Monday, January 23, 2017

My Token of Love finish....

What's not to love about a red monochrome Quaker sampler?  I will simply let the pictures speak for themselves~  

40 count Vintage Pecan Butter linen

Best Used Brick thread by Victorian Motto Sampler Threads

One thread over 2

.....each motif is unique.... just as the young schoolgirls were instructed to do.....

 ... I can see their linen carefully rolled up at the end of the school day..... I'm sure they wanted to take a closer look after class to see their daily progress...

 The nice red overdye dress cotton thread pops against the linen....

Page 1 of my photo journal as I dedicate 2017 as my year of Quaker Stitching~

What will my needle be stitching next??? Wait and see~ 

Faye

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Heart Pinkeep & Strawberry

The first half of January is behind us and it's hard to believe~ I walk past this one particular tree several times a day at work, and I'm already seeing many buds popping out in the bare branches...... We surely have lots of cold weather left this winter season, but Mother Nature is responding these mid 60's temperatures.....    I was able to stitch and finish this sweet design earlier....  In time to get the piece back to its now owners before Valentines decorating begins.... I love its simplicity and it's accompanied with the tiniest of wool strawberries.....  
country Sampler Kit Club

Stacy Nash Kit Club~ Country Sampler of Spring Green, WI

32 count linen with DMC thread

The little vine makes this piece so special....

And, on the back, I put an applique heart with an antique button.... The little wool strawberry is detachable and simply winds around the button...

 

I could stop with just one....

Two hearts... Two strawberries.... I seem to do that a lot...

I hope you're stitching up many if your favorite LOVE stitches.... in time to display them in February ~

Speaking of Love.... here I am on the far left with 3 of my bestest of friends! We get together for dinner each month and last night we met for food, fun and fellowship at our local Bonefish~ I'd do anything for these ladies~ And guess what,..... together, in total, we represent over 100 years as educators..... 

 

Enjoy your evening with lots of stitching!

 

Faye

   

 

 

 

   

Monday, January 16, 2017

A little progress to show~

Greetings and good morning friends~ I have had busy hands these past few days.... Needless to say, my customers orders come first, however I devote the last hour of my day to personal stitching & finishing~ As I showed you last week, my current project is a red Quaker influenced piece by Rosewood Manor called My Token of Love... The Vintage Butter Pecan Lakeside 40 count linen with the "Best Used Brick" Victorian Mottoe Sampler thread are marrying together well....   

I've completed all the perimeter motifs... 

Each motif has its own unique shape..... I love the contrasts of them all~

As an educator, I am constantly reading and researching how the Quaker Schools incorporated stitching into the students daily activities... I'll be sharing tidbits with you along the way once I begin my next sampler..... Its a toss up between reproduction samplers,  the Sarah Tatum Sampler and the Sarah Moon Sampler..... stay tuned~ 

Design size on 40 count is 8 1/2 by 9 inches... so, if your a 32 count stitcher, your design size would be about 10 3/4 by 11 1/4 inches.... 

 

Okay.... That's it for now.... I'm headed into my craft room to create treasures for fellow Stitcher's and tonight I plan on putting more tiny "x's" in this sweet sampler......

 

Enjoy your day!

 

Faye

 

Friday, January 13, 2017

Seeing Red..... My Token of Love~

 
Greetings friends and stitching Pals~ Thank goodness it is finally Friday and it's a long weekend! I wanted to spotlight the Quaker influenced sampler I'm working on right now... I started it in November, and it has now become my end-of my day sampler.... I especially love it because it's a red monochrome~ AND, the red I'm using is my all time favorite, Best Used Brick by Victorian Motto Sampler Thread....

My Token of Love

Rosewood Manor

40 count Vintage Pecan Butter

Victorian Motto Sampler Threads~ Best Used Brick

I often stitch the medallions along the border first.... 

 

And this one is my favorite.... 

This is a really sweet stitch... on 40 count it only measures 8 1/2 by 9 inches~ 

I will be beginning a larger Quaker Sampler once I complete this WIP.... I'm still deciding which of the Sarah's it will be..... Sarah Tatum by Scarlet Letter or Sarah Moon by Needprint.... Both are colorful, large and are reproduction Samplers which depict the works by young school girls..... I always marvel at the projects these young hands would create given their ages..... 

I'll have more progress to post soon (hopefully)~~ As I work on the orders in my craft room this weekend, I will end my day with a few stitches in My Token of Love~ 

Stay safe, warm and happily creating! 

Faye

 

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Today's picture walk of my latest stitch~

Much of the country is cold and frozen..... We are unusually frigid here in North Carolina~ Record breaking low temps with sleet and ice... I'm WAY too Southern for this kind of cold weather!     I knew this would be the perfect time to complete this beautiful stitch~ It began as my Christmas night start and continued on until this morning... Where my Heart Blooms is an older design by Blackbird Designs that has been pulling at me for sometime..... My heart blooms in my passion for stitching and finishing... in my cherished friendships and loving family.... in my love for teaching young minds to learn, love and respect....  What things make your heart bloom???? Please take a look......  

The subtle overdye threads in the house make it look white-washed and weathered... perfect....

Vintage Pecan Butter 32 count Lakeside linen 

along with the specified overdye cottons~ 2 threads over 2

... a scant amount of over one stitching.... many Eyelet ad Rice speciality stitches... I love them!

 

.... and, by the way... this IS MY year to bloom...... 

 

I love this nice stitch....It will be framed and on display at my vendor table at the Primitive Stitchers Retreat upcoming 

in May in Columbus,  Ohio..... 

I've been sharing with some of my stitching pals how this is going to be my year of stitching Quaker designs... I've always had a true love of all things Quaker and after much hoarding, pondering and now stash diving... this is the year! So, look for more stitching from me in the way of Quaker/Ackworth School influenced stitching... I actually have one in my hoops now that was started in 2016 and might be my first Quaker finish of 2017..... stay tuned because it uses my most favorite Victorian Mottoe Sampler Thread "Best Used Brick".... 

Until then, stay warm~happy~ & stitching!

Faye