patgeary

Peace on Earth by Blackbird Designs

November 10, 2017 By patgeary

As many of you know, I am a big fan of the ladies who make up the design team Blackbird Designs. Recently another member of the Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook group, offered her Danish Christmas catalog to the members of the group. The catalog contained a free chart designed by Alma Allen called Peace on Earth. Not surprisingly, Annemiek Koning was swamped with requests. The catalog itself was beautiful to look through and although the original is in Dutch, she did provide an English translation.

There was no picture of the finished project but it reminded me of Blackbird Designs newest Loose Feather series For the Birds. Peace on Earth measures 104w x 109h. The recommended fabric is 36ct Straw by Weeks Dye Works. I chose to stitch mine on 16ct Vanilla Latte by Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. The called for threads were all by Weeks Dye Works which I used except for four colors which I did not have. I started stitching this piece on November 2nd and put the last few stitches in the morning of November 10. I am not sure how I will finish this piece.

UPDATE: August 4, 2022 Another one released from prison and ready to hang.

A Stitcher’s Companion

October 12, 2017 By patgeary

A Stitcher’s Companion is one of the projects included in the book, Honeysuckle Manor and is OOP.

Honeysuckle Manor by Blackbird Designs

Recommended fabric is 30ct Ligonier Latte by R & R Reproductions 2 over 2. I chose to stitch this piece on 28ct cream Monaco with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Forever Blue.

Started stitching May 16, 2017
Finished May 21 2017

The finishing was done by Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher. She finished it as a Pin Pillow with ric-rack and Mill Hill Beads accents.

A Stitcher’s Companion from Honeysuckle Manor.

This will join my other small pin pillows in one of my baskets from 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets.

Thank you for Letting Me See the Colors

October 8, 2017 By patgeary

Thank You for Letting Me See the Colors was a chart by ANNE Originals way back in 1977. It is difficult to find a picture of it on the Internet or the chart itself for that matter. A generous member of the 123Stitch MB sent it to me. I’m not sure why I was so drawn to it, perhaps the colors or the fact that as I age my eyes are getting worse.

As I went searching for a color picture of it, I found this one on Google Images. I believe it was stitched by Debbie Miller and framed by Jill Rensell Studios. Jill and Amber always do a fantastic job.

Lord Thank you for letting me see the colors stitched by Debbie Miller .

I stitched mine on 28ct white Monaco over 2 with DMC threads.

Started stitching Oct 2, 2017
Finished stitching October 7, 2017

Thank you for Letting Me See the Colors.

This one has been sitting in the prison drawer since 2017 because I really was not sure how I wanted to finish it. I took it out and laced it onto a circle board I had in my stash. I had earlier purchased a beautiful batik print in shades of purple that I decided to use as a background. I ordered an inexpensive frame from Amazon in white. I used the piece of acrylic that came with it coved with a layer of batting then laced the purple circle on that. Using tacky glue, I added the stitched piece to the purple board and popped it into the frame. Happy with how it turned out. Frame is 8″ inside.

Summer Schoolhouse – Lessons in Abecedarian

August 16, 2017 By patgeary

When I first saw the Summer Schoolhouse series by Brenda Gervais advertised, I was not that interested. The main reason is I like to know what a project is going to look like BEFORE I decide to stitch it. Once I saw Lesson #1 I decided YES, I need this. The only problem was the entire series was designed to be stitched on 28ct Mushroom Lugana with 1 over 1. I knew that would be impossible for me to even see but decided I wanted to stitch it anyway, Mine would just not be TINY. I signed up with Crazy Annie’s Stitchin for her autoship program and received Lessons 1 and 2 at the same time. The series consists of 4 charts with 6 projects and includes stitching and finishing instructions for all 6 projects.

4 Charts and Hornbook

And if you are interested, The Story Behind the Series. And the book that inspired the series, The Little Pretty Pocket-Book.

I decided to stitch each of the projects on 16ct Regency Aida by Picture This Plus and use the thread from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe rather than the recommended threads.

Lesson #1

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson #1

Stitch Count: 140wx 103h
Design Size: 8 3/4 x 6 1/2
Started Stitching: August 14, 2017
Finished Stitching: August 26, 2017

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson 1 – Finished.

Lesson #2

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson #2

Stitch Count: Miss Polly Pinkeep is 63w x 89h and on Little Master Tommy Pinkeep 67w x 90h
Design Size: Miss Polly Pinkeep is 4 x 5 5/8 and on Little Master Tommy Pinkeep is 41/4 x 5 5/8

Summer Schoolhouse series Lessons 1 & 2.

Recommended threads and my selection for Lesson #1.

