Mystery and Finished photos

Well, I finished the bookmark last night. Then I did start the whitework freebie by Teresa Wentzler. I really hate Algerian eyelets. I always have and I think I always will. This morning as I was waking up I figured out a solution to something nagging me about the bookmark and quickly fixed it. It's all ready to be mailed once I get the guy's address in Iraq.

The Statue of Liberty and lettering I got from a book called 2001 Cross Stitch Designs, published by Better Homes and Gardens in 2004. I've had it about two years now. The pattern called for french knots for the Lady's eyes, but there was no way I was adding them, so I altered some of the backstitch a bit. I also used some different colors than asked for: a different backstitch thread and the colors for the lamps. I couldn't put my hands on the others and wasn't about to go out and buy new skeins for about 150 stitches worth altogether.





Also, just for giggles, here's a WIP photo of the Papillon Creations monthly freebie. It's going to be long, which I didn't notice when I printed it off. I was about to start it on a smaller piece of fabric when I realized it and scrambled about trying to find a big enough piece. I hope this one works, because I have a sneaking suspicion I miscounted when I was figuring out how much room I needed to leave for finishing. The last installment should be made available in December, so it's going to be a while before it's all done.

I'm using 25 count cream fabric from somewhere? with DMC Variegated and Variations threads: Yellow 190, Red 115, Blue 4030, Purple 52, Pale Green 94, Dark Green 92. It wants beads too, so the last time I was at Michael's I grabbed some of the seed beads on sale. I'll add what looks nice where at the end.

I imagine I'm going to make a hanging out of it. I'll find some nice Summery fabric for the backing at Wal-Mart and make use of my nifty sewing machine which I haven't been able to use at all yet. Grandma will be gone for a week soon, though, so I'll get a chance to use it then.

Current projects

My current projects:

Large:
1. Chameleon
2. Mermaid
3. Baby Afghan
4. Specialty Stitch Freebie (How Does Your Garden Grow?) from Papillon Creations

Medium:
1. Dolly Mamas Drama Queen (white and backstitch is all that's left)

Small:
1. Statue of Liberty bookmark (need to stitch "We Hold These Truths" tonight)
2. random Blackwork biscornus to use up the rest of the pieces I'd cut for the Christmas biscornus

The large projects are my "at-homes". The medium and small projects are my travel projects. Drama Queen is taking me a heck of a lot longer than I thought it would. I really hate stitching white on white fabric. But if I actually get those stitches done, I only have the backstitch left. Then I can cycle in the Dolly Mama I want to make for Mom.

I might cycle in a TW freebie after I finish the bookmark. I'm going to have to do it a few times before I attempt this one. I still can't get over my fears to progress to actually cutting my fabric! I think the Papillon sampler will help, though. I'm enjoying the specialty stitches. Hmm. Maybe I'll do a few biscornu using the Papillon and TW specialty stitches.

Ooh, shiny. Looking for links for the Dolly Mamas I found another one I want for myself (after I finish Domestically Challenged, I guess).

Now I just have to get off the computer and start stitching the lettering so I can mail the bookmark with the book tomorrow. Oh, the bookmark is going to a soldier in Iraq I'm mailing a book to via Paperback Swap.

First Finishes of 2008!

Okay, I have been working on Dolly Mamas' Drama Queen for my niece, Chameleon for my nephew and a restart of Joan Elliott's Mermaid for the daughter of the lady who gives Grandma her showers. Theoretically, I'm going to be paid for the Mermaid.

In between those three projects, so I don't feel too homicidal toward them I did these:

Imbolc Ornie for my little Norfolk Pine. I know it's upside down, but I started stitching it together wrong, so I just went with it. Thankfully, the Gods don't mind a little screw-up now and then. I'm adapting quilting templates from one of my grandmother's extremely old catalogs for cross-stitch motifs. This one is rather fitting for the season, I think, called Tulip Basket. The nickel is there to give it scale. There's no stuffing. It's too small.


Peacock Bookmark, adapted from a freebie by Papillon Creations. Yesterday afternoon, I just needed something quick, easy and completely different from everything I've been working on lately, so I grabbed my binder of printed freebies and found "The Peacock" by Papillon Creations. The peacock was small enough to stitch on one of the bookmarks I have laying about, so I figured "What the heck?" I adapted the border to fit the way I wanted and tried to create an alphabet in the style of the lettering on the pattern to turn it into an alphabet sampler. I like the way it turned out. I'm even keeping it for myself. It took me about a day to do since I finished it a few hours ago. Oh, and joy, I finally finished off a bobbin. One more down, about 75 to go before I'm officially bobbin-free. The colors of the picture are lighter than reality. The flash wiped them out a bit.

If you click the pistures, it takes you to a larger picture that shows them all of much better.