WIP: Bloom Where You're Planted

Here's my Mary Engelbreit WIP. The watering can is all done except for the french knots that will go on the spout -- I figured I would post a picture now while it still looked nice! There are TEN of the french knots so I expect it will look a little disheveled the next time you see it...

After finishing the watering can last night, I decided to wait on starting the writing on this piece, and switch back to another WIP that was in danger of becoming a UFO (unfinished object). I don't know whether I will post pictures here as it's a present for someone, but right now I need to make some progress on it so that is where my stitching energy has to go.

I am expecting that my round robin will be here soon to work on, too. I mailed mine on Saturday. I'm looking forward to getting the piece I will be working on!

Stitching Blogger's Question: Round Robins

The Stitching Blogger's Question is about Round Robins:

Do you participate in round robins?

If so, how many have you participated in? Do you participate in more than one at a time? Summarize your experiences (good and/or bad).

If not, have you thought about it?

I am currently participating in my first round robin. We're about to send our fabric out for the first time, and I'm looking forward to getting someone else's piece to work on. In my group, the four themes we are stitching are Flower Fairies, gingham, watering cans, and chickens (mine). Two of us are sending charts, and two of us are asking the other stitchers to find charts that fit with the theme. I think it should be very interesting!

The only thing I am worried about is, if someone sends a chart, it could be a bigger piece than I can easily stitch in the time allotted. I mostly stitch small pieces and am not a very fast stitcher.

However, I'm thinking of participating in more than one at a time, but only because the next one wouldn't start until this one is almost over. I guess I'll see how I like this one before I really decide.

On a somewhat related note, I found this kit on clearance at JoAnn recently, and since I love the saying "bloom where you're planted" and I also love Mary Engelbreit's designs, I had to have it! The bonus is, the design is a cute watering can surrounded by flowers. I've collected several watering can patterns recently (knowing that I'll want one of them when Renee's Round Robin piece comes to me in a couple of months) and this is one of the cutest. But I want to be able to choose a pattern that harmonizes with the other watering cans already on the cloth (there will be two already stitched). So it'll just have to be a surprise, whether I stitch it again or not.

Anyway, here's a progress pic on the Bloom Where You're Planted kit:


Feb 23, 2005

I only wish I'd thought to stitch my version on this pretty moss green Lugana I bought recently, rather than the Aida that came with the kit. I think it will be pretty no matter what, but the half-stitches are killing me. But it's too late to start over now!

HD: Bent Creek "Arbor Day"

I started this while watching the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, and just got around to finishing it this morning. It's a Bent Creek "snapper" pattern, stitched on 28-ct Cashel raw linen. I used the suggested Weeks Dye Works overdyed flosses and Gentle Arts Sampler Thread colors.

I like how it turned out, though I wish I'd oriented the stitches of the middle tree horizontally so the whole thing would have matched. I just wasn't thinking. Also, I think if I stitch it again, I'll use two different greens for the leaves on the tree on the right, to add a little more interest.

I do think I'm getting better at stitching on linen (which is why I bought all these tiny Bent Creek patterns in the first place, to practice on linen). And this was my first time using overdyed threads. Before this I've only used DMC or Anchor variegated. I liked the threads, especially the ones with a lot of variation in color, but overall I'm not completely sure they're worth the money. I'll have to see if I can find a more reasonable price on them than I got at 123 Stitch, I guess.

Speaking of buying online, JBB stopped by and left me a comment yesterday pointing out a French cross stitch site I'd never seen before: Le Bonheur des Dames. They certainly do have some beautiful designs. Thanks, JBB!

New Gallery Uploaded

Just to keep things all in one place, I've started a Webshots gallery where I'll post my pictures of WIPs and finishes. I'll also keep posting them on the weblog but now they're all in one place. See it here.

On Sunday I stitched about half of a little Bent Creek pattern that I haven't had a chance to get back to yet. Hopefully this weekend I can finish it off and post a picture.

I got some colored Jobelan and Lugana in the mail this week from an eBay auction and I can't wait to start something on it. I also have a Silkweaver order coming, and some charts from Stitching Bits & Bobs. Plus, it's almost time for the Round Robin to start! Lots of stitching fun is going on these days!

So cute it hurts!

Plain Mabel has some great crafty items! So inspiring!

Danger, Will Robinson

Carol posted about Super Bowl Sales going on at several of the cross-stitch online stores. Oh, how to resist? I ended up ordering several patterns from Stitching Bits and Bobs, including a few that I have been meaning to hunt down. And they were 20% off!

Now I really need to stay out of the rest of those sites...

HD: Brown Rooster

Click to enlarge.

I started this brown rooster last fall but I just finished it tonight. It goes with the white rooster I posted a while back. I got these two kits on eBay. They were Monarch Horizons "Take Alongs" from around 1990 or so. I love roosters, so I was really happy to find them.

I plan to finish them using acrylic trivets.

I learned something interesting stitching these two birds, though. The fabric for both was the same 14-ct white Aida, and the design size was identical. But one of the finished projects turned out taller and narrower than the other one. Apparently, the squares in the Aida weren't really square, and I oriented the fabric differently on the two pieces. I couldn't see it with the naked eye, either, until they were both finished. How strange.

I hope when I do the blocking I can compensate a little and they won't look too odd when they're sitting side-by-side.