A new friend.....

I love this world of blogging and cross stitch blogging... as I have made another lovely friend.


Please say hello to the gorgeous Anna (no blog) - who lives not far from me, so she emailed me out of the blue (such a lovely surprise) and suggested that we meet for coffee in nearby Ivanhoe.  Here she is holding the cross stitch mags which we just had to buy!

Needless to say we got on like a house on fire and plan to meet again soon.  Merry Christmas, Anna.  I enjoyed our visit together so much.  I know that we are going to be great friends.

hugs,

Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year - My choices

Now, many of you might have read about or already be a part of  Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year - a  Challenge SAL stitching Scarlet Letter samplers to help the lovely Nicola from Stitching by a Cornish Seashore celebrate a very special birthday next year.  (You can also see a link to the special blog on my sidebar)

The gorgeous Jo from Serendipitous Stitching has helped her set up the blog and the challenge.  Here is what they have to say:

ABOUT US

Nicola - Stitching By A Cornish Seashore

This challenge is to celebrate my "Red Letter Year", a special Birthday and a special challenge to you all to complete one or more samplers by The Scarlet Letter.

Jo - Serendipitous Stitching

Helping Nicola admin for this blog. Please email me if you'd like to join in the challenge. joanneperry179 (at) gmail (dot) com

Please read the Challenge Rules first!   

Rules, what rules?  Oh dear, I had better go back and read them!!!!!!   Phew!  It's all right - I just read them and they are very easy, straightforward and make sense!

So far, lots of stitchers have signed up!   Which means this is a great chance to meet lots of new friends.

CONTRIBUTORS

• Laurie in Iowa
• Nikki
• C Street Samplerworks
• Dot
• Kim
• Jennifer H
• Margaret
• Kielrain
• Chris
• Sarah
• Lizzy
• Jen
• Nicola
• Solstitches
• Deb
• BrendaS
• Ann at Beadlework.
• Lelia
• Ruth
• Donna
• Samplings from Spring Creek
• Teresa S.
• HollyXSing
• Ellen
• robindefender
• anniebeez
• Jo who can't think of a clever nickname
• Susan
• Brigitte
• lynda
• Vera
• Suzanne
• brod'attitude
• Jean P
• Natalia
• Christine
• Krista
• Laura - StitchinManiac
• EvalinaMaria
• Carmen Sutton
• Rhonda
• Ruth
• Terri Overton
• Joanne O'H
• Merilde
• Love to Stitch
• Di
• Mary
• samplerlover
• The Inspired Stitcher
• Marlene
• Babs in Alabama
• Terri
• Rebecca in TN
• Inguna
• Elizabeth
• Lisa M
• KB
• Erica
• Martha S
• Ms Divers
• Anne
• lisa
• Dona
• Carole W.
• woolwoman
• Kellie
• pam
• Ann
• Samplers, Silks and Linens
• Bristol Stitcher
• Kaisievic
• Louise
• Katrina
• Siobhán
• Brenda
• Needlewoman
• cucki
• Michele
• Sandra Ball
• Glenna
• Kathy
• Deanna Chavez
• Melissa
• Rowyn M
• Angie Burrett
• Unknown
• Cathy B
• Delfi
• Elaine
• Merry Wind Farm

.... and even some non-bloggers are joining in the fun!

ALSO STITCHING ALONGSIDE US

• Alex - Nicola posting
• Dawn - Nicola posting
• Donna of Needleworker not in Paradise - Nicola posting
• Faye G - Nicola Posting
• Faye of Carolina Stitcher - Nicola posting
• Gillie of British Lady by The Lake - Nicola posting
• Joann M - Jo posting
• Kate of Pounding Sand - Nicola Posting
• Leona - Nicola posting
• Mindi of Joie de Vivre - Nicola Posting
• MJ - Nicola posting
• Sharon G - Nicola posting
• Tatyana of Foxy's Toys - Nicola posting
• Tracy of Stitchinpeanut - Nicola posting

So, of course, being the inveterate starter of projects that I am - I have had to join in, too.  I had a lovely time checking out the gorgeous samplers on The Scarlet Letter website, wrote a long list of choices which you can read on this blog post here, but I finally narrowed it down to three choices which I have ordered - all with silk threads and fabric from The Scarlet Letter.  Here they are:

The Faerie Queene  - this is to feed my Tudor addiction! 

