I’ve had time off this week from grandkids and that had landed me in the sewing room. I’ve gotten a lot done and frankly am on a good roll that I’ve been sticking with so that means the cross stitch has suffered. It’s always something right?
Here is where I was at last week with Red Bird Sampler…I was a thread off and knew it. I even knew where the mistake was. My plan was to ignore it. But…
I was a good girl. I ripped out the mistake…and restitched.
Then I went on and… finished it. I wanted something off my plate and this was the easiest thing to finish!!
I have it all trimmed and ready to be made into a pillow.
I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to finish it besides into a pillow so…that’s on next week’s agenda.
Here is where I was at with Forever and Ever piece by With Thy Needle and Thread. I am stitching this on 40-count Eureka by Fox and Rabbit.
I really put most of my time into this piece. I’m getting close enough to a finish that I want it done.
Here is what I got done…
I stitched the flower and the do-dads above it.
I stitched the butterfly, flower, and my initials. After thinking about it I’m trying to decide if I should rip the “K” out and make it a “J” for my maiden name. Opinions, please??
I am liking this so much!! I love that it’s more horizontally oriented too.
Here is what is left to stitch…the rest of the flower in the pot, the bird, and the branch in the bird’s mouth. There are a couple of do-dads too but not much.
I still have to figure out colors for the bird. That’s next on the agenda. Shown below are the called for and I don’t like them. I want more of a blue.
This is my Teresa Kogut Come to the Garden. I am stitching this on Picture this Plus Vellum with the called for floss.
Here is where I was last week.
I did a tiny bit of stitching on this…It was just one night’s worth. You can see I extended the upper border and started the flower.
I am still liking this and enjoying it but Forever and Ever is so close to a finish AND…I think I want to stitch the border outline before I get too serious about it.
I started this as a stitch along. The organizers had it charted out to do portions each month. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up because I have other things I’m stitching on…BUT…I don’t think I’m going to follow their lead as far as how to break it up. I really want to stitch the border and make sure it all matches up before I start stitching the middle.
It is my way…I just feel more comfortable knowing I have a good foundation to work from and stitching the border does that for me.
You might remember that two weeks ago I told you that I preordered this chart.
It came…I didn’t realize how big it was…oh my, it’s a biggie. On the same day, I got a piece of linen in the mail from a different place. I had ordered the linen a year ago and it finally came now.
It just so happens that the linen and chart look like they could work together. We’ll see. I’m a long way away from starting this.
For anyone who wants to join the newest Red Bird Sampler Stitch-Along, there’s still time.  CLICK HERE to find the stitch along pre-order.
I talked to Liz at the Stitchery Nook and she is busy putting together the kits. A lot of you are joining us for this as well. Whoot! Whoot! It’s so fun to do it with others.
My agenda this week is to finish the Redbird pillow…and to finish the stitching on my Forever and Ever. That might be a little ambitious but we’ll see. Fingers crossed that life participates in my plans.
Make sure to stop by tomorrow evening as I have a shop tour of The Back Stitch in Elkader, Iowa. They have cross stitch and quilting goodies.
Jo, what about doing 3 initials, first, maiden, last? It like there would be room to do 3 initials either vertically or horizontally, but you might how to move a couple of doodads. I wonder if you put the doodads next to butterfly and 2nd chimney and then moved the K down and added the maiden name initial?
I agree with the suggestion to do 3 initials. I do that often because that is just who I am. When I married my maiden name became my middle name.
That’s what I was going to suggest, too. The two doodads under your initials are just filler, so can easily be removed without adversely affecting the design. Just a thought…
I, too, like to work on the borders before getting too far into
the design. Sort of a safety net fir me.
Since Forever and Ever is a celebration of Love I think personally I would add your maiden name initial. Looks like whoever stitched the model used her maiden name initial. It’s a beautiful piece.
You do well, keeping up with quilts, kiddos, and cross stitch. They look so pretty. My married initials are on all my XS from the 90’s, so I don’t plan to revise the sign-off now that I am widowed. That would confuse family if I used something now they might not recognize when I am gone. Keep up the beautiful work.
Jo, I like the idea of putting your maiden name initial instead of the K for Kramer on the piece. You have the year of your wedding and I think it links you and Kramer at that time in the sweetest way. On another note: Thanks for getting me back to cross stitching. It has become my sit-down-to-watch-TV- with-DH activity. I’m not doing the stitch-alongs right now and still using Aida, but I see linen in my future!
Jo, I like the idea of using your maiden name initial rather that the K for Kramer. You have the year of your wedding on the piece and I think it links you and Kramer at that time in the sweetest way!
(Sorry if this posted twice. Fingers and brain having connectivity issues today)
I can see I’m in the minority, but I like it just the way it is with JK. Kramer has been your name for a long time, you’re using your wedding date that links you with Kramer, and you’re a Kramer as you stitch the piece. It will look great whatever you decide to do!
How hard is it to do 40-count? I have only done up to 32. It looks like it would take forever with the stitches so tiny. I love some of the patterns thought that call for a higher count fabric. Are you doing one over one?
Hi Donna.
40 count was initially slower for me but after practice, not anymore. Once you stitch with one thread of floss, it changes the whole game. One thread doesn’t knot as much…the stitches lay nicer. In the end, I think it’s easier. I stitch one thread of floss over two linen threads…unless the pattern calls for 1 over 1
I like the K. You have been a Kramer longer than you were unmarried. You will probably be a Kramer forever.