The Counted Wishes Cross Stitch Festival - Spring 2014 is now OPEN!!

A long winter of stitching has probably used up your stash. Well then we have just what you need to lay in a supply of great projects, and the fabric and accessories to go with them.

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New Starts, New Finishes, More New Starts

Wow! Time flies between projects.  Actually, I've fill the evenings with some little goodies from The Sweetheart Tree.  But I just don't think to post them because they only take two or three days each to stitch.  These little needlerolls have lots of specialty stitches and, except for the annoying little backstitch vines, they are fun to do.  Unfortunately, I didn't do a very good job photographing the white-on-white stuff, but you get the idea.

 

 

I'm starting a Long Dog Sampler SAL on March 1st.  My project is not a typical LD piece, but I find it very intriguing.  "Le Jardin de Plaisir" is more of a geometric/knot garden type design and I love the original colorway of red, black and gray.  I'm stitching it on 38 count Italian linen (thanks, Laura!) with Splendor silk.

And once again, I'm going to try to work on more than one project in rotation.  Otherwise, I'll finish the SAL piece in the first month.  I have some Scarlet Letter pieces almost kitted and I'll just have to close my eyes and pick one once all the silks arrive.  I ran in from waiting by the mailbox just to post this.  It's kind of cold out there at night, but I'm very anxious for this package to arrive.

Plus, I have been very busy in the 'bead cave'.  It's been a big month for scissor fobs.  Every time I think I'm catching up, I need to make more.  It's a great problem to have except my fingers are too cold to play with the beads for long periods of time.  I'll really be happy to see Spring!  From elegant...

to funky...

there's lots to choose from.  I just hope I don't need more counting pins for this Long Dog SAL piece.

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A Quick Finish

Well, that didn't take long!  Naomi Dartnall was a quick and fun little project.  I think this one will be perfect for my Mom's Christmas present this year.  Let's just hope I don't lose it in a 'safe place'. 

And, on another front, my missing mojo is back!  That cold I had a few weeks back and the subsequent miserable weather put me in a creative funk for a while, but over the last week I've been a beadin' fool.  Scissors fobs and book thongs have been jumping off the workbench and out of the shop too!  I've probably taken and edited 400 product photos this week.  

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What Was She Thinking?

I'm having so much fun with Jean Scrimgeowr that I told my husband yesterday that I might not sell a lot of stuff for a while.  I would rather stitch than promote my Etsy shop.  Fortunately, we don't have to live off the income from my fobs and stitch markers.  And yesterday, I had to take a break to stitch a Habitat for Humanity sampler, so I am really itching to get back to JS.

My New Year's good luck is holding so far...or maybe after decades of stitching reproduction samplers, I have actually learned to look for compensations and other oddities, especially in borders.  As I worked my way across the top border…and unworked my way back a way… I discovered that each repeat of the border motif moves up one stitch all the way across the top.  Now I can hear you asking why I think my luck is holding given that I had to frog a little.  Well, normally, I would make it all the way around the border (and it's a big one) before I thought to look for those aberrations.  And now that I think about it, what probably made me take a second look is one little backstitched tendril extended above the graph and I thought, 'hmmm, wonder what that means'.  So I probably haven't really learned much in all those years, I'm just lucky.  And, it’s a good thing I left a decent sized margin at the top because I thought the top left was the high point in the design.   

What's the lesson?  Never make assumptions when stitching a reproduction.   And it just occurred to me that I'm probably going to go nuts when I frame it!  Do I square up the large border or the truly square inner red backstitch border?  Aaaargh, I'm going to obsess about that until the piece is done.  I hate it when I starting thinking too much.

Another interesting thing I've found is that the vine in the first band is in two different shades of green.  They are so close that it is difficult to tell that they are different unless you look very closely.  It seems to be planned, as opposed to not having enough of either color, but I wonder what Jean was thinking. 

I'm also wondering if the two dogs (one is on the far left side of the first band) are pets, since they are both pictured in two colors.  That green blob will be a bird once I add the legs, beak and eye. 

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It’s a New Year And I’m Baaaaack!

Happy 2014 to all my stitching buddies.  I’ve missed you, so I thought I would give the blog another try.  Since I tend to work only one project at a time, and usually large ones,  I’m always afraid I will bore you to death with pics and updates of the same thing.  But I decided that if you get bored you will just quit reading, so apparently I’m only in this for myself.

