Northern Needles

I should wait until it’s all ready to go but I can’ wait…I have to tell you a little bit about a project I’m undertaking right now.

I’m working at getting myself out there in the stitching world…yes, cover of the Chrismas issue of The Cross Stitcher was great but that was MONTHS AGO! LOL!

I met a lady that makes buttons! And she sells them in an LNS/ONS. Well, I’ve created a pattern and she’s making a special packet of buttons to go with it. I just finished picking out the colours (courtesy of Brenda at The Dye is Cast) and am ready to send off to be model stitched. It’s a special summer pattern so keep an eye on this space!

Your results:
You are An Expendable Character (Redshirt)

An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 100% Chekov 75% Deanna Troi 70% Uhura 60% Jean-Luc Picard 60% Geordi LaForge 60% Beverly Crusher 55% Data 46% Mr. Scott 45% Will Riker 45% Spock 37% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 35% James T. Kirk (Captain) 30% Worf 30% Mr. Sulu 10%

Since your accomplishments are seldom noticed, and you are rarely thought of, you are expendable. That doesn’t mean your job isn’t important but if you were in Star Trek you would be killed off in the first episode you appeared in.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

I have been challenged and I strive to face that challenge, without fear, with grit and determination and most of all hope…come with me on my journey and see if I shall stand tall in the face of this monumental task. I shall be worthy.

Yeah, yeah, whatever. A friend of mine stitched a pattern called Isabel Redie 1816. It’s a reproduction sampler by The Scarlett Letter. My friend stitched hers on 40 count linen with silks and walked away with a masterpiece. She’s even won ribbons! Isabel Redie stitched her original sampler on very fine tammy cloth (wool) using silk threads. Since the year was 1816 she probably didn’t win any ribbons.

I’m a wuss and 40 count is too small for me to see. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 6 y.o. and certainly do not enjoy clamping on magnifiers and such just to see. So I’m stitching on 32 count ivory linen. Of course this means the piece is HUGE!!! The design area on my cloth count will be approx. 20 ” x 26″…add extra for framing. Have I mentioned it’s huge? And for threads I’m using DMC.

The piece is a reproduction of a Scottish sampler from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. Several specialty stitches are used in conjunction with the cross stitches. Some over 1. Eeek.

So I’m going to use this blog to keep track of my progress. Unfortunately I forget the exact day I started, if I find out I’ll edit to put it in here. I worked on it one day for an hour and a half. I started in the top left corner on the green vine area, coming down about 3 inches down the left side and across to approx. the half way point.

Today, April 18th, I worked for 45 minutes on it. More on the green vine and some of the brown straight border just inside.

So 2 hours 15 minutes to date and it doesn’t feel like I’ve done much. My friend stitched hers in 200+ hours…I can’t remember the exact number… 250? 260? Over 200 that’s all I remember. I don’t know how she did it. I’m scared, someone hold me.

As I get digital photos of the piece I’ll update. Right now it doesn’t look like much so you’ll have to wait.

Stay tuned, all updates will be edited into this blog since I haven’t figured out how to make them all come under this one post to keep them together.

2 hours 15 mins.

Ta ta.
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If you do then I recommend visiting one of my favourite sites when I have an extra 20 minutes or more to sit back and browse and dream.

John and Felice are two wonderful people that have put together a very beautiful site called Cross Stitch Pattern Gallery. The simple explanation is that they take art and convert it to cross stitch. But that doesn’t even give you a glimpse into their work. I have two patterns in my stash of theirs and I love both. And I’m dreaming of my next one LOL! I’m working on my 3rd page of Keiki Rainbow Hula from the Sachi gallery. And I’ve started Native Princess II (who looks like me when I was a little native baby) from the Children’s Portrait Gallery. Next up? Blessings of course. That one is in the Dogan gallery. Or maybe the Red House.

The patterns are large and easy to read, you know the kind where you can practically see the image right on the chart? That’s it. My Keiki Rainbow Hula is a limited edition so it is packaged in a folder with an artist’ bio of Sachi and a certificate. Now how can you beat that?

I took my Rainbow girl with me on a weekend stitching retreat in the fall and everyone was wowed by the piece. If you take a step back, it looks like a painting. Incredible is the only way to describe it.

If you stop in for a visit, be sure to check out the Works in Progress and the Finishes pages. You’ll see the work of a special friend Bernadette in there who manages to finish a John & Felice pattern every other month it seems. She inspires me.

Enjoy your time there, you won’t regret it, although your entire stitching rotation might be thrown into an uproar!