Eyelit Stitch

I have come across the eyelit stitch during my stitching of the Jane Parish sampler. The eyelit stitch is one of my least favorite stitches. I had to rework this stitch many times until I got it just right. I found great instructions for this stitch that I must share with you.

eyelit stitch

The above link details how this stitch should be worked and I found it extremely helpful.

Also, I am enamored with the following sampler from Homespun Sampler Nellie's Garden Revisited

This is a beautiful sampler from one of my favorite designers. I hope you like it to.



Enjoy friends.

Freebie Sampler

The above sampler is designed by Merrily Beams and is available as a freebie http://www.interweave.com/needle/projects/wedding_sampler_PF.asp

They have many needlework magazines and I do believe this was published in Pieceworks Magazine. This is a great little sampler. Perhaps with a few color changes and maybe sampler threads....I am always on the search for free cross stitch samplers and I will post them when I find them. Please send me links also.

Have a wonderful day friends.

Bird Samplers

A little different, but oh so beautiful. This is a sampler by Hillside Samplings available at www.hillsidesamplings.com The name of this sampler is Ann A Tarbox and it is a Reproduction of an 1833 Sampler. This sampler was stitched on R & R Reproductions 28ct. Dark Cappucino and the stitch count is 236 x 232.
I also decided to work with needlepoint silks for this project. Lovely... I ordered this sampler along with others that I will post from www.stitcherscloset.com. They have tons and tons of patterns and they have an easy safe ordering system.

I am not a true animal lover but I do have a fondness for birds.

Another long weekend ahead of me. Not sure what we will do. No plans in sight as of yet.

Have a wonderful Saturday friends....and I will leave you with another sampler from Hillside Samplings.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth....*antique sampler motto*

I am fascinated when I search the web for antique sampler website. I found http://www.madelenaantiques.com. They have some wonderful antique samplers for sale. They also list on ebay.



Today is my wedding anniversary and my husband took the day off to spend the day together. :)

However, we are entering a legal dispute with a builder so we will need to meet with our lawyer during that time. I am thinking of an antique sampler motto to capture this bittersweet day ahead of me.

I am working diligently on the Jane Parish sampler from Scarlett Letter. It is an intricate, detailed sampler so it will take about a month to complete. After I finish the general outline and cross stitch areas I plan to begin the following:

This sampler was featured in the Summer 2004 issue of this magazine. I plan to stitch it on a 40 ct linen. I have never used 40 ct linen so it will be a change for me. I really like the colors of this sampler and the balance. The way they framed it is perfect.

This magazine is available through:
http://www.twiningthread.com

Have a peaceful day friends.

Lazy Sunday Evening

It's was a whirlwind weekend with my daughter's 4 year old birthday party along with the busy weekend of just being Mom.

I am thankful for the peacefulnes of cross stitching. It's has a wonderful soothing, calming effect on me. Just a few stitches and I am relaxed and often into a meditation state.

The feat of finishing a project and the many years of joy from the completed piece is only a small gift for the enjoyment I get from stitching. Please share with me why You stitch?

Good Evening to all,

After Sampler Meeting

Hello friends,

The sampler meeting at Double Cross went well. I met quite a few lovely ladies who share the same interests as me in samplers and cross stitch. The meeting was brief. We introduced ourselves then went around the tables and talked about the latest projects we are working on and the projects we finished. It was great to hear and see the other projects. There were some beautiful samplers in the works and some that we were purchased at an out of state sampler shop.

Next month we will meet at a member's home. She is an avid collector and sampler maker. I can't wait.

I have been working on my Jane Parish from Scarlett Letter and I got the La D Da Softly Walk back from the framer this afternoon. I am pleased with the outcome of this project.



I just purchased a Quaker Sampler form Scarlett Letter and received it last night from the postman. It is beautiful!!! I can't wait to begin.

Sampler Meeting

Good Evening!!

Just a short post this evening for me. I am off to a Sampler meeting at my local needlework shop. The name of the shop is Double Cross and it is located here in Knoxville. This is my second meeting at this shop. This is a group of people that love samplers. It should be fun and interesting to see what everyone is working on this evening. Plus I may have some time to browse through the shop alone, without children.

I am working on the Scarlett Letter Sampler that I have posted on this page. I finished all of my other projects.

Good Evening and tomorrow I will post the happening at the Double Cross Sampler meeting.

Happy stitching.

Thinking About Christmas

My husband and I make a wish list for our birthday's and Christmas. This way we get what we want and everyone is happy.

I started to think about which pattern or book I would like this Christmas and have decided on either Peppermint and Holly or Souvenirs of Summer by Blackbird Designs. If they are as good as Tokens of Friendship I will be pleased. Hmmm maybe I should ask for both. I like to keep the book along with applicable fabric and sampler threads together in a tote so that I can work on keep them all together and have lots of projects ready to begin...what fun!!

On the side are images from Souvenirs of Summer and on the bottom are images from Peppermint and Holly.


Oh how I love this time of year. The leaves are almost all down and the weather should be cooler at the end of the week.

Good bye my friends...for now.

Veteran's Day

What a nice, crisp Friday. My husband was off for Veteran's Day so we took a ride to do errands, look at furniture and a walk in the mall. We went to an amazingly huge furniture store here in Knoxville called Fowler's. This is the largest, most interesting store...it went on and on and on.

As for cross stitch. I finished the La D Da I started last week and brought it to the framer on Thursday. It should be done in a few days to a week then I will post my finished project.

I am working on completing the Examplar Dames sampler Love the Truth. Just finishing up the border and my name.

