Thursday, May 1, 2014

April finishes!

Hello and greetings! Lots again to share with you. I have 5 finishes and a little cool story with one of them to tell you. It's been hot here the last few days and should get cooler next week for a while. In the mean time like today - too hot to even stitch (99 degrees).

Also HEADS UP!!! If you haven't read yet there are 2 Free SAL'S coming up:
-    This coming weekend - Blackbird Designs SAL. They just mentioned it today on their blog and you can read it HERE. It's going to be a beautiful sampler and they posted a photo of the sampler.
-   Mystery SAL with By The Bay Needleart. You can see the listed supplies and the dates of when Donna releases the parts HERE.  Part #1 is on May 7th.
So have a look if you haven't read about them yet. I do plan to participate in both SAL's.

The next 3 designs I ordered from France. When I saw on Amy's beautiful blog - Thread in Hand HERE I was inspired. I also had to stitch this.
It was the design that Amy finished as a pincushion I feel in love with.

February 2014 kit by Martine Atalie of    -  Le fil Atalie 
Atalie silk threads (I had to stitch a small arrow in the left hand corner to know what side was up)
 Wow! When I received this kit it came with the chart, linen, silk threads & a silk ribbon. Just absolutely beautiful hand over dyed silk threads. The link is HERE to Martine's - Le fil Atalie.

February 2014 - Atalie

March 2014 kit - Atalie
 Hnd over dyed cotton threads by Atalie

 There were some beautiful embroidery stitches as well as some cross stitches in this piece.

 March 2014 kit - Atalie
Atalie's hand dyed cotton threads

 Beautiful piece of silk ribbon came with the kit.
Next is to make these all 3 of my finishes into pillow forms. 
Thank you Amy for your inspiration!

 Forget Me Not - BBD
30ct Expresso R&R Reproductions
In the chart of Forget Me Not - Barb's put the intial's of her great aunt. Barb put the year of her great aunt when she would have been 10 yrs old - thinking that would have been the age her aunt would of started stitching. So that got me thinking - How old was I when I first started stitching? At first I thought I couldn;t remember. Then it came to me - I had a Ah Ha moment! 

 I remembered that my mom had signed me up for a summer class thru our home town and it was sewing.
Okay but how old was I or what year was it? Well back at that time the classes were for free BUT we had to get all the supplies on a list that was given. My mom took me shopping for my very first sewing box. I picked out the blue. It was plastic and was a mini sewing box - I loved it! I remembered that I was so proud and excited I took it to show my grandparents. When I showed my Nonno (grandfather) he said "come with me Annette". We went into the garage and he took out his label maker. YES!!! Nonno made me a name tag and also he made one of the year it was (I had no clue and didn't know any different at the time but Nonno did). So right there in the inside of the cover is the year I first started sewing & stitching by hand.
After all these years I still have my sewing box and my very first project that I EVER HAND SEWED!
A pincushion! It was suppose to be a round pincushion, but mine came out very mis-shaped. All I remember is that I was super proud of my sewing box and my pincushion. And that's in the above photo.


So now I knew what year I first started hand sewing - 1973 and I was 9 years old that summer because I hadn't had my birthday yet. 
I stitched that year in my sampler!

My name label  that Nonno made for me. Thank you Nonno. What a heart warming surprise gift from Nonno even though  he's been gone for over 14 years! Can you believe it?

 I still have some very old threads kept inside as well as a few new ones. One spool of thread says .95 cents and the other .75cents. I have another sewing box that's not much larger than this one that I also use.

 1909 Bird Needlebook - Lorraine Mootz
Spring 2014 issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Magazine

 I used both Sullivans & DMC threads
28ct Irish Linen  by Charles Craft
I still have the backside of the needlebook to stitch. This design I kept coming back to because of the colors and the bird. I think it has a Berlin style needlework look. 

 Finished stitching Autumn (middle section) of BBD and now am working on Winter by BBD

"Winter" - BBD  -  32ct Vintage Lt Exampler linen

Hope you are finding time to stitch. And thank you for your comments. I do love and enjoy reading every one. Some of you still have a no-reply email address so even though I did send you a thank you, I don;t know if you did get it. I do answer every comment. 
With my Love and Appreciation to everyone of you - Annette

35 comments:

Rowyn said...

Hi Annette

What a great post, and a great story about your sewing box.

I was about 18 or 19 when I first started stitching. I had seen a chart in a magazine and my Mum and I took a trip to the LNS and picked up a small kit. I never did stitch the chart from the magazine but I still have it.

You have some beautiful stitching there. Forget Me Not by BBD is especially lovely!

My interest was piqued this morning when I saw the two SALs on offer too. I am so tempted, but I keep thinking about how my WIPS get pushed to the side and never finished. lol. It's hard being a stitcher sometimes. :-)

Have a great weekend!

Marilyn said...

I'll be checking out those SAL's too.
Your projects are just beautiful, and the BB turned out so pretty.
What a treasure and great memory you have with your sewing box.
I have similar one from about the same time, mine is brown. :)
Happy stitching!
Marilyn

Lee said...

Just great seeing the pieces that you have told me about love the French designs,
keep cool and hopefully able to get more stitching done

gracie said...

Great memories and lovely stitching

Pamela said...

What wonderful memories!!! Your stitching is beautiful! thank you for sharing.
Pam

Natasha said...