Since September, I’ve been very busy with holiday stitching, commonly known as “The Christmas Panic”.  This year’s ornament total was 28.  I planned (resolved) to work on ornies through January, but I’ve already broken that one.  However, I did get eleven done before I switched over to my latest project.  More on that later.  Here are a few of them, but you can see more here. 

 

Business also took a large chunk of my time since I last posted.  My new stitch picker/needle threader sets have been very popular.  I made a set for each person in my stitch group and found these precious pincushions at UpTheCreek on Etsy to go with them.  

Lots of folks must have received scissor fobs and counting pins for Christmas too!  Thanks to all of you who shopped with me at TJBdesigns this year.  I’m looking forward to creating even more exciting needlework tools this year.  Stay tuned.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/174248457/scissor-fob-quilting-sewing-cross-stitch

 My new project is another one that has been in my stash for almost two decades.  “Jean Scrimgeowr” by The Scarlet Letter.  I framed this one for a customer way back in the 90s and fell in love with it then.  Scottish samplers have a special appeal to me and I’m not sure why.  This one is stunning and I have it hanging by the end of March.  Happy Birthday to me.

 

I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.  Happy Stitching!

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Summer Stitching

Since the massive frogging incident, I've made good progress considering that I haven't had that much time to stitch.  When you live at the beach, summer visitors tend to mess with your stitching schedule.  Plus, I usually have to give up my 'nest' so that everyone has a place to sit. 

I just started the first flower in this huge band.  Thank goodness I get to add a color that I like!  All that green and yellow was getting on my nerves.  Hopefully, I'll get back in my normal stitch routine this week and have time to post more too.

It's also time to reorganize my yearly stitching list.  I've indulged myself for several months now working on Virtue Outshines the Stars, but it's time to get crackin' on those thirty Christmas ornaments, birthday presents and Christmas presents too!  Where does the time go? 

It's too hot to spend much time outside, so you'd think I would get a lot of stitching done during the day.  But most days, I'm busy making new scissor fobs and counting pins and promoting them online.  Thankfully, they seem to be more and more popular and the knitters and crocheters want their share of needlework bling too! 

And in case I haven't mentioned it lately, thanks for stopping by and commenting on my stitching life!  It's great to hear from all of you.

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Thistle Too

Now that Thistle Too is done, I'm taking a Periwinkle Promises break and working on some hardanger Christmas ornaments.  They're easy and they require no finishing beyond attaching a hanger and washing/ironing.  Maybe I'll have enough done by Christmas to avoid being disowned.

 

Over the last few months, I started making beaded eyeglass leashes.  Most of us, as we get a little older, need a little magnification to stitch. So we buy those adorable little reading glasses to make us feel a little less frumpy about needing them.  And you don't want to lose them, so you need a pretty eyeglass chain to keep them handy.  

In the meantime, I continue to add new fobs and counting pins to my shop. 

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I Want a Day Off!

Okay, this is one of those days where I can't find the motivation to do anything but stitch. But I feel guilty for not doing something 'productive' so I haven't even picked up my stitching. I am such a goon. I deserve to do what I want to, right? Actually, I did go to the grocery, so I think I'll count that as my productivity for the day.

Here's where I left off last night on The Cranberry Sampler. By Monday, you'll be able to tell how self indulgent I really am!

On another note, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?  Did anyone actually look at your wish list? Somebody looked at mine and I got these precious Pineapple Scissors from UncommonScissors.com.

I haven't decided on a fob for them yet, but you know I will! Feel free to browse my shop for a treat for your new scissors or to spruce up your old ones!  There are some new fobs and counting pins available, like this one in my favorite color combo. Lime Cobalt Beaded Scissor Fob

and Small Lime Cobalt Counting Pins for Cross Stitch and Needlepoint

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Do you think in DMC colors? You know, when you go to buy a pair of shoes to match an outfit, do you ask the clerk for something in '823' instead of 'navy blue'? Well, I do. Not all the time, but it happens. Last week I was working on a custom scissor fob (actually two) for someone and I just couldn't get a feel for what she wanted, so I asked her for the DMC colors. She went one better and sent me a picture of the scissors that will go with the fob. Here's what I came up with.

 There are lots of choices in my Etsy shop, but I am always open to custom work.

Still working on ornaments, but I did a count last night. Nineteen down, only eight to go! Woohoo! I managed to stitch quite a bit while watching football this weekend. (Go Wolfpack!!! Our season might as well be over, since we beat Carolina!) 

