Pinkes Samlper progress and some BIG news!

Quick stitchy update.

I worked on Pinkes Sampler over the weekend.

This is such a pretty sampler, 

I can't wait to get to the whitework part.

Yesterday was my birthday, I had a fabulous day. Gary, Isabel and I went to Milwaukee to watch the Marquette  girls quarter final soccer game-it was freezing but so much fun. They have a great team-so energetic! They won 5-1 against U-Conn. Lucas works at the field, so when he was done after the game we all went out to dinner at a really nice seafood restaurant. It was so good to see Lucas, he is in his senior year, working at the field and also doing an internship, so we haven't seen much of him lately. I miss him. Its hard on us moms when our kids can't come home on their college breaks!

AND THEN.....

When we got home the newlyweds invited us over to their apartment where they had birthday cake, some gifts, and the greatest news ever...

Chelsea is expecting!!!

They just found out-did 3 tests to be sure-so it looks like she will be due the end of June!

Whoopie!!!!!

I am doing the happy dance here!! I am a "baby" person, so this is the best birthday gift I could ever get!!

xx

~Annie

Silk Ribbon dolls reticule

Here is a quick pic of the dolls reticule I promised earlier today. 

It is for my doll Lily, which is a pattern I have been trying to rework. It is one of my earliest patterns, and the doll hair I used then is no longer available. I have tried to recreate the hairstyle using hair that is available today but I am not having much luck. Now I'm considering re-releasing the pattern with a bonnet. Seems like kind of a cop-out, but like I said, the hairstyle is almost impossible with what is available today.

Here she is:

 This is with the old hair, which was an awesome spun wool which was curled in a coil, and was all in one long piece. So with the new wool. which is shorter pieces, I could do a bonnet with a little hair showing at the top. I don't know, perhaps I'll keep exploring the yarns available out there.

xx

~Annie

A Happy Sunny Day!

I am feeling SO much better!

The doctor gave me an antibiotic AND a steriod and I am finally getting over this thing.

 I have now actually had 3 good nights of sleep!

Hurray!

Since I have been doing all of this needlework while I've been sick, I put all of my original cross stitch charts into a slideshow.

I have also been working on some commissions, and I have to show you a sweet little reticule that I made which is silk ribbon on a gorgeous piece of moire taffeta.

Stay tuned...

xx

~Annie

Keep on keepin' on!

Still sick here.

 Can you believe it!

 Its been like 4 weeks.

 But I finally broke down and went to the doctor.

 I know I know...why wait so long.  But I am one of those who hates going to the doctor! Anyhow, they put me on an antibiotic and a steroid, so this aughta do it!!

Meanwhile the studio girls sit around patiently waiting to be put up for adoption.

They never say anything, but I think I've detected a few annoyed glares as I have gone by!

But even though I don't feel too great, I hate to be unproductive. 

So I finished Child of Spring.

This must be my oldest WIP, started around 1993 or so!

 But its not a WIP anymore!!!

Child of Spring

22 count Hardanger fabric

Victoria Samplers

this is the top

this is the middle

This is the bottom

I love the hardanger hearts~can you see the beads? 

This is a very subtle design. I loved all of the pulled thread stitches, 

they are so beautiful.

So even though sick, at least something was accomplished! LOL!

 Almost 20 years! hahaha!

xx

~Annie

Never say never to those Works in Progress

Happy Friday everyone!

I am still sick with a virus that just won't go away, so I'm working very slowly here! During my resting times(too often) I have been doing some needlework. I have been renewing my love for specialty stitches. I pulled out my oldest WIP. 

Don't laugh!

This is a birth sampler I started for my oldest child, Chelsea! She is now almost 26 years old and is the one who just got married! 

LOL!!

...embarrasing...

Yes, that date DOES SAY 1987.

I know...

...pathetic...

BUT, I am enjoying the fine stitches, I had it in my stash, and you know...better late than never!

xx
~Annie

New project for my new son in law!

I have started Mary Beale's sampler stocking for my new son in law! Shhh! Don't tell him! I am loving this project, because it is on 25 ct. which is huge for me! It is going so fast, its wonderful to be able to see it so well! LOL!

Here is my progress, I started this Friday night, but mostly worked on it on Sunday night, because Isabel had a volleyball tournament all day on Saturday. I took it with me but didn't really work on it. I found out it is dangerous to have your head down during volleyball warm-ups!

I'm loving it!

XX

~Annie

Handmade Dolls photostream

I have put all of the dolls I have made in the last 2 years onto a flickr photostream. Its fun to look back and see all of the dolls I have made and revisit some of my favorites. Its funny how the ones I have loved the best sold for the least! What do I know?

Fisher Cat April 2010

Check it out:

xx

~Annie

Slow down...I wanna get off!!

a cheerful pot of flowers!

My life has been like a runaway train lately!

The entire month of August and September were almost entirely given over to the wedding. With my daughter in school, working and interning she didn't have much time for wedding preparations! And on top of that we had to be all crafty and make everything ourselves...um a little like re-inventing the wheel.

THEN...

the minute the wedding was over I got sick! 

And started suffering from insomnia!!

WOW!

A double whammy!

Yesterday was the firsy day I began to feel like a human again!

LOL!

While I was sick I picked up my cross stitch, for the first time in 

OVER A YEAR!

Which is completely and totally inexcusable, since I have a serial sampler design that is not even finished. :(

I'm so ashamed! Bad! Bad designer!

But I DID pick it up again with renewed vigor for getting it finished!

It is the very last installment of the 

Quilty Newighborhood Sampler

Here is the sampler so far:

See!  Almost done! Last chart for this series. So, its coming! Its on its way. It just took a 2 week bout of the nastiest virus I have had in a long time to get me back to it!

:)

xx

~Annie

Louisa and the wedding!

 

New folk doll Louisa is on TDIPT Mercantil right now!

This one is very special! She is oil painted and wears a regency gown, little blue slippers and a beautiful bonnet hand embroidered with sprays of silk ribbon flowers!

Please click over to TDIPT to see all of the details!  

In other news, the wedding went off wonderfully last Friday! We only had a few bumps in the road, but nothing major. The happy couple are settling into their new home(apartment) together and are absolutely blissful!

That was literally the hardest thing I have ever done! It feels like a wonderful accomplishment! We did all of the decorations, favors, bouquets, flowers, alterations, and even the veil ourselves! Whew! But it was totally beautiful and so worth it!

Do you like all of her shades of blue?

Let me just bore you with a few more!

 Here are my two beauties, the bride Chelsea and her sister and maid of honor Isabel!