I had a lot of little things going on this week in my cross stitch world.
I had a topsy turvy cross stitch week. I thought on Sunday I would stitch on A Savior’s Praise but was on a roll with my All Creatures Great and Small. So I didn’t put any stitches A Savior’s Praise.
Well then Monday rolled around and it was the 25th of the month. If you’ve been reading my cross stitch updates you know that I’ve been stitching something Christmasy on the 25th of each month. I decided to start this…
It’s a Brenda Gervais, With My Needle and Thread, design. It was a new series published in a book form and came out at Market. It is called Seasons of the Heart. There is a similar pillow design in the book for each of the seasons. I loved them all!!
I had a piece of the called for linen…a gift from blog reader Julie. It’s Vintage Country Mocha…my favorite.
THANKS Julie. I so appreciate it.
I sat down to stitch and was so sad. My first thread wasn’t showing up on the linen. I know in the photo below it looks okay…but my Olive colored floss was pretty light. I put in about 10 stitches and then took it back out again.
The coloring you see below is really more of the right coloring.
I was doing so well and accomplishing lots. Then I realized I was off.
Look at the bottom of my stitching to the little berry section. You can see the design goes up and then goes down. In those ups and downs there are five stitches. I only put in four stitches….so the whole thing was off.
I thought about just fudging it but then knew I’d be nervous during the whole stitching time about whether I could fudge it “right”. SO…even though it was bedtime…well past bedtime, I pulled the stitching out.
There is nothing worse than sitting down to a piece knowing the first thing you have to do is pull out stitches. So…this is all I ended up accomplishing…
The next day was the 26th which is a day I hope to stitch on my piece for Kramer and me. Our wedding anniversary is the 26th of July so picking the 26th of each month to stitch on something to commemorate us seemed appropriate. I’ve been stitching on this…Forever and Ever by Brenda Gervais of With my Needle and Thread.
I had yet to make a working copy, so I did that…
Here is where I was the last time I showed this to you. I’m stitching this on Fox and Rabbit’s Eureka in 40 count linen. It’s only a small start.
By the way, I love this linen.
Then that evening, I started stitching…Sadly by the time I actually found my way to the couch it was after 9 pm so I didn’t have a lot of time to stitch. As I started working on this I realized there was a mistake in my previous stitching. UGH.
It was an easy spot to rip out and fix but that took some time. So I really didn’t accomplish much on this. Between orienting myself to where I was at, ripping out what I needed to rip out, and restitching, there wasn’t a lot of time to make some progress. So, I ended here…
I had to laugh when I read Judy at Patchwork Times’ blog. She also has this and is also wanting to move the project up and get it finished. Neither of us mentioned this to the other. We like so many of the same charts!! You can read about Judy’s HERE.
This project is going to move into the #1 slot to work on once I am done with All Creatures Great and Small.
I really don’t think it would take long to stitch if I just concentrated on it.
Speaking of All Creatures Great and Small…
Here is where I left off with my All Creatures Great and Small. I was working on that middle circle.
I finished that one evening…I love it. I did make the change in the red and used Anchor color #20. Cynthia Brew from Stitching in the Light floss tube did that and I loved hers so used the same color. You all know red is my favorite color so of course, I liked the idea of the change.
Then I got curious about how the border might look if I started adding the red flower buds. Oh my. I really loved that.
One thing lead to another and I decided to go all out and see if I could stitch enough on this over the weekend and get half of the border completely finished….so here is where I was at when I started…
and here is where I was when I finished for the week.
I ended up extending the top border to the right and turned the corner. Then I went back to the left side border and finished that down to the bottom and turned the corner.
The true color is more like the color you see below.
After I got half of the border done, I was tempted to continue on with the border but then decided to wait with that. I have the border memorized and can do that without a lot of concentration. Instead, I decided to start working on the other two dividing lines so I could start stitching any motifs I wanted. I ended up putting a couple of small motifs in and then started the church.
Well, that did it. I fell in love. All along I’d been struggling with this piece a little bit. I liked it but I hadn’t fallen in love with it. This typically happens to me. I get about halfway done with a project and it suddenly becomes all I want to stitch on. During the day I think about the project. Even though I have other things planned to stitch, I set them aside and just stitch on whatever it is that I fell in love with.
This is about where I am with this project…and that’s a good thing. That’s how projects get finished. Right now, I’m getting close to halfway done…not quite but close. I think this is moving to the FULL STEAM AHEAD category and many things I previously was stitching on will get set aside until this is finished…We’ll see but I sure am feeling like that’s what I want to do.
Up to now, I hadn’t made a working copy of the entire chart but now I have…I’m ready for the big push. I’m so excited!!
