Sunday, March 7, 2021

Some stitching...

So, back in May of 2020, Part 1 of my Linen & Threads sampler looked like this:



And after adding most of Part 4, this busy little corner looks like this:

Never having exactly the same lighting when taking photos, I end up with slightly different shades of red showing up in the photos.  

Wishing now I had thought to take a larger (or whole) picture after every part was completed, I'm going to try to remember to do that - maybe I'll post that picture once a month.  Or maybe it will be more fun to just reveal it all when it's all completed.  I'll give that some thought. 

Meanwhile... this is what the whole thing looks like on this first Sunday in March.  Almost 1/3 finished:


While it's felt like I've let this thing languish and haven't accomplished much, it's kind of inspiring to see what the whole thing looks like to date - especially in a photo.   It inspires me to maybe be a little more diligent about working on it.   

A photo of the whole thing will also better show the smaller, extra motifs I plan to add to fill in some of the spaces - spaces that were originally designed to add initials of friends and family.  I didn't really want to have a lot of initials scattered throughout the sampler - so when I saw some other stitchers adding motifs in place of the initials, I knew I wanted to try to do that instead.  I'm finding motifs in a variety of places (some books I own, some OOP books I've found online, some free from blogging cross stitch designers) - the online sources I've linked to way down at the bottom of my blog.  👇  My hope is it will look a bit like an Eye Spy picture, and will provide on-going interest and even a bit of whimsy to the finished project.  Wish me well in that.  😉

~~~~~

And Tag No. 10 in the #52 Tag challenge was easily finished yesterday:


The "theme" of this one is Suffolk Puff (I've always known these as Yo-Yo's), and Lace.

And that's another wrap for another week!  It's gorgeous today, and supposed to be in the 60's several days this week!  I could almost cry with happiness.  😂






24 comments:

  1. I love your idea of motifs instead of initials. It will be fun to see if people can figure out who belongs to what motif. After a tough winter, glad you are getting to enjoy a taste of spring. Spring is my favorite season. Filled with hope and renewal.

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    1. Oooh... I wasn't thinking of motifs representing people, but rather just things that make me smile. You've given me a thought, though. Maybe I could slip in some motifs representing my immediate family members. That would be really cool if I can manage it.

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  2. I think a red sampler is so classic and beautiful. How nice not needing to change the thread color every few stitches. How large will this be when completed? I need to agree with you on the yo-yos. That is what my family called them. Have a blessed week.

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    1. I know! Keeping this all one color was my most genius decision ever. lol Mine should measure just under 10 inches square when done, so it's not huge. I'm stitching 1 over 1 (on 25-count Lugana), where the designers suggested stitching over 2 threads. That may NOT have been my most genius decision, but I really didn't want a picture 20 inches square. Anticipating that I will mat and frame this, I think 10x10 will be a pretty perfect size for the stitched part.

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  3. The sampler is just beautiful. I love it a lot. It is sunny but cool here and the sunshine is therapy for me, so hoping you get lots.

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    1. Thank you, Sandy. I usually prefer sunny and cool, but my spirits are needing some warmth. Today was nice; tomorrow here looks to be glorious.

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  4. Your sampler is beautiful! I have a few one color XS projects and I find it very enjoyable not to have to change colors all the time and I think they are stunning!
    Your tags are so pretty.

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  5. The colors sometimes go true when using the automatic color adjustment feature in editing. I see nice red in your beautiful stitching.

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    1. Thank you, May. It's a shade that sometimes seems to change in front of my eyes as I'm working with it.

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  6. I am a big fan of your sampler stitched in red, and it's fun to follow your progress!

    We call those yo-yo's too, and my daughter Kati used to make lots of them, so that brings back sweet memories. She made several projects using them . . . a pillow, a table scarf, and Christmas tree decorations. She also embellished a tee with them; it was so cute!

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    1. It's so tempting to make bunches and bunches of them, they are so fun.

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  7. It's such a pretty sampler. I like the simplicity of the colours yet the intricacy of the patterns. Spring seems on its way!

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  8. You've made some really great progress! The red on white is really striking, and will truly be stunning upon completion.
    Also: I've only heard those circular motifs called yo-yos.

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    1. I wonder if yo-yo's is an American thing...

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  9. I camn imagine people playing 'I spy'with that sampler. It is gorgeous work.

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  10. I have made a lot of yoyos in my quilting days. They were the craze back then. I remember I had different size templates and, along with English paper piecing they were my busy work while watching TV in the evenings. I love your busy work.💖

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    1. Busy work. That's a perfect word for it. Keeps my hands busy and my mind quiet (for the most part). :)

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  11. Would that cross stitch pattern be considered a toile one? Sarah of Stitch and Stuff is stitching a beautiful blue one.

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    1. I just checked out what Sarah is working on. It's pretty. I don't know what makes hers a toile sampler, but I believe the one I'm working on is based off of traditional Quaker motif samplers. And I'm not even sure I actually know that much. :) I'm just enjoying stitching up the designs and playing around adding smaller pictures where they fit in.

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  12. Wow, your linen + threads sampler is gorgeous! Will you put just your initials in it? Or maybe your last name?

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    1. Thank you, Martha. I think one of the motifs provides a space for putting one's initials (or name) and date. I'm not sure what exactly I'll put there, but I do think I want to put on it my "mark". ;^) Part of me wants to note somehow that it was stitched in the time of COVID. That may be more words than I want to actually stitch on it, though. Maybe just a note on the back after it's framed.

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