Finished~~ Wedding Ring Bouquet by Paula Vaughan

I finally finished Wedding Ring Bouquet.  I started it on March 16, 2003 and finished it on April 14, 2016.  Thirteen years!

I did work on other projects during this time.

I started it 'on a whim' as I had the 22 count hardanger fabric in my fabric drawer, as well as the pattern. I'd picked it up somewhere for just $1.00.  I also had stitched two other PV patterns back in the late 80s, and I enjoyed stitching those immensely.  Thus I barreled ahead with this project.

At times I didn't enjoy the very small count of fabric, but in the end it wasn't too bad.  The entire design isn't very large at around five tall by seven inches wide.

Phew. It's done. Framing will come later.

One more photo, with scissors for size reference:

I did start a new project on Saturday.  So excited about that one, more details at a later time.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Finished! Mary Ann Blackburn

I am so pleased to have finished Mary Ann Blackburn by Blackbird Designs..  Believe it or not, the piece is already at the framer's shop. I finished it on Tuesday evening and had it at the framer's LNS by the next day.

I used our wedding date at the bottom instead of using my grandma's name or Mary Ann's name. It was just something I decided to do.

Here it is:

I am now back at Paula Vaughan's Wedding Ring Bouquet. I started this in 2002 or so, so I think it's high time I finish it.  It's done on 22 count hardanger with one thread over one. 

I don't have that much left, really. Just a bit of backstitching and the white curtain (ugh, so much white to do) on the left side of the piece.  

Lately I have been using my hoop a bit. I bought the hoop back in 1974, and it's still as good as new.  It's plastic though, and is  not one of the much talked about Queen wooden hoops. When I started crosstitching I was told to NEVER use a hoop. I don't know why I was told that, and I don't know why I listened for so long.  For years I stitched in hand, and then I went to Q-snaps, and finally I added a lap stand.   

Do you use a hoop, Q-snaps, scroll rod, some other stitch accessory, or do you stitch in hand?  I would love to hear how you prefer to do your stitching. 

I ended up finishing off my Mary Ann Blackburn piece with stitching in hand, with the occasional use of a hoop. I  just got tired of the lap stand--all that cumbersome stuff gets to me. 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Fruit Bellpull by Teresa Wentzler ~ A Bit of Work Done

Fruit Bellpull Progress
Designer: Teresa Wentzler

Lately I've had more time to stitch, and it sure has been great to see some progress. First, I worked a bit on Paula Vaughan's Wedding Ring Bouquet.  I'm stitching this on 22 count hardanger fabric, and I started it back in 2002 or so on a whim.  Here are a few photos of it. The first one shows how it looked awhile ago, and the second one shows how it looked when I tucked it away to 'rest' a week ago. At this point I have a lot of backstitching to do, as well as stitching the white curtain that's in the background.  I hope to FINALLY  finish this piece this year.

I worked some on my Fruit Bellpull. I also started this one back in 2002 or so.  Can you believe it? I am not even 1/3 done with this.  It has so many colors and blends, as do all of Teresa Wentzler's beautiful patterns.  I love working on it, but progress is slow due to the amazing color changes and shading of them.  Here are some photos, and they show progress going back in time and not just my most recent progress.


Here are the colors for this project:

This is how I store the blends for the project. I created this little box back in 2002 or so when I started this one. I bet that folks do it in a much cuter manner now, or perhaps in a more efficient way. This works fine for me. 

These are the peaches that I finished years ago. The peaches are in the top square of the design, and there are six fruits total in the design. Each depicted fruit is surrounded by a border of satin stitched flowers on vines. The leaves' colors are blended threads in the border, too.  The blends are gorgeous, but for me it makes the whole process much slower.   

If you have tips on how to make it go faster with the blends, please do leave a comment and explain it to me. :)  I would really appreciate it!

Here's a photo of the grapes that I took long ago. There are so many blends and colors that I found this bunch of grapes to be very challenging. 

Here you'll see a bit of progress in the grapes and leaves.

Last but not least, here is the project's appearance when I tucked it away for a well-deserved rest. I just can't work on this one exclusively.   I have finished all the backstitching of the grapes and its leaves, but I next need to work on that border that surrounds the grapes. Then I will move on to the apples. 

Here's a photo of the finished project. Instead of finishing mine as a bellpull, I plan on having it framed. I've seen a few framed online, and they look fantastic.  At this time due to its complexity of design I am toying with the idea of just doing three squares instead of six squares. I wonder how that would look? Well, knowing me I will do all six squares. Each square is so lovely, and I hate to skip three of them.  Here is the design, finished as a bellpull:

New Project News

I have never just had two projects going, so I had to start a new one.  Besides the low number of WIPs I had, they were both started so long, long ago. I haven't had a new start since 2012, so I figured it was time, right? We all need to look at some fresh work. 

I could have used a pattern I already owned, but instead I went out and purchased a leaflet by Blackbird Designs.  I have just started that project, and will share that with you next time.  I am finding it to be a joy to stitch. Instead of using DMC threads, I am stitching with the called for overdyed threads. That has been fun, too. 

Thanks for stopping by today.   

Wedding Ring Bouquet Progress

Finally, a small update. Here is my latest progress on Paula Vaughan's Wedding Ring Bouquet. I used a hoop for a small portion of it, and that was something I hadn't done in years and years. At this point I have a lot of white left to do, and also an abundance of backstitching awaits me as well. I started this on a whim in 2002 or so. It's done on 22 count hardanger fabric, using one strand of DMC.  

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Working on an old WIP- Wedding Ring Bouquet--Paula Vaughan

I started this one on a whim about ten years ago. Wow, that's a long time ago! It doesn't seem so long, hardly any time at all.

It's Paula Vaughan's Wedding Ring Bouquet. I'm stitching it on 22 count hardanger fabric, and it's at the point where I have a lot of backstitching and white left to do.

Here it is:

Scissors are included to show the size of this one! 

Do you have any WIPs this old? I confess to you, it's not my oldest one. My afghan was started around 1989. Now that's getting downright pathetic!

Thanks for stopping by here today.

Wedding Ring Bouquet- WIP

        I actually have stitched.  It's the first time in months and months. I decided to pull out yet another one of my very old WIPs. I started this piece called "Wedding Ring Bouquet" by Paula Vaughan back in 2003. Oh my, that's almost ten years ago.

        I dare say though it's not my oldest WIP. At the time I started stitching it I was frequenting a cross stitch message board on a semi-regular basis. One of the frequent posters was a lady by the name of Diane. She'd stitched up so many Paula Vaughan patterns, and they were mostly stitched on  22 count hardanger fabric, over one thread. I loved looking at these completed designs with their muted, sweet colors.  One evening I just decided to start this one up, on a complete whim. I'd had the pattern for years, and thought, "Why not?"  So here we are, ten years later and a lifetime of change apart...still stitching away. 

       The photo above was taken two years ago. 

        Here are photos of the project taken today. I've worked a bit more on the quilt, and done some highly dreaded backstitching on the piece, too. There's a lot of white on this piece, and that also awaits me. 

        
        Because the piece is stitched on hardanger, it is quite small. I think that ten years later I can say that my eyes are not getting better with the passing of time, and I doubt I will attempt any more large patterns on 22 count hardanger fabric.  

        Thanks for stopping by today.