So Many Finishes

Last week was a week of several finishes.

First up is the needlepoint heart from last week.  After I got all the backstitching done, it occurred to me that I shouldn't have done the cool background stitching around the heart and finished it an an ornament instead.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll turn it into a box top or something.

Second is the Violet Tool Case.  I ended up having to sew around the piping by hand.  My sewing machine didn't want to go through all the pocket layers and the piping.  Oh well.

Next up is the framed Tuscan Greeting sampler.  I finished stitching it last August, but never got around to framing it.  As it is, I have to re-frame the piece because it shifted in the frame when it was wrapped up and taken to the PASG Judged Show.  The shifting was enough to cost me a blue ribbon, but I'm still ecstatic about the red ribbon.

I also finished Musical Roses last August and finally framed it last week.  It was also entered into the show and took a ribbon.  Despite the frame being too small for the design (which I'm absolutely irritated about), it took a blue ribbon.  It's also going to be re-framed, but with a larger frame and a mat.

I've saved the best for last today.  I finished my original cross stitch design that features a poem that I wrote. They share the title of Paint the World.  I plan on offering the chart for sale as a .pdf file at some point in the future.  I'm not sure when, but it is in the works.

I'm happy to say this piece took two blue ribbons at the Judged Show this year.  The first in it's category, the second was a special award for this year's theme, "Tell Me A Story."

 It's been a crazy week, so I'm going to take the rest of today off and put my feet up.  See you next weekend!

The Tuscan Sampler, Such As It is...

The last time you all saw the Tuscan Sampler was August 28. Since then I have only worked on it in small snatches of time. Here's what it looks like currently:

Real life had gotten in the way of most fun projects, and continues to do so. We're expecting overnight company next week and my sewing room/guest room needs a good cleaning as does the rest of the house. Today and tomorrow we'll be doing chores and Tuesday I am going to a guild meeting so I shall be stitching there, but I don't know what will strike my fancy.

Back to cleaning I go!

Stitching or Pixelated Vision?

The Flowerpot Kitty piece is done! One of my guild members had the right black floss to finish the back stitching. We had a meeting at her home on Wednesday and she happened to have the floss in her stash. She very much wanted me to finish a project. I guess my habit of having multiple projects going at once scandalized her. (She never starts a new project without finishing the one she's already started.)
I will be framing this and the Dalmation puppy over the weekend.

Next up is my mother's birthday gift. I started it on Monday of this week and had the stitching done Wednesday afternoon. The framing was put off until Thursday due to a lack of acid free adhesives in the house. A quick trip to the scrapbooking store fixed the issue and framing was a breeze.
I should note that the decorative mat and frame were part of the kit. It's part of the Daydreams collection by Dimensions.

Third we have the project I started to keep my hands busy while I looked for replacement thread for the kitty. It's also a Dimensions kit and meant to have a surname and year stitched in the middle. I'm not sure if I'm keeping this one or giving it to my in-laws, but I can figure that out once I get to the year.

Last is the old Frank Lloyd Wright piece I started last year. It was supposed to be a Yule gift for my dad, but I got distracted when Uncle Will died. The goal is to finish this up and get it framed for his 90th birthday next weekend.
Luckily I had gotten quite a bit done before life got in the way. The only cross stitching left is the light green blocks around the left side and bottom. Then it's all back stitching.