A Finish And A New Start

I have finished my Scarlet Letter sampler. This sampler was originally done by Mary Ann Hutton in 1801. I made so many changes to it I really can not call it a reproduction. It is stitched on 25 count homespun linen with silk threads.

This was a relearning experience for me that I really enjoyed. It was fun to share my progress on Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year blog. I am looking forward to doing another Scarlet Letter reproduction sampler and learning some other stitches.

My next project, however, is a sampler I have admired for a couple years. And They Sinned, by Examplar Dames Pattern Designs.

This is a large sampler, 9 by 45 inches, that depicts the story of Adam and Eve. I am stitching it on 18 count Zweigart Vintage Mocha Aida.

I want to work on perfecting my basic cross stitch (Mary Ann Hutton is full of errors and tension issues). The threads I am using are the suggested Gentle Arts Sampler Threads. They are beautiful hand dyed variegated cotton threads.

I have been surrounded by inspiring beauty the last couple days while we have been traveling through the Rocky Mountain National Park. I have to share these pictures taken at the Estes Park, Colorado golf coarse. I am not a golfer but I think elk on the golf coarse is a rather unique golf hazard.

The golfers did not seem to concerned and just played on through.

Happy Stitching All,

Cheri

 

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Sally Post

I finished Sally Post a couple weeks ago and today I got her back from the quilter. I finished the binding this evening. It is such a large quilt I had to lay it in the grass and stand on my deck to get the whole thing. The Sally Post Floral Sampler pattern was a free block of the week from Gay over at Sentimentalstitches.net. The patterns are still available but she has a new block of the week starting soon. I loved that the blocks were set on point in this quilt. The original quilt in Gay's collection is signed "Sally Post 1854 age 63 years"


I machine appliquéd the appliqué blocks with a blanket stitch. I had my local quilt store machine quilt it with an all over feather design. When I had my long arm machine I always struggled with thread color for red and white quilts (white always seemed to be the best choice). I was very concerned with the color thread I would have used on Sally Post, but my friend Renee came up with a great choice. It is a coffee brown thread believe it or not.


The brown blends in perfectly with the reproduction colored fabrics and is not noticeable on the white appliqué blocks because your eye is drawn to the appliqué. Great suggestion Renee, I am really happy with it.

Happy Stitching All,

Cheri


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Bento Boxes

My daughter in law is currently in Japan visiting her parents for a few weeks. I asked her what she would be doing with all of her free time and she said she had plans to meet old friends in coffee shops etc. Today she sent me the above picture, how cutes is that!

Kaori loves things like this. She likes to cook and likes to make special bento box lunches for my grandson. I have been saving some of the pictures she takes of these special lunches, these are just so sweet.

























Here she is last Easter drawing on little "cuties" oranges and then placing them in plastic Easter eggs for an Easter egg hunt.


So, what do you think my Grandson said after one week of these special lunches last fall when he started preschool? He just wanted peanut butter sandwiches! Even with those instructions she still made his lunches fun.



I think I have probably shown this quilt before on this blog.


The pattern is called Bento Boxes, and the colored fabrics were all a gift from Kaori and her mother.


Her mother's friend makes kimonos and these were some left over silk scraps from some of the kimonos she has made.


It is getting a little worn but it is a well loved quilt.

Happy stitching all,
Cheri

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Last Four Blocks

I am working on the last four blocks of Sally Post's Floral Sampler. I have waited a long time for this simple tree block. It was the one that drew me to the quilt, and it was the last of the 36 blocks posted for this free block of the week by Gay at Sentimental Stitches.net



By the way, pop over to her website, she has a little tease picture posted for her next free block of the week that will start in about a month. Look under Dream Garden, this quilt would be great in 30's reproduction prints. I have an overflowing basket of left over tone on tone whites and off whites,


I think I could make a great scrappy quilt out of fabrics I have on hand. I can't wait to read a little more about it, looks like some appliqué and some embroidery. Fun!
I am happily stitching and watching/ listening to Call The Midwife on Netflix and the PBS Website. This is another one of those great British series. If you like Downton Abby you will probably like this series also. It is set in the 1950s and has some great old songs ending every show.
Have a good week all!
Cheri
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Frogging

All of my quilting focus is on machine quilting Ladies of the Sea. It is going S L O W. My corner blocks are going backward. I thought I wanted two different scales of stipple, love the micro stippling around the mariners compass. But, the larger scale stipple on the outer edge - not so much. So I have two blocks finished that I am taking out.

Frogging is my new term I have learned from the reproduction sampler blogs, it applies to quilting also, "rip it, rip it"


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Marking & Quilting

I am still here, just keeping on , keeping on. Quilting, Quilting, Quilting. I have all of the appliqués and sashing quilted on Ladies of the Sea, so now I start the background fill.



I have also been helping a young coworker, with absolutely no sewing experience, make a quilt out of her little girls baby clothes. Thank goodness for the 1/4 inch foot on the sewing machine. It is progressing nicely and she is determined to do the whole thing, piecing, quilting, and binding. You go Tish!



The sampler is also getting closer and closer and I am enjoying the change up in hand work.

So, I am hoping to have a couple completions in May.

Happy Spring all. I actually saw my first dandelion yesterday, there is hope the winter that does not seem to want to end will.

Cheri


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Mostly Cross Stitching

I am taking my time machine quilting Ladies of the Sea so I don't really have any different pictures of the progress there. Because that quilt is currently at the sewing machine I have only been prepping Sally Post blocks but not actually appliquéing them, so no new pictures there...

But, I have been doing a lot of stitching on my reproduction sampler from the Scarlet Letter blog stitch along.



I am stitching this on linen which continues to be a challenge, my mind just takes in all the holes not the counting over two threads. I think it would also be a little easier if the threads were even size but on this homespun linen some are thick and some are thin.


None the less I am keeping at it and it is daily growing into a beautiful piece. The linen count is 25 threads per inch and I am using silk embroidery floss, soie d'alger, that has a wonderful sheen to it.



Happy stitching all and have a good weekend.
Cheri

PS - Look at the little surprise these yellow tulips had when they opened. Red stripes, and no they are not from my yard they are from Walmart : )