It is finished!!

Whew!  I'm excited to show you my very first design!  Back in April I traveled to Rochester NY to attend a class given by Jean Farish at Hobby House Needleworks.  She taught us how to use a program to design patterns.  I learned a lot, but I'm still pretty slow and have to play around a bit to get it to do what I want it to...lol...but I'm pleased to say I have finished my very first design.  Because I was learning I decided to use a portion of an antique pattern I found online.  It is free to distribute for private use and is not for resale.  I cannot sell my design, it is for private use, but I can share it if I choose to.  I have decided that if anyone wants a copy, I will send it by email, but only to those I "know".    The design I used came from a book called Moderne Stickerie - Vorlagen and I found it in the antique pattern library online.  I have wanted to design patterns for a long time, and share them here on my blog.  I have already started a  Christmas design and am almost ready to "model stitch" it!  I just need to tweak a few more things.  Hopefully I will have it up and running before Christmas, but it's been a bit busy here at DJ's Digs.  I will let you know if/when it's ready.  Here is Wildflowers.  

I hope everyone is healthy and safe...Happy Stitching!  

 

All's Fair In Love and Cross Stitch!

Well...the Maryland State Fair is in full swing...our little family went to the fair tonight.  It was a bit busy as it's a three day weekend for Labor  Day.  Some of my friends and family knew that I entered a few things in the fair this year...and in all honesty, my projects this year were now really WOW's...so I wasn't expecting much.  As I was dropping things off, the lady behind me in line and I were talking.  It's just fun to enter a few things to showcase our hobby....and if we win, it's a bonus!  I have to say, I think I lucked out this year!  I'll just pop the pictures up and explain at the end...  

The Yellow Ribbon is a special  award, given for best in show.  I am surprised that all but one of my pieces got a ribbon...I honestly wasn't expecting it!  Call me a happy camper!!  I hope all of you are safe and healthy!  Happy Stitching! 

New Adventure

I posted before that I attended a class at Hobby House Needleworks in the spring.  It was the second time I'd been there and I just love their store.  The classes I attended were run by Jean Farish.  She is a phenomenal stitcher and teacher, I learned so much.  I finished the Melbourne Sampler which is one of the classes I took, and finally had it framed a few weeks ago.  Looking at it now, doesn't seem too impressive, I guess...but I learned a lot of new stitches and techniques for the drawn thread...and I really like how it turned out.  

She also taught a class in design.  I played around with the software she taught us to use.  I looked through some antique patterns I found in an online pattern library.  These are freely distributed and can be used to design our own samplers but cannot be used for resale.  I can offer the design I created for free, and may post it here later.  I hesitate to call it my own design, though I guess in a way it is.  While the chart is one I semi-recharted in the software I'm using, I created some shading within the pattern and then I chose the color scheme.  That was a challenge in itself, as I had to change most of the colors while I was "model stitching".  I'll just call it my sampler...lol  I think I'll name it Wildflowers.  There is still a bit more to stitch, but here is where I am so far.  I have tons to do today and tomorrow so I'll show what I have stitched so far.  Hopefully soon I'll have a finish!  I've posted a few pictures on Facebook, and thought I should explain a little about the design.  

I have been working on a Christmas design that is all my own creation.  When I start model stitching that one, I'll show progress pictures.  It shouldn't be too long before I do that.  I hope everyone is enjoying the slightly cooler temps we have been experiencing here.  Take care, stay healthy, and Happy Stitching!

That's a Wrap!

I'm happy dancing tonight!  I had an exchange with an artist in NY state.  I went to high school with her daughter and we reconnected on Facebook a few years ago.  Her Mom was a nurse like my Mom was.  We both were candy stripers together and though we both started out in nursing, I switched my major after a few years, and Lady M continued on to be a nurse.  Anyway...her Mom and I are Facebook friends and she has been watching my stitching...while I've been watching her painting.  She recently mentioned she was having a yard sale and was going to sell some of her paintings.  I said I wished I could attend because I have always admired her painting.  She suggested an exchange and sent her painting right away.  