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Being Creative With Some Friends

 

A couple of my artsy friends on Facebook formed a group with the sole purpose of challenging ourselves to create something beautiful every couple of weeks. We all love color and making the most of color combinations, so the Creations Color Challenge Group is our way of pushing ourselves and sharing our creations. This week's color combo challenge (as if you couldn't tell from the photo) is green and orange. I have to admit orange is not one of my favorite colors, but when I pulled out the bead boxes this fob just sort of came to me. It happens that way sometimes, which is good, because I hate it when I have to force it. The results are usually not my best. In fact, I usually leave my designs laying on the workbench, unassembled, for at least a day, so that I can warm up to them. I put this fob together as soon as I laid it out. I added the removable stitch markers for crochet to complete the set. They're not very adventurous, but the set makes a great gift for someone who loves to crochet. Of course, I can also make counting pins for cross stitch and needlepoint or stitch markers for knitting to match the fob too. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

Not everyone has posted their items yet this week, but here are three wonderful items. Check out their fabulous on-line shops too! 

A gorgeous bracelet and necklace set by CarensJewelryBox on Artfire.

This lovely card is from CrossStitchCards, also on Artfire.

And this boldly beautiful bracelet is by KraftyMax on Artfire.

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Another Fun Finish!

 I can't figure out what I've been doing, but it's not stitching. At least, not as much as I usually do. Anyway, I finished this lovely sampler, as well as a Habitat for Humanity sampler. A group of ladies from our now defunct EGA chapter stitch them for new H for H homeowners in our area.  Emily Gorgeina Dixon is a reproduction from Ewe and Eye and Friends. The colors are unusal, but stitched as charted.

 
Now I'm officially starting the Christmas panic. I usually start my Christmas ornaments in June. Today, I final got around to kitting up some today. It's going to be quite a push to get 25-30 completed this year. Guess I'll have to give up sleep for a while.

Of course, I'm also gearing up for the gift giving rush in my Etsy shop. Don't forget your favorite stitcher, knitter or crocheter. Scissor fobs, counting pins, laying tools, stitch markers...Bling for the needleworker who loves pretty things.

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Gotta Love Great Service

I almost waited too long to order my frame for The Yellow Rose Sampler! But thanks to email and the amazing service from Tamara and Bob at The Stitches in Time on-line shop I am ready to wrap this baby and give it to Mom! They went out of their way to get it to me quickly since they are at the Celebration of Needlework show in New Hampshire this weekend, but knew I wanted it for Mother's Day. Big thank you to them.

 

So I'm back to working on the Moroccan sampler. It's been a little slow this week, but I'm still making progress and still loving it. 

I've been busy making laying tools for an order from the on-line needlework show a couple of week ago. Tracey at Threaded Needle Designs distributes my beaded needlework tools and she's kind enough to show them when she does the show. This is just one of the ones I have listed in my Etsy shop. If you love pretty stitching tools, check it out. All my scissor fobs are one of a kind and lots of them have counting pins and/or laying tools to match. And I love to do custom sets too. Just ask!

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Just Keep on Stitching

Hetty Childs is moving right along, as you can see. Only minor frogging required so far. (Can you feel the happy dance?) Of course, now that I'm in the middle and doing the random motifs, we'll just have to see how long it takes befoe the swearing starts.

It's probably a good thing that this piece isn't very complicated because my focus has been a little lacking this week. Still trying to find my mojo after that bout with the flu, but at least I'm making progress.

I've slowly been adding new scissor fobs and counting pins to my Etsy shop too. If you have trouble with borders or those 'confetti' stitching designs, (you know the ones I'm talking about...here a stitch, there a stitch, always changing colors) try using counting pins. They can be very helpful in making sure you put the right stitch in the right place or get the right number of stitches in that long band.

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Stitching Time is Sooooo Wonderful

I've been making an effort to stitch every night this week. Having houseguests, as fun as it is, really puts a crimp in my stitching time. Since I finished Abigail's Wisdom, I'm back on Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. Block 10, the ship in a bottle, is done and I started on Block 11 last night. Letters are soooo easy and they go so quickly.

During the day I am spending all my time getting ready for the Oak Island craft show. I started spreading the finished things out on the dining room table so I could get a feel for any gaps in the inventory. I like to have color coordinated sets of fobs, counting pins and laying tools. Plus when, possible I coordinate some stitch markers for knitting and crochet with some fobs too. 

I have a few bookmarks ready, but not nearly enough! I haven't even started on extra laying tools yet! So I may not come up for air for the next week or so!

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