patgeary

A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles

May 6, 2019 By patgeary

When I first saw A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles, I knew I had to stitch it. Katie, our previous dog, and Shadow, our current dog were/are great pursuers of squirrels. My son knew how much I like it so he gave me the money to order the chart.

A Dog’s Declaration chart

The design size is fairly big 243w x 315h. The recommended fabric is 36ct Tycho by Picture This Plus but I am going to stitch it on 16ct cream Aida as that is easier on my eyes. The recommended thread was 6ply cotton floss by Valdani. While I loved the variegated colors, I did not want to spend that much money on them and I had heard that they shredded easily. So I went with my very favorite floss, Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

P1 Old Brick/VM Burnt Red
P2 Olive Green/VM Dried Clover
P6 Rusted Orange/VM Rust Swirl
P8 Old Rose/VM Rose Plum
JP5 Nantucket Rose/VM Soft Pastel Peach
JP7 Faded Marigold/VM From Me to Thee
JP9 Herb Garden/VM Twitterpated
P10 Antique Violet/VMFrench Lilac
P12 Brown/VM Colonial Chrstnu & Classic Chestnut Blended
H203 Blackened Teal/VM Delphinium Blue
O31 Tealish Blue/VM Nine Patch
O512 Chimney Dust/VM Colonial Lavender
O513 Coffee Roast/VM P27
O518 Dusty Leaves/VM Into a Dragon
O526 Green Pastures/VM Dark Fern
O571 Tea Honey/VM Golden Amber

A Dog’s Declaration 3-4-2019

Finished Stitching: July 16, 2019 (not sure when I started this piece.

And now (April 2020) it is framed and hanging on the wall.

A Dog's Declaration by Ink Circles. — A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

April 18, 2019 By patgeary

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery by Blackbird Designs is #5 in the Loose Feathers series. Behind the blackbird is a rather sparse Christmas tree with a star on top. It is now OOP. It had never really appealed to me in the past but the more I saw the finished stitched pieces, the more I liked it. So I finally decided it was one I had to stitch. Since it is not a chart I own, I borrowed it from a fellow stitcher.

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery chart

The recommended fabric is 28 ct. Cranberry Bog by R & R Reproductions which is no longer available. But I had a piece of 16ct Aida from Nancy Turner. that I thought would work. The closest DMC color looks like 3806.

Fabric and floss for Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

I used the recommended floss: Gentle Art (GA) and DMC

DMC 310
GA Tin Bucket
GA Dried Thyme
GA Harvest Basket
GA Dark Chocolate
GA Flax
GA Cherry Bark
GA Chamomile
GA Sarsaparilla
GA Straw Bonnet
Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads #02045

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery small bird

I will probably finish them as small pillows but for now they reside in the finished projects drawer.

And here it is finished and ready to join the other small pillows in my long basket.

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray by Blackbird Designs

April 12, 2019 By patgeary

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray was first released as a class project at the Shepherd’s Bush 2010 retreat in Utah. It was later included in the book, A Stitcher’s Journey. Both are Out of Print.

Heart in Bloom Sewing Tray

Stitch Count: 78w x 78h – The finished design size on 28ct over 2 is 5 5/8 x 5 5/8

Recommended Floss: Silk Floss by The Thread Gatherer. I was not willing to spend the money on ordering the floss so I used what I had in my stash. My changes are includes after the forward slash.

Bark and Branches (DMC 3787)/VMSS Regal Brown
Crimson Wood (DMC 3857)/DMC 3857
Worn Brick Path (DMC 355)/VMSS Hearthside Stitching
Tuscan Olive (DMC 3011)/DMC 3011
Olive Branch (DMC 3012)/DMC 3012
Ethiopian Rocks (DMC 644)/VMSS Sewing Notions
Concrete Meadow ((DMC 3752)/DMC 3752
Toffee Crunch (DMC 945)/VMSS The Dressmaker
Pond Scum (DMC 734)/VMSS Vintage Quaker
Hidden Canyon (DMC 452)/VMSS Mocha Tan

Recommended Fabric: 30ct Espresso by R & R Reproductions. I chose to stitch mine on 28ct Cream Monaco 2 over 2 except for the initials which are stitched over 1. That part was difficult because of my poor eyesight.

