project from the first stitch to the last.  I found myself not wanting to put it down!  There's just something really pleasing to my eye about it.  Now I have a wonderful place to keep my stitching tools!

Thanks for stopping by to share my happy dance today.  This is one finish I'm very proud of and will miss spending time with too.  I hope you have a great week!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Progress Report

Since we are now three months into the year, I thought I'd give you all a progress report on my ongoing projects.  This will be a long picture filled post.  Let's get going!  First up, The Hornbook Bestiary by Scarlet Letter.

Progress as of 2/6/13

Progress as of 3/7/13

As you can tell I got on a roll with this one.  I don't know what it was but all of a suddent the over one stitching just clicked and I took off with it.  I found myself not wanting to put it down.  I worked on it for three days straight and got all of this done.  The bottom picture is the most true representation of the linen color.  Next up is the Quaker Scissor Pocket project.

Progress as of 1/24/13

Progress as of 3/7/13

I'm getting really close to a finish on this one.  This is my lunch time stitch.  I've pretty much only worked on it then.  I did add a tiny crown in the spot where the acorn was charted and I'm starting on the center motif now.  I decided to go with the over one design as charted.  Next I'll need to start looking for a lining fabric soon.  Next up is John Foster.

Progress as of 1/24/13

Progress as of 3/7/13

John is starting to look like something now.  We actually got to add some color this month and it really made a difference.  This is what I've been working on in the evenings this week.  Let's look at March's installment close up!

I adore the bee skep!  It's actually the main reason I bought this chart in the first place.  It just looks so realistic!  I love how my NPI conversion matches the DMC so well.  Gotta love those funky flowers too.  I like how this one is coming along as well.


Well folks, now you are all caught up on my progress as we enter the end of the first quarter of the year.  I'm pretty pleased with all the stitching that's been going on lately.  I feel like all three of my big projects are moving along nicely at this point and a finish is soon on the horizon too.

I hope you are making good progress on your projects as well.  Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today.  Have a good rest of the week.  I can see the weekend from here!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

New Year's Day Start & 2012 tally

I hope this post finds everyone doing well in this New Year!  I'm back to report my progress on my New Year's Day start.  I spent all day and into the evening yesterday stitching on my new start.  Want to see what I got done?

Pardon the fold lines.  I didn't bother to get the iron out for this picture.  It really doesn't look like much at this point anyway.  This is the width and length of it so far.  Can you guess what it is?

Remember the floss toss from Christmas?

 

Here's a big hint!  It's the outside border on John Foster 1885 Sampler!  A group of my local peeps decided they'd all like to do this one together so this is my start on it.  I think it's going to be a fun project.  Stay tuned!

Here's an update on the Quaker Scissor Case I started on my birthday.  I worked on this all day and into the night on New Year's Eve.  I stitched until I couldn't see anymore and finally put it down a little bit before the ball dropped.  It won't take much to get the blue motif done.  Maybe I'll give it a go tonight.  I really like variegation in this blue!

***

Since I missed posting my 2012 tally on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I'll give it to you now.  I'm a numbers girl as some of you know.  I always find it interesting to go back and count up what I've done.  So here 'tis:

New Starts: 50

Finishes:  45

UFOs (unfinished objects):  16

WIPs (works in progress):  11

Just for giggles, I decided to count how many gifts and exchanges I stitched last year too.  I've not done that before and Lisa V inspired me to do it this year.  Just about half of what I finished, I gave away.

Gifts stitched:  11

Exchanges:  9
 

I was also lucky enough to attend four stitching retreats last year.  The first one was hosted by our LNS last January, the second one was my annual trip to Russellville, Kentucky, the third one was to Shepherd's Bush and the final one was the local Tiara Club Retreat.

Speaking of retreats, the LNS's retreat is coming up in two weeks!  I can hardly wait.  Thankfully I live just around the corner from the retreat site so I'll be a day-tripper again this year.  I can't wait to see what trunk shows will be there this time and you know there will be stash enhancement!  Oh yes there will!  LOL!