 Description from The Scarlet Letter website:

The verse around which we designed this sampler was written after 1596 by the English poet Edmund Spenser, as an introduction to his Cantos of Mutabilitie, and part of his most famous work The Faery Queene, written for Queen Elizabeth I. In these poems he personifies the powers of change and decay by the character of Mutability, whose pride, omnipotence, and omnipresence govern all mortall things beneath the Moone . . .

Proud change (not pleas'd,
in Mortall things,
beneath the Moone, to raigne)
Pretends, as well of Gods, as Men,
to be the Soveraine.

The lettering style comes from an early 17th century sampler. The figure of the Queen with her sword, ready to chop and change, was inspired by similar figures on 17th century samplers. The arcaded pansy border across the top is an amalgam of styles, spanning 17th century England to early 19th century Pennsylvania. Hungarian Point flamestitch across the bottom creates a dramatic sense of treetops in the light of the moon.

My second choice is a Pincushion Kit (I thought that it would be good to have a small project to work on, too)

The Scarlet Letter description:

Based on an English miniature of c. 1810, this pincushion kit can be personalized for a gift. The large building is probably a variation of Solomon's Temple - a popular architectural motif of the period. Small tokens such as this were often exchanged by schoolgirls.

.... and lastly, the wonderful Susan Singleton:

The Scarlet Letter description:

Designed after a mid-eighteenth century New Hampshire sampler, this piece is delightfully naive with its oversized animals, insects, and birds. Around 1760, the New-Hampshire Gazette began publishing advertisements for girls' schools, placed by female instructresses, emphasizing a curriculum of practical as well as decorative needlework. While this sampler is atypical of most of the recognizable schools of New Hampshire (i.e. the bird and basket designs of Canterbury, the dark green linsey-woolsey grounds on samplers of Dover, and the house and barn samplers of Portsmouth), it is significantly stylized to suggest that it was taught by a particular teacher, who could have been advertising for more pupils at that time. Stitches used in the sampler are cross, back, and satin. Stitched on 35 count linen, it will measure approximately 15" x 22-1/4", and is recommended for intermediate level needleworkers.

So, now I am just watching out for my friendly postman.

lots of stitchy hugs,


P.S. Just a reminder from Nicola - this SAL is still open - the more stitchers the merrier!

Some stitchy progress...and a lovely, unexpected gift!

Hi my darling stitchy friends,

I am back safe and sound from my work trip to Sydney - which went really well - my meetings were all successful - yay!  And I even managed to get some stitching (and shopping) done - double yay!  But without anymore ado - here is my stitching update:

Quaker Christmas II "Songs of the Season" Before:

Progress pic (sorry no time to iron) - really pleased with how this is shaping up - although Amanda is going great guns with this - much better than me.  Check out her progress and that of Evalina via the links on my sidebar, if you want to see how they are going.

Middle Earth Map (LOTR) - Before:

(Lack of) Progress pic - the Frog Prince has been having a sleepover and I just cannot get rid of him!!!!

Summer Garden Travelling Pattern Before:

Progress Pic (sorry, again no time to iron):

.....and lastly, I received the most gorgeous little mitten scissor fob as an unexpected gift from my darling friend, Cucki.  They are just perfect with my little scissors which I use for my train stitching (ie the stitching I do on the train on the way to work).

Just to give you an idea of the cute size of my scissors and the fob - I took a photo of them next to a pair of my normal-sized scissors.

Thank you dear Cucki, you are so sweet!

hugs to you all,