Hearts in Bloom Stitched piece

Started Stitching: March 6, 2019
Finished Stitching: April 12, 2019

Heart in Bloom framed with natural oak frame.

The Bells on Christmas Day

March 1, 2019 By patgeary

The Bells on Christmas Day is one of three new samplers released by Blackbird Designs. The other two are Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring and Our Lasting Friendship. The Bells was designed exclusively for Attic Needlework in Mesa Arizona and available only through that shop (888-94-ATTIC or 480-898-1838). We are hoping the chart will be available to all shops at the Nashville Needlework Market the first of March 2019.

The recommended fabric is 36ct Oaken by Picture This Plus. I can’t see to stitch on that count and the color is darker than I like, so I chose a 16ct Ecru by Kimberley Smith of To Dye For Fabrics.

The Bells on Christmas Day chart cover

The recommended floss is a combination of Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colors, and Gentle Arts. I will be using an assortment of threads from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe’s two Victorian Christmas Collections.

WDW Baked Apple (DMC 221)/Victorian Cranberry
WDW Cocoa (DMC 839)/Black Eyed Susan
WDW Dirt Road (DMC 831)/Antique Bronze
WDW Havana (DMC 869)/ Variegated Pine
CC Onion Skin (DMC 3864)/Primitive Tan
WDW Palomino (DMC 3012 & 3011)/Holly Leaves
GA Piney Woods (DMC 3011)/Black Forest
WDW Red Pear (DMC 3722)/Cherry Bush
WDW Sage (DMC 370)/Sagebrush
GA Tarnished Gold (DMC 434)/Victoriana Gold

The Bells on Christmas Day

The Bells on Christmas Day progress

I forgot to note when I started this one but finished stitching it on February 28, 2019.

The Bells on Christmas Day by Blackbird Designs

Updated: July 9, 2021 After a few years of languishing in the drawer of finished projects, I finally ordered a frame for this one. Unfortunately, once it arrived and I tried it with the stitched piece, it was just not a good fit. To “in my face.” How could I tone it down so that I would be happy with it.

Bells on Christmas Day frame BEFORE using Rub and Buff

A search of Google comes up with a product called Rub and Buff. I watched a couple of videos and decided to give it a try. I ordered two tubes, Antique Gold and European Gold. Once it arrived, I gave it a try and liked the end result. So The Bells on Christmas Day is now framed and ready to hang on my Blackbird Design Christmas wall.

The Bells on Christmas Day frame AFTER using Rub and Buff

While it is messy to use, it did the job.

Tiny Tree Tops, Rose or Thyme by Blackbird Designs

January 13, 2019 By patgeary

Barb Adams and Alma Allen introduced Tiny Tree tops, Rose or Thyme at the Shepherd’s Retreat 2016. While I did not attend the retreat, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow the pattern and stitch it. I used the called for threads (week Dye Works) but chose to stitch it on 16ct Doubloon Aida from Picture This Plus rather than the called for 32ct.

Tiny Tree Tops, Rose or Thyme by Blackbird Designs

Started Stitching: January 22, 2017
Finished Stitching: February 22, 2017

Robert Louis Stevenson’s “A Child’s Garden of Verses” contains many poems which describe the world through the eyes of the younger generation. Here is one in which conveys the magic of a flower garden.

The Flowers

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener’s garters, Shepherd’s purse,
Bachelor’s buttons, Lady’s smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames –
These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, roses or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people’s trees,
But the fairest woods are these;
Where if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.

