A Gentleman's Samplings

I put the final stitches in A Flamestitch Sampler by Scarlet Letter last night.  This one was a very fun stitch.  I really like how the bottom section turned out even if it does look a little bottom heavy. Worked on 40-ct Lakeside Pear using the recommended DMC Now to get back to work on AEDEGNES Sampler of 1746 also by Scarlet Letter. Happy Stitching....Robert

As promised in my previous post, here is a brief update on some other stitching progress. During April and the first part of May I worked on finishing up my Anniversaries of the Heart by Blackbird Designs. This has been a work in progress for a long time so I was glad to get it finished. Anniversaries of the Heart by Blackbird Designs Worked on 40-ct Lakeside Reindeer using Gentle Arts, Weeks Dye, and Crescent Colours Started in April 2010 and finished in May 2013 The hardest part was deciding on the personalized blocks for the family members that I want to include on the sampler.  They include by father-in-law, grandparents, great grandparents, my mother, father, wife, son and daughter. I inserted a saying that is special to me and my family in the the alphabet block at the top of the sampler.  "As for me and my house will serve the Lord" - Joshua 24:15 And changed the bottom of the November block by adding a bird from another Blackbird chart....

After finishing up Ruth bachelor, I needed something that was mostly just cross stitch so I picked up an older pattern that I had in my stash -- A Dutch Sampler from Treasures Magazine.  This was designed as a part of a sampler series by Sandy Orton.  I have completed the other three samplers in the series - An American Sampler, An English Sampler, and A Spanish Sampler - so this would complete the set. I really like the Dutch and German samplers.  They are full of different motifs and some wonderful alphabets. And the best part is most of them contain a ship which I am very fond of from my past sailor days. A Dutch Sampler by Sandy Orton Stitched on 40-ct Lakeside Navy Bean using DMC In my last post I stated that I was going to start/re-start IRS 1738. I had started this sampler a couple of years ago but did not like the way the colors looked on the linen that I had selected.  So I restarted it a couple of weeks ago and did not get very far before I go...

I have spent most of the last two weeks focusing on Ruth Bacheler 1717 as a part of Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year . Ruth Bacheler 1717 by Scarlet Letter Worked on 40-ct Lakeside Linen Pecan Butter using DMC Can you believe that there are 109 of those little pendants in the border?  I was glad to get those done so that I could move on to the large Irish stitch areas. I completed my 9th chemo treatment last week and only have 3 more to go.  My next one is scheduled for 11 March.  If I stay on the current schedule I should have my last treatment on 22 April. Thanks as always for your continued thoughts, words, support, and prayers. Happy stitching....

I finally finished Christinia Cathcart by Samplar Workes on Sunday.  As you recall this was my Olympic 2012 start.  I had planned on getting this done last year but other things (and projects) got in the way. Stitched on 40-ct Lakeside Magnolia using HDF As a part of Nicola's Scarlet Letter Yea r, I decided to do Ruth Bacheler 1717 . The colors in this are really bright and stand out on the fabric. The only thing that gave me a little trouble at first is the counted satin stitch over 3.  It is not graphed very well on the chart but after looking at some other stitcher's WIPS I finally figured it out.  The only change that I have made is the chain underneath the first row of the satin stitched alphabet - changed this from a satin stitch to a normal cross stitch. Stitched on 40-ct Lakeside Pecan Butter using DMC I only have four more chemo treatments to go.  I was suppose to have a treatment this week but due to my platelet count being rea...

I put the final stitches into Scarlet Letter's And All Was For an Appil last night to have my first finish of 2013.  I started this as a part of Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year . Worked on 36-count Lakeside Linen Attic Lace using DMC I am really enjoying participating in the Scarlet Latter Year but I also want to focus on getting some of my other starts completed this year. So for the first part of February I am going to focus on a couple of my WIPS and pick out another Scarlet Letter chart for the challenge. I have just completed my 8th chemotherapy treatment and have only 4 more to go (two thirds of the way done - YEAH!!!). They had to delay a couple of treatments due to a low platelet count so that has moved my final treatment towards the end of March. I am managing the treatments very with just some minor side effects.  Thanks again to everyone for your continued support, thoughts, words of encouragement and prayers.  They are greatly appreciated by me and ...

