Chasing Away the Winter Doldrums

I thought I'd try and lift a few spirits with a giveaway of three charts that I enjoyed stitching last year.  First up is Prairie Grove Peddler's Lighthouses Candle Mat, second is JBW Designs Sampler Tree and finally, Cedar Hill's Berry Patch Rabbit. That way there is something for everyone: those who want a little bit of Summer, those who stitch Christmas year round, and those who like traditional designs adapted from medieval tapestry motifs.  My tastes are nothing if not eclectic.

Since it is evening and impossible to take an outdoor photo of the charts, I thought I'd show you my own finishes instead.

Please leave a comment below stating which chart you would like and why.  I will announce the winners next Friday.  The offer is open to all.    

A Break from the Band Samplwe.

I am taking a break from the eye strain inducing Algerian eyelets of the band sampler for a while.  

Yesterday was a snow day so I got in a bit more stitching on a blessedly simple project, Milady's Tea Shoppe, from the Town Square SAL.  Of the eight folks who originally signed up for this SAL, I believe I am the only one still actively stitching along.  

Since I am stitching  the charts in this series from stash, I have had to do quite a bit of substituting.  This has been made a bit more complicated by the fact that I have never been able to find color photos of the stitched models.  I am left guessing at the designers' original intent.  The best I can do is keep my substitutions in the same color families which is what I did when I substituted GAST Freedom and Old Blue Paint [both blues with grey undertones] for the called for GAST Liberty and CC Blue Beadboard.  It would have irked my frugal soul to buy a card of Blue Beadboard in order to stitch  a mere 14 stitches: the valances in the two first floor windows and in the door  window.  It made better sense to work with the third of a card of Old Blue Paint that I had on hand and adjust the remaining blues in the project accordingly.  The same has been true for some of the pinks.  I didn't have CC Second Hand Rose in stash but I did have GAST Tea Rose from the same color family   Now, I just have to come up with a substitute for CCs Bella Rosa.

The fact is I don't have many Crescent Colors over dyed cottons, probably not more than a dozen or so in all.  Though Sharon's colors are lovely, it just doesn't seem sensible to acquire another large collection of cotton over dyes when I already had very extensive colllections of GAST and WDW.  Now, Crescent Colors' Belle Soie silk line is another story entirely.  I am constantly adding to that collection.  That's my go-to silk whenever I swap out an entire project from cotton to silk.

The Lull ...

...  between yesterday's storm and tomorrow's.  We are expecting another 8 inches of snow.  So, today is the day to scurry around to the bank, the post office, and the grocery store.  I'll also be going into work three hours early to help make up for yesterday's snow day.  I may do so again on Thursday.  It depends on how much work is left in my inbox tonight.

I have hit a slow patch on The English Band Sampler so there won't be any photos for a little while.  I think I will have to prepare some linen for a small travel project just to have something to stitch when the single stranded Algerian eyelets in the sampler start crossing my eyes again.  The eyelets are stitched in an area hemmed about by cross stitches that partially conceal the threads to be counted when placing the arms of the eyelets.  I can only do so much before eyestrain gets me down.

I got Milady's Tea Shoppe out this morning and worked on it for two hours.  This is going to be one very pink building.  In spite of my general dislike of pink, I am enjoying the more "normal" stitching of this piece.  It makes a nice break from the complex variations of The English Band Sampler.  And I zig-zag stitched the fabric for Piper's stocking and a smaller piece of the same linen for a small pillow I'd like to stitch.  I know I haven't yet earned a new start according to my annual goals.  I don't consider the Tea Shoppe a new start since it is part of a series I have been stitching for some time as well as being one of my monthly goals.  But the pin pillow has been calling my name ever since my husband gave it to me last year as an anniversary gift.  I may just set the band sampler aside long enough to get a start on it as well.  So we should have a bit of variety going on again. 

