A Gentleman's Samplings

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...

Sorry for the long delay between posts.  Seems that life (and health) always gets in the way of good intentions. I would like to thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers over the past couple of months.  I am truly blessed to have so many supportive firends and family. The results of the the bronchoscopy that I had in August were inconclusive. So I meet with a cardio and thoracic surgeon who removed some lyumph nodes from my chest region. Those results came back as negative for cancer. So with those results back we could get started with the chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer.  I had my first chemotherapy treatment on 2 October and so far so good.  I have only experienced a little bit of nausea and some lightheadiness.  But that was only the first treatment - so 1 down and 11 to go.  I have a treatment every two weeks so I should be completed with treatments in about 6 months. ...

In honor of the 2012 Olympics, I decided a new start was in order.  So beginning with the Opening Ceremonies on Friday evening I started Christinia Cathcart c. 1831 by Samplar Workes (Page Dorsey).  This is a Scottish sampler that I have wanted to stitch for a long time. I started the sampler in the lower right hand corner because I wanted to start the forest and deer portion as soon as possible.  It is taking me a while to get that house completed even though it is only a roof and windows (the house itself is not filled in - only outlined). This is being worked on 40-ct Lakeside Magnolia using Hand Dyed Fibers silks converted from the recommended DMC colors. Really enjoying this but that strawberry border is going to take some time. I do not think I can finish it in the 17 days of the Olympics but at least I can say I have started it. Health Update I had a bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy performed on Thursday, 26 July to see if an enlarge...

I would like to thank all of you for your kind comments, thoughts and prayers regarding my health issue. A brief update is provided at the end of the post. In my last post I had not yet decided whether to start something new or to finish something in my WIP pile.   It has been very hot here in North Texas so doing a couple of holiday pieces seemed to be in order. Jane Pattison 1806 by Shakespeare's Peddler I have had this chart in my stash since it first became available.   This piece really looks very looks and feels like a Christmas sampler with the border of green garland and candles.   I stitched this on 40-ct Lakeside linen using the recommended Gentle Arts Sampler Threads instead of the recommended wool threads. I did substitute the Harvest Basket with Gold Leaf since the Harvest Basket was very close in color to Cidermill Brown and I wanted to add a little bit of gold to the piece like in the picture on the pattern. I also stitch two bands...

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...