P.S., I Love You.

A question, Everyone: (Yes, another one. No, I didn't decide what to do for the Delivering Autumn Finish, yet. It's because I have to complete the finishing for my Autumn Exchange. And stitch more Christmas Ornaments. Moar, I say!)

What to do about this moon?



I blocked it in like this intending to follow with another pass of the same color (WDW Honeysuckle) for hopefully a nice effect. BUT---

• Is it already "done"?

• Should I make the second pass with CC Sunflower, the darker yellow?

• Or should I just stick with the aforementioned Plan A?







Meanwhile, my start on another ornament from PS (to be emblazoned with this year's date, hopefully while this year yet lives. :D) I'm stitching 1/2 on 36 ct. Summer Khaki Edinburgh, and am almost over how washed-out the one strand is making the machine. I love P.S.'s sewing machine motifs and plan to stitch "Pins and Needles" again for myself (already exchanged it) sometime.

~*~

Finally, one more request: I have gone insane, completely insane for this beauty; below follow only two of the images I've squirreled away on my hard drive of it:





A few of you have been really kind in answering my pestering questions about stitch counts and flosses and charts (oh-my!) as I circle this one, so here's another: Do any of you have these charts (Blackbird Designs' Loose Feathers #31-34) that you'd be willing to loan to me? Unfortunately, they are just about OoP and (particularly 31) very hard to find. It looks like I can probably get a couple of them from my ONS, but without 31, which has the nicest bits, the whole thing won't do. :p)

Now, on the minus side of loaning this to me, I am hideously slow at stitching, but on the plus I take meticulous care of charts (my paperback books look unread 'cause I'm so neurotic about it!), and I make (small) stitched thank-yous for chart loans. But, again, I'm slow, and still need to make one for dear Edgar; It's all stitched in my head, I tell you! :D

Friends, I do realize this is a bit like knocking on your door and saying, "Excuse me but has you any gold ingots for me to borrow? I promise to return them and take really, really good care of thems." And, so, I will not be let down at all if you are not able, or willing, to send them out. :)

Hope everyone's enjoying cooler weather (as we are lately, though somewhat wistfully) and making lots of Autumn (or even Hallowe'en!?) stitches.

Yours,
Berit

Santa Arrives Tonight!

...Well, last night.

I stitched and FINISHED an ornament, kids!



"Santa Arrives Tonight"
Designer: Homespun Elegance
Fabric: Unknown 30 ct. Linen
Fibers: Recommended DMC and cotton overdye with the substitution of Belle Soie "Icing" for snow
Date Complete: 26 August 2010




The dear sleigh. And the 'deer that I had to frog twice. Only 30 stitches, you say? But a pesky 30 they were! ;)





The shanty/Lean-to home makes my heart go pitter-pat. I put some snow on the roof, mostly 'cause I had to backstitch the porch post so it'd show up on the linen I chose.



I'm so glad I decided to try my hand at the braided finishing. It was easier to attach than I thought; "built-in" stitch here to attach to edge feature with the braid. My cording came out a little longer than I'd like, but I decided it was homespun and put a limit to my obsession.





This is 2009's ornament. Bought last summer. Planned for last year. Even has 2009 in the title, lol. I got "ornamented-out" from making a 6-instrument beaded ornie kit set from Mill Hill, and just couldn't do any more before the year ended. 2009 was the 5th Christmas Marc and I spent together, so I added the numeral.

You can see where I trimmed through the blanket stitch on the left; oops! I decided to just go for the homespun and cut another length of ecru and stitched over! :D Love it!



Have I told you how much I love blanket stitches? Also, I had to leave this 2009 'cause I spent forever charting up a "cute" "2009" last year and just HAD to use it.

I also love Homespun Elegance. Love, I tell you! Sandra's been putting in a lot of work to offer us a nice blog and even a freebie lately! o_o! You can see the picasa album of her autumn designs here. I've stitched more than one of them lately, let me tell you!

Meanwhile, I won Patty C.'s giveaway! It arrived just as I was ready to begin the finishing on SAT. She described it as the poppy pincushion (which I've been salivating over since she first started stitching it--whoopee!) and a few extras. What an anemic description! I was shocked speechless upon opening the box! 0_o (Brace yourself as this Giveaway sends the photo-count of this blog over the top!)



The "inner wrapping"!



Lift off "Out on a Limb" to reveal this treasure basket. :o



I love the apple pins! I think they're marking pins? Also, a watermelon-y crescent floss, and ribbon--I love grosgrain ribbon.



The star of the show! I really wanted to put some poppies in window boxes this year (generous Edgar even sent me some!) but it was not to be. Now, I have some that will last all winter! :D And they're gorgeous!





I think these are spider's web stitches.



Coquelicot! Yay! An adorable French vocab word; it's a region-specific type of poppy!





Santa has friends! :D I don't even like snowmen at Christmas, but I love this one! Now I know what Patti (Tapestry of Dreams) means when she says that the finishing on something is so good "it just isn't true". Patty is so talented! (Patti L, you are too! ;)







My first strawberry! The finishing on this is also breath-taking.



