Old project New finish

Hello lovely friends! Right after 4th of July we were having some cooler weather and I took advantage of it by making another project. Sharing with you today I have a finished project and at the end of this post I have an update on my progress of "Sojourner"!
I had gone on a hunt for a particular piece of fabric and in the drawer I was looking in came across a project that I had all the pieces traced & cut out. This was from 2011 right when I picked up my needle after a dry spell of over 10 to 15 years. I didn't decide to cross stitch at the time but got into embroidery.
Crab apple Hill was a new vendor to me and Meg Hawkey has tons of beautiful patterns that incorporate embroidery but also finishing them with sewing & quilting. This project appealed to me because of the soft colors of Spring and the finishing was all hand sewn.

 This whole project is made of wool felt. At the time I was only aware of felt squares that are available in craft stores. I was soon educated on wool felt. The quilt shop that I had bought my wools from in now out of business. They had a great selection of the wool felts all on bolts. The tiny hearts are individually cut out and then stitched to attach to the cover. The oval pearls I found in my moms stash (now mine). These beads she had left over from when she hand beaded my wedding gown.

 #812 "Embroidery Envelope" by Crab apple Hill

threads: Cosmo, Wildflowers by Caron 

So I decided that now was the time to do this project! And so happy how it turned out.

 The inside is a pale light green wool felt and cover & smalls are light cream wool felt. 

 Pocket 

 scissor & pen holder

Lee do you recognize the scissors? I added some sequins for sparkle so when I open it I get pretty winks - lol!

 pincushion 

 The heart is a double pocket and above a removable needlebook

 I didn't have any velcro but I did have this pretty elastic. I just open the needlebook and slip it in. Perfect!!!

Progress as of 7-12-2015

I've been stitching on Sojourner also - added a few more rows of the alphabet & bands.
Hope you are enjoying summer. Our temperatures will be climbing back up this week - so not looking forward to the heat! With my love and appreciation - Annette

4th of July weekend!

Hello beautiful friends! 4th of July is special because not only for celebrating Independence day here in the USA but also because its my sister's and Nannie's birthday. This was the first 4th of July not being with Nannie - ooooh how we miss her, we said a prayer for her that day. It was a day of remembrance, tears, and laughter all in one day. My son took it upon him self to organize a craft of making rockets. I placed them in a vintage Fenton vase that was gifted to us long ago from Nannie. We did have a make the best of it as we could. Didn't really see the fireworks but we should did hear them - no one wanted to go for a drive to watch them. Hope you got to see fireworks and had a good 4th of July.
I do have some stitching to share with you.

 "Sojourner" by Theresa Baird of Heart's Ease Examplar Workes

40ct Expresso linen by R & R Reproductions

Progress as of oops sometime last week. I stitched some floral's in the upper right corner and the border. I was thrilled that the border matched up perfectly first time. The inside border is all done in closed herringbone stitches.

 Progress of 7-6-2015, the poem is stitched one over one, first row of alphabet done and working on the band underneath.

Completed "Under the Sea"! WOOHOO!!! I made the binding and added the pretty crystal's all today! Just in time for Shark Week (lots of special document series of sharks on the Discovery channel this week).
I took some close up photos hoping to show the pretty crystals as bubbles.

 Thank you for stopping by. Always with my love and appreciation - Annette

2 New Projects!

Hello beautiful friends! The weather has been very hot but today we had a nice cool day. More hot days all this coming week.
Thought I would share with you my new start - "Sojourner" sampler designed by Theresa Baird of Heart Ease Examplar Workes. This sampler was designed for the Bay Area Sampler Guild. So all of it's elements are dedicated to California the Bay Area.

Sojourner,  40ct Expresso linen by R & R Reproductions

Threads:  DMC, & Classic Colorworks Belle Soie silks

I have to mention that the orange flower in the sampler are California Poppy's. The suggested color is Buttercup -  yellow but the only California Poppies that I have ever seen are orange/red. After reading on Edgar's blog he used Lasagna Belle Soie silk and I ordered it and am going with that. Much better! 

Thank you Edgar!!!

You know how sometimes it's inspiring to read something on another blog? Well I learned from Amy's blog about Row by Row patterns. I googled it and turns out it's an National Quilt Shop Hop called "Row by Row Experience 2015". After looking on their website I learned my local quilt shop is participating and thought I would go check it out. Just to Look.....sigh.... I go and walk in the shop and this is the first thing I see...

                                                     

I fell in LOVE!!!

Yep I ended up getting the kit and a fabric plate. Turns out each quilt shop that is participating has their own fabric plate and pattern.  So I guess some people are visiting shops collecting patterns & fabric plates. 

Very FUN!

I came home and started right on making this mini row quilt. 

 "Under the Sea", I have it trimmed ready for the binding. 

 Making this I used a product called "Steam A Seam" fusible web. It's so cool and easy to use. I cut out all the fish individually, placed them where I wanted them to go and ironed them. EASY!!! Will share again when its all done.
With my love and appreciation - Annette

A Lady's Worke Box by Ellen Chester

Hello beautiful friends! I have a finished project to share with you. I had taken a class taught by the beautiful & talented Ellen Chester 2 years ago. Finally it's completed. I know I didn't share all my stitching progress in the making but I blame it on the heat we've been having! We've had some very hot days and more are coming this week. Triple digits!
I just love how Ellen's charts are so detailed & gives excellent instructions on all specialty stitches and for assembling all the pieces which makes it so easy for completing. Of course getting to take a class with Ellen she teaches & explains everything in person was the icing on the cake.