After my week of stitching and trying to squeeze in stuff because it was a certain day…I ended up disappointed in my stitching week. I think I’m going to change things up a bit and not stop to stitch something else when I have great momentum going on. That’s what happened this week. I was so excited about how All Creatures Great and Small was going along, then I stopped stitching to stitch on the other pieces and ended up disappointed and missing stitches which then wasted time.
Rather than be strict about trying to stitch this or that on a certain day, I’m just going to go with the flow. Sometimes it will work to switch projects because I’m at a good stopping point but other times, it won’t and I’m just going to “do me” from now on. The stitch alongs are fun but I think it’s better for me to have more of an open schedule without as many “required” things.
I’m almost finished with the first part of the Blessed stitch along. I had to start over because I missed something and couldn’t figure out what. It just didn’t look right. It’s my first time stitching on evenweave and with these old eyes I have trouble counting threads when things are too far away from each other. Maybe it will be easier if I can get my eyes fixed this summer. It’s slow going but i’m enjoying it!
I am glad to see your comment about doing you when it comes to stitching. I follow several blogs and a few floss tubes and remain mystified at how they can keep track of everything. I often wonder how they enjoy the constant start and stops and the length of time things take. I have projects waiting in the wings and one that suddenly surface (a new baby comes along) that take priority. I find I enjoy them one at a time and my momentum seems to stay with one project at a time. Of course there is no one right way to manage all the projects we have but I appreciated your concluding paragraph.
Jo the berries in your border has made the whole piece come alive my favorite color is yellow but there are times when only red or green is right. So delighted with your All Creatures Great and Small. James Heriot wrote a series with the titles using that song. Your piece honors the Lord who created us. I love it.
Your stitching is beautiful! I think you’re smart to keep going on a project when you have momentum. Switching back and forth can kill that. I really look forward to seeing this finished and hanging on your wall.
Jo, on the first piece you showed in the post, it looks like you are off a stitch between the first and second motif in the top row.
Kathy. You have eagle eyes. You are right. I am a stitch off. I decided I was going to just leave it that way. I looked at what happens with the design and I can easily fudge it. I think it’s noticeable now but won’t be once the whole thing is stitched. If it is, I’ll fix it then. Thanks for letting me know.
I admire you for being able to switch from one project to another and not lose steam. My little OCD brain won’t allow it in both stitching and quilting. I never seem to get anything accomplished. Prime example, I bought a Grace Cutie quilting frame in November. I am going to put it up when I get caught up on a couple projects. Is it put together…no..still in the box at bottom of stairs waiting to be taken upstairs. I have since bought legs accessories and at least they are out of the box. Your stitching is beautiful and you do such creative things with them. Keep posting, maybe I will get more motivation to do more. Have a great day.
I love, love, love your All Creatures piece. It is on my “want to do” list. I think it calls for Anchor floss and I’m excited to try those. What linen are you using? I love what you have done so far!
Sorry you had to do so much ripping out! Not fun at all. The border on ACGAS looks great. Love those red flowers.
I don’t switch off when I am cross-stitching, but that’s me. When I am piecing for a quilt, I do a Leader/Ender but it’s not the same for stitching ;-)
Happy Friday Jo!
JO, I think your new plan is great. Switch if you are at a natural stopping point and don’t switch if you have a rhythm going. Knowing you, you will get them all completed in good time! The point is to relax and have fun doing these.
Your cross stitching looks wonderful, you’re really moving along as a fairly new stitcher. Wonder if you can tell me how I can access the Love and Joy Come to You piece. I’m a former stitcher, but up to my ears in quilts now. I love that piece, would like to stitch it if I can find it.
Jo, can you explain “working copy”. Why is is it advantageous and how do you use it? I’m assuming it is a photocopy of the chart. Thanks, Mary
Another question, Jo – what color floss did you switch to in your Christmas Seasons of the Heart? Did the called for color not work on the vintage country mocha? Thanks again, Mary
I just used Endive. It was already on the list of colors in the chart. Mine will just have a little extra Endive.
Also wondering about the color change in the seasons of the heart pillow. Did you change out what was called for? Mary in EO again
Your stitching looks lovely Jo. I wish I could stitch on the linen, but my eyes are not that good anymore. So it is Aida for me. I also have trouble stitching certain projects on certain days and I admire anyone who is that disciplined. However, I stitch because I truly enjoy it and find it so relaxing, so I usually stitch as you suggested, whatever moves me that day.
Happy Stitching
Pat in Fla.
Your All Creatures is looking stunning and that border adds so much to it. I was looking at the photos before reading what you wrote and thought what a great little church! Looking forward to watching your progress on this one. The little evergreen sprigs on the Winter stitch are so pretty. I’ve refrained from buying that book but now it’s really calling to me. I framed 7 or 8 pieces this week and finally am going to frame Changed World this weekend (it’s about time!).
I agree that just doing one crosstitch project at a time is the way to go.