UPDATE: June 2019

Rather than frame this one, I decided to have it finished as a drum. Beautifully finished by The Twisted Stitcher.

Merry Christmas by Blackbird Designs

December 27, 2018 By patgeary

Merry Christmas is the final design for the Ladies Prim Society Club offered by Dyeing to Stitch. The chart is from Blackbird Designs for club members only at the present time. It MAY be released at a future date to everyone. It really is an exquisite design for the final offering for this club.

The kit came with everything included, chart, fabric, floss and finishing instructions. The kit included 36ct Patriotic Brew by R & R Reproductions. Because that is too difficult for me to work on with my poor eyesight, I substituted 16ct Aida in Bramble by Picture This Plus. While I used the called for colors, I used 2 strands of floss rather than the called for 1 strand. The finished dimensions of my pincushion/drum will be larger than if stitched on 36ct.

Stitch Count: 101w x 99h (top)
Design Size: 6.31 x 6.18 (top)

Merry Christmas kit from Ladies Prim Society.

Apparently I did not note when I started stitching but I finished on December 26, 2018.

Recommended Floss: Weeks Dye Works, Classic Colorworks, and Gentle Arts

WDW Baked Apple (DMC 221)
WDW Cocoa (DMC 839)
WDW Dirt Road (DMC 3862)
WDW Havana (DMC 869)
WDW Palomino (DMC 420)
WDW Red Pear (DMC 3722)
WDW Sage (DMC 370)
CC Pine Needles (DMC 3011)
GA Tarnished Gold (DMC 434)
CC Onion Skin (DMC 3864)

Merry Christmas top and band.

Merry Christmas top of pincushion.

And thank you to Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for her beautiful job of finishing this one as a drum.

Merry Christmas Drum

Miss Peepers by Little House Needleworks

December 13, 2018 By patgeary

When I first saw Miss Peepers stitched as a finished piece I knew I wanted to stitch it one day. It was bright and cheery and reminded me of Spring and was small enough to be a quick stitch.

Miss Peepers by Little House Needleworks

Stitch Count: 80 x 80
Suggested Fabric: 28 Count Lambswool linen from Wichelt Imports.

Classic Colorworks Thread: Pea Pod, Clay Pot, Sea Shelley. Weeks Dye Works: Sage. Gentle Art: Maple Syrup. DMC: 680, 712, 3371.

I chose to stitch this sweet design on a piece of 14ct Baby Pink Aida I had in my stash. I substituted DMC 3012 for the Gentle Arts Sage because I did not have it in my stash.

Started Stitching: December 1, 2018
Finished Stitching: December 7, 2018

Miss Peepers Finished

May 2022 – And here she is finally fully finished and hanging on my craft room wall. I used a wooden board 10 x 10 inches I bought from Michaels and the background fabric is from the new Threads That Bind series from Blackbird Design. Happy that she is out where I can enjoy her.

ye old crow sampler

December 3, 2018 By patgeary

I saw ye old crow sampler posted in one of the Facebook groups and knew I had to stitch it. The chart is by Heart in Hand needleart and comes with three tiny black buttons. I went looking for the perfect fabric to stitch this one and decided on rust/brown 5 offered by Kimberly Smith at To Dye for Fabrics.

ye old crow sampler chart

Stitch Count: 73w x 72h
Recommended Fabric: 32ct Autumn Field Vintage Belfast linen
Recommended Floss: Weeks Dye Works Onyx (2 skeins)

Started Stitching: November 24, 2018
Finished Stitching: November 30, 2018

ye old crow sampler stitched piece

Still needs to be ironed and the tiny buttons sewn on and then I will decide how to finish it. The actual stitched piece is about 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″

Apparently, I forgot about the tiny buttons before I finished this one. Decided to use Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher’s tutorial on a mounted flat ornament to finish this one. Happy with it although I may add some trim around the edge of the stitched piece once I feel safe shopping again.

