Leap Year

First of all, I want to thank all of you who commented, text-ed and emailed me about Double Dee and her gorgeous frame!!!!  WOWZA!!!!  I am so excited that I can hardly handle it :)  25 fantastic comments on her is a record I think!!!!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I wanted to also post today because it is the 29th of February and how often can we post on this day?? So here goes!
I have been working on Weeping Tree the last few days, and making some good progress.

I decided to wait to stitch the house last, I am not sure why, but I wanted to get all the other stitching done first, the top is done, just have to add my initials, (but that will be last for sure) and the white border is done.  The bottom row is done so I can see a visual of size-- which I love doing and helps me fill in the rest from there. 

I love the hand dyed silk thread for this piece, it just makes it so much more special for me to see all that great color!  (Yes, I did say color-- for those that know me, I am sure you are shocked!!  LOL)  Each night I get a bit further, and the piece becomes more beautiful than the night before.  Crazy I know!  I am already thinking about what is going to be next up from the WIPs, so many options!!!!!!!
I hope all of you enjoy the rest of your day!!!! Happy stitching on this extra day :)

I want to share

With all of you on this super day, something I got back from the framer a few weeks back.  But first, I want to thank all of you who commented on my great finish of T5 yesterday, and the feedback about the border.  I was thinking similar thoughts, but was teetering on the fence.  I have now fallen off :)
So, I had 3 items framed, and since they all turned out so beautifully, I am going to showcase them all separately.  I know, I know, the suspense is going to kill you right???!!! LOL.

So may I present Double Dee, or Dona Dorothea Gazano y Garcia from Scarlet Letter.  Remember, I have stepped out of the comfort box just a tiny bit, and I think that next time I might step out knee deep!!!!!!  I am sooo thrilled with the turnout.  What do you think??!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see with the close up pics, I have 2 frames on this piece.  I love how the bronze just adds a bit of spice to her, just a hint, just a touch of color.  My framer suggested it and I couldnt resist.  There is a slight glare on the bottom pic, but I do choose to frame my girls with glass.  For me, it just is finishes it. 
So what is all the excitement about with this frame?  Well, it is in the colors that I love, but it is more ornate than I usually choose.  I must say, that I am looking forward to another round of framing soon, and I will most certainly choose 'fancier' frames.  All of my frames vary in slight color, all blend just perfectly, I am more of a classic framer and I look forward to finding a home for Double Dee among the other girls.  I am sure she will fit in just perfectly :)
Thanks for stopping by and commenting--I love reading them, it doesnt take much to excite me!!!!  LOL.  There is much planned for this weekend that lies ahead of us, and I am super excited!!!!!!!  It is a great day :)

T5 Done.....I think

On this beautiful Thursday morning I wanted to share with you my T5 finish!!!!!  At least it is finished as of this point.....confused yet?!  Heck, I certainly would be.  You see this beautiful piece below and say what else needs to be done?

The Border.  Yes, when I started this piece officially on January 1st, I wasnt planning on the border.  Though the course of time, chatting with friends, some were doing the border, and most were not.  Ok, easy, lets see how I feel when I get there.

Taking it off the q-snaps, I do have enough room to squeeze it in, it would be tight by my standards, but it could be done.  However, I think it is gorgeous the way it is with out the border.......so as of today, I am going to put it on the side, and think about the border.  To do or not to do.........
Here is a picture of the front of the pattern, well kind of, you can see the border...... What do you think?

So as of right now, T5 is done, using Lakeside V Navy Bean 32ct, with NPI and Florimell.  I will revisit it if I feel the need to do the border, but on to Willow Tree.  I am excited to stitch on something 'new' again and get another great piece under the belt.  I know with Nashville going on this weekend, there is bound to be some new stash coming my way-- although I dont know what as of this point.  But it is the year of the WIP's and I did start and finish T5 this year, so back to the grind as they say!!!!!
Hope everyone is having a great day!!!!!

Its Saturday!

Another weekend has approached us-- at the speed of light!  It has been a super busy week and I am glad to have the day off.  My husband and I are going antiquing today, and later having supper with family we haven't seen in a few months-- along with a new little one :)  It should be a wonderful day-- the sun is shining, the temperature is mild and and I am happy.
Happy for many reasons and besides the above, I am continuing on the T5 road and I see the end is near.

Along with all of your encouragement on how great it is looking, I am so excited to see the end close by-- although even a hint of disappointment.....could that be possible?!  I do know that I have T3 in my stash, and I know that The Drawn Thread has a bunch of other beautiful designs, but this one has a special place in my heart :)

Coming around the corner on the bottom left, instead of going straight across on the row-- left to right, I wanted to see the size, get some better perspective on this piece.  I am working with 11 x 17" Q-snaps, so even my husband was surprised to see last week when my friend had hers framed that indeed this design was square; not rectangular as the q-snaps make it appear............

The bottom left corner is done, and I am anxious to stitch tonight......last night I had my 3rd wind at 11:30pm.  My husband went to bed, and I stayed up to watch some Everyone Loves Raymond episodes-- which I am crazy about-- and got in some more stitching.  I like stitching late into the night, it is so peaceful.