That was a great post... I think I was 16 the first time I tried stitching. A KIT from the craft store but I never finished it and did not pick up stitching again till I was about 20 I still have the piece I stitched it is 3/4 of the way finished and the back is horrible :D

I love the Atalie March kit those stitches are so pretty.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Mii Stitch said...

Love the French designs!!! The sampler is beautiful :)

Margaret said...

Wow! So many lovely pieces! I love those French designs -- gorgeous! Love the story of figuring out when you first learned to sew and stitch! What fun to still have that sewing box and your first project! Love the piece from SANQ too. You've really been stitching away!

Vickie said...

Send the heat our way please!! Nothing but damp, cool and rainy here.
Wow! Such gorgeous projects Annette. I love, love the story about Nonno. Isn't that just great how he helped you?! Have a super day my friend.

Melissa said...

Beautiful finishes Annette! I really liked reading your story about when you first started stitching!!! And I really love that you hung onto your old sewing box and pincushion.

Such a great story.

Have a great weekend,

Melissa

Giovanna said...

Great stitching on everything, well done! I have some of those Atalie kits, must get them out sometime...

llknbillburg said...

All of your stitches are lovely! And what a wonderful memory you have of your grandfather!! Laura

Von said...

What a wonderful post filled with the sweetest stitching around! :)
I did a little embroidery as a kid, but didn't stay with it until my first child was born. Both of my grandmothers were needlewomen so I've had their example, and I use one's sewing basket to this day.

Melissa said...

Annette, what a lovely story about when you started stitching. That's so sweet that the year was labelled on. I remember those old types of labels too.

Beautiful, beautiful stitching!

Carol said...

What an enjoyable post, Annette! And how nice that you have been a stitcher all these years. I didn't begin until my early 20s...

Those hand dyed threads and your lovely stitching have come together to product some stunning work! And I'm sure you'll have the Winter portion of the BBD piece done in no time--well done :)

Ali said...

It was lovely to read about when you first started sewing and what a wonderful memories of your grandad. The photos of your new works are lovely very pretty colours

Mary Ann said...

So many lovely stitched pieces--each one beautiful! I have the same sewing box that I got for my 10th birthday--filled with sewing and embroidery supplies. Mine is pink, though, and I still have it, too.

Barb said...

You have been very busy, so many beautiful projects!

Kaisievic said...

Wow! Such beautiful stitching! Love, love, love the story about your Nonno!

P.J. said...

Your mini stitches are just delectable!! You have so many lovely projects in the works; very nice! What a sweet story and wonderful memory! Thank you for sharing.

KimM said...

Your stitching is so beautiful. Love, LOVE them all. Great post. Have a stitch weekend.
Hugs
xxx

Shirlee said...

Absolutely gorgeous stitching my friend!

Sharon said...

Gorgeous finishes Annette! Those French designs are just so pretty and colorful!

Chris said...

What a wonderful update Annette! I love the story of the sewing box and how you personalized the BBD sampler to commemorate that time.
Those French designs are so pretty! Great bird stitching too. I love the SANQ piece and the BBD one.
Hugs!

Annie said...

What a treasure to have that sewing box with the great story to go with it. I have some of those old spools with the incredibly low prices on them too. I even have steel crochet hooks that have "10 cents" embossed on them. Times have definitely changed!

Gorgeous stitching and so much of it! Love the French designs.

I'm tempted by the SALS too, but we'll see.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

The French designs are so lovely, the colours are so delicate.

And what a fantastic story about your Nonno, I remember Dymo-tape, my Dad has a machine, I used to love making labels!
I did stitch a little mat in Year 2 at school (age 7) but did nothing more until 1993 so 20 years after you started! Coincidentally, I was 7 in the same year you started stitching! Imagine two little girls on opposite sides of the world, both stitching their first design in the same year :-)

Stitching Noni said...

I loved reading your story of the sewing box and your Nonno! I remember the old Dymo machines!! I still have my first sewing box - it is an old red and white plastic woven one... Can't remember how old I was when I got it but I was still in primary school so it was in the 70's as well.
I am in awe of your beautiful stitching and the designs that you are working on. Just stunning :)
Hugs xx

Karoline said...

Congratulations on your finishes and a lovely story about your sewing box.

Your other projects are all looking lovely

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Oh my goodness, what a blast from the past! I have that exact sewing box only mine is *that* green from the 70's! Wow that took me back. Love all your latest finishes too. Have a great week!

Hilda said...

Such a lovely story, Anette! Great that you preserved your first sewing box and your first pincushion!
My first start on crafting (I think it was a kind of finger-crocheting) was back in 1972 at school. Sewing and stitching followed some years later.

Your progresses and finishes are wonderful. Especially the french pieces are adorable. I knew the thread (Atalies), but I did not know the designs.

Happy stitching
Hilda

Julie said...


Good old granddad,what a lovely story.Those 3 pieces will make lovely pin cushions.

Beth said...

What an enjoyable blog. The blues in Forget Me Nit are lovely.

Dani - tkdchick said...

WoW those French smalls are all so pretty and delciate!

Anne said...

What an amazing post Annette!! I love the little French small pincushions. They are darling. Congrats on your BBD finish! Makes me want to stitch it. Love the story of your Nonno and how he put your name and date on your first sewing box. I was the same age when I started cross stitching...I remember being so excited when I finished my first stitch! Beautiful progress on the Loose feathers and that 1909 bird has beautiful, colourful plumage! Hugs!

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