The Queen

Greetings folks.  How did the weekend go?  We had wonderful weather and it's finally warming up.  I can't believe how many people already have annuals planted and hanging baskets.  The stores have had them for some time.  I remember when Memorial Day was the big shopping day for flowers but just as all seasonal items, they are out sooner every year.  I feel pressured to get what I need before they are gone but I didn't even think about a plan or colors yet.  I'm still working on that damn paint that is pink in the day and green in the night.  My moods have me crabby in the day and giddy at night.  Hot flashes have diminished but when I do get them, the mood goes from cold to hot and back to cold just as my body does.  Is there such thing as a happy crab?

 

Not much done on Sally.  The chain stitch row that took me forever is off and I may take it out and just do a regular cross.  The rice alphabet is down one row and not rice - I did the regular cross - which made the row beneath also down one.  That's OK because there is enough space.  So I thought this would be a good time to show you Ann's latest wallet project and a little note from her about it.  By the way, Ellen Chester (With My Needle) called her wallet of 7000 queen stitches "not for the faint of heart" when she created this historical adaptation of her original antique. This photo is from Silver Needle and they are offering the chart with finishing instructions for half price ($8) on this page.
 Ann originally avoided this stitch like most of us, but thought maybe she could inspire a few of you to give it a try.  I know that several specialty stitches I imagined to be a nightmare, ended up being fun to do once I got my rhythm and a nice break from the usual cross.  As always, watching videos from Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread are a tremendous help.  Here's Ann....

 

 "In all my years of stitching I have always shied away from doing designs that contain the Queen stitch (also known as the Renaissance or Rococo stitch).  I like my needlework to be neat and orderly and the dilemma for me was what tension, if any, should I use.  Do I apply no tension, do I pull a little or a lot and is the same tension applied to each part of the stitch.  I found different instruction/suggestion based on the places I looked.  As a result,  my Queen stitches were crooked, uneven, slanted, and just out of whack.  However, I saw two designs that made my hesitation of doing this stitch turn to a desire to resolve my issues and just do it.  The designs are A Work'd Pocketbook, by Ellen Chester and Mary Alsop 1774 Pocketbook from the Examplarery, Joanne Harvey. 

I have both designs but chose to do Ellen's first.  I am lucky to know Ellen since we are both members of the Queen City Sampler Guild in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I have taken a class from her.  I will tell you her directions are outstanding and are precise, complete and so easy to follow. Perfect choice for my adventure.

Although I used Ellen's design, I decided, as I seem to often do, to change the colors from the ones in her design.  I am using 32 count Wichelt Lambswool fabric and Needlepoint Silk thread, which has become a favorite of mine. 

I began my stitching with very little tension but as I did a row or two, I wasn't sure that the look was what I wanted.  I began "playing" with the tension and found that a more "pulled" stitch appeared more appealing to me.  It could be that this is going to be a wallet and there will be soooo many queen stitches all touching each other, it could be my choice of colors for the threads, or possibly just the way I stitch; however, I'm liking the look with more tension.  

I thought I might tire of doing so many queens but I find that I'm as excited about this piece as any I've done....right now I'm just loving doing reproduction wallets.  

Thanks Marly for inviting me to be a tiny part of your blog." - Thank you Ann for sharing your projects. 

 

You can see in the photo how she changed tension as she moved along in the project.  My tension would not be visible through the flames. 

Ann has great boards on Pinterest (here) featuring wallets, huswifs, bags, pouches, books, caskets, and of course, her fabulous finished stitchery.  Some of the antiques in her wallet album are these, also done in queen stitch.

 

And my favorite which is a needlecase.

 

 

I'm sure she will share the finish of her wallet of 7000 queens.  I've never constructed these reproduction wallets, doubt if they are easy, but Ann has also accomplished that task with perfection. 

When your needlework interest is in early pieces and reproductions, you're tiring of samplers, try one of these projects for a change and challenge.  The sweet bags, wallets, huswifs, and other similar needlework may create a new interest and collection, and no wall space is needed!

