The Dirty (Half) Dozen

For a person who spends hours counting stitches and threads, the one thing I don't count is my number of unfinished projects  (WIP's).  As I was preparing for Sampler September, one of the topics I wanted to cover was samplers-in-the-works.  I pulled on my big girl britches, took a long deep breath and started digging.  My unfinished samplers are rolled in one of Faye Riggsbee's beautiful project rolls.  Keeping the samplers rolled instead of folded reduces folds, creases and wrinkles.  My framer says creases and folds are not her friends and are not the friends of needlework.

Hannah Breed

The Scarlet Letter

Country Home published a magazine in the mid 1990's called Folk Crafts.  The premier issue had a feature story on samplers by the Scarlet Letter.  The photo at the top of the page drew me in and I wanted to re create this image in my own home.  Hannah Breed is an 18th century American sampler and she originated in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1756.  Scarlet Letter rates her as an intermediate sampler because Hannah used cross, eyelet, satin, long arm cross, herringbone, queen, lazy daisy, straight and Florentine stitches in her sampler.  Whew!  That's a lot of different stitches Hannah.  

The wheels on Hannah's sampler started coming off the bus before she got a good start.  I wanted to stitch Hannah on a piece of R & R linen which I could not find and I could not find my skein of Noir Au Ver A Sore silk.  I made a febble start on Hannah and then she went to the project roll and has not seen the light of day in several years.  With all the different kinds of stitches, I should have asked myself if all these stitches were in my skill set.

Hannah Hope 1811

R & R Reproductions

Anne at Homespun Corner was offering a class with Ann Robbins and Pat Ryan (R & R Reproductions). Love their fabric!  While we stitched, Pat and Ann talked about samplers and answered questions.  I stopped working on this sampler because I wanted to change the name from Hannah Hope to Hannah P Sharp (yes, the name of another Grandmother).  The name is stitched over one and I don't like stitching over one.  The other reason I stopped working on this sampler was because of the chain stitch which completely circles the alphabets.  I'm going to have to get over my phobia of stitching over one and stitching the chain stitch and finish Hannah.

Margaret Cottam Aged 9

La-D-Da

Margaret Cottam is a reproduction sampler released by Lori Markovic (La-D-Da) as a three part mystery sampler.  Margart is a family name and I wanted to stitch her for my Shults wall.  Margaret Ferguson was a Great Great Grandmother, Maggie Shults was a Great Aunt and then there is cousin Margaret.  Was marking great progress on my Margaret until I realized the border was not going to meet because I had stitched over three threads instead of two and there was going to be a great deal of ripping to correct the mistake.  I was also unhappy with the way the name appears on the sampler (centering). I'm going to leave the mistake and re-think the positioning of the name.

Ewe Alone 

Sheepish Designs (Dawn Bradford)

Dawn Bradford was a prolific designer in the eighties and nineties.  Each time Dawn released a design she would give the design a number followed by the word exemplary.  Ewe Alone is 114th exemplary.  For me this sampler contained many elements which I love in a sampler:  an alphabet, a floral border, a grassy meadow with a sheep and the initials and year of the stitcher.

Since I am not a big fan of the color pink, I decided I would change the colors.  This turned into a bigger task than I envisioned.  The flowers still look pink (the floss says salmon, which is a pinkish-orange). Ewe alone is a beautiful sampler and I really should be ashamed it has not been finished.

Forget-me-not

With Thy Needle and Thread (Brenda Gervais)

Brenda Gervais is a great marketer--she usually gets me with limited edition or series or sampler.  I fell in love with this small sweet sampler and its verse, When this you see, remember me.  Yes, more over one stitching, am beginning to see a behavior pattern here.  You know when the designer says read through the instructions before you begin to stitch, they really do mean this and there is a reason why they tell you to do this.  I distressed the linen before I began my stitching.  This step will give the linen a nice "time-worn" look, and give a bit more contrast between linen and some shades of floss used in the piece.  Not only did I not read the instructions, I did not follow them.  The fibers Brenda chose for this sampler are pastel.  When I started stitching the white house using the called for Weeks Straw, the fiber started disappearing into the linen.  Perhaps, if I had dyed the fabric before I started, I would not have had this problem.  Grrrrrrr!  Anne, one of my friends and needlework mentor told me to stop obsessing and "just stitch the darn thing."  

