Thursday, August 17, 2017

New Charts Coming Soon!

As busy as this summer has been I have still found time to stitch, stitch, stitch! 

I will have 3 new charts coming out within the next month, which is exciting!
Here is a snippet of my new chart Bittersweet:


I like to reward myself after a long day of cross stitch with some hand work of another kind. I enjoy hand applique, with cottons or wool, or
sometimes both together!

I recently binge watched Anna Bates, also known as Woolie Mammoth on Youtube. She has a channel called Quilt Roadies. She and her husband are retired and doing the RV thing, and they travel around, mostly in the Pacific Northwest and she films the insides of all of these different quilt shops! Its wonderful! I have always been a big fan of the Quilt Sampler magazine, where they feature all different shops across the nation. So this is like the video version of that!

Here is an example of one of Anna's wonderful episodes:



On one of the Quilt Roadie episodes Anna interviewed Stacy West, of Buttermilk Basin. This got me started looking at all of her designs. I bought this little banner, which is part of a series. I really enjoyed stitching it, and I used all wool out of my stash.


Its fun to work on something that you can finish in one or two nights.

So this has rekindled my love for wool applique. I have been looking at several Block of the Month kits. I really love this one, being partial to chickens:



The whole quilt is really cute. I would do the wool version.


Well, I hope you enjoy the last hazy days of summer. 
Before you know it, it will be Pumpkin Spice season!

Happy Stitching!
XOXO,
Annie

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Some Progress and Summer Fun

Band Sampler Stocking
 This is a quick snap of my current work in progress. I have designed a new sampler stocking for my youngest grandbaby Mei. This is the reason I always stitch my own models, because I often change my mind about colors as I go along. One reason, I think is because when I am designing on my software program, the colors on my moniter are not the same as the actual fibers. So, I have to keep trying new combinations until I get it exactly right. I am hoping for a September release for this Christmas stocking pattern.
Early Americans by LHN: Betsy Ross

 Sometimes on the weekends I get a chance to work on something just for me. Early Americans by Little House Needleworks is one of those projects. I am doing them all as individual smalls, but I just may sew them all together in the end, quilt style, and frame them that way. I think that would look kind of cool!


 This is a project I have worked on every Saturday, when I take my brother to the store. He doesn't drive, so I give him a lift and sit in the car and stitch away. I like it and he likes it and then we get to see each other at least once a week! Perfect!



This is a meme I ran across that I think is hilarious! You have to be a P&P junkie like I am to get it!

Although this summer has been extremely busy, we have taken a little bit of time to do some fun things. Every Sunday our oldest granddaughter Amy comes to our house to visit, mostly to give her momma a break (she still has the two babies at home). 
So when we have Amy we try to do something fun. Last week we took her to church at a beautiful shrine in Mundelien Il, called Marytown. This is a monastery where there are Franciscan friars. The church is incredibly beautiful! 
We had a lot of fun that day. Here she is at the outdoor stations of the cross.
Amy's favorite station-The Annunciation

After mass we went to lunch. It was a very fun day. We just love spending time with her. She is already a wonderful artist!

Last weekend we went to a local art fair. Here she is with her Oji (japanese for grandpa).


I hope you are having some fun this summer too!
Happy stitchin'!

XOXO,
Annie