Sampler Stocking~so gorgeous!

I am loving this project-it is turning out so pretty!

Isn't it just gorgeous!!!

I am down to the heel now.

I love working on 25 ct.

It is a breath of fresh air after working so many projects on 40 or 36ct.

I hope to have it finished this week. 

xx

~Annie

Framed!

I actually finished this piece some time ago, 

but I just now got around to framing it.

 I framed it myself with a frame I bought at Hobby Lobby. 

It is pinned into foam core all around the edges and laced in the back. 

The whole project cost me $12.00:

 $10.00 for the frame and $2.00 for the foam core.

Yay! Another piece framed and finished!

xx

~Annie

P.S.~ see my Scarlet Letter Challenge here!

My completed ornament

I ended up changing out the Antique Rose for Manor Red(crescent colors) and I used Desert Mesquite for the border instead of Evergreen.

I trimmed it with ruched ribbon.

What do you think?

xx

~Annie

All Hearts progress

Here is my progress on the freebie ornament(see post below). I love the Gentle Art sampler threads so much. I'm sorry the pic is dark,  I took it at night.

It was under my lamp too, so it has sort of a yellow-y cast. I will get a better pic of the finished piece..

I have sold Louisa. She was on TDIPT last month. The buyer asked me to add hair all the way to the back in case she wanted to display her with her bonnet off. I love the way she turned out!

A lot of times if the bonnet is sewn on, I only put hair in the front where you can see it. But I like the way she looks, don't you?

xx

~Annie

Christmas Ornament Floss Toss

Here is my floss toss for the freebie Chrtistmas ornament. I want mine to look old, so I chose 35ct. straw linen (not sure of the maker, this was in my stash),  Gentle Art Sampler Threads and Weekes Dye works threads.

 Here are my selections:

DMC 349...GAST Antique Rose

 DMC 839................Weekes Bark

DMC 3052......GAST Evergreen

DMC 3774...........Weekes Mocha

DMC3827...............Weekes Gold

DMC ecru...GAST Roasted Marshmallow

Note that the conversion for DMC 3774, which is Desert Sand vy lt, I changed to a much darker mocha color. Otherwise it is basically ecru next to ecru! I often get into this trouble when designing because my program monitor does not show the DMC colors true. Hope this doesn;t cause anyone fits, just consider yourself a model stitcher! LOL!

xx

~Annie

Christmas Ornament Freebie!

Here is a free chart for you! Thank you all for your comments and for reading my blog! I enjoy every single comment and cherish the friendships I have made through this blog!

 

 Download here!

Eyelets are stitched with 2 strands of 3774 Desert Sand vy lt OR #12 perle cotton in ecru.

This free chart will be available here to download for a limited time. 30 days to be exact! After that you will have to email me for the chart.

  If you stitch it PLEASE send me a picture, 

I would love to create a gallery of your beautiful work! 

Enjoy!

xx

~Annie

Soccer season is over, so I finally got a free weekend and it was 

LOVELY!!!

I had ample time to stitch:

I worked on Mary Beale's Sampler Stocking.

I finished page 1!

I also worked quite a bit on Quilty Neighborhood, but I can't show you that yet!

I FINISHED a needle roll!! This has been in my basket of smalls that I keep handy for when I just have a few minutes here and there.

Garden Needle Roll~Shepherds Bush

And I finished a pretty little Christmas ornament. This is an original design. I am waiting for some silk ribbon that I ordered to make the hanger, but here it is so far:

Hope you all had as lovely a weekend as I did.

 And for those in the Northeast who have been so devastated by hurricane Sandy-you are in my prayers every day!

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

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

1808 Colonial Pinkeepers for sale

These are the actual models for the cover of my cross stitch chart by the same name. Once their modeling session was over they have been languishing in my model drawer, hoping I would remember them and put them up for adoption to a good home! 

Prices are ridiculously reasonable, bordering on outrageous!

They are available at TDIPT Mercantile this month.

xx

~Annie

Quilty Neighborhood #5 and peek at house #6!

At long last the 5th installment of the Quilty Neighborhood series is here!

Only 2 more houses to go, and House #6 is almost ready as well!

Here is a sneak peek at the whole thing so far, WITH a little peek at house #6!

Its coming along, don't you think?

Available at your favorite Needlework shop or at my website here!

New Cross Stitch Chart sneak peek!(and TDIPT offerings!)

Here is a sneak peek of my newest chart called Angels Among Us. It will be released early next week,(or maybe later this week if things go well!) I am loving the way these turned out and I especially love them on the Vintage Examplar-they just look so good! They come with the full alphabet and numbers charted so you can personalize them if you want to.

And here is a sneak peek at one of the items I have for sale on TDIPT this month. They will go live on the site at 10PM tonight. Hop on over to the mercantile for some awesome prim decor for your Christmas decorating!

And my little Carmel puppy is doing great! She is growing fast and learning to be housebroken(slowly). She has the sweetest disposition-we all just love her so much!

Have a great week!

~Annie

An angel ornament

For Isabel, who sadly doesn't have any cross stitch ornaments yet! Its only taken me 11 years! LOL!!!

Quilty Neighborhood together, so far...

Here are the 2 houses together. There will be 7 houses in all. They all have the pretty sunset sky in the background. 

Quilt and Vine and Dark Star

I am beginning house #3 now. It is called "Flag Day"  :^)

And they sinned update

A little more on the cloud. This is one big honkin' cloud, but once its done there are so many spot motifs below it the stitching will go much faster.

And here is a picture of my daily studio companion! Her name is Mew-mew. She is a cat of very little brain, more like a bunny really. She is very skittish, so thats why the picture is blurry. But she is very sweet. She wants to be affectionate but she is afraid of her own fur! We love her anyways around here-she always makes us laugh because she is so rediculous!

Mew-mew, a cat of very little brain!

And They Sinned...

The start of the cloud

And They Sinned...

A little more progress!

I'm just starting the huge cloud up beneath the left snake! Whoop-do! This is fun!