Halloween Quaker reappears

Last Thursday I finished a model, and then spent some time getting some housework done. I did a little reorganizing in my craft room, and while I was sorting through my WIPs Halloween Quaker by Lila's Studio caught my eye so I decided to spend some time on it this past weekend. Here is the progress I had made up until last October:

And here it is as of last night:

I've had three black cats and one black with some white, so the kitty motif was a fun stitch:

Of the two models I have left, one doesn't have a deadline and one isn't due until June, so I think I'm going to spend a week or so on this piece and see if I can't get to at least the halfway mark.

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!

No cure for start-itis

Why is it that once an idea for a design enters my head I just can't let it go until I actually put needle to fabric? About a month ago I bought Butternut Road's Provence Sampler, thinking that it would be a fun piece to do with new colors; then as I stitch on other things I play with colors in my head. I came across a limited edition Silk'n Colors called Birds of Paradise, and the two just clicked! And once that happened I eventually had to give in and make a start:

Right now I've pulled fuschia, aqua and purple SNCs that match the colors in Birds of Paradise, and I'll probably add some beads as well. This will be a good project to work on a bit at a time when I feel the urge to do some stitching for myself.

I've also started a new Tempting Tangles SAL piece, called Swans & Shears, which just had the first part released on the 19th. With a small part coming every two weeks,  I hope to be able to keep up with this one. Here is part 1 (minus the start of a larger motif on the right, which I'm waiting  to see more of before choosing colors), using whatever colors appeal to me on a piece of PTP Meditation Belfast:

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!

More butterflies

I woke up this morning to find that two of the three new Nora Corbett releases were butterflies that I stitched. This is Miss Columbian Nymphalid:

And this is Miss Goss Swallowtail:

It's hard to choose my favorite between these two!

I sent another model back last week, and should have another one finished in about a week, then it will be time to start my first full-sized Mirabilia, which will be hard to part with when it's time to send it back!

The winner of the Snow Globe kit remainder is...

Please send an email with your mailing address to rrowe @ new.rr.com (remove the spaces) and I will mail this out later this week. If I don't hear from you within a week, I'll draw another winner. Congrats!

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!

Busy, busy, busy!

I might continue to blog less than usual for a while, as more models have come in. I received a new Rosewood Manor design in December, which thankfully has no set deadline, then two Nora Corbett's and a Mirabilia right after New Year. The first NC is due January 30th, but I'll be finishing it either today or tomorrow, so that's not a problem. I'm hoping at some point I'll have enough models done and in the pipeline that I'll be able to blog more regularly as they start being released and I can share pictures.

I did sneak in a bit of stitching for myself and completed Miss Lole's Daggerwing, on a piece of Silkweaver Tallahassee Teal Belfast. I lightened her hair up a bit, for a bit more color on the darker fabric:

I also contacted Wichelt about the defective button in the Mill Hill Snow Globe kit and they kindly sent a replacement, so I was able to get this finished and framed before I put it away until next Christmas:

In an earlier post I shared Nora's "Lady in Pink" painting that I had taken to the framer, so I thought I'd share the framed piece:

My framer said that he loves that I'm "not afraid of color", and he's certainly right about this one!

I thought I would start the new year with another small giveaway, for the chart, left-over threads and beads, needles and even the defective button (you might be able to sand the back to make it flatter) for the Snow Globe:

There won't be enough of the floss and some of the bead colors, and you'll have to use your own fabric or perforated paper, but you'll have the pattern and a good start on the supplies. Just leave a comment here, then check back in a week to see if you won and contact me using the email I'll post.

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!