And the Snow Keeps Coming

The day started with a two hour delay but soon morphed into a closing.  By 5:00pm, we had at least 7 or 8 inches on top of what hasn't yet melted from last week/  And the predictions for Tuesday night into Wednesday are for another 4 to 8 inches of snow topped off with an inch or two of ice.  And we have two more months of winter left to survive.  Ah well, we have had some exceptionally mild winters in the past few years so I guess we were due for a rough one.  We haven't yet gotten to the point when the town sends in the front loaders and dump trucks to take the snow away and dump it into the Hudson River.  But that may happen this week.

So I may have more stitching time than usual this week as a result. Today, I spent some time doing the one strand stitching on the band.  This involved the satin stitching in the dark blue squares and the Algerian eyelets around the blue squares.  It was all rather time consuming.  I didn't even manage to finish up one of the 8 squares before my eyes started to cross.  And I was using a magnifier and a stitching lamp, so that's saying something.  But I would far rather take my time and get it right since frogging one stranded stitches is truly horrific.

And February Begins

I am beginning the month with ... surprise, surprise ... The English Band Sampler.  The satin stitching on Band 6 continues to be the primary focus.  The outer petals in DMC 352 stitched up relatively quickly though I had to go back and frog out two petals that were stitched in the wrong direction.  That's what comes of stitching after 8:00pm; I make mistakes.   The remaining crosses in the octagonal medallions didn't take more than an hour. Then came the long haul: doing all the narrow fawn colored satin stitches inside the navy blue squares and in the connecting diagonals.

I have already stitched two of the fawn stripes in the top far right square in the recommended two strands and I really don't like the lumpy and untidy results.  I then stitched one square with one strand to see if it looks neater.  I like the look of one strand better.  I'll have to frog the pair of stripes done in two strands.  But it would be a shame to have worked so hard and so long on this piece only to be aggravated by dissatisfaction with one small aspect of the whole.  I would far rather take a little extra time and effort now than be tormented by having to look everyday at a piece that I know could have been better.  Another solution would be to replace the dozens of tiny horizontal satin stitches with three long vertical stitches using two strands.  I admit I am sorely tempted by such a quick fix.  Opinions anyone?  Which do you think looks better, always remembering that these are close-up shots.  When hung on the wall, these will be viewed from a distance of several feet and as a small part of a much larger whole.  The one stranded stitches won't appear to barely cover the area from such a distance.  Instead, the human eye will adjust and blend the stitches into a continuous line of color.

Assessing January Goals, Setting February Goals

JANUARY GOALS: This month, I have stitched exclusively on my current BAP WIP, The English Band Sampler. 

BAPs:  Start on Piper's Stocking.   Not yet.

Class Project: Finally finish up the Mystic Smalls.  Didn't even get close to this one.

Town Square SAL: Stitch Milady's Tea Shoppe.   Kitted up and ready to go but not started.

WIP's: Finish The English Band Sampler.   I am nearly finished with Band 6, or at least that what I am telling myself. 
WISHFUL THINKING: stitch a few more heart ornaments for my Anniversary and Valentine's Day tree.  It's called wishful thinking for a reason.
OFF GOAL: some sewing finishes:  This is getting quite laughable.

FEBRUARY GOALS: I find that I am stitching a little less and reading a little more, especially at night.  My eyes are aging along with the rest of me and I doubt there are any more late night stitching marathons in my future.  Stitching after 9:00 pm only seems to result in frogging at 6:00 am the following morning.  So, if there seems to be an annoying sameness to my goals list month after month, chalk it up to the fact that I am slowing down.  Though I suspect February will be the same as January with an exclusive focus on the Band Sampler, I am really hoping to get a little variety going again.   Should I cling to the ope that I will finish the sampler and have time to attend to the additional goals ... or should I just admit I will continue my obsessive and probably futile efforts to finish up the sampler without ever getting anything else done?

BAPs:  Start work on Piper's Stocking.

Class Project: Finish the Mystic Smalls.

Town Square SAL: Start Milady's Tea Shoppe.