The Scarlet Letter sampler has been started, but I just can't decide on the red to use so I put it aside. The red the designer chose is a very bright red. Not exactly my cup of tea. I thought a Samplar Thread Old Red Barn would be nice, but now I think it is to dull. I will take a few days off from it and go back to decide on the red. It is a very beautiful sampler and I like the geometric border.

I have my eyes on a sampler from Abbey Lane called A New Beginning. It is a new sampler from this designer. I like the Quaker-like motifs and the way the design flows.



I can imagine this design on a tea stained 32 count fabric with sampler threads. The stitch count is 198 x 196. Very nice!!!

I also have my eyes on one of my all time favorite tried and true designers Blackbird Designs.



Beautiful!! I am a devoted fan to Blackbird Designs. I fell in love with their book Tokens of Friendship. Every pattern in that book was a winner. Each one more beautiful than the next. I made quite a few of the designs in that book last summer.

It's a cold night here in Knoxville. My hands are chilled and I need to get back to stitching Love the Truth under a quilt.

Until tomorrow friends,
Good Night

Cross Stitch Calculator

Does anyone else share my frustration with getting the right size fabric for the pattern. Yes, math is not my specialty. I have been working and reworking the size fabric I will need to do a beautiful sampler from Scarlet Letter. The name of the pattern is Jane Parish 1718.



Again I using the Birds of a Feather 36 Count Barn Owl linen that I adore....so vintage and worn.

Yes, I finished the La D Da sampler. It is very vintage and old looking and I am very satisfied with the finished results. My border came out only 1" wide. I do hope the framer will not be too mad.

Tomorrow is my night to attend the stitch group at my local needlework shop (LNS). First time attending so it should be fun and interesting meeting people who share my interests.

I am going to bake a banana walnut bread for the meeting. Ymmm. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

Goodbye for now friends....

Dixie Darlin in Gatlinsburg

Yesterday we drove about 45 minutes into Pigeon Forge from Knoxville. We visited a darling cross stitch shop called Dixie Darlin off mile marker 7. The shop was quite large with two stories. There were lots of beautifully stitched samplers, pillows, pictures and bellpulls etc. The work was done meticulously. There were gorgeous cross stitched angels framed. They had lots of patterns and all of the fabrics were cut, tagged, priced and put into zip loc baggies for purchase. Good idea. No need to ask for fabric to be cut, already done!!

The entire upstairs of the shop was designated to sale items.

I purchased a lovely sampler pattern, some sampler threads and a pillow kit from Pine Mountain....lovely, lovely. This is a kit called Tie One On. It comes preassembled, just tie over the pillow form (purchased separately). So clever and fun.


Please visit their website at http://www.pinemtndesigns.com

Happy relaxing Sunday friends.

Falling Leaves in Knoxville, TN

It is a beautiful fall day here in Knoxville, TN. I do believe the leaves have reached their peak of the season. This is my favorite season of the year ~ finally the end of summer but not yet the cold of winter.

We traveled to Gatlinsburg and Pigeon Forge two weeks ago. The foliage was outstanding.



It's a perfect day for a ride and a hike.

I did some work on the La D Da sampler I posted yesterday. It is working up beautifully except that the Samplar Threads Fudge Ripple that the designer suggested is to pale for the fabric I am using and will not show up. That's okay though, I will find a substitute.

Currently, I am searching for a framer who is not expensive to frame some of my completed works. Does anyone know of someone online?? The wood molding frames in a deep cherry, walnut would be perfect for my decor and taste.

There is a **wonderful** cross stitch store near me that specializes in samplers. The name of the store is Double Cross and it is located in Knoxville ...more on that tomorrow.

Below find another sampler that I completed last year. It is also a museum reproduction piece that I bought from www.scarlet-letter.com.

MARIE ABBOTT circa 1680
Have God in Minde.
Measuring approx. 9" x 30"
The original is in The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England



Mine is framed in a simple black frame. I thought this would take a long time to complete. It actually took just two months of cross stitching...not bad for a masterpiece like this.

Enjoy Friends. Comments always welcome.

Friday Tea Dye Linen Day

I love the look of rustic, tea dyed linens. This afternoon I tried tea-dying my own linen from Black Tea. I boiled a pot of water with 3 black tea bags then I put cream colored 30 count linen that I bought in the local hobby store. The results look great. My linen is steeping in the tea water and looks deep, dark with that aged look I love.

My favorite linens are those vintage dyed...so beautiful an antique looking.

I worked on my Examplar Dames Love the Truth sampler last night and this evening I plan to work on a new project - by La D Da Lori Markovic titled Softly Walk. The saying on this sampler is "Softly walk and wisely speak. Lest You - harm the strong and wound the weak" Thanks Lori, great verse. The colors used are from Samplar Threads in the earthly, country colors I adore ~~ blues, cranberry's, mustards and browns. I am using a 36 count linen from Birds of a Feather called Barn Owl. This linen is a luscious..soft creamy white with tea dyed sections.

The first image for today is a picture of the sampler and the second image is the Birds of a Feather Barn Owl linen.







Enjoy and good bye for now friends.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!! My name is Donna and I am an avid crafter. My specialties are cross stitch and needlepoint along with my deep appreciation and fascination with antique samplers.

I have completed many antique reproduction samplers over the years. Some are museum reproduction samplers other are new patterns from modern day designers.

My greatest accomplishment is from Permin of Copenhagen titled Museum Celle Sampler 1826 as pictured above. I worked this piece with overdyed floss and it was well worth the cost of the floss and effort.


Please write me so that we can share your appreciation for samplers. I would love to post pictures or your completed works or works in progress.

Currently I am working on the following sampler from Examplar Dames titled Love the Truth. I am almost done.



This is a new, beautiful sampler that has worked up quickly and easily.

I do hope you enjoy reading my blog, I look forward to your comments.

Goodbye until tomorrow friends.