Stamp With Jen

Borders and TUSALS

I'm a few days late for my TUSAL post but had good intentions to post over the weekend, just got busy with a few dog events (including a long hike, watching an agility trial and a fun Mardi Gras party) and our Sampler Guild.  So, here's my February TUSAL picture. 

If you would like to play along with the TUSAL game you can jump right in and join us, just click on this link to Daffycat's blog to sign up and play! 

I'm also playing along with Nicola's Scarlet Letter year challenge which has been a lot of fun so far!  This is what I'm stitching my Ruth Bacheler sampler for and I'm loving stitching on her!  I had planned to stitch on Dorothy Walpole for this challenge but Ruth was just calling to me so I decided to start on her instead.  I am very, very tempted to start on Dorothy but not until I finish some of these other samplers first!  I have three going right now and have decided to set them all aside to finish the stitching for the box top for our year long project for the Sampler Guild of the Rockies before going back.  Once I finish one or two of the samplers on my list I'll start Dorothy, or maybe Lucy Redd or maybe something new from market.  I sure have an issue with there being too many things to stitch and not nearly enough time.  I think many of you can relate. 

So, here are my three samplers and my current progress on them, or progress as of a couple days ago when I took these photos.  Ruth Bacheler by the Scarlett Letter.

Ruth Bacheler

Elizabeth Milner by Shakespeare's Peddler.  I am loving the algerian eyelet lettering and once I finish the vine border I just have started there will be three more lines of it.  Maybe I won't love it then but right now I do!

 

Elizabeth Milner

And, I started Ann Bowers as part of the Attic's stitch along on this pretty sampler.  I'm not caught up yet but hopefully will get there, she's such a pretty stitch!  I'm stitching her in silk on 36 ct. Vintage Lentil linen. 

Ann Bowers

That's all for today (as if it's not enough already).  Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog and happy stitching!

January Starts and Finishes

Well, I had planned to post some progress pics over the last couple of weeks but just never got around to it.  Part of that is that I've been busy, but then again I'm always busy.  I think most of it is that I'd rather be stitching, playing with the dog, stamping, etc. than updating the blog.  So, forgive me if my posts are a bit hit and miss.  Since I haven't had an update in awhile I have two finishes for the month of January to show you.  After the holidays were over I turned my attention back to Christmas Garden by Blackbird Designs for my first January finish. 

Christmas Garden by BBD

Then, I picked up Frances Pool again by With Thy Needle and Thread.  She was such a fun stitch and I just love those colors!  She was my other January finish.  

Frances Pool by With Thy Needle and Thread

Having finished two samplers, it felt like time to go back to my Ruth Bacheler by the Scarlet Letter, a piece that I started stitching for Nicola's stitch along.  I was able to finish the top row of irish stitch pennants and then got frustrated with her again so set her aside once again.  Here's my progress to date.   

Ruth Bacheler by the Scarlet Letter

When I set Ruth aside again I needed something else to stitch.  I signed up for the Ann Bowers stitch along through the Attic but haven't finished playing with my thread colors for that yet.  So, I started Elizabeth Milner by Shakespeare's Peddler.  This was the piece that you could get in sections last year by ordering from SP.  I ordered in each of the six months and have the completed chart (I hear that Theresa is going to release it this year so if you like it you can buy the chart soon).  The silks I had ordered for this were pretty brown and I didn't want an all brown sampler so I've made some changes based on the photo on the SP site.  Here's my start on Elizabeth, this is actually the first month's chart complete.  Yay! 

Elizabeth Milner by Shakespeare's Peddler

Thanks for dropping by!  Happy stitching!

Scarlet Letter Year Update

I posted my first entry on the Scarlet Letter Year challenge this week for my start on Ruth Bacheler.  You can view my post by clicking here.  While you're there you should follow the blog, it's going to be fun to see everyone's progress throughout the year!  I'm also including a shot here from my Instagram page that shows my floss toss.  Although, I "Instagramed" it to age it a bit.  I have all the DMC pulled as charted and love the way it looks on the 40 ct. Buttercream linen but I may play with that bright blue to tone it down just a teeny bit before I commit to that.  I started this to make sure it worked on 40 count and then promptly set it aside in favor of other projects that are closer to completion.  I'll be back to Ruth soon I hope! 

I also noticed that Nicola is giving away her chart for the Blue Ribbon Sampler that she recently finished.  I entered to win the chart and you can too just by going to this link, leaving a comment and posting the link to your own blog.  Good luck to everyone but I still hope I win.  :) 

I'm really getting close to finishing my Christmas Garden, here are a couple of snaps from two nights ago.  I've been busy this week with not much time to stitch but I am hoping to finish this piece over the weekend and get back to Frances Pool and Ruth Bacheler! 

That's all for today, I'll be back shortly with my first TUSAL update of the new year and hopefully a finish shortly after that!!  Thanks for dropping by!

I am thankful for remote controls. 

My TUSAL Jar Overfloweth

Here it is, the end of 2012.  I've had a very busy but fun year and the past couple of weeks have been no exception.  I went home to visit my family in Wisconsin over Christmas which was wonderful.  We had a very nice holiday together!  I've also been working on some projects around the house during the time I've had off.  I didn't get quite as far as I had hoped on some of them but I did make a lot of progress! 

You can also see that my TUSAL jar for the year is quite literally overflowing!  It's been a year full of stitching too and as I look back at the pieces that I've finished and framed it's really fun to see.  I have no idea how I managed to finish all that I did though.  With as busy as I've been with work, the dog and friends, I certainly don't feel like I've had a ton of time to stitch.  Tomorrow is a new year though and I will be emptying this jar and starting fresh collecting ORT's for 2013.  If you'd like to play the TUSAL game in 2013 just visit this link to Daffycat's blog. 

I've also been stitching a little over my break.  I worked on Christmas Garden, which was my Thanksgiving start.  Here's my current progress on it. 

 

I'm almost done so am tempted to go ahead and pick it back up and finish it, there are probably only a few evenings worth of stitching left here so perhaps this will be my first 2013 finish!  When I was in Wisconsin my Mom and I visited the Country Sampler in Spring Green.  They had this hanging on the wall, and it is such a difference to see it stitched as charted (huge) and mine that is tiny on 40 count linen.   

I probably would have finished this already except that I've been totally distracted by Frances Pool, the latest release by With thy Needle and Thread.  This was my Christmas start this year. 

 

I started this piece on Christmas Eve day and was able to get the flowers, red border and part of the outer border done.  Now that I'm on the border I will probably continue until it meets up and then go back to Christmas Garden.

Or... Maybe I'll work on this...

This is Ruth Bacheler by the Scarlett Letter.  I'll be stitching it on 40 count Vintage Buttercream linen.  I joined Nicola's Scarlett Letter Year challenge so this fits right into the challenge.  Plus, I was completely enabled by a few friends who are also starting this piece.  This is supposed to be my New Year challenge, only I read in the pattern that the Irish stitches and Satin stitches are all done with 2 threads.  I panicked a bit so started with one pennant and found that the cotton floss on 40 count linen using two threads is no big deal!

So, that's that, I have these three projects plus the smalls for my SGR project going for a total of FOUR projects at once!  That is a new record for me!! 

Thanks for dropping by to visit my blog, may you and your family have a safe and prosperous New Year!!

Jen