Return to Blogging/ Stitching Update

Well, I feel much better and have the energy to take up this blog again.

While I was recuperating, I worked on Boo Jack:

and finished the two squares for a biscornu:

 (Pattern from The Floss Box)

and I bought some stash fabric:

and I purchased some kits to stitch for Christmas presents:

including this gorgeous peacock, which I hope to finish for my daughter's Xmas present:

and I started AND finished one of the small kits this past weekend:

It came out great! The only way that these can be displayed is with an easel stand. I plan to get clear stands for all of them. This one is for a birthday present for a friend. I highly recommend these for a quick gift. I got mine on sale from Joann.com and with the free shipping coupon that week, they were a fantastic buy.

andI made progress on my Dimensions Petite Gold Beautiful Bird kit:

I plan to do some work on this blog (add a counter, etc) and do my own free charts over into PDFs that can be easily accessed. I'm going to make a schedule of visiting a certain number of bookmarked blogs each day, that way I'll be able to keep up with all the latest news and stitching.

I see Becky SC is not blogging due to illness in the family, and I can sympathize, especially when cancer is involved.

Happy stitching everyone!

Latest Peacock Pinkeep

This is a pinkeep that I finished recently. The peacock in the chart is from Charted Peasant Designs from Saxon Transylvania, by Heinz Edgar Kiewe (Dover Publications). The chicks are from a charted design book by Anne Orr (Dover Pub.), and the borders are either from that same book, or were adapted by me from that book.

It is stitched with Carrie's "Epiphany" thread on Silkweaver "Solo" Lugana.

Peacock Pinkeep Finished

I couldn't find trim to exactly match the floss. This is my own design stitched on white Monaco fabric.

A Peacock WIP

 

This is a peacock from a Dover Publications book by Anne Orr. I don't know how I'm going to finish it. Sorry for the darkened photo.

We're going to give the old computer to a neighbor family that doesn't have one.  Their child is one of granddaughter's friends. My son said that Windows XP will be supported for some time. He will walk me through how to erase the hard drive before we give it to them. 

I plan to get them a surge protector/emergency back-up, as without it the whole system will down down fast. We get frequent power surges during storms. I also plan to buy them a printer. I checked out Wal-Mart online and there are definitely cheap multifunction models. We have plenty of wal-Marts around here so we'll probably be able to find something on sale in the store.

People who have do not realize how difficult it is to function without a computer and internet access. Granddaughter's school is no longer going to send home paper notices. It will be online (their website) or through email sign-up. You have to ask to have a paper copy sent home. Plus, the statewide exams that are given in May require all students to type in their composition portion of the exam. We're talking about elementary students who haven't been given typing lessons in school, yet.

 

Swirly Peacock Freebie

Peacock Swirl

 

Here is a free peacock chart that I designed. The beak should be a half cross stitch in the upper right corner.

Mine is stitched upon 28ct. white Monaco. I used DMC shaded purple floss. I don't have matching ribbon to finish it (as a pinkeep) yet. 

Thank you for reading the blog.

A Sparkling Peacock Pinkeep

This is a pinkeep stitched with a combination of DMC floss and a strand of sparkly blue thread. It is on hand-dyed Lugana. The design is from a Dover publication(I will post the title later).

A Purple Peacock Pinkeep

a freebie from the web page "magyar mintakendo"
28-ct. linen

Folk Art Peacocks

This is stitched on 28 ct. white Monaco fabric. The chart is from the book "Scandinavian Charted Designs from the Lindberg Press," published by Dover.

I've completed a lot of stitching in the last month, but not much finishing. I am sewing some things for a friend and must complete them. I will be posting more pictures of my recent cross stitch.