Let me start by wishing all you a very joyous New Year. Secondly I would like to thank you for all your kind comments, thoughts, words of encouragement, and prayers during the last several months as I fight colon cancer. I have reached the halfway point of the chemotherapy treatments (6 treatments down - 6 to go).  So far I have been handling them fairly well.  Mainly nauseousness but it last for only a couple of days after the treatment. As I have mentioned before the biggest part of the battle is mental but I have a great support group of family and friends that I can talk to to help me keep a positive attitude. I have not really got much stitching done over the last couple of months.  I did manage to finish 1798 Quaker Sampler by The Goode Huswife. Stitched on 40-ct Mystery Linen using the recommended NPI A couple of years ago a fellow member of my local guild stitched a project as a part of Advent.  She marked off her chart into 24 sections an...

Hello to all my fellow stitchers/bloggers and thank you for stopping by! I cannot believe that it has been over 2 months since my last post. Where does the time go? I have been away from the blogging world due to some unforeseen health issues. I have posted a brief summary and update at the end of this blog if you are interested. As stated in my last post, I lost a little bit of my mojo in the stitching realm. I could not focus on any of my projects. I decided to focus on the Mexican Schoolgirl Practice Sampler c1830 by Samplers Remembered . This one had some bright colors and different motifs which at least made me feel like I was making some progress. Worked on 40-ct Porcelain Lakeside Linen using DMC and the recommended Waterlilies. After this was completed I decided to start Sarah Elizabeth Brooke’s 1842 by The Scarlet House . This was a very fun stitch and kept me occupied during my recovery from surgery. I stitched the grassy area at the bottom of the sampler us...

A very Happy New Year to all of my friendly followers and fellow stitchers. It is hard to believe that another year has come to an end.  This past year seemed to go by way to fast. And at looking at the date of my last post it seems that once again I have not kept to my goal of at least updating my blog once a month.  I would really like to be like some of my fellow bloggers who post at least once a week. I think a gola this year will be to at least post once a month and gradually build into it.  It would be great if I could at least post a couple of snapshots of current WIPS without having to think of something to say. I had a total of twelve finishes in 2011 which I am really proud of since a few of them were fairly large samplers. The complete list can be found at the bootom of my blog under Completed 2011. I did manage to get two projects completed before the end of the year - B.B 1699 by The Essamplaire and Side By Side Band Samplers by The Scarlet Letter . ...

Once again I must thank all of you for your kind words and comments on my blog. I have meet some wonderful people in this venture who share the same passion for needlework. I was really surprised when I went to compose my blog post today and noticed that I have 199 followers. I will put something together for a little drawing so please stay posted. We finally have some decent weather in Texas (no +100F days since we had a cool front that moved into the area last night). Our high temperature for the day was only 81F and expected to get down into the low 60s overnight.  I could get use to this but we are expected to get back into the lower 90's by the end of the week.  But it is still try (no measureable rain received or expected) leaving us still in a severe drought situation. So we are still praying for rain. My goal was to finish Sampler's Rembered Mary Allen 1818 by Labor Day and I put the last stitches in on Saturday, September 3. ...

Hello to all my fellow stitchers, followers, and friends -- I cannot believe that it has been over a month since my last post. Seems that time has gotten away from me once again. My goal for April was to start and finish Frances Eden, Unfortunately, I was not able to reach that goal mainly due to business travel and enjoying the great weather that we have been having in North Texas. I have been spending a lot of my spare time working on out flower and herb gardens. I was hoping to get some raised vegetables beds in place this year but looks like that will have to wait until the fall. I was able to get a lot done though on Frances Eden 1809 from Handwork Samplers. 1809 Frances Eden by Handwork Worked on 40-ct Examplar Lakeside Linen using HDF silks I really like the colors in this one but do not like having to do the same motif twice in the same colors. I did get a little bit bored so to shake things up a little bit I picked back up Elizabeth Sheffield from Scarlet L...

As promised in my last blog entry, here is a picture of my finished  Jane Atkinson . Jane Atkinson by Scarlet Letter 40-ct Doeskin Lakeside Linen using DMC I really liked working on this one with all of the colors but the over one saying was a bugger to get completed on the 40-ct linen that was very tightly woven.  I also finished James Wilson (a reproduction by the Haslemere Educational Museum). This was a very quick and fun stich. James Wilson by Haslemere Educational Museum 40-ct Claypot Lakeside Linen using HDF silks A closeup of the top center motif. The leaves are done with a satin stitch as is the flower band underneath the tree. A closeup of the bottom right corner with James' signature block. I am still working my the counted canves piece (Oh My Stars by Needle Delights). I have not really worked on this one a lot since my last update. This is a really fun piece also but big. There will end up being 225 of those little 12x12 blocks in ...