Maria Antoni Sampler

I last told you about this sampler here on May 1.  I have been stitching on it in the evenings and average about 3 hours a night. It was a 2015 workshop offered by the Sampler Guild of the Rockies. The piece is designed by and the class taught by Margriet Hogue of the Essamplaire.

Here is the progression so far and I plan to post an update every Monday. 

April 28, 2020

May 3, 2020

 May 10, 2020

Happy Stitching!!

Been Busy Stitching!

I have gotten into a bit of a routine. When I stitch during the day I work on a needlepoint project and in the evening I am working on a Sampler while sitting on the sofa "watching" TV. In the process I finished a needlepoint piece first started in 2003. I took a class with my Raleigh Needlepoint group from Debbie Stiehler, it is called Lucky Gecko. Is on a 15" x 17" frame and its size made it perfect to work on in my studio vs on the sofa.

Here are a few other things I finished recently. The first three are projects from a Sampler Guild of the Rockies Retreat, a needle fold and a bookmark. I think both are from 2012.

I also finished a project done last year by my Saguaro Chapter of ANG (American Needlepoint Guild). I attached the stitching and fabric to a finishing form which helps keep it nice and round.

I also finished a 2" square practice piece into a pin. It is designed by Catherine Jordan and was a Cyber course. We made the small square first to practice making a larger piece that consists of multiples of this square. It is call My Granddaughters quilt and the idea is for it to look like a quilt top when done.

Tomorrow I will have a post on the progress I have made on the Maria Antoni sampler, which is what I have been working on in the evenings. My goal is to post an update on this sampler every Monday until it is finished, so stay tuned!!

Latest Project - Maria Antoni Sampler

I tend to stitch in the evenings while my hubby watches TV (I listen to it a lot) and during the day I work on other stuff. Kind of a remnant from when I worked, but now I can do FUN stuff during the day!!

During the day, I have been quilting a bit, organizing my studio a bit and making cards. I took a virtual retreat and posted about it here. The post is a tad photo heavy since we learned 11 projects! It was fun. I also picked up a needlepoint project that is more easily worked at my studio desk than on the sofa - it is on the large size. A post for another day!

In the evenings I have been working on a former UFO (UnFinished Object) called Maria Antoni Sampler by Margriet Hogue of the Essamplaire. She was the instructor for the 2015 Sampler Guild of The Rockies Retreat. It is worked with Soi d'Alger silk but I am not sure the fabric other than it is a 32 count. I believe it was originally charted for 40 count, but she offered this count as well for the Guild retreat.

When I took the class I did not get far, only as far as all the black and yellow stitches in the top left diamond area. I started on it again around April 21 and below is my progress. This will take me a while, it is a large sampler the fabric is 18" tall by 23" wide.

I think that is all for now! Take care everyone.

With My Needle Finish Finish! Lots of Photos.

I showed you the finished stitching on my blog post of  April 10, 2020.

I finish finished the box and the smalls for the inside!

Top photo is the fronts of the smalls followed by the backsides. The blue bird was supposed to be one side of a scissor fob, but I felt it was a tad big, so I turned it into a pin cushion. I used a nickel on the inside of the scissor fob to give it some weight.

This is shows the inside of the needle book

Here is the inside bottom and the top mounted on comic book board waiting to be placed on or in the box. 

This is the top mounted on the box, followed by photos of the smalls and the inside of the box.

I decided the top needed a cover too so here it is.

With the current situation I had to use paint from my stash. I originally painted the box red, but it was not right with the red in the fabric or the stitching - Dang.  So I used a crackle medium on the red and painted over it with a sand color to give it an aged look. 

I think that covers it for now!! 

Take care all and keep on stitching!!

Another Finish and New (Old) Project

This is also a sampler project from Sampler Guild of the Rockies. I think I told you a little about it on March 21st.  *****I have a correction to that post. Threads used were Weeks Dye Works Lancaster Red and The Gentle Arts Sampler Threads Dried Thyme and Deep Sea.*****

I finished the stitching for the box top (top part of the fabric), the needle book (middle section) and the scissor fob (bottom section). Now to actually make them into their indented items!! Stand, or sit, by for that.

I have moved on to this (UFO) -17th Century Cross Stitch by Nan Tyson Euler:

It is from the EGA National Seminar in Hilton Head, SC (2002). My first EGA seminar. I loved the sampler, but did not like the marking cross used, so set it aside. I picked it up at some point and did regular cross stitch on the top band, did about half and set it down again.

I picked it up last week and finished the cross stitch section. I then decided I should to the thin green dividing band in marking cross to see why I did not like it and maybe after over 17 years and more experience I would like the stitch.   I DO NOT. But I thought it best if the dividing lines between the top bands matched so I carried on and finished the next green dividing line.

The marking cross is worked totally opposite of how I do regular cross stitch. It is worked from the top and the leg of the X on top is not the same as when I do cross stitch. So I was not easy for me to pick it up and develop a good feel stitching it. I think if I could have worked it starting at the bottom going bottom left to top right, I could have gotten a good stitching motion. But I did not, and I did not want to switch since then my marking crosses would not be the same and that is a big no no.

Marking Cross is not the only stitch used and so I have been working each band using the suggested stitch, except I use regular cross stitch in place of Marking Cross. So it is not exactly as designed, but I was not going to have it sit in the cupboard because of one stitch!

It is on 32 count Edinburgh cream linen. The finished sampler is 5" x 9". Threads are all silk, mostly Au ver a soie 100/3 and some Pearsall's silk. I am not a big fan of either silk, but glad I got to experience using them and know for future reference!

That is all for now!