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Saturday, March 8, 2014

Done

Big news at last!!  After a mere 14 months of work, 5 skeins of silk, 4 needles 2 Super Bowls, the Winter Olympics and about a million hours of HGTV programming, Ann Grimshaw is.....


DONE!!!!!
 
The final stitches went in on her late Thursday night.
 
 
Mercifully, I made it through Ann's assignation with out too much trouble or angst.  Still though, there was a huge sigh of relief when that last tiny stitch went in.  My eyesight for itty-bitty letters just isn't what it used to be,
 
 
I did give myself a little bit of credit by adding my initials at the bottom left and the year on the bottom right.  That probably isn't the best protocol with a reproduction, but when all was said and done, it only seemed fair.  Hope Ann would agree with that.
 
 
Last night and this morning, I found myself in this sort of funky post-finish haze.   It really felt odd after so much work, to suddenly no longer have Ann to go to, no more rows and rows of alphabet letters in different sizes to keep turning out.... 
 
 
I gathered up my scroll rods, the dog-eared remains of the original pattern and the last little bit of the Finnegan's Fog and tucked them all back into their spots in the stitching closet.  It was like cleaning up after a parade....
 
 
But it didn't take long to move on.  Ann is now safely delivered to my framer's and will be back home in a few weeks. That feels great!
 
So what's up next?  Those of you who read my New Year's post know I swore to not start anything new until Ann, Francis Eden and Hannah Pepper are all wrapped up.  Well, 1 out of 3 is on the books now, so I suppose I should move briskly along to the ever-patient Frances Eden.  Ironically, Frances will be travelling with me to Tallahassee for a few nights this week, where I plan to restitch the exact same motifs I put in on her last year when I was there.  But I started thinking that if I want to remain active on the Scarlet Letter Years blog, I'd better have at least a little something from same-said SL in the works.  Which brings me to a choice...should it be Jane Atkinson, or the Knox Family Sampler?  Please advise!
 
Anyway, with Ann over and done with, I'm hoping to post on a more frequent basis. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me this past month while I labored away on Ann;s swan song  Let's just say that all's well that end's well!

22 comments:

krayolakris said...

Congratulations!! What a fabulous sampler! Beautiful work!

Krista said...

Fantastic finish, Mary!! It looks amazing in the variegated thread. I know exactly how you feel... I have been having withdrawals after finishing my SDW. Both SL choices are wonderful, looking forward to seeing which one you choose! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Catherine said...

Absolutely stunning!

Barb said...

Ann is absolutely magnificent! Can't wait to see your next choice!

Jenny said...

I just love your Ann, Mary! She is just lovely! I am anxious to see your next choice.....

Peggy Lee said...

Beautiful!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Absolutely beautiful! Congrats on your finish! Enjoy your trip to Tallahassee. I lived there for a while. Hoping those motifs you put in this trip don't have to be redone!

Margaret said...

Beautiful beautiful! Huge congratulations! As for your next SL project -- the two choices are very different. It's probably more what you are in the mood for. I loved stitching Jane, but I also love that Knox Family Sampler. :D I know that post finish feeling of being lost. Weird, right?

marly said...

Congratulations on a beautiful finish. I vote for Jane!

Melissa said...

Congratulations on the big finish! She's a beauty, that's for sure!

Von said...

Kudos on finishing an amazingly beautiful sampler!!

Faye said...

Oh-my-goodness!!! Mary, the finish is worth every single bit you put into the project~. It's beautiful..... And, I'd vote for Jane on my next SL.... Headed back to look at these beautiful pic again~~

Lanie said...

Congratulations Mary ... what an accomplishment! I love, love, love the Finnegan's Fog. And you absolutely should include your initials ... this is your work! ... I always try to include my name or initials with the original name.

Anonymous said...

I love, love this piece- what a beautiful job you did - your initials/year on piece? I agree 100% and so will others years down the road

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Congratulations, Mary! I know this has been a long time coming. I'm afraid I'd have had to do a victory lap around the room once that last stitch went in! LOL! As for your next SL choice, I'd say go with Jane and give yourself a break from all those alphabets...unless you like them. Either one will be stunning! Have a great week!

Anne said...

Wonderful finish Mary!! Big happy dance for you!! She is quite the sampler isn't she?! I love the stats you posted about her. I add my initials and date too but I think that's fine. Imagine a 100 years from now someone picks up our samplers and thinks it was older than it really is?! That's what I think about anyways. I'm glad you are going to stitch on Francis. Jane Atkinson is my choice. I've admired that sampler for a few years now. It's such a stunner.

Carol said...

Oh, I've been waiting for this post, Mary!! Such an amazing finish--I just love it!! Congratulations and I can't wait to see it all framed up :)

Brigitte said...

Wow! This finish is just stunning. You must feel absolutely great about having this beautiful finish. Congratulations!
Looking forward to seeing your next project.

Jeanne said...

Big congratulations are in order - what a beautiful finish on Ann Grimshaw!! I have always loved this sampler and the colors are so pretty on yours. Doesn't it feel fantastic when you finish up a big piece like this? You can be very proud of it and now on to the next sampler waiting!

Natasha said...

Congratulations!!! What a beautiful sampler. I can't wait to see what your framer does with her.

Lynn said...

Oh wow, this is a stunning finish!!
Congratulations and and Irish jig being it's St.Patrick's Day!

sheravery said...

What an beautiful sampler, and incredible job! Beyond lovely. I believe it was Marsha Parker who said you should ALWAYS sign and date your work. If she says so, it must be gospel. I'm sure Ann would agree/approve! Again, just a beautiful job!