This last picture shows the color of the linen almost perfectly, interesting right?!  I cant wait to show you more next time :)

Have a fantastic weekend!!!!!!!

Halfway

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentines day!!  I did, a nice quiet romantic evening at home-- that included steak and lobster!!    Yum :)  Even a couple of romantic movies to boot.  I even stitched some last night, well, I really got a lot of stitching done last night-- I know, very romantic right?  LOL.

I was able to stitch 4 rows of the letters last night and I am happily done with the over one.  I did stitch them in full cross-- super easy especially on 32ct burlap linen :)  My Friend suggested I spice things up a bit and use a hand-dyed silk for the letters and I am thrilled with the turn out.  It is just enough.  Thank you!!!

So I have made the halfway hump and I look forward to finishing the row out in the next day or so.  I cant believe I complained so much!!!  LOL. 

Stay tuned for more pics to come!!

T5 update

Over a week ago I shared my adija with all of you on the trouble I was having with my T5 because of the scroll rods I was using.  So, I got those q-snaps and WOW, what a huge difference.

It has been a breeze working on this project-- no longer is it to hard, it is more like super easy!  A friend at the LNS brought hers in all completed and framed and boy is it gorgeous.  Another friend is working on the border.  Gorgeous!!  So I am anxious to get my T5 under wraps as well.  I am not planning on stitching the border, but sometimes I am easily persuaded!!  LOL.  We shall see how the spirit moves me then :)
No update on Weeping Tree, I have a momentum going with the above, so why not continue on.......I will have another piece done for the year and even though it is not a "WIP" from 2011, a finish is a finish :)
Have a great weekend!

Dont you love progress?

Fridays and Mondays always seem to be the fastest days to get to in the week-- what do you think?  Before you know it, the weekend has blown by and there are still 25 things still on the must do list.  Friday comes along, and your head is still spinning from Monday morning.  Where can the time disappear to?  At least over the week, I feel I made some serious progress.  Brought some things to the framers, and made some decisions that I am excited and nervous about.  I am sure they are going to look terrific.  But, as my framer said-- you have stepped 1 toe out of your comfort box, it wont be that bad!!!! LOL.  He knows me to well!!!!!! 

Sorry the above picture is sooo horrid.  This is small progress on Weeping Tree, which is coming along great.  I am looking forward to more progress on this piece in the coming weeks.  However, there is another pressing piece at hand.  Remember on January 1st I showed a picture of the new start I was supposed to 'start'? The Drawn Thread Toccata 5?!!  Well, the most progress I made on it that day, was putting the linen on the scroll rods and taking a picture.  I put her down so I could continue on Rosina.  Well, a few days went by, perhaps a week or 2 and I decided I better get started on T5.  I pulled it out and opened the pattern.  Lets recap-- I have never done a piece like this.  Not hard right?  It doesnt look hard.  The pattern on the other hand was a bit overwhelming on how many threads to go over.  Some are 2, some 3 and even 4.  Some look like over 1.  Starting on the top right hand corner as usual, I began.  I stitched the first step over 1 and it looked way to small.  Redid it over 2 and it looked better, but was it right?  Pulled it out yet again-- realizing some mistakes and redid it over 2 again for the 3rd time.

By now, you can see I am a bit more confident-- with the help of my friends telling me a few tricks and things to watch for.  Now, each one does seem to get a bit easier, but lucky for them, I am still pulling steps out numerous times.  Am I happy with the progress?  Yes.   Am I happy with the project?  Yes and no.  But being the first drawn thread piece that I have done it; I am happy that I will have a bit of variety on the sampler wall.  But I am not positive that I will do another one.  I know, it is early in the game yet.
What I would like to do is remove this piece from these rods, and try those blessed q-snaps.  I know, I know.  Many of you think the world of these things, but I am not thrilled with them.  I think it will be better and perhaps I should have listened to my Friend in the first place and bought those instead, but this is how you learn right?!  LOL No worries.  I think it will help overall the way this piece is stitched and completed.  And, I know that if I continue on this path with the rods, I will never get this piece done :)

I received a very special gift this week from a new friend and I cant believe she thought of me with this hand embroidered pin cushion-that she made herself-- even better!!!  Isn't it wonderful?  It is absolutely perfect.  Thank you so very much, you made my day for sure!!!!
I wanted to share 1 of the few things of stash I got this week, and I know, this is the year of the WIPs.  And I think of Ann Dale....(working on the colors still) but Plum Street Samplers A Colonial Garden.

Of course, it has been out for a bit, but finally I took the pattern home and some linen of course, but not sure yet what I am going to decide at the end to stitch it on.  Maybe when I am done with Weeping Tree and T5, I will reward myself with this cute little start.  What do you think?  Any one else pick this up?
Well, off to another busy and exciting weekend!!  Anyone going to their LNS for Superbowl?  How exciting!!!!!!! Go Giants!!!!!!!