Crewel Choices - finished!

I finished Crewel Choices, an EGA GCC by Judy Jeroy that I am doing through CyberStitchers. We were supposed to change the piece up, but I more or less stitched it like Judy did. I did change the filling in the blue flower and the color of the veins. But I liked the colors she stitched her piece in, so other than that I didn't make any changes.



Next on my list is to finish the Cherry Tree Cottage basket, then I have a new crewel GCC that I have agreed to pilot stitch. It is an embroidered bear worked in Australian wool embroidery. That will be a lot of fun! :o)

Rissa's Cherry Tree Cottage



I had a rare treat last week, Lisa dropped by one afternoon! I helped her wrap her hoops with ribbon, we watched a dachshund floor show, then we actually stitched for a little bit until my husband came home. All I got done was the windows and window boxes, but that was better than not stitching at all!

Lisa's Cherry Tree Cottage

Here is my Cherry Tree Cottage from the Barbara Jackson class in Memphis, along with the pretty little basket.


And here is a closeup of the progress I made in class.


I haven't worked on it here at home yet, because I am stitching madly on a crewel GCC that is due....ummmmm....Monday. :o) However, my goal is to have the basket finished by the time of National seminar so I can use it there.

cherry tree - no black horse

This past weekend was the Tennesse Valley Region's 28th Share-A-Stitch seminar. It was held in Memphis, TN, a pleasant 6-hour drive from where I live in southern Mississippi. I signed up for a(nother) crewel class with Barbara Jackson: Cherry Tree Cottage. Here's my progress for 12 hours in class:


Even though this was my third class with Barbara in crewel stitching and many of the stitches we did in previous classes, the repetition was helpful to continue to improve my technique. For a good portion of Saturday morning, I concentrated on the stem-stitched cherry tree trunk, making sure that it was nearly, if not totally, impossible to see where the lines of stitching begin as the trunk widens. Even in a close detail photo, the lines blend imperceptibly.


However, on close inspection, I believe I need one more row on the left side of the trunk to completely cover the line drawing. The ladybug on the far right is coming out to be restitched as I let the slippery silk thread get away from me. And here is a close-up of my not-black-horse:


I also took my time with the curving sections of satin stitch (like at the base of the trunk and house), which were also in the first class piece I took with Barbara last year at the national seminar in Chicago (Shepherd's Purse). I was able to keep the correct angle of these sections better than I did 10 months ago.
Unfortunately, this piece must also be set aside so I can complete my Phase I Japanese Bead Embroidery project prior to attending Phase II in July.






Lisa's Strawberry Trio


I finally finished my Strawberry Trio. This was a very enjoyable project, quick and easy.

More on Strawberry Trio

I am pleased to announce that I actually finished this project! The photo is clickable.




It was a wonderful class and a cute design. It worked up very quickly and I was able to work on it while watching television. I did make some minor changes, like adding more seeds on the strawberries, but it was only enough to make it my own. If I were to do it over, I would make a few changes, but that is SOP for me.

3rd in the trio

I'm almost ashamed to even post a photo of my Strawberry Trio, there is so little done on it compared to Lisa or Rissa . . .


However, in my defense . . . hmm. Well, I spent time at the beginning of class selecting cotton threads for a member with lanolin allergy; but I'm not so sure we didn't all start stitching at about the same time. I'm just pokey.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day, not only with Barbara -- we roomed together Friday night, after dinner at Up the Creek, and went to lunch on Saturday, too -- but once again spending the day with EGA friends. We are small chapter and even smaller active membership, but we have a good time stitching, sharing and learning.

As my cohorts in crewel have mentioned, the threads are lovely for stitching. Unlike them, I have less experience with other brands; In July when we attend Judy Jeroy's Master Crewel class, we'll be working I suppose with the Appleton and I'll have something with which to compare the Heathway.

But, before that, we'll all see Barbara again at the Tennesse Valley Region's Share-A-Stitch seminar in Memphis!