WIP's: Finish Band 6 and start on Band 7 of The English Band Sampler.
WISHFUL THINKING: stitch a few more heart ornaments for my Anniversary and Valentine's Day tree.  And maybe a few sewing finishes.

Band 6 Progress for the Month

This Band was started on January 1 and I have worked on it exclusively throughout the month.  I am no closer to finishing it since it was last seen in Tuesday's photo.  I suspect that will not happen till sometime in the second or third week of February.  Alas, it's just going to take as long as it takes.  Rushing satin stitches can make an unholy mess so it's better I just keep plugging away at a snail's pace.

As you can see, I still have some work left to do:
the satin stitches in the outer petals in DMC 352
the satin stitches in the blue squares and the olive green diagonals, DMC 3770
the satin stitches in the remaining crosses within the octagonal medallions, DMC  791
the Algerian Eyelets in DMC 3770
The straight stitches in DMC  3011
The bottom border in DMC 311

When I consider that I once deluded myself that this could have been my last finish of 2013, I just shake my head.  My cyber-friend Dani has called this the never-ending band and she nailed it.  And I suspect Band 7 will be very much the same.  Then, of course, I still have to go back to Band 2 and fill in the signature.  At the time, I couldn't decide whether I wanted my full name or just my initials and a date.  On the one hand, I am determined to keep working on this piece till I can claim victory ... even if that victory comes in June!  On the other hand, I am seriously considering dropping Band 7 altogether and declaring this piece done, done, done once I finish the signature.

The Worst Winter in a Very long Time

It's official: this has been the worst winter in a very long time and there are still two more months to endure.  This morning's forecast included the prediction that another Arctic cold front [for some reason, this is now called a vortex] is coming our way.  This one will bring even colder temperatures than the two previous ones.  At least the sun has made an appearance today after being conspicuously absent for two dreadfully overcast and snowy weeks.  It is still quite cold at 17 degrees, though there is the promise of a high of 18 degrees this afternoon.  Ah, a veritable heat wave!  But at least it is bright. Everyone has been talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder lately as if it were a modern day plague.

I have already had to cancel Tuesday classes five times because of weather this winter and may have to do so yet again.  One would think this would all make for good stitching weather but that's not the way it is turning out for me.  Even wearing warm cashmere gloves on my short drive home from work leaves my fingers very cold and cramped.  I don't know whether it's rheumatism or arthritis or simple age, but it takes nearly an hour of cradling my hands round hot mugs of tea.to limber up enough to stitch.

But some stitching has been done and here is a photo as proof.  I have finished the second color of satin stitches, DMC 799, and have started on the third, DMC 817.  There is still the fawn, DMC 3770, to work inside the navy blue squares and in all the olive green connecting diagonals, as well as some green in the ;eaves of the floral motif and another shade of blue in the crosses in the octagons.  Then it is on to the Algerian Eyelet and the few little straight stitches.  With only three more days in the month, it is doubtful that this band will be done before February.

Even More Satin Stitching

I thought there were five distinct colors of satin stitching.  It turns out there are six.  But as I was working my way through the first color, I noticed that I had left some of the cross stitching undone ... in the octagonal medallions and half medallions.  Filling in the cross stitches set me back a bit and I did not quite complete the DMC 353 satin stitches on Sunday as planned.  So here it is Monday morning, and I've only managed to start the second color, DMC 799.

At the rate I am going, I doubt I'll be able to finish all the satin stitching this month.which is a real disappointment.  My first finish of 2014 is likely to come in February or even March.  This is a far cry from the good old days, when I could count on three or four finishes a month.  I am stitching more slowly and seem to have less time to stitch as well.

And the Satin Stitching Continues

I do like the way this band is evolving.  More like tapestry than your average sampler.  I have noted the resemblance to a Persian rug several times.  But it is so apt a comparison that it bears repeating.  I am almost done with the satin stitching in DMC 353.  I should be able to add another color on Sunday.  I'll be working half a day today.  But once home, all I'll need to do is heat up some leftover chicken cacciatore for dinner and stitch to my heart's content.