I’m so lucky to have people watching out for me (ahem, enabling me!) Mary from the Chicken Scratch blog sent me some pictures of cross stitch she saw AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines. You can read more about the quilt show on her blog HERE. Apparently, there happen to be some cross-stitch pieces on display as well. It was fun to see the pictures. I caught myself saying I have that chart and that chart and I stitched that one. But the one that really caught my eye was the red one. Oh my. I hadn’t seen that one before.
Shucks. There was no tag or info for me to identify who stitched it. Hmm.
I’ve been looking for a red sampler to stitch. So many people have a wall of red samplers. I don’t know that I want to do that…but, I’d love to stitch one. I had so much fun stitching the first Red Bird Sampler we did as a stitch along. Hmm.
That’s it. I’ll ask Judy at Patchwork Times. She might know. So I sent a message to Judy. She was quick to reply saying she thought it was Folk Art Sampler. She even provided a link to the chart. THANKS, Judy!! You can see the chart HERE on 123 Stitch.
It’s so pretty. I really like it…but that border is a lot of backstitch and I hate backstitch. It might be worth it though. It’s so pretty.
So…I put the chart on my wish list and I’ll think about it. It is really pretty…don’t you think?
Enough of that…onto what I stitched…
I picked up my Come to the Garden piece by Teresa Kogut.
You might remember that last week I got over my disappointment about the borders not meeting, tried again and it worked. This week I got some stitching done. It doesn’t look like a lot but part of it was stitching some of the inner gold-colored border.
I was wanting to listen to the PBS Ken Burns special about the US and the Holocaust. I needed some mindless stitching so the inner border got some attention one night.
I am stitching this on Picture this Plus 40 count Vellum with the called-for colors. I love this linen.
I decided that I am going to drop down and stitch the words and then work up. I do better with moving from motif to motif if I would from the bottom up…or at least I feel more confident with my work. If I stitched on this exclusively, I really don’t think it would take that long to stitch.
But…I’m not stitching on it exclusively, so it’s going to take a bit longer.
From there I went on to work on my Red Bird Sampler by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread. This is our stitch-along piece. Here is where I was last week.
I am stitching this on Shrekies Tan by Needle Bling Designs. I am using the called-for colors.
All I did was fill in the flower of the vase on the right.
I am totally loving this now. For a while, I wasn’t sure about the colors and didn’t know how I felt about them. They seemed so bright. I’m not really a bright girl.
Now that the colors of the deeper red in the middle pots are stitched in, I feel much better and actually like it.
Next up I’ll stitch the birds. This project might get set aside for the rest of September. I gave myself three months to stitch Red Bird Sampler with the intention of stitching the birds along the top in October.
I am stitching this on Needle Bling Designs Shrekie’s Tan in 40 count. I really like this linen color and I like working with it.
I had a new start. I started Be Ye Thankful by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread. I really love this one.
It was a new release this Fall. It’s stitching together pretty quickly. This was one and a half evenings of stitching. I’m hoping I might power through and finish this up over the next week depending on how things go. I’d like it finished and out for my Fall decorating.
I’m using all of the called-for colors. The house is actually a little more gold than it shows. The color is Grecian Gold.
I am again starting at the bottom and working up. I really prefer that if the top is airier.
This has been so fun to stitch. It’s great to see it coming together so quickly. I have other Fall-themed charts I’d like to get to so…I want to keep stitching along and hopefully get yet another finished this Fall.
I did purchase two new charts. I’ve been kind of collecting season small charts that I want to stitch. These two have been on my list for some time. I know I thought about them last year and I think even the year before that.
I finally caved and bought them. I needed to order a thread and decided to put them in my cart too. I’ve been watching Instagram as cross-stitchers are decorating for fall. I saw these stitched and was reminded again how much I would love to have them stitched and in my house as well.
I can’t stitch them if I don’t have the pattern, right?? I don’t know that I’ll get to them this fall. I likely won’t but I’ll have them in the file and if the whim hits, I can start stitching.
That’s what I’ve been up to in my cross-stitch world. What have you been busy stitching?
Hi Jo,
I really like all of the pieces you’re working on right now! I’m working on an all burgundy sampler that I absolutely love! It’s called Dasher & Dancer Quaker Sampler by Hobby House Press. It’s great to work in one color and not have to stop and change thread colors! Makes stitching go pretty quickly. Stitch on!
I looked it up and it’s really pretty!
I’m still working on Autumn by Pinkernpunkin – it’s a freebie on her site. I was hoping to get it done by the first official day of fall but no can do. Were in AL visiting family before we return to FL for the winter.
Here’s her piece if you wish to take a look. It’s at the top of her blog on the right.
https://pinkernpunkinquilting.blogspot.com/
Love and prayers
That one is so pretty!! Tempting for sure.
Love the pieces you are working on, Jo. And thanks for the info on Autumn Alphabet, since that was one that caught my eye on the wall of projects at the beginning of your post.
That Red Sampler would make a GREAT stitch along piece!!!
I agree!
Your work is beautiful. Counted cross stitch is very hard for me so I do embroidery, which I really enjoy. Each to our own gift, right? Hope you have a good day!
Beautiful choices. I have way to many ahead of me to frame with no wall space! Boo hoo! But wanted to encourage you on the backstitch of the red sampler border. First, think of it as a game. Second, have you heard of blackwork? Where the back is identical to the front? Well, you may find that a neat technique at least partially to use on that border. I find it fun to challenge myself with it. Hope you get the pattern and however you do the border it will be beautiful.
Love your cross stitch updates! A quick question, when stitching on 40 CT linen, are you stitching 1 over 2? Or 2/2??
I’m not stitching on any x stitch stuff that’s for sure – you and Connie are obsessed and have deserted me! I’m feeling very lonely in the quilt world- haha! I believe it’s Susan Ache who has that wall of red and white samplers – I love her quilt designs!
Happy Stitching to you, Jo, and congratulations on your new grandson – love the name Anders!
You could always do the red sampler the “old fashion way” & start in the middle like cross-stitch used to be done. Then you would do the border last. I’m from the old school, where that is the way it used to be done. I haven’t wrapped my head around the “new way “ yet. Anyway, just a thought.
I don’t cross stitch, though I love looking at samplers, so this might be heresy…if you love the sampler but not the border…change the border stitch.
It’s your version of the sampler and you are fearless when changing quilt patterns…
I saw the cross stitches at the AQS show and thought of you. Me and my mom might have bought some wool projects from them.
I’m working on “Flying Lesson” by Silver Creek Samplers….I don’t do a lot for Halloween but this one was funny so I’m doing it lol
I’m working on Peppermint Bark. It was a pre-order from Market this year. I also have a very long term project that I haven’t been working on lately. It is fairly large for me and is worked with variegated threads to make it look like stained glass. The border is done and I just need to start filling in color. And I’m with you, I HATE backstitch!
I’m not a backstitch girl either. I’m so glad so many designers don’t include it anymore.
Hi Jo – are you changing the wording on Come to my Garden? If you wrote about that in a previous post, please forgive me, I must have forgotten about it. Thanks!
I am changing the wording. I am changing it to “I come to the Garden Alone, while the dew is still on the roses”. It’s an old hymn that was played at both of my parents funerals and at my nieces. I plan to put their intials all on the piece. My daughter Kayla charted the words. You can find a free printable for them by following this link. https://www.joscountryjunction.com/dewonroses/
Have you had an opportunity to peruse the “Modern Folk Embroidery” site? Jacob designs wonderful monochrome samplers and other charts. He also does gorgeous reproduction samplers and has a You Tube channel for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!