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Thursday, March 10, 2011

virtue planted

My first finish of 2011 is my New Year's Day start - Plant Virtue. What a happy little design with a positive message. I thought a lot about the virtues I would like to, or probably should, plant during 2011.

My favorite stitching bits in this sampler were the jaunty rooster, the cheerful sun and those pretty flowers. While working on the rooster, I remembered a book that I used to read to my DD when she was little. For the life of me, I cannot remember the title, but it was about a little rooster whose job it was to wake up the world every morning. Time spent going to the library with my DD and reading every day are really some of my favorite memories.

Least favorite stitching parts were the bricks and mortar. I also didn't notice until I finished it that the lower right window is off by one stitch. I wonder if I had noticed it on the chart before I stitched if I would correct or leave it!

Goode Huswife - Plant Virtue

Goode Huswife - Plant Virtue
R&R 40 count linen, mystery color

Here are the other things I've been stitching. I tried to do a different design each of the first 15 days in January. Seriously, it made me nervous! I'm still working on my list of 15, but have changed the fabric on a couple of them and am still considering swapping some out for other pieces. I'm not posting photos of those designs where I've just stitched a snippet of a border.

A little design to honor my sweet husband and our marriage of many years. Not a good picture at all - the colors aren't true; it's really much prettier in real life. One of my goals for this year is to learn how to take better pictures!

Goode Huswife Quaker Marriage Sampler

Goode Huswife - Quaker Marriage Sampler
Lakeside Linen, 40 count Vintage Light Examplar
Needlepoint Silk 635


I am in love with almost every one of Blackbird Design's Rewards of Merit. Here is Bluebird, and I hope it's the bluebird of happiness and will hang around for awhile. It did take a little adjusting to get used to working on 30 count fabric, but I like texture of fabric and thread for this piece.

BBD Reward of Merit - Bluebird

Blackbird Designs - Bluebird Reward of Merit
R&R 30 count Cafe Kona (I think)

I've always thought that Dainty Housewren was a quaint and charming little design so I'm glad I decided to stitch it this year. Here is my start, which looks a lot like the noose/tree in the Hangman word game we used to play as kids. For some unknown reason, I started this with the tree instead of the border; hopefully I've counted correctly! Maybe I was getting tired of stitching borders.

IMG_0690
Carriage House Samplings - Dainty Housewren
Lakeside Linen 40 count Vintage Light Examplar

I also started a reproduction sampler by Muriel Brunet and was halfway through the left upper quadrant when I realized I had ordered the wrong size fabric! That's what I get for not stitching at least the width and length of the border. I'm not posting a picture, although I loved stitching the red alphabet - it's just too painful!

I don't want sign off without taking a moment to remember Lisa. She was a very upbeat person, encouraging, modest, creative, supportive, funny. She loved primitives, old graveyards with interesting stones, horses, reading, her VW bug, Halloween, but she especially loved and was so proud of her family. I think about her quite a bit when I stitch, as I'm sure many of you do. I was very glad to know her the little bit I did.

Have a good week.










14 comments:

Margaret said...

I love your finishes! Who's going to notice the window is off by a stitch. Leave it! lol! Nice start too! Bummer about the Muriel Brunet piece. Ugh!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Love your finish - the colors and message are wonderful! Awesome starts on the other pieces, too. Sorry about the wrong sized fabric. What a bummer.

Laurie in Iowa said...

Congrats on finishing the Plant Virtue sampler Dona. It looks wonderful. You have all sorts of lovely projects in the works. So sorry about the M. Brunet piece... bummer.

Melissa said...

I love all your pieces. The funky rooster is on my to-stitch list.

Sorry about the fabric - been there recently!!! Ohh well. I guess it happens to us at least once! Take care!

Andrea said...

Love all of your stitching, especially Plant Virtue...just wonderful! No one will ever know about the one thread ;)
xoxo

Siobhán said...

Fantastic finishes, Dona! I love 'em all. I'm enjoying the challenge but might swap out one or two pieces. I guess I'll see how it goes.

Sorry to hear about the Brunet piece. AGH! I hate it when that happens.

Deb said...

I just love your finish. And if you hadn't said anything I don't think anyone would notice being off a stitch - in fact, I can't even see it.

Great progress on your other pieces too. I was trying to keep up with my 15 challenge pieces too, but then went off the rails - at least for a little bit of time.

barbara said...

What beautiful projects you've chosen!! Great to hear from you! :D

Michelle said...

Your Plant Virtue is beautiful. I've never seen it before so I went looking for it - it sure looks like it may have been charted with that window over one stitch, because every pic I've seen of it is the same way! LOL! Your other finishes are also lovely. Isn't that bluebird piece a fun stitch! Sorry to hear about the fabric woes - hopefully you can start over with no issues. I love what you remember about Lisa, very sweet.

Joy said...

Love your finish! No one should worry about 1 stitch off...does not change the beauty of your stitching!

Tanya said...

Congratulations on your finish! I loved seeing your WIP.

CATHERINE said...

Thank you for your visit on my blog ! your samplers are very lovely. A work long with many patience !!!!
Bravo !
Amitiés
Catherine

Patty C. said...

Lovely starts displayed :)

Gabi said...

Plant Virtue is such a beauty. Congrats with this beautiful finish. I wouldn't have noticed that the window is one stitch out. You didn't make a fault...you personalized it. I would stick with that...lol.
Love also the 2 other finishes. Lovely stitching all over.
Great new start and what a bummer to have started Muriel on the wrong size fabric. That must be SO annoying.