 

Thanks again Ann.  Can't wait to see it completed and what the next project will be.

 

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and then...BAM!

Hey.  What's happening?  Everyone OK?  Is it Sunday already? 

Not a lot of stitching going on here so what do I do?  Order more charts of course.

 

So here's how it happened.  Bonnie XLVIII, the stitcher who loves 48 count, sent me a photo of her Spot on 45 count before making it into a bag.  Here's a sneak peak of her 3 1/2" x 4" piece.  I said the size will make such a sweet bag.  Hmmm.  Sweet bag.  Sweet bag.  I remember such charts from years ago.  Sweet bag.  Bam!  Sharon Cohen!!!  And I'm off.  Drop everything and start searching for the charts like I have nothing else to do, no other charts in my stash, an urgency to have it now.  This is happening more often lately.  As luck would have it, Emlis had three of the charts and I was thrilled. 

 

 The English Rose Sweet bag.  I know this is embroidery or whatever but it's small enough to not be too challenging.  For some reason I swallowed hard after that statement.  It may not be as complicated as it looks, it's small, different, and could be truly enjoyable.  Or not.  Just in case I will hide the lighter.

The next one is the Sampler Sweet bag which was also featured in a magazine many years ago.  And rounding out number three is the Irish Pincushion #2.

 

Other Sharon Cohen Nostalgic Needle oldies I would like - 

 

I may have a source for the Tudor Flower bag, and I will continue the search for the Irish Pincushion #1.

 

Also in the search is the Queen's Sweet bag and the Tree of Life bookcover.  These two appear to be mostly cross stitch but I could be wrong.  They are my absolute favorites of the group and I would prefer stitching them first.  I have lots of time while working on Sally to hopefully acquire.

 

 

 

Can anyone tell me why I just had to have these projects that I passed on many years ago?  Especially since I am in a slump?  Maybe this is fresh and new from the usual for me and is just what I need.  In the search, I came across this book, looks interesting, will investigate.  The colors are gorgeous of course but I see them differently and on a darker background.

In keeping with this type of needlework, I was browsing the Antique Pattern Library which is such a great resource for older style needlework of all types.  You can view old publications and their patterns, one of which reminded me of these bags.

 

 This is from the Czecho-Slovakian Embroideries booklet.  Lots of beautiful stitching patterns and graphs for anything needle related that you can open in PDF to view, read, and print which is what I did with the drawing for this design.  And with my Frixion pen, I can trace it right on to the front of the linen and it will disappear when I want it to.

I am leaning toward a more early colonial look than primitive .... or something like that.  I just think that these bags would be wonderful showpieces and fit in nicely, something different than samplers. If I never stitch them, I will still have them to study and look over.

Being a long time award winning procrastinator, this impulsiveness is a mystery.

Quite time consuming too!

 

Does anyone know why I am missing new posts in the blog reader?  And still not receiving comment emails?  I sure hope they fix whatever is causing this.

 

Hope your week is going well.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Sally and I

Hello people.  How's your weekend going?  We've been cold enough to need coats, while younger folks were wearing flip flops and t-shirts.  I guess they can't wait and I don't blame them.

 

There's been more correcting and changing than stitching on Sally this week.  Not much progress.  I've been making errors on every single row and dividing band, many will stay.  Keeping my patience and not getting discouraged is more important.

 

The dividing band of buttonhole or blanket stitch (which I love to do) had a small area off one thread so I cut it in the middle and ran tails to both sides.  Haven't filled it back in yet.  A few letters above that area are up one thread and will stay that way.

 

Chain stitch on another dividing band was a nice change, kind of fun.  I seriously doubt I could have done this stitch on a higher count linen though (this is 28).

I'm almost done removing the rice stitch alphabet.  I didn't like the lighter thread and want to change to 433.  It looked OK, but I prefer the contrast of the darker shades.  I'm not really crazy about the rice stitch so I may even switch to regular cross.  It's going to be a really nice large piece with great colors....if I ever get involved enough.