WDW Sandcastle/VMSS Desert Grass
WDW Flatfish/VMSS Mixed Wood Brown
WDW Oscar/VMSS Mountain Laurel
WDW Olive/VMSS Tea Leaves
GAST Woodrose/VMSS Desert Rose
GAST Mountain Mist/ VMSS Old Time Blue
GAST Uniform Blue/VMSS Delft Blue
CC Eggshell/Mocha Cream
CC Used Brick/VMSS Cranberry Bog
CC Cayenne/VMSS Prairie Rose
CC Hazelnut/VMSS Spiced Cider

Lesson #2 adds these thread colors:

WDW Peach/VMSS Flesh (1 strand)
GAST Lexington Green/VMSS Lighthouse Blue
GAST Old Hickory/VMSS Regal Brown
CC Pebble Beach/VMSS Mocha Tan

Lesson #3

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson #3

Stitch Count: 113w x 106h
Design Size: 7 1/8 x 6 5/8
Started Stitching: September 8, 2017
Finished Stitching: October 29, 2017

Lesson #3 Summer Schoolhouse series

Lesson #4

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson 4.

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson 4 Hornbook

Summer Schoolhouse Lesson 4 Strawberry Emery Preserves

The whole series! An old fashioned school box houses the collection. Directions for finishing the school box are included with Lesson 4. However the box will not fit unless you have stitched the series on 28ct over 1.

Summer Schoolhouse Entire Series – An old fashioned school box houses the collection.

I will probably display mine in my long basket. I did order the hornbook kit in the hopes I can stitch it over 1 on 28ct. We shall see if my eyes cooperate.

October 2021 – These pieces have been languishing in the drawer just waiting for me to decide what to do with them. Framing each of the series would have been expensive so I looked for another way to finish them. After finishing the For the Bird series as a wall hanging, I thought that type of finish may work for this too. I laid the pieces out on the bed to see how they might look and decided yes. Then the search began for the perfect fabric. I tried the blue that I had used for the birds but it seemed a bit to dark. I had bought a piece of green fabric with dots that I thought might work. I did not have a big enough piece so off to see if I could get some more.

My son cut the dowel rod for me and I painted them with a basil green shade. And now the piece is hanging in my bedroom not stashed away in a drawer unseen.

She Sights a Bird by Blackbird Designs

August 11, 2017 By patgeary

She Sights a Bird is #3 in the Loose Feathers for the Birds series by Blackbird Designs. The title of this pattern is inspired by Emily Dickenson’s poem, “She signs a Bird – she chuckles.” It seems perfect for this cat surrounded by three birds. Think of this piece as more of a peaceful kingdom that what Emily Dickenson implies in her poem.

She Sights a Bird by Blackbird Designs chart

The sugggested fabric is 36ct Oaken by Picture This Plus but I have chosen to use 16ct Regency by Picture This Plus with the recommended threads.

She Sights a Bird Supplies.

Started Stitching: August 5, 2017

Progress She Sights a Bird.

Finished Stitching: August 13, 2017

She Sights a Bird FINISHED.

Queenstown Blue Crab

July 19, 2017 By patgeary

Sometime during the Fall of 2014, a fellow stitcher on the 123Stitch Message Board posted a project she was stitching for a relative. It was the Queenstown Blue Crab. When I saw the piece, I knew it was something I wanted to stitch for my youngest son. Both of my boys had spent lots of time fishing and crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay when they were young.

Queenstown Blue Crab by Queenstown Sampler Designs

I asked her if she was interested in selling her chart and she offered to give it to me. I accepted.

The designer recommended Wichelt Belfast linen 32 ct. Platinum for the fabric with DMC cotton floss. Since I have difficulty seeing 32ct and since the design had only full crosses, I decided to use 16ct Aida. I ordered a piece of 16ct Mercedes Aida from Picture This Plus. I thought it would be the perfect color for stitching this chart. And 16ct over 1 would give me the same finished size as 32ct over 2.

Stitch count: 130 high X 160 wide
Design area: 8.2″ high X 10″ wide

I did not write down exactly when I started stitching this project but the first mention of it was November 2014. I worked on it for a while and then my husband’s health issues caused me to put it aside. I picked it up again in July of 2017 determined that I should finish this one. I also moved the project from qsnaps to my larger scroll frame so I could see more or the gridding at one time.

Progress on Queenstown Blue Crab

While all of the stitches are full crosses, there are many color changes.

Progress on Queenstown Blue Crab 7/21

Queenstown Blue Crab Progress 7/28

Queenstown Blue Crab Finished!

Now to decide how to frame it.

UPDATE – December 27, 2017

I have finally gotten around to framing this one for my son.

Queenstown Blue Crab

Samplers by The Scarlett House

July 8, 2017 By patgeary

I had never heard of The Scarlett House before until someone posted a preview of this chart from the Nashville Market for 2017. Once I saw it, I decided to order it along with my Blackbird Design charts. It arrived and I stuck it away in the file cabinet.

Samplers by The Scarlett House

Then a new Facebook group started called The Scarlett House Stitchers, and I decided to join it. The administrator of the group started a poll to see who might be interested in a Stitch-A-Long (SAL) and Samplers was selected. The suggested fabric was 40ct Ale linen from Picture This Plus. I knew I would never be able to see that small a count fabric even stitched over 2 so I selected 16ct Legacy Aida by Picture This Plus. I also decided to use floss from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe rather than what was recommended. I’ll include the colors I selected later on in this post. The stitch count is 218w x82h. The SAL was going to start on July 1st.

The one part of the design I will need to change is two small birds that are stitched over 1. I am going to try and find two small bird buttons or charms to use in their place.

