I had another busy week. With Halloween and Kalissa being sick my days ran a bit into my evenings and that meant cross-stitch time got reduced. That’s been the norm of late so I’m learning to deal with it.
Here is where I last was on my Come to the Garden project by Teresa Kogut. I am stitching this on 40-count Vellum by Picture this Plus with the called-for colors. Here is where I was last week.
I had a goal in mind to try to complete the top and bottom border. Here is how I did…I met my goal even with my busy week. YAHOO!!
I even managed to finish one of the side motifs I had started and I put a floss length of floss in for the inner border.
Hmm. Now looking at it I am wondering if I am missing a couple of leaves in the middle and left flowers. I’ll have to check that out. It’s an easy enough fix.
BLAH! I did the same thing on the lower right flower as well.
This is one of the reasons I love blogging. Looking at my work in pictures makes me see things I might now have seen.
So…this is where I was when I put this piece away for the night.
Next week I have a goal to get the entire right-hand border finished. That is going to be a big push for me to accomplish that. I have it in my head that I might be able to finish this by the end of the year. Oh, I would love to do that.
When I started in June as a stitch-along, it was scheduled that it could be finished by the end of the year. I totally got off and just dropped stitching on it so I didn’t think there was a way for me to finish it by the end of the year…now I’m starting to think I can. I just need to tackle those inner motifs if I can finish the border this week. I think it’s doable without making myself too crazy. It is pretty intense stitching in the center though…we’ll see.
You might have noticed that I stalled out on the flower I started just above the wording…Do you notice it was charted to be stitched in blue?
I don’t mind blue..in fact, I like the color blue but somehow it seems “off” in this chart as there isn’t much blue elsewhere.
I’m really tempted to pull another reddish color or gold and stitch the blue flowers a different color. What do you think?? Somehow, to me, the blue just doesn’t jive with the rest of the chart. Please let me know what you think…anyway, that’s why I’ve stalled out on that blue flower.
The other piece I worked a little on was the Autumn Alphabet by The Scarlett House. I am stitching this on a piece of 40-count Heartland by Picture this Plus. Here is where I was last week.
It was only one night, a short one at that, of stitching. It allowed me to work on the border a bit more and finish the top two lines of stitching. I don’t have any real deadline for this…
I just stitch on it one or two nights when I don’t get sat down to cross stitch until later in the evening.
I spent some time working with Liz of The Stitchery Nook to come up with a schedule of stitch-alongs for the 2023 calendar year. I wanted to get a whole schedule out as getting supplies is challenging. With more notice, it should make things a little easier for Liz.
One of the things I suggested was having a year-long stitch-along. We would start it on January first and then have quarterly goals. We’d throw a few other small stitch-alongs throughout the year-five total I think. People could pick and choose which stitch alongs appeal to them and stitch along with me for those.
Again I picked some pieces that offered a few challenges for us. I’ll tell you more about them along the way as Liz looks into availability and such.
For the new year new start, the sampler we would stitch one section each quarter is Black Dog Sampler by The Scarlett House. It’s one I had wanted to stitch for a long time. My oringal thought a year ago when I first started thinking about this was that I would change the black dog to a beagle but now I have Izzy, a black dog, so thought I would stitch it as is. Can you see the little black dog in the sampler??
This sampler reminds me a lot of my Floral Motif Sampler that I really enjoyed stitching. Every time I got a motif finished, it felt like a great accomplishment.
I know this is a bit of a challenge for some newer stitchers but I do think it’s doable for even a beginning stitcher. Pieces like this where there is distance between the motifs allow a big margin for error. If you are off a stitch or two in one direction or the other, no one will notice.
The piece is 197 x 143 stitches. For me on 40-count linen that would be 10 x 7ish. If you were stitching on 32 count it would be 12 1/4 x 9ish. It’s not huge.
I thought it could be divided up into something like this…
The goal would be to do about 1/4 of the project each quarter of the year. Of course, you can make it whatever you want because knowing myself, I will make it my own likely stitching the border first. I plan to squeeze a year and my initials into it somehow. I’ll try to help with that if others of you want to do that too.
As I always say, NO RULES, and make it your own.
As I was writing this Liz from the Stitchery Nook called. She said Gloriana silk, which this calls for, is really hard to get. They are currently about 6-9 months out depending on the distributor. She thought she could convert the colors to a different brand of silk and also provide an option in DMC and possibly fancy floss. She is still looking into it all. So we all have to be patient. It’s a big job.
I wanted to give you a heads-up on the project though as I know people are starting to make stitching plans for the new year, including me! I’m so excited that I’ll be stitching this. It’s been on my to-do list for some time. I hope some of you will be interested in joining me.
As always, I will let you know more about what Liz comes up with in the upcoming week or two…for now, you can pencil it in for the new year.
It is the 24 hours cross-stitch weekend. It is a Facebook group that quarterly tries to get 24 hours of cross-stitching into a three-day weekend. Oh my, I would to join in. I know I can’t get 24 hours in but I am going to aim for 12 hours in over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That would move me along on my Come to the Garden piece. Does anyone else want to join in and see how many hours you can get in? Check out my Instagram stories over the weekend and watch my progress…or lack of progress. We’ll see!!