In All Things Be Exceedingly Diligent

Needlework Press

Am determined to finish this sampler for the next Homespun Gathering, September 28.  I am being redundant in saying this sampler has been a pure joy to stitch--it is beautifully charted, the colors compliment each other nicely and she is long and skinny.  She will make a nice addition to my sampler wall.

So, there is the Dirty (Half) Dozen.  My plan is to finish Diligence and because there is so little stitching left on the Forget-me-not sampler, she will get some love and attention after Diligence.  For the other girls--Stitch 10 challenge in 2020?  Sampler September 2020?

Sampler September (Talking my Language)

Ever since Carol (Saltbox Stitcher) and Theresa (Kitten Stitcher) started talking about Sampler September, I have thought about little else except samplers.  Oh, and Fiber Talk will also be jumping on board the Sampler September wagon.

Marking samplers, pictorial samplers, mourning samplers, map samplers, darning samplers, spot motif samplers, regional samplers, band and reversible samplers are all dancing in my head.  I think about samplers while cooking, pulling weeds, driving and sleeping.  I am encouraging my stitching accountability persons, needlework partners in crime and needlework enablers to think about, write about and stitch samplers.  AppleJack thinks I am more than a little obsessed with samplers, he thinks I might be close to the edge.  Silly man asked me one day if I would ever grow tired of stitching the alphabet.

It has been a challenge for me to think about how I wanted to approach Sampler September.  Am still working out the details, more to come on this later.  In the spirit of not starting a sampler a day (yes, I have that many samplers I want to stitch), I decided to keep it to four:  an unfinished sampler, a Quaker sampler, a family sampler for my Shults wall and a for fun sampler.

 The Unfinished Sampler:  In All Things Be Exceedingly Diligent by Needlework Press.  Am nearing the finishing crossing line on this sampler, am going to be diligent and be a monogamous stitcher and see her to the finish line.  The font of the letters is great, the combination of colors, throw in some houses and a few Quakerish motifs stitched into a long narrow sampler instead of a tall skinny sampler and voila a sampler is born.  First time stitching with Legacy linen and first time stitching a Needlework Press design--both were great.  I really, really want to have this sampler finished and framed for the next Homespun Gathering, September 28.

A Quaker Sampler:  Ever since I finished stitching M. Quiter, an Ackworth Quaker sampler by the Scarlet Letter, I have wanted to start another Quaker sampler.  The Ackworth sampler I have chosen is the Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler.  The Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler is not a sampler that Beatrix Potter herself stitched, but was a part of her extensive sampler collection.  There is piece of 35 ct R & R Sheep Straw in my stash which I hope will be large enough (she's a big girl 301 x 271) and the fiber I will be using is Gloriana  Lacquered Gold, unless I totally change my mind and use School House Red.  Stitching those Quaker motifs is hypnotizing and M. Quitier is lonely and needs a companion.

A sampler with family history for my Shults wall.  I have written about this sampler before, it is Sarah's House by Blackbird Designs.  Sophie Margaretta was the name of Grandfather John Velten "Valentine" Shultz mother.  Maria Eva Stocker is also under consideration--she was Valentine's second wife.  Valentine and Maria were married 1735 at Christ Lutheran Church in York County Pennsylvania.

A fun, whimsical sampler.  A Sampler Study 1802 by The primitive Hare.  This big house reminds me of Grandmother Bessie's farmhouse which burned.  The 40 ct Old Massachusetts hand dyed linen is one of my favorite linens and I love the drab colors Isabella (The Primitive Hare) has chosen to stitch this sampler.  Another touch of whimsey is the trim Isabella used when framing this piece.  The trim was either gifted to me by a stitchy friend, came from my Mother's stash or my stash.

Stay tuned for more about samplers.  Here are some of the sampler ideas dancing in my head:

• unfinished samplers
• gifted samplers
• samplers on the Shults wall
• Scarlet Letter samplers
• older samplers
• seasonal samplers
• Adam and Eve samplers
• samplers I want to start
• samplers in my shopping cart (gulp)

1. 3.  