I gathered my supplies, gridded my fabric and put it on the scroll frame.

Supplies for stitching Samplers

Started Stitching July 1, 2017
Finished Stitching July 16, 2017

Fabric Used: 16ct Legacy Aida by Picture This Plus

Floss Recommended: The Gentle Arts/Floss Used: Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Black Licorice/Darkest Blue
Ruby Slipper/Victorian Cranberry
Pomegranate/Heirloom Red Cherry
Barn Grey/Blue Sage
Piney Woods/English Moss
Dark Chocolate/Plantation Brown
Forest Glade/Black Forest
Parchment/Country/Tan
Chalk/Primitive White

Progress on Samplers

Progress July 12, 2017

Samplers by The Scarlett House stitching completed.

I do plan on adding a small bird charm that I have just above the basket in place of the 1 over 1 stitched bird. The other bird, I left off.

UPDATE: June 2019

Rather than framing this sampler, I decided to have it finished as a drum.I had seen it posted in another group and loved how it looked. Besides, I have run out of wall space.

The Light Upon the Lawn by Blackbird Designs

June 30, 2017 By patgeary

The Light Upon the Lawn is #2 in the Loose Feathers For the Birds series. The stitch count is the same as the first one in the series, It’s Spring Fever and uses the same floss colors. The recommended fabric for this one is 36ct Ale by Picture This Plus. I am stitching this one on 16ct Regency Aida by Picture This Plus.

The Light Upon the Lawn chart

The title of this pattern is inspired by Emily Dickenson’s poem, ‘A Light Exists in Spring’. In the poem she speaks of the light in spring being colored differently than the rest of the year. I loved the idea of spring light awaiting on the lawn … ready for us to come outside and view the landscape. You can read her poem here.

The Light Upon the Lawn Supplies

I am thinking that instead of framing these, I will have them finished three vertically into a bell pull/wall hanging. Another thought would be to have them framed as one piece, vertically. I have plenty of time to decide that once I finish stitching all nine of them.

Started stitching: June 19, 2017
Finished Stitching: July 1, 2017

Progress June 26, 2017

Progress as of June 30, 2017

The Light Upon the Lawn – Finished

Quaker Family Register by Blackbird Designs

June 18, 2017 By patgeary

Quaker Family Register was one of the projects taught by Barb Adams and Alma Allen at the Spring Fling Retreat at Stitchville USA in April 2017. While I did not personally attend the Retreat, a stitching friend offered to lend me the chart to stitch. NOTE: This chart is now available in And Blossom as the Rose released at the Nashville Market 2018.

Quaker Family Register by Blackbird Designs

While the recommended threads were Weeks Dye Works, I chose to use Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads instead of some of the colors.

Recommended Floss and what I used:

WDW Caper – VMSS Black Forest
WDW Confederate Gray
WDW Dirt Road
WDW Loden – VMSS Garden Green
WDW Parchment – VMSS Country Tan
WDW Schneckley – VMSS Basket Weave
WDW Straw

Design Size: 178w x 159h
Recommended Fabric: 36ct Veldt by Picture This Plus
Started Stitching: June 2, 2017
Finished Stitching: June 18, 2917

Quaker Family Register Fabric, Chart, and Floss

I chose to stitch this one on 16ct Veldt by Picture This Plus.

I did make some changes from the floss pictured as I stitched. Part way into the project, I decided to stitch this in honor of my paternal grandparents, Leonard Little and Sammie Bayless and their five sons: Adrian (my father), Winston, Clifford, John, and Mahlon. My grandfather was born in Fayettteville TN and they were married there. All but the youngest son was born there so I used that place on the project. Rather than using the initial of the children, I chose to use their first names. Since the dates for the birth of the children were stitched over 1, I chose to omit them. I plan on adding a sheet to the back of the framed piece with all of the information on this family.

Stitching Progress June 6, 2017

Progress June 12, 2017

Progress June 17, 2017 before any personalization.

Quaker Family Register personalized

Now to decide on the framing.

It is now October 2019 and I am finally getting around to framing this lovely piece.

Quaker Family Register

The Winter is Past by Blackbird Designs

May 12, 2017 By patgeary

Our spring garden, bursting with tulips and pots of posies, welcome the birds returning from their winter home. Some joyous songs will fill the air as the birds work like industrious carpenters building their homes of twigs patched with bits of mud.

Come, sit on the porch with us and stitch a bit while we welcome spring.

The Winter is Past by Blackbird Designs

I knew when I first saw a preview of this chart from the Nashville 2017 Market that I HAD to have it. I love the soft blue colors. The recommended fabric is 36ct Oaken by Picture This Plus but I can no longer see well enough to stitch on that small a count fabric, so into my stash drawer I went in search of something else. I selected 16ct Toasted Almond from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie and used the recommended threads.

Supplies for The Winter is Past

Started Stitching: April 23, 2017
Finished Stitching: May 12, 2017

The Winter is Past by Blackbird Designs

Now the decision on how to frame it and where to display it so I can see it every day. Thanks Barb and Alma for another beautiful project.

Update: December 23, 2018

The Winter is Past framed