Well folks, that's it from this side of the computer screen today.  I hope everyone is having a good New Year so far!  Thank you so much for your friendship and visits.  I'm looking forward to a very stitch filled 2013!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

A post from the birthday girl

Yep folks, I'm another year older today!  It's been a lazy day but a good one.  I spent the day wrapped up in a blanket stitching and reading a new book.  I started the day being greeted by this!

A beautiful snowy sunrise!  Yes, I'm one of those nuts that loves snow.  I know, not everyone likes the white stuff but I can't help myself, I do!  I get almost giddy when it snows.  It's true!

Seriously though, isn't this some really pretty snow?!  I just love it when it sticks to the trees and falls down like you are in a snow globe!

This is another thing that greeted me this morning.  A sweet card from my honey.  I just love those roses on its cover.  I think this may well be the prettiest birthday card I've ever gotten.

The other thing that greeted me was this birthday surprise package from my peep, Patti.  It actually came in the mail yesterday.  I was a good girl though and waited until this morning to open it.  So what was inside you ask?  Let's see!

A stuffed Disney Dalmatian, a homemade scissor case and a nice pair of scissors.  Patti also wrote the sweetest note to me in the card.  It brought tears to my eyes it was so nice!

Somebody was quite intrigued by the "puppy" that came out of the box too.  She kept trying to lick it!  Needless to say the new puppy is sitting high atop the buffet where I can see it from the living room and someone can't get to it.  LOL! 

Here's a closer picture of the scissors and their case!  Aren't they awesome?  I had admired the scissor case my peep, Marsha had received from Linda as a Secret Stitcher gift.  Now I have one of my very own in pink!!!

Thank you, dear friend.  It meant a lot to me that you remembered.  You'll have to wait another couple days before you can open the present I sent you!  Yes, Patti and I share birthdays during the holiday season and we sympathize with each other about it.  LOL!

I decided to put my new scissors to good use and treated myself to a new start for my birthday.  It's a tradition of mine.  I've had this one hanging out in the basket o'joy for a couple years now.

I was inspired by Faye's Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket by Barbara Bernard.  I contacted Barbara a couple years ago and acquired the chart.  I even kitted it up and that's about as far as I got until today!  It was screaming my name so I listened!

Here's my progress as of this afternoon when the light was good.  I've since stitched the whole motif at the bottom and am ready to start another one.  Yes, I've had a proper case of stitch ass all day long and I'm quite pleased with myself too.  After all, it is my birthday dontcha know!

I'm using a combination of the recommended flosses and some of the ones Faye chose.  I picked a piece of 32ct Country French Latte for the linen from the stash.  It's a bit bigger than I expected so I'm thinking I'll use it as a tool pouch to hold more than just my scissors!

My folks came down late this afternoon and stayed until dark.  Today is their wedding anniversary!  Yes, I was their present a long time ago. We had a nice visit and some ice cream too!

I've also had several emails today from my peeps with birthday wishes too.  I have to say I am humbled so many people remembered this year.  I am deeply touched.  Your thoughtfulness means the world to me.  More than words can say really!  Thank you all!

I had grand plans to go into the capitol city today but the impending snow kept us close to home.  Maybe we'll try again next week.  I have a hankering for Schmidt's Sausage Haus' autobahn buffet and a trip to Cross My Heart's shop!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed we can actually make it there.  It's supposed to snow again next week too.

Well folks that's it from here. I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  Santa was very good to me this year!  I'll share what he brought in another post soon.  Thanks for visiting with me on my special day today!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Lizzie Kate - Acorn Scissor Case FOUND!

Design: Acorn Scissor Case Kit

Designer: Lizzie Kate

Floss: Weeks Dye Works as charted

Started: 8/21/11

Finished: 8/21/11

You may remember a while back I fell in love with little cutie at one of our guild stitch-ins.  Well, this set me on the hunt for what I was beginning to think was the impossible.  You know how it is when you fall in love with something you have to stitch NOW!

I scoured the internet to see if I could find one with no luck. So I decided to email a bunch of needlework shops to see if one would turn up. Thankfully it did!

Deb at Stitchville USA is an angel! She emailed me back to say she had one. I did the happy dance right on the spot!  It came Friday and I spent Sunday afternoon stitching it up.  I love it when things work out!


The Inspired Stitcher