The Year of Stitching Dangerously

Well, seeing how 2016 is already 3 10 18 days old, it may be a bit late for me to wish everyone a Happy New Year.  Instead, here's wishing the new year is off to a good start for all, full of health, good fortune and stitching, of course.   It's probably also a bit late to do a "stitching year-in review", but while I was prettying up my photos for this post, I realized it is exactly the 100th update I've added since entering the blogging world  Surely a little indulgence is allowable?!.  So here's a nod to the biggest goal met in 2015 - the grand finale of Hannah Pepper.  So happy to finally not have "finish Hannah Pepper' on my list of stitching goals the new year!

 I'm officially declaring 2016 as "The year of Stitching Dangerously"  The thinking behind that is to stitch with more freedom to, change colors, threads, fabrics and motifs as often as possible to create something one of a kind and truly my own. Towards that end, I was lucky enough to get in on the first round of the Song of Solomon SAL now raging full steam on the Embroidery Motifs from Old Dutch Samplers Facebook group.  Unfortunately, I'm still waiting the arrival of my pecan butter linen and Pacific Blue Gloriana to get started with, so there's not much in the way of a picture to share yet.  Can't wait to get started though, so hopefully next post I'll have a little more to share.

Full disclosure, I probably need to acknowledge that the "Year of Stitching Dangerously" has also already had a fatality.  Here's evidence:

Let me explain.....just as planned, I' got our all my previously gathered supplies for a New Year's Day start on Shakespeare's Peddler's " Ragamuffin Quaker", a project I've been meaning to get underway ever since the silks for this beauty first turned up in my mail box. 

 Still in need of some linen, I impulsively boosted a piece I had kitted with another chart because I loved how the silks sat on the soft grayish color of it.  Beginning at the top border, I was thrilled with how well they were all working. Right up until the very point that I noticed the edge of the linen was coming up a lot faster than the end of the vine on the chart was.....Oh yes, it's generally a good idea to measure the linen before starting.  But on no, I didn't.  So now, I'm also waiting the delivery of a fat half yard of 36 count navy bean for a fresh start.  Lesson learned - just because it looks pretty doesn't mean it's going to work!

All this forced a retreat to the stash closet to find something simple and fun to bide my time with until the expected linens actually arrive.  This fit the bill, and it offered the chance to choose a skein from my collection of Olde Willow threads found while rummaging through the closet.

 
Here's progress on it as of last night.  I like it!  The upper left bird and the row of leaves he's over are off by a single thread, so they've got to come out and go back in I thread higher.  I know it may not be noticeable to anyone else, but I see it and it makes me crazy,  Seeing how I stitch to maintain my sanity  letting it go would defeat the whole purpose of the stitching to begin with, doesn't it?   Come on now, you know you get it.....

Just now I'm looking the color of those little celestial beings and thinking it reminds me of something else.  Oh yeah, it's more or less the same shades of blue and gray from the Finnegan's Fog used for Ann Grimshaw.  See it?
  

What can I say, I'm a creature of habit and I like what I like.  Apparently, it's dark blues on pale grayish linen..

Another goal for this stitching year - to send more finishing stuff to Faye!  Elizabeth Rhode made her way to North Carolina last week, where she'll get in line for Faye to turn her into something I'll love.  Poor Elizabeth has been languishing in my finished pile for years, so pretty but not quite large enough to be a priority for framing.

 I'll be sure to show her off in all her finished glory when she returns home!

There's been a little more progress on SL Scottish Band Sampler, but I think I'll save it for later. Wish I felt more excitement about moving into the eyelet panes, but some how I don't have the mojo just yet. 

Cold weather has finally come to central Florida, so the walking has been brisk in the mornings this week.  Jim's famous dried bean chili and a wool blanket to snuggle under tonight - I'm enjoying it all while it lasts!

Thanks for stopping by.