Sunday, February 28, 2010

Two More Prairie Schooler Blocks Finished

Blocks E and F have been added to D!
D*E*F by The Prairie Schooler
25ct Fairy Dust evenweave
DMC cotton floss


E is for Embroidery


I had fun with this block and added a little dimension with the spools of thread.







F is for Friends






I had more fun with this block by adding a padded satin heart . . .







and french knot flowers . . .

Here are the changes I made to these blocks:



E Block:
Tapestry: background 938; flowers & leaves: 3362 to 3363, 3011 to 3013, 3857 to 3722, 422 to 677, 3828 to 422; Letter E: 3363; Leaves: next to face 3012; Lady: hair 938, face & hands 754; Hoop stand: 938, linen 712, embroidered initials & year; Cat: added whiskers; Spools: 3857 to 3858, used padded satin stitch (1 strand) on both with blue thread going thru needle & red thread hanging loose.



F Block:
Tree Trunk: 434; Doors: 3829; Window: flowers French Knot 1 strand, stems 3013; Girls: hair 838, dresses 3768 & 3363; Cup: BS 3858: Heart in hand: padded satin stitch 2 strands; Key: 3013.



Hop on over to the Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee here and check out all the fun!

Here's my total progress so far . . .


Blocks D, E, F, & M, N, O. Where to go next????

Winter Heart

Another quirky humbug

Winter Hearts by Just Nan

28ct White Opal Cashel Linen
DMC & GAST
beads
This could have been finished as an ornament or fob by adding a hanger. Instead I added weight to the bottom to give it stability for use as a pin cushion.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

D is for Drum

Letter D from The Prairie Schooler D*E*F (Book No. 99)
25ct Fairy Dust Lugana
DMC cotton floss


Another letter completed in The Prairie Schooler alphabet. Just a few changes:
Drumsticks: 680
Drum: blue 311, red 3858, green, 3012
Letter D: 372
Acorns: 680
Eagle: wish I had stitched the body in a lighter color - 3371 is so stark making this eagle look 'headless' instead of just bald - all you see is body.


teresa w asked if I complete each x stitch before going on to the next. In this design, because there are large areas of one color, I will do the bottom leg of the cross stitch all the way across a row and then complete the top part of the stitch on the way back. In smaller areas I will complete each stitch individually being careful not to lose the floss behind the threads of the linen.


I seem to be doing a lot of ripping out (feel like I'm stitching this twice). As I'm going along I'm choosing lighter shades. The ripping out is creating a great deal of frustration but I am determined to complete this entire alphabet. The design is just wonderful. I can't wait to move on to "E is for Embroidery". I'm already thinking of ideas for those spools of thread.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Snowy Delight

For all my snowbound friends out there . . .


Winter Wonderland by Little House Needleworks (Chart No. 32)
28ct Natural Raw Linen
DMC cotton floss and Crescent Colours




We haven't experienced any snow here but lots and lots of rain .
Stay warm, my friends - feathered and otherwise!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Alphabet

Our holidays were wonderful - hope yours were, too. Lots of family, food & friends!
I did find time to start a new project before the year ended (oh no, not another one!!!) I just couldn't resist. When Vonna (The Twisted Stitcher) posted a flickr picture on her blog showing this completed design I new I had to do it. Just had to! SOOOOOOO
I finished 2009 and started 2010 stitching on this project:
M*N*O by The Prairie Schooler
25ct (over 1) Fairy Dust evenweave
DMC cotton floss
This alphabet is a series of 9 leaflets with 3 letters charted in each. For inspiration and encouragement I joined the Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee blog here. I hope to stitch at least 1 block a month. It's rather slow going, I must admit, but I'm determined to finish it.
M is for Mermaid
N is for Nest
O is for Owl