Picked up framing

I like to enter my finishes in the county fair in August so I don't take the protective wrap off until just before entering. That's why these pics of the framing won't be the best, but they'll give a good feel for the finished pieces.

Of Female Arts by The Primitive Needle

I'm so delighted to have finished this today. I'm not sure what's next that I want to stitch. With the Super Bowl Sales coming up and Shores of Hawk Run Hollow (www.carriagehousesamplings.com/new) about to be released I don't want to get involved with something big.

Regardless, here are the pics of my finish:



The fabric is a great DMC 14-ct. Aida I found at A.C. Moore. I used GAST's Tin Bucket and my framer, Terri, has a perfectly matched frame in the color Tinsmith. Couldn't be more perfect!!!

Started an afghan

I like to say that I can crochet, but don't like to. So why did I purchase a Vanna White afghan book and 33 skeins of "her" yarn yesterday?? Well, I've loved the design on the cover of the book and, finally, the yarn was on sale for $2 per skein. With the 40% off coupon on the book I almost couldn't afford not to buy it all! LOL

I started it yesterday. It's crocheted with a P hook using 2 strands together of the Vanna White yarn. It's a ripple design and every three rows the colors change. I think there are 12 color combinations. At the end of this row I start with the combo color 4. Yippee!!

Anticipating Nashville

I always look forward to the xs Markets with great anticipation. This one is no exception and is coming up in 2 weeks.

I have only pre-ordered one item: Carriage House Samplings' Shores of Hawk Run Hollow. Not that I've stitched much on the first one, or any part of the second in the series.

I am very interested in Sweet Treats, a new Country Cottage Neeleworks design series of yummies. I saw a picture on her website: http://www.countrycottageneedleworks.com/threadpacks.html

I also am a big fan of Lizzie Kate. I am close to pre-ordering "Big Girl Panties" just because it sounds like fun, but I think I'll wait until I see a picture.

The closest thing I came to a cross stitch resolution for this year is to stitch what I have and not buy so much. Nashville releases will be my first test!

Finished my part on Lynn's RR

I finished my part on Lynn's Round Robin last weekend. I used The Country House Sampler by The Sampler Company for all but the house. The house is from Christmas Past by Willow Ridge Designs. I kept the same colors as the original chart called for on the house. I thought it'd blend better to keep the designer's color scheme.



The fabric is 32 ct, but a very tight weave which made it hard for me to see the holes. I bought an inexpensive around-the-neck magnifying glass at Michaels and put the piece on Q-Snaps and I could see the stitching a lot better. Whew!!

Little House Needlearts kit Americana Sampling

I finished this the other day! Hooray! I started it back in 2005 when it was released, put it aside until I decided on New Year's to work on WIPs more often in 2008. This was handy and a week later....Done!!



I like where I decided to put my initials. I feel that it's subtle yet keeping with the flow of the piece.

I took it to Michaels today for framing. Gotta take advantage of the 60% off sale while it's going on. Picked out a nice cherry frame that compliments the piece in tone. The same framer was there and waited on me. We got along very well today! She didn't push the mats on me after I told her just want a frame for it. Excellent; I am pleased. Turns out she's the manager of the framing department.

The manager of the framing department of a similar shop that's now out of business had a terrible framing manager. She was terrible as a manager and did terrible framing. Crooked mats were her strong suit! I overheard her talking to one of her staff as I was coming in to pick up a piece. She was telling him that it looked "good enough" and the customer would never notice it wasn't framed straight!!! I never brought another piece to that framer.

Froggy goes to the frame shop

I pulled into the parking lot of Michaels this past Sunday and saw the 60% off of custom framing sign hanging outside the store. Just by chance I had the frog xs piece (see prior post) with me. Lucky me!

I had in mind a simple framing with perhaps a metallic frame in green. I rang the bell to get the clerk's attention from the back of the frame shop. I told her I'd like to have it framed in a green metallic frame as I pulled two slender white pieces of paper on the table under my piece. I hate to have the fabric colors dulled by dark gray granite table tops showing through the xs fabric as I'm trying to match mat colors. I use a white underlining of some sort just so the colors will be true. She said, as she removed the white papers and restacked them, "Of course you'll get mats." She reached for the mat corners. I told her I didn't want it matted. She said that I had to get it matted "because it makes it easier for us to frame." Astonished, I replied, "So you're telling me I have to get something I don't want just to make it easier for you." She conceded that I didn't have to get it matted. Gee whiz!!! This particular Michaels did a poor job in framing when it was the location of an MJ Designs (remember them?!). Must be something in the air because it's been years and are not the same people anymore.

She never did show me a green metallic frame, but she did show me other green frames and a nice gold/red frame that will look nice with it so I ordered that one. I'm almost afraid to bring in my Little House Needleworks "Americana Sampling" for framing that I finished the other night. The frog had better be finished with wire and not one of those darn sawtooth hangers!!! I detest sawtooth hangers.

Happy New Year!!

I made it to 2008. There were moments in December where I wasn't too sure. Fainting on the stairs (sat down just in time!!!). Hospitalized suddenly for a week with blood clots in the lungs. How the carpool missed the SUV hitting us I'll never know, but will be ever thankful for. Thank God!

I finished Wanted by Barbara Ana Designs today!! It's so cute and funny. Here's the pic:



The design calls for the words "x stitches" to be done in white, but it was invisible on my fabbie. I switched to the medium green used in the frog.

Ribbit!! Ribbit!!

Wishing everyone a good, and happy 2008.