I know she likes Santas, so I chose this pattern to stitch for her.  

I've had some issues...LOL  I've had to restart, then the frog visited a few times, but I'm finally finished.  I hope she loves it as much as I love the picture she sent me.  It reminds me of home...and yes, this looks like a mountain in the Adirondacks where I attended college.  I really do love it, isn't she talented?  Now my dilemma is to figure out how I should finish it.  Any ideas?  

Thanks for visiting!  Happy Stitching!

Another framed piece...and other odds and ends...

It's been a wild ride lately!  I've been so busy, with watching my GD, some stuff with helping the kids buy their house, getting things ready for the fair, etc, etc.  I also asked to buy a friend's mother's painting...but ended up having an exchange...LOL!  She is a lovely artist and I have always admired her paintings...she has always admired my stitching...so she sent me a painting...and now I'm stitching something for her.  I've been working almost every spare minute...this is where I'm at so far.  This is Noble Companions from the Leisure Arts book Christmas Portraits.  Pictures in the book never do them justice, I'm dreading having to give this away...LOL!    

You can see her painting propped up behind my little patriotic display.  She usually paints scenes from near where I grew up...it almost makes me homesick..

I also found time to finally get Fruit of Plenty framed...I'm not awfully fond of the frame, but there wasn't much selection where I took it to get framed.  I decided at the last minute to enter this one in the fair too...and literally picked it up 6 days before I had to turn it in.  

I also finished a few little ornaments that weren't included in the GG post from last week.  I think they will be ornaments for my GD's cousins.  They were fun to stitch!  I'm afraid the place I found them escapes my mind at the moment.  Sorry.  

I finished stitching two more of the 12 days of Christmas ornaments too...

I also finished up this cute little pattern.  Before you ask me what it is, it's a gingerbread girl inside a donut.  This was a free design from Shannon Christine that I found on Facebook.  I've been told I need to outline her.  I'm still on the fence about that.  In real life, it's easier to see...  

Anyway, just thought you'd like to see the other "stuff" I've been working on.  Hope all is well in your world!  Happy Stitching! 

August Gifted Gorgeousness

Whew...I can't believe a month has gone by since the last Gifted Gorgeousness post.  I've been busy but if you ask me what I've been doing I couldn't tell you.  LOL  Between working on the house (and hoping the HOA accepts our work efforts) and keeping up with the kids and our granddaughter, the time is flying by!  I have been able to get a lot of stitching done too, so hold on to your hats, it's going to be a Loooooong post! 

If you don't know what Gifted Gorgeousness is...I'll let you read about it on Jo's blog (click here) and if you want to see what others are stitching for this challenge, you can check it out here (click here).   Basically it's anything associated with the word "gift" either to you or for someone else.

Let's start with my samplers shall we?  I have a busy month coming up in September so I decided to jump ahead with my stitching schedule.  I've completed August and September's portion of Linen & Threads Friends and Family Sampler.  This was a free SAL offered on the Linen & Threads site.  I really enjoy stitching on this one and will probably continue when I have time and just get it finished.  See if you can find your initials  and remember that I still have 3 months more to stitch!  

Next is the Cottage Carden Mystery SAL by Wiehenburg Designs.  Martina sent this to me for free, but it is a paid SAL.  I jumped ahead a bit as only the January through August portions have been released so far.  I truly love this one, and also the colors she recommended.  I've used a few hand dyed fibers of my own here and there just to make it unique to me.  

Next is Tale as Old as Time SAL.  I'm currently caught up...and I think I'll miss this one once the last three scenes have been released!  This is a gift for my lovely DIL....she loves the Beauty and the Beast movie.  Each little scene tells part of the story and I love that it's all encased in the castle.  What a fun stitch, this is a free SAL offered through Story  Stitches.

I've been working a little on Rose Ada Featherstone, this was a gift kit from my DH for Christmas last year.  It's stitched on 46 count linen and is a challenge for these old eyes of mine, but it's been a fun stitch so far.  I love working with the silks!!  I have to set it aside sometimes just to rest my eyes...but I hope to finish it before the end of the year.  Wish me luck!  