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring Sampler

November 27, 2018 By patgeary

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring Sampler by Blackbird Designs was first presented at one of the retreats offered by Barb and Alma and was just made available to anyone who wants to stitch it. You can order it from your local Needlework shop or any of the many online shops that carry it. And I invite you to come and join us for a SAL (Stitch-A-Long).

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring by Blackbird Designs

This is a BIG sampler with a design size of 273w x 275h. The Recommended Fabric is 36ct Oaken by Picture This Plus. I will be stitching mine on 16ct Sand Aida by Picture This Plus. I will also be swapping out the recommended floss for Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

WDW Baked Apple / VM Dried Rose Petals
WDW Bark / VM Rusty Nail
CC Blue Corn / VM Something Wicked
WDW Chickpea / VM Spiced Cider
WDW Cornsilk /VM Dried Hay
WDW Dirt Road / VM Primitive Tan
WDW Dove / VM Flying Geese
WDW Dublin Bay / VM Seafoam
WDW Mocha / VM Cocoa
GA Mountain Mist / VM Iris Leaves
GA Old Hickory / VM English Moss
WDW Palomino / VM Black Eyed Susan
WDW Putty / VM Dahlia Leaves
WDW Raspberry / VM Ohio Star
WDW Sanguine / VM Desert Rose
WDW Swiss Chocolate / VM Regal Brown

Fabric and Floss for Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring sampler

I’ll be posting my progress as I go along. Right now I am waiting on new scroll rods that are along enough to fit my fabric.

Progress on Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring Sampler

And now I have completed all of the various alphabets. I really do know my ABC’s.

Progress on Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring Sampler

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring Sampler

And stitching is finished with the exception of adding the first initial of each of my five step-daughters and my two sons.

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring stitching finished

First initials have been added for our seven children. Our initials are at the top of the tree for our surname and first initials at the bottom side. Now to figure out what frame to use and get it stretched and pinned to the foam core.

Started Stitching: December 27, 2018
Finished Stitching: February 14, 2019

And the frame I ordered from Graphic Dimensions (WX575 GLOSS CHERRY/ W GOLD LIP 18 1/4 X 17 3/40 arrived today (2/22/2019) and I am very happy with it. Now to get to work pinning and lacing so that I can assemble it.

WX575 GLOSS CHERRY/ W GOLD LIP Frame.

And it is framed and ready to hang.

Merrily, Merrily We Welcome Spring by Blackbird Designs

Needlework ABC’s by Little House Needleworks

November 24, 2018 By patgeary

Needlework ABC’s is another one of the long, skinny samplers by Little House Needleworks.

Needlework ABC’s by Little House Needleworks – Cover.

I really like them because they can go in small width wall spaces and not take up a huge amount of room. The recommended fabric is 32 Ct. Confederate Gray linen. I stitched mine on 16ct Cafe Mocha with the recommended Classic Colorworks and DMC floss :

Antique Lace
Calico Kitty
Cocoa Bean
Pebble Beach
Weeping Willow
DMC 422
DMC 951

Stitch Count: 39W x 311H

Started Stitching: November 10, 2018
Finished Stitching: November 24, 2018

Needlework ABC’s Finished piece

Fast forward to February 2021. I saw a finish on the Little House and Country Cottage Stitching Group on Facebook and decided to give it a try. Thanks to Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for the idea and to Janice Wright Greene for helping me with the instructions. First, I ordered the spool from My Stylish Market on Etsy and waited for it to be delivered. Then the assembly began. After several mistakes which included lots of ripping out, here is the finished piece. Not perfect BUT I am happy with it for my first try.

And I just ordered three more of the spools. This wooden spool is is made of one piece of hardwood, not glued, so it is very high quality. It measures about 4 inches (actual is 3 7/8″) high by just under 2 3/8 inches in diameter, and has a lovely old patina. They originate from a supplier in Maine. A set of three spools is $25.00.