Ruffled Tier Skirt for Madeline...

Madeline's Ruffled Tier Skirt

It is made from five coordinating fat quarters. the seams are French seams that are then topstitched so it should be pretty durable. Elastic waist. She loves it! It's very long.

Each tier is a bit longer than the one before. I have a ruffler foot for my sewing machine so that made the ruffles very easy. I did a 6 on the higher layers with 2.5 sewing stitch length and the bottom ruffle is a 6 with a 1.5 sewing stitch length.

Ellen Chester's Quaker Hornbook...

"Quaker Hornbook"

I stitched this piece in April 2010.  Our ANG chapter will be stitching it for the June project so I stitch the class piece first so I can teach it if needed.  This linen is 36 count Permin and most of the design is stitched over two threads.  The alphabet is stitched over one threads.  I used overdyed six-strand cotton threads - "Tree Bark" from The Dye is Cast and "Cappucino" from Crescent Colors.  I made the twisted cording from some brown Impressions thread.  A fun, quick piece to stitch!

http://www.summerlouise.com/albums/stitching/designers/ellenchester.html

http://www.withmyneedle.com/

Birds of a Feather "Kindness Sampler"

"Kindness Sampler"

This is stitched on Permin linen.  I think it was 32 but if may be 28 count.  It is a beautiful ginger color.  The threads are mostly Weeks Dye Works hand dyed cotton threads but the dark brown is DMC cotton floss.  The design is 8" square and I think the frame is about 12" square.  I stitched this in April 2010.

http://www.summerlouise.com/albums/stitching/designers/boaf.html

Lime Kiln Trail

Hike: Lime Kiln Trail

Region: North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway

Agency: Snohomish County Parks

This low-elevation trail was a great first hike of the season for us. I took my three children, ages 9, 6 and 4, from the trailhead to the kiln and back. 

We got decent start at 10:30 a.m. and at our snail's pace we were back out at 2:30 p.m. The weather was cool and dry in the morning and heated up towards the afternoon. Definitely pants weather with multiple layers on top. 

The trail has some mud and a bit of standing water but it was fine. After the lake, past the log bridge, there was a single washout of the trail over a gully. There is a downed log that helps to grab as you cross it. I set each child on the mountain side and they crawled along it to get to the other side. They thought it was great fun and are good climbers. I saw a couple of older folks having trouble with it and I wouldn't want to cross it with a very young child that needed to be carried. It looks like someone tried to put a couple of boards in to walk on but those have washed out. 

The wildflowers were lovely and there were lots of beautiful peek-a-boo views along the way. We saw quite a few small white butterflies and heard lots of bees around the blooming blackberry bushes.

"Sail Away" by Tricia Wilson Nguyen

"Sail Away Needlebook"

This design is from the Summer 2005 Sampler and Antique Needlework magazine.  The threads are DMC floss and it is stitched on a perforated sewing card from Tokens and Trifles.  I mounted it on ultrasuede fabric and framed it in an antiqued white frame.

I stitched this in April 2010.

As I was looking around Tricia's website (so much new stuff in five years) I ran across this piece on her casket.  Beautiful but a little dear at $350 for the kit.  I think this ship was inspired from the one on the casket.

http://www.thistle-threads.com/shop/ltdmuseum/licm_casketneedlecase.html

Five Birds by Barrick Sampler

"Five Birds"

designed by Barrick Samplers

I stitched this little sampler in April 2010 for my friend Sharon.  The linen is Permin linen, 28 count.  The cream thread it Weeks Dye Works in Angel (angelhair?) and the blacks are Weeks Dye Works Coal and Charcoal. 

Rose Needlepoint Pillow

This needlepoint design is finished as a pillow.  

• Fabric-framed front
• Self-welted cording
• Chenille upholstery fabric
• Zippered back

Finished in April 2010.

Victoria Sampler Needleroll - November

This is the November needleroll from Victoria Sampler.  I started this sometime in 2009, stitched on it for a couple of hours, then forgot about it.  (oops)  I found it again yesterday and went ahead and finished it.  Very sweet!  I gave it to Victoria to put in her dresser.   More of my finished Victoria Sampler pieces are here.

Joni Stevenson "Poinsettia"

This design is from the ANG Chapter Project Book 2009-2010.  Our chapter will be stitching it in April.  Designed by Joni Stevenson.  It is stitched in silk floss and cotton pearl cotton with Kreinik metallic threads.  The congress cloth was painted with gold craft paint.  

I finished it as a circle ornament with a padded front and flat hard back with a twisted cording trim.

David McCaskill "By the Sea"

All finished!  Stitched from February-March 2010.

March Stitching Review

March Stitching Review

Finished in March:
David McCaskill - By The Sea Line Drawn canvas +threads (Started Feb 2010)
KS Designs - Washington Miniature Stocking Ornament (with whale doll) (Started Feb. 2010 as car project)

Here are the ones I have in progress:
Amanda Lawford - Royal Santa (huge)

La-D-Da - Eve cross-stitch

Needlepoint of Back Bay - Fruit Rug (Square 2 of 12) painted canvas with wool threads
Painted Canvas - unknown designer - Craftsman design (working on this as I buy the wool for the rug) (Started August 2009)
Summer Truswell own design - Sunshine & Shadow charted canvaswork
Summer Truswell own design - 1st house line-drawn canvas embroidery picture
Summer Truswell - purple gift box

I didn't buy any new projects this month so the "To be stitched" list is the same as last month.  
2010 Goals: Keep up with the MTP program. Finish Melissa Shirley egg works-in-progress. Make progress on all other works-in-progress. Finish Eve UFO.

February Goals: Finish Royal Wind.
March Goals: Finish both Melissa Shirley Easter egg work-in-progress canvases. Since I finished those in February, here are new goals:

March Goals: Progress on canvases: David McCaskill "By the Sea", Washington Whale Stocking. Catch up on finishing. Progress on Eve.

April Goals - I forgot about progressing on Eve, so I will do that this month.  Also, I have a small project that I need to stitch for my ANG chapter.  Other than that, we'll see.  I haven't been in the mood for stitching very much.