Hi Jo! i’m not a cross stitcher, a quilter and i do alot of crochet, but i would definitely leave in the blue if it’s the one in your picture. maybe add a tiny bit somewhere else if it bothers you that it’s only in that one corner
it adds a bit of a pop and i think you’ll like it.
i so agree with the blue comments from Shoshana
Black Dog Sampler!!! Perfect for 2023!
Jo, you missed leaves on two of the top border flowers as well as the lower right one. It is a 4/3 split on the leaves so I can understand how you would do a 3/3 split. Love this piece, but not being a cross-stitcher, I’ll just enjoy what you do.
Looking at the pattern in the picture, you can see where the designer missed a leaf in the lower left corner on the bottom!!
I like the blue. You might consider doing the flowers in the top right in blue if you want more blue. I do like the blue though.
Your stitching is so beautiful! I agree with you that the blue doesn’t seem to fit well in that piece. But whatever you choose will be stunning!
I wish I could join in with another stitch along, but never found time to even begin the “Blessings” one from a while back. I’ve never cross stitched before and am so intimidated by the linen. I’m grateful to be able to find your posts, so when I do begin, I’ll find some help.
Jo, I was thinking the blue flowers were stylized blueberries to go with the strawberries above. I’d change the bird above the butterfly to a bluebird for balance. You know the rule, though, your project your rules! :) It will be beautiful either way. I love your Friday updates.
You are making great progress on your stitching projects even though you don’t have much time to work on them. The sampler is going to be beautiful!
I am in agreement with the previous comments. I really like the blue.
I agree with other commenters…use the blue. As with quilts, a little bit of a different color adds interest.
Hi Jo! I would leave the blue myself as to me it looks “right” bringing in a different color there. If you changed to a different red (especially a red) those sweet flowers will get lost. Sometimes we need to trust the designer over our own preferences. Great progress you’ve made on your projects despite the loss of time.
What is the name of the cross stitch group on Facebook doing the 24 hour challenge over a three day weekend? Definitely interested in joining the group. Thank you!
I am definitely interested in the Little Black Dog Sampler. I’ll be making mine on 32 count linen in honor of our wee teacup Chihuahua named Aryanna. She is mostly black, elderly now (almost 14 years old), and who knows how many years she has left. I think it would be a nice touch to add my initials and the year. I hope this will be affordable for me to participate in. I will order the chart now so I can look into the floss issue beginning now and go with the less expensive floss option, my own extensive stash and add in whatever colors I am lacking.
I would also leave the blue. The piece is stunning as is
Jo, I agree with the others–the blue should stay. It seems to balance all the red in the piece. However, it’s your stitch so “you do you”! It will be great, no matter what you do.
I too like the touch of blue in your picture. It’s just enough to add a little spark but also blend nicely with the green.
Whatever you do, it will be lovely.
If you are gifting the Come to my Garden to me, please leave the blue flowers it gives it such dimension. Please and thank you.
Regarding the Black Dog Sampler. I love it and have been wanting to do it as well. I wonder if Liz might be able to convert the silks to 100.3 silks. Brenda and the Serial Starter have been talking this up quite a bit on their recent floss Tubes. I’ve never used it so I don’t know about it’s availability. I’m sure whatever Liz does will be wonderful. Looking forward to joining in.
My vote is to leave the blue. It provides a break from all that red/green/gold. And I like Joyce’s idea of changing the bird to blue.
I love the black dog sampler and would love to join in. I also wonder about the 100.3, but I’ve never used the silks but would love to try. I vote to leave the blue, it gives the sampler a pop of color, but I’m sure whatever you decide it will be beautiful.
I’d change that blue in a heartbeat! Red is always better than blue. A nice rosy pink or a deep terra cotta would work. You could even mix a few “reds”. A chart I’ve been working on is using a lot of DMC 355 and I can’t remember ever using this color in 40 years of stitching. Luscious. Don’t have your chart so it may not work for you. I know blue is supposed to be the most popular color but I get so tired of it. My personal color wheel goes from purples to greenish teals; pretty much leaving out the blues entirely unless it’s something patriotic.
Jo, you are doing such a beautiful job in Come to My Garden. I would leave the blue.
You could try a like and see how you think it looks.
I am wondering where you get your fabric. I have ordered from 123 Stitch, but like most places they do not have some sizes of linen.
Where do you buy your linen?
Thanks for keeping us informed in advance on your upcoming stitch along. It sounds fun.
Linen buying is tricky. I search for what I want on Etsy sometimes and buy from different places. I also buy from the Stitchery Nook but they don’t sell fabric online. You might be able to call there though. Linen especially the higher counts is hard to find.
I would like to do the Black Dog Sampler. My first sew along. Hopefully I can keep up.
How fun that the Black Dog Sampler has a black dog like your Izzy! While customizing your piece, you might consider replacing the bird with another dog in beagle colors, do that your sampler could commemorate the special friendship that Rosie and Izzy have developed.
Beautiful work as always on your projects! Thanks again for sharing some of your work and some of your life on your blog!
I love the saying on the bottom of the Come to the Garden sampler. It’s one of my favorite hymns. But when I saw the pattern I realized the words were different. Would you be willing to share your charting of the words or is it in the pattern already? Thanks.
You can find the printable wording in this blog post. https://www.joscountryjunction.com/dewonroses/
What a lovely sampler you’re working on! I agree with several of the others — adding the blue back in will really pop when you hang the picture on the wall. I’d add just a little bit of that blue in a couple other places in the picture to totally tie that color into your picture. Can’t wait to see it finished!