Next is something I've started as a gift for someone.  A high school friend's mother has seen my stitching and has admired it for a few years now.  She is an artist herself, and paints the most beautiful paintings and drawings and she also quilts.    I have admired her work for a few years now too, so we have agreed on an exchange.  Hopefully I can stitch this up quickly.  Amazingly enough I had the fabric, pattern and all but three skeins of floss in my stash to get this started.  I hope she loves it!  I'm saving the name and other information until it's finished.  For now, here is how far I've been able to stitch in 2 days...

Now comes the Christmas ornaments, and there are a few...sorry...  First up are ornaments I've stitched from the JCS Magazine.  I consider these part of GG because DH has gifted me all the magazines...some subscription and some through the CD's that are available to buy.  Here are...

Penguin Greetings from the 2021 Ornament issue  

Next is  Peace Ornament from the 2011 Ornament issue  

Next is Penguin Wishes from the August 2021 issue  

Next is Give Love for Christmas from the 2015 Ornament issue  

Next is Santa Gnome from the 2021 Ornament issue  

And that is all from the JCS magazine.  Next is a freebie from Shannon Christine Designs.  I've been asked repeatedly what this is...LOL  It's called Ginger Donut, it's a Gingerbread girl in a donut.  I thought it was cute...you can find this design on Shannon Christine Designs Facebook Page.  She has a lot of cute freebies there.  

Next is  a freebie from Pinker and Punkin Quilting...she has a lot of cute free designs on her website.  This was called Watermelon Stamp.  Such a cute summer stitch!  

And here it is fully finished!

I have received a couple of gifts in the mail.  First up is from my Pen Pal for the month of July.  She finds the most creative things to stitch for me!  And always a little something..this was nice fabric and I love the America sign!  

I also received my August gift from her....I'm a little behind I better get busy....here is what she sent last week.....she makes the most awesome pillows!

Next is from a lady who runs a business with her friend called BFF  Pouches and Bags.  I have several, and they are such fine quality and can be found on Facebook...but I digress...several years ago I posted on Facebook that I would stitch an ornament for the first 5 people to respond to my post.  Well....more than 5 responded and I couldn't say no.  Peggy was the first to respond and I sent her 3  ornaments because I kept changing my mind what I wanted to stitch...haha.  She gave one to her BFF ...LOL but I think kept the rest.  Anyway...she told me she would send me an ornament, but she is such a busy lady, it took her a little while.  Mine arrived in the mail last Tuesday and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I just love it!  Thank you so much Peggy!  I think I'll be hanging this one year round!  

I think I'm all caught up now...sorry for the long post, but as I said...I've been stitching up a storm lately.  I'm sure there will be slim pickin's next month and I know it's going to be a craaaazy month!  Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and Happy Stitching!

Finishing Frenzy

It's been a busy month...lots going on but I decided I needed to finish up some things so I could enter them in the state fair.  I got a few things framed...First was my Blackwork Kingfisher...I just love him!!   This is by Lesley Teare and can be found in her shop sold as a PDF.

Next was the Melbourne Sampler by Jean Farish.  I really enjoyed stitching this and though it was a bit tricky to get mounted, I am so pleased with how it turned out.  

Anyone who knows me knows I love Patriotic stitching.  I did finish a few pieces this summer and then went on a hunt to finish 4th of July.  I was walking through Hobby Lobby and spied this candle holder.  Isn't it amazing?  Well, the top was a little too small for the piece, so I flipped it upside down and finished it on the bottom...shhh don't tell anyone hahaha.  I love how it turned out!!  

I also finished Betsy's tart.  After changing the colors I wasn't sure I liked my color way....but after I popped her in the tart pan, I truly love the changes now.  Isn't it amazing how things change once you fully finish them?  

Last is this little freebie I found on Pinker and Punkin Quilting blog.  I left off the border and hopped it into this little dish I found at a thrift store.  Perfect coloring isn't it?  

Guess that's all my finishing for now.  Off to look for something more to get finished, I'm on a roll!!  Happy Stitching...er...um  finishing?