Exceedingly Diligent

In All Things be Exceedingly Diligent

Needlework Press 2018

Legacy Linen 37 ct Russian Tea Cake

Au Ver A Soie silks

Saltbox Stitcher is such an enabler!  Carol, the Saltbox Stitcher showed her framed Diligence sampler and I was smitten.  This sampler is long and skinny (406 stitches wide and 95 stitches high).

When I finish the stitching it is going to be approximately 24 inches long.  No worries, I already have a spot picked out where it will hang when finished and framed.

This is my first time stitching a Needlework Press sampler/design and my first time stitching on 37 ct Legacy linen--I like them both!


Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.
Abigail Adams

Second Chances

True Confession:  I am more than a little envious of those who have great thrift store finds.    Seems like I am constantly seeing great finds either on floss tube, Instagram or blogs.  Second hand stores, consignment shops, antique stores are some of my favorite shopping places.  I think I need more time and patience to successfully find great items.

Last Saturday, before meeting up with the Homespun girls, I had some time to kill and thought I would shop one of the local Good Will stores.  When I saw this basket, I said to myself:  "that basket is handmade."  

When I turned the basket over, sure enough, Viola had dated the basket with her name and March 10, 2006.  It brought tears to my eyes.  Am sure Viola had worked hard to weave the basket and hopefully she never thought it would be sold at Good Will for $1.99.  The basket reminded me of the New Beginnings Prayer:  Oh God of second chances and new beginnings, here I am again.  Viola's basket deserved a second chance and a new beginning.

The pewter plate sits on our kitchen table, holding our salt and pepper shaker and reminding us to give thanks.  The cut glass relish tray will be used at future gatherings.

With these finds, I am encouraged to give thrift stores a second chance.

The Box

Yesterday was Gathering Day for the Homespun girls.  Late last year, one of the girls had suggested we participate in a box exchange.  The idea was to choose a box and fill it with twelve stitching goodies:  something fun,  our favorite color, something sharp, an accessory, an embellishment,  something patriotic, etc.

The exchange was played like dirty Santa.  All boxes were carried into the Gathering in a brown paper bag so no one knew who brought which box.  

Who doesn't love chocolate?  and Godiva chocolate?  The box was beautifully tied with a chocolate brown silk ribbon.  I was number two selecting a box and I kept my fingers crossed while all the numbers were being called, hoping no one would steal my box.

Just look at all the goodness inside this box!  This Grasshopper felt like she had choose wisely.  I knew that Godiva box would be filled with stitchy goodness and boy, oh boy was I ever right.

The beautifully stitched scissors pillow (with a Stacy Nash design) had a pocket on the back.  Inside the pocket was this beautiful pair of scissors.

The patriotic strawberry was stitched with the finest of tiny stitches.

A patriotic, coverlet biscournu for my dough bowl.  Great finishing job--and the maker's first time finishing a biscournu.  Check out that chicken made with French General fabric and tiny beads for eyes.

Pom pom trim from Lady Dot, beautiful threads for Christmas or maybe a flower and vine.  AppleJack has his eye on my magnet wand.  Shh, I already put it in my traveling stitching bag.

So who was the gifter/maker of my box?  The same stitcher who just finished Sarah Braizear, the 2018 Queen of the May sampler from Hands Across the Sea in record stitching time:  Judy!

Judy calls the sampler one of her tablecloth samplers--it is big 27 x 27.  There are not enough words to describe the beauty and skill in this sampler.

Thank you Linda for suggesting the box exchange and thank you Judy for my box.   Beautifully stitched and finished projects.  I hear this all the time and will never grow tired of hearing "stitchers are just the best."  

Juliana/Julia Ann

Julia Ann Fletcher 1847

The Scarlett House/Tanya Brockmeyer

Released at Nashville Needlemarket Market March 2019

stitched on 40 ct Old Massachusetts linen by The Primitive Hare

AVAS 4531(lamb) Needlepoint Ink Silk 209 (dress) and 877 (white in dress) the black is Gloriana India ink

This is the Julia's needle roll--love the repeating letters.  

The black fabric is for backing, the red check fabric is for the needles and she will be tied together with the ribbon.

When Julia, the pinkeep and Julia the needle roll are FFO'd they will live in this Robert LeHays Shaker carrier.

A little history about the two Julia's.  Juliana Steinz Shultz was my fifth great Grandmother.  She married Johan Martin Shultz at Christ Luther Church in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Julia Ann Shults was Martin and Juliana's youngest daughter.  The family moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to the western territory of North Carolina (which would become Tennessee).  