Spent two days choosing wall colors and decided to go totally neutral and light.  Yellow casts, pinkish tones, too gray, too dull, too bright, yikes!  I think SW's Canvas Tan will be as neutral as possible and I was surprised to see their colors and some paints at Lowes.  Valspar's new Reserve claims to be completely washable and nothing will stick to it, so I decided to give it a try since we prefer flat paint.  

 

 

 

 

It will be May in less than a week.  Pretty soon I'll be complaining that summer is almost over!
I plan to show Ann's work on another one of her fabulous wallet projects, maybe this week.  The entire piece is done in Queen stitch.  I showed her work in this post last year.
 

 Have a great week.
 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Wax on, wax off

Good day to you.  We had a long one yesterday, very cold, and snowing.  Yes, snowing.  The installers left around 3:00.   Took hours to clean the dust from the cupboards and mop the floors, install and level the slide in range.  Removing the excess wax from the first coat took a long time and we'll add another coat today. This morning - plumbing hookups.  They did a good job except for the bar being 1/2" short in the overhang.  Didn't see it until they left and they couldn't have cut that much off in here anyway.  Their template must have been off.  Glad it's over and now we can finish the bar, the backsplash, the exhaust, 3 cabinets by Dominic, and the legs.  I really wanted the sink base to be different but even the lightest of reds doesn't show the dark sink as well.  May just paint it the same color as the others for now, crackle a little red over it. 

 

 

 

 

Sally has been worked on a little at a time, much slower than I would like.  Many errors, some corrected, most not.  I wonder if it was a mistake to start such a large piece, but on the other hand, I want a wall hogger.  Something that stands alone without other distractions and takes up a good portion of wall.  I know many of you have multiple ongoing projects but I can't do that.  If I stop this to start something else, I won't be able to go back and forth and Sally will be lost.

 

Carole is going out with her friends today for the first time since August.  She has so many clubs and groups that get together every week and she's really missed that.  We see a little more improvement every week.

 

Enjoy the week's end, Sally and I will be back Sunday.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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The process

Sanding the stone inside - a fine gray fog everywhere.  The sink is already waxed - you can see it's black.  The counters are not yet.

 

 

 Two rooms away!!

A rat tale

OK.  So it's not a week yet.  Not Sunday.  And no important event to report.  But can you believe how ridiculous I am with making decisions?  How many months ago did I state that I wanted rat-tail hinges on the sink base?  And how many times since then have I reiterated that fact?  Down to the wire, sink is coming tomorrow, cabinet doors ready to go on, and what do I have?

Acorn's hammered iron butterfly.  The H are for the dry sink we're making.  Butterfly?  Since when?  Sunday when I ordered them.  What has menopause done to my once sharp and decisive brain?  All these months I was asked "did you order the hinges? did you order the hinges? did you order the hinges?".  No dammit I did not and stop asking me.  What do you not understand about procrastinators?  Feet to the fire I had no choice and what do I do?  Choose a butterfly, that I never liked, never considered, haven't seen on a cupboard, but hit me like a brick.  The same thing happened when I saw Mary Lamin.  What is going on?  Boxes of my favorite fiber bars are sitting in the cupboard expiring, Greek yogurt is being enjoyed by the coons, my favorite cheese went to mold.  Not even my long time favorite coffee tastes good and I've gone down to 2 Dove a day instead of 12.  Everything is upside down!!  Am I coming off the menocoaster and this is the downhill slide ending in my opposite?  I just don't get it.  I'm not reading as many blogs, answering emails, sending cards to friends.  The only thing that hasn't changed is my big girl panties that I was forced into buying months ago and are stretched to their screaming limit.  The stress has affected my health but I really don't see it as an issue now.  This is just like Seinfeld's The Opposite episode.  Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. 

And didn't I say I would only post once a week?  Did I follow that last week?  Nope.  This week?  Nope.  Can I wait until Sunday to show you the soapstone?  At least I'm still sure that is what I want in the kitchen.  Maybe there's hope.

 

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