 For those of you who are not familiar with this project designed by Ellen, this was a class through "Bay Area Sampler Guild". Ellen had the beautiful painted wood box handcrafted specially for this project. All the needlework is stitched with silk threads.

The smalls for the work box include a 3 sided scissor weight, wooden hornbook thread holder, needlecase (made in Jacob's Ladder style) and a lovely double sided pincushion trimmed with silk ribbon.

 The inside of the box is covered in duponi silk with many pockets for storing needlework accessories.
I absolutely love my Lady's Worke Box. Every piece is something very special because of all the specialty stitches that adds so much texture to the look and feel. If you have the opportunity to take a class with Ellen I promise you will not be disappointed!!! Thank you Ellen!
With my appreciation and love - Annette

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Giveaway

Hello beautiful friends! Nancy of "Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe" is starting off her Christmas in July giveaways with a Patriotic themed one for 4th of July! If you have a chance - visit her blog HERE and leave a comment to be entered.
If you haven't visited her shoppe on Ebay or if you would like to see her beautiful trims & charts now - visit the link  HERE!
I will be back soon with another post of what I have been up to or I should say what I've been Stitching!
Best of Luck to you!!!

Prizes you can win from Nancy!!!

With my appreciation and love - Annette

Lovely May Surprises

Hello lovely friends! It's amazing that its the middle of May already. We've had some much cooler weather here and it certainly put me in a mood for stitching. So that's what I've been doing - stitching!!! Some finishes to share with you today....

 Finished "Strawberry Fields Forever" by BBD. This really turned out lovely. I have not framed it yet but that's my intention.

A lovely surprise

 Just today I received an envelope in the mail and the stamp said "Royal Mail". I thought "OOOOH this must be my invite to the Royal Christening of HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge! NOPE! But even better....
This sweet chart is from Jo of Serendipitous Stitching blog. I was one of the lucky winners of Jo's 4th Blogaversary draw! And Jo lives in England. How cool is that? I am so excited to get started on this darling chart. I like that is has an angel, hearts, deer, trees and an alphabet. Thank you ever so much Jo!!!

"Sound" Lady and the Unicorn , Dimensions kit 16x20"

Needlepoint - stitched by my mom Franciene (many years ago)

Another lovely unexpected surprise

This is a really cool story I want to share with you.... Kim had shared on one of her posts HERE (Wisdom with Needle and Thread blog) about a series of tapestries that she is stitching. These are done in needlepoint. When I had read her post & saw the photo - I thought "How beautiful I love it" & then I thought "Oh I think my mom had needlepointed one of these". I went on a hunt in the house right then and there. I FOUND IT!!! Yes she did and that's the photo above that I shared with you. Now I don't recall ever getting to see my mom stitch this. I had moved away and was in college. It's completed but horribly mis-shaped pulling all in one angle & needs blocking before it can be framed. But I have it happened to be the same design that Kim had shared and posted about. Can you believe it? I was thrilled to learn the name of the tapestry and the history of it.
Thank you Thank you Thank you sweet Kim!!!!

 "a little Liberty" by Lizzie Kate 

30 ct linen

Over the weekend I stitched a few smalls. This one and the one below.

 "Let Freedom Ring" by Lizzie Kate

32ct Heroic linen by Picture This Plus

I had a piece of this leftover linen and thought it was perfect for this small design.

"A Lady's Worke Box" by With My Needle

36ct 

This is a class that I took& was taught by the wonderful Ellen Chester over a year ago. This is a beautiful collection stitching necessities that will be housed in a gorgeous hand crafted wooden box. The piece I am stitching above is the front outside panel that will be attached to the box once done. I will share photos of the box when I complete this. I have already finished the needle book and made all the duponi silk covered inside panels. I completed the grass and now working on the fence & steps. In this design there will be a house & trees and another floral on the right side.

                                

Thank you so much for your visit. Hope you are enjoying this month of May.

With my love and appreciation Annette

Welcome May!

Hi beautiful friends! It's been some very warm weather here in Northern California. Our temps have been in the 90's. I have two finishes to share with you today. Both projects are from Debbie's Challenge that I started in the beginning of January - of my 15 new starts. I now have completed 7 of 15 projects. YES!!!

Do you remember this? This houses the panels I stitched. I just love pretty tins and have a small collection. This is my only pink one!

"My First Sewing Box & Scissor Fob" by The Stitching Parlor

30ct Woodlawn Linen 

Threads: DMC and Classic Colorworks

Here is the inside of the tin.

I added tiny buttons in the top corners of the felt that holds needles. I have to tell you that I had the linen and used a piece for another ornament "Running Bunnies" by Just Nan back when and didn't think I would have enough linen left for both panels for this project. But I did. Very tight squeeze while stitching -LOL! It worked! Ooops I noticed that I forgot to stitch the scissor fob! I've added it on my list of to do's.

"Needlewoman - busy as a Bee" by The Primitive Hare

30ct Old Salem Linen 

DMC Threads

This is a fold over pouch or pocket. I made some changes. I added firm Pellon (#809) to one of the fabrics so the pouch would hold up strong and not be flimsy. This was gifted to me from our friend Shirlee. I love how it turned out. I didn't add a closure on the bottom of the flap because I think the depth of the inside pocket is very deep and the outside over flap in nice and long. Hope this makes sense. But it works beautifully. 

The fabric colors look rich in person. Pretty bee fabric. Thank you Shirlee! I enjoyed making this.

I am now stitching on "Strawberry Fields Forever" by BBD. This is another one of my new starts from Debbie's Challenge from of the beginning new year. Thank you for your visit.
With my love and appreciation - Annette