Julia Ann married Richard Regan in 1796.  Timothy, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Daniel, Jane, Aaron, Nancy and David are their children who survived to adult hood.  They had three children who died in infancy.  They lived and are buried in Emert's Cove, Sevier County Tennessee.

Thank you Tanya for a great design and inspiration to stitch more of my family history.

Seeing Red

Red, one of my favorite colors and so challenging and frustrating.  There are orange/reds, pink/reds, blue/reds and green/reds.  My favorite red is fire engine red.

Two of favorite reds is Lancaster Red and School House Red.

The Blackbird Girls pulled out all (maybe not all, but several) their reds when they designed the sampler stockings.  

I'm ready to start stitching Christmas in July and my selection is the next Blackbird sampler stocking from their book Home for the Holidays.  

Aztec Red linen and French General fabric--hard to go wrong with these two.

Yes, French General fabric is some of my favorite, they know how to do red and I know how to hoard their fabric.

One of my favorite biscornu's, an oldie but goodie (I think this is a Chessie and Me)

Volunteer Red Daylily!  

 red bow tie quilt

dishes

wool applique

Red--I love you, forever on the quest for the perfect red.

Catching Up

Well, where have I been?  Yes, it has been almost two months  since I updated this poor neglected blog.  No, I have not given up on blogging and yes, I do intend to be more diligent with updates.  I wish I could say I had been on sabbatical, or an exotic vacation, or had completed a gazillion projects or aliens had captured me and I just returned to earth, but I can't say any of these things.  So, what I have I been doing?  I'm in summer mode:  reading, pulling weeds, walking, eating summer foods, watching Flosstube being enabled.  Sometimes I stitch or enhance my stash.

The Old Tattered Flag

Skinny Saltbox

Stash Floss (and lots of it)

Blackbird Designs

Home for the Holidays Book

My Heart is at Home

Grrr. My camera and computer are not playing nice with each other and I couldn't get the completed piece to download.  I have been hoarding some French General fabric for the backing.

Kathy Barrick

Good Intentions

Needs a few more stitches and then she is off to the framer.  This is one of my favorite verses.

Sister Suffragatte

USA Vote Button

Summer House Stitche Works

Finished in time to wear for the 100 year celebration of women gaining the right to vote.  Thank you Harry Burn for casting that deciding vote.  Since Tennessee was the state who ratified the 19th amendment, I am hoping there will be a special celebration at the Capital--I might sneak away from work and join in the celebration.

Julie Ann Shults (Julia Fletcher)

The Scarlett House

40 ct linen by The Primitive Hare

India ink by Gloriana

The Scarlett House released Julia Fletcher at market and I fell hard for her.  When completed, there is a needleroll, a pin cushion and scissors fob which fit into this LeHays Shaker tray.  Julia Ann Shults is part of my family tree.  The spool came from my Grandmothers sewing box.

It takes many many squares to make a queen size quilt and I have many many squares to sew.

In All Things Be Exceedingly Diligent

Needlework Press

Legacy Sotema Linen 37 count Russian Tea cake

This seemed like a good companion piece to Good Intentions.  Gosh, has there been a great deal of promotion about the Legacy linens.  I will admit the linen has a beautiful feel to it.  The Diligence sampler is wider than it is taller and looking forward to adding variety to my sampler wall.

Stash enhancement

Does anyone else struggle with the color red?  There are orange reds, pink reds, blue reds.  The linen is a sampler pack sold through Needle in a Haystack--it was a great sampling of colors of the Legacy linens.  Little House Needleworks released a sweet piece called Suffrage Act, will add a nice patriotic touch.  

I'm sending virtual flowers to our stitching sister Faye Riggsbee, Carolina Stitcher.  Faye fell breaking her arm and elbow and is recovering from surgery.  I am very fortunate to have one of Faye's beautiful stitching rolls and bags.  Faye was wise enough to instruct her surgeon to install a turbo stitching arm!  Rest, heal, recover and come back strong!

July brings a special gathering for the Homespun Group--a box exchange!  Looking forward to seeing all the creative pieces.  July brings a big birthday for me and AppleJack has been working on some sweet secret gifts.