Marc was smitten with this because it's jingly (see the jingle bells nestled in there? And a "strawberry", his favorite fruit.

Well, Friends, it's the weekend! I hope you've all got a relaxing, stitchy, sunny, cool-weathered couple of days coming up. Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts lately; they mean, and are helping so much. :)

Yours in Stitches,
Berit


Note: Those who admired the bunny cup and saucer in the last post can own their own (and the 3 companions) for the same price I paid plus shipping through the company's site here.

Delivering Autumn—Stitching Complete!

Well, here she is in all her glory, with added signature and date! The orange checkerboard at the bottom was the part I was asking purple questions for. I put it in in both colors, but it didn't work there so I ripped it out and went with orange--much better! I decided to add a band of this checker because I liked it so much on the cart's banner BEFORE the other color was put in (I stitched that cart twice, you may recall, so I've had occasion to see both the umber and the ruby individually. It's the low-level relief effect that I like so much--I almost left out one of the checker colors on the cart...but I liked 'em both so this way I can have my cake and eat it, too!



This is un-ironed, even though I have the button wheels and other embellishment I'm planning to use--because I just can't decide how to finish this. I kinda wanted to hang it on a wall (but not framed; hanging pynkeepe?), but I'd also like to plunk it on a shelf (Pillow? Triangle pillow? Stuffed with what? Ribbons? Beads? Overdyed wool? Find some silk matka? Trusty homespun? Distressed neutral stripe ticking?) Can you not tell that various "cleansing symptoms" that delayed this blog update count "brain fog" in their number? (lol!)

So, I'm asking you, Dear Reader, for Finishing Suggestions. Just don't get your heart too set on me following them. I have a nasty habit of asking things of Dear Marc just so I can disagree with him (so claims he), and thereby make my choice. :P Well, no, that's not (quite) it.

Me: A or B; I can't decide!!!! (after endless, dizzying deliberation).
Marc: You should do B because X.
Me: What?! But what about A!? I must have A!
Marc: Well, you asked, so I picked B.
Me: Who cares about B--if there's no A there's no point! B would be great, but A comes first. Oh. Well. A it is, then! Thanks, Marc!
Marc: ...

So, you see, it's just that I can't see what really counts until it's being eliminated.

Today's an overcast, Autumnal Prelude sort of day (as about half of them have been for the past couple of weeks. A neighboring tree is even starting to turn!), so the pictures aren't the best, but forward-ho!



Here are some HDF fibers the wonderful Myra sent me recently; I've been wanting to try them, and she generously offered to include them in her order! The Purple is Prim Barn Purple, and the Green Old Maid of the Tempest. The brown was a bonus gift, and is the premium weight and the best color of the bunch. Haven't stitched with them yet, but they seem to be nice, if rather BRIGHT in color based on what I was expecting. They are way brighter than this pic shows--very nice, but I do have to say that I wouldn't call the purple one "prim" at all. I'm looking forward to seeing how it stitches up. :)



My new teacup and saucer--oh, how I love tea! I'm not allowed to drink it at present, though, so I enjoy hot distilled water or "ginger tea" from it. The shape is my all-time favorite. I grew up with some very similar Buffalo-brand white style, and I think nothing beats it. I'm having trouble finding those, so happily opted for this charming usagi (rabbit) pattern in the meantime. The other 3 in the set are nothing to do with bunnies in the slightest, though they share similar colors and are all of wabi-sabi theme (which is sort of the Japanese version of Prim-style Americana.) If there's interest I might see if I can't rustle up some decent pics for the rest of the lot.



The saucer: same rabbit motif as around the cup.



Here's what I stitched after completing stitching of Delivering Autumn and my Autumn Exchange (which also needs finishing thank-you-very-much.) Having first seen it on the inimitable Staci's Blog (though certainly I'm becoming known for trying--love ya, Staci!), I HAD to have one for my kitchen. I call it "Good Morning Rooster", but Marc looked over at the finished Rooster in my lap, looked up at me with mischief-filled eyes and said in his most innocent voice, "Good Morning, Cock!"

Well, name (and his suggestion that I mount it next to a photo of last year's Thanksgiving Turkey) aside, I had charted in some other motifs--not much for butterflies or those particular roses--including some fleur-de-lys that I'm just dying to stitch on SOMETHING, but now I can't decide if it's DONE. It looks like it is. And Marc (Utilitarian Man) says it is. I'm planning to mount it in a plain white Ikea frame and hang it in the kitchen so I can see it while I work in there. So, friends, is this bird "Done"? ;)

~*~

I want to thank everyone for the good thoughts and well-wishes you've sent to me and mine lately. We're still "going through", but we'll come out on the other side, and you've helped more than you'll ever know. Thanks also to all those I've been stalking/hounding regarding Blackbird Designs' Mystery Sampler. I've become so batty-obsessed over that thing the last couple of months and am so curious about it. You are all patient and kind dears.

Happy Thursday--I just love Thursdays (always have), and Enjoy the weekend Ahead!

Yours,
Berit