Conversion Charts and Freebies

I have pulled together a number of conversion charts for everything from DMC to Anchor to Weeks to Valdani to silks and more. There are even charts converting DMC to Mill Hill and Delica beads! They are all either PDF or Word documents. I posted them on my EGA chapter's website. Just scroll down a little on the page and download the files you would like to use.

I know Flag Day has passed us by but Independence Day is coming up and wouldn't it be fun to stitch something a little patriotic? I have that huge flag I started in May. That will take me awhile to finish, but these patriotic Quaker style hearts are fun and quick to stitch.

I am still working on the model. I am very close to being finished with it and think I should be done by the end of this weekend!

While doing Grandma Day Care two weeks ago I dropped, and broke, my camera. I now have a new one and will hopefully post photos of a few things for you next time.

Sweetheart Pin Cushions

Recently the Textile Center Library had a display of something I had never heard of before: sweetheart pin cushions and sweetheart pillows. Apparently these are items that soldiers during the world wars would make for their wives, sweethearts and mothers.

Many of these pin cushions were purchased as kits and often made by convalescing soldiers. They are quite a bit larger than what I think of as being a pin cushion but I wonder if the term comes from being a cushion that has pins in it and not from the sewing accessory. That's just a guess on my part!

The sweetheart pillows are something a little different. These were printed pieces of fabric that were used to cover pillow forms. You can see one on the bottom shelf of the last photo. There is a book on the subject, Sweetheart and Mother Pillows, if you are interested in learning more. Information on the sweetheart pin cushion is more difficult to find, but here is one link with a small bit to read. I also suggest going to the Imperial War Museum website to see more photos. Do a search for Sweetheart Heart Pin Cushions and then scroll down on the Results page and click on Collections.

You can also find them for sale on various auction sites, like Ebay.

Still stitching...

It seems like I’m always saying how busy I am! Well, I usually have lots of things going on but I like it that way. I find I don’t get nearly as much accomplished when my days are unscheduled.

This last weekend we had our guild retreat at Camp Wapo in Amery, Wisconsin. If you are anywhere near the area and in need of a retreat spot, this is a great place. You provide your own linens and towels, but they do the cooking. Our building had 12 rooms, each with its own bathroom and shower. We bring treats to share and then have the coffee pot going most of the weekend. The location is idyllic- right on a lake with lots of lovely trees.

We had a great time stitching, chatting and laughing. Here’s a photo of one of the little “surprises” I gave to the retreaters. They are ort boxes and are very easy to assemble. Click here for the directions I used.

I worked on my Mary Wigham. She had been feeling quite ignored lately. I stitched about two and a half motifs and then moved on to work a little more on the grassy area of Whale Hunting. You can’t really see much progress from my last photos so I’ll wait to post a photo update.

I also started a piece designed by ByGone Stitches called One Nation. I must say that I walked right past it at the shop but then saw it framed and it was gorgeous! I walked back to the other side of the store and picked up the chart. It doesn’t look like much yet, but you can get a sense of the size. Sadly, on the day I left for the retreat, I learned that Gail Reinhardt, ByGone Stitches designer, had passed away less than two weeks after her cancer diagnosis. 

I also continued working on my first pair of socks. I knit when my eyes will no longer focus on the evenweaves. I should be finished with the second sock by the next post so will update you then with a photo.

The last couple of days have been spent working on the model I am stitching. I am still really liking the colors and it is turning out very nice, if I do say so myself!

One last thing before I go…By the Bay is starting a fun summertime project. The “prep” is posted now and then each Friday in June there will be a posting of ¼ of the chart. It is a 4 x 6 design so isn’t an overwhelming size. 

OK, one more thing! Don't know how many of you use Pinterest but today I ran across this museum posting that has a lot of wonderful samplers to drool over. Even if you don't have a Pinterest account you should be able to see them.

Several updates...

This has been a busy week but I have managed to work on a few projects.

One of my current projects is a fun little item I am making for a “giveaway” at our upcoming stitching retreat. I’ll share photos and a link to the instructions after my return from retreat in two weeks.

Right now I’ll share with you a link for a great way to finish up some of those small projects that I found on the Little House blog. (Should the link stop working, just search her blog for the May 2, 2012 post.) It’s a nice way to finish off those smaller projects and doesn’t involve yet another frame! While you’re on her blog be sure to check out her designs.

Saturday was our local EGA chapter’s luncheon. We had a wonderful guest speaker, Susan Stein, who inspired us with her many ideas for manipulating fabric. She is a former quilt shop owner and a published author. Her projects have a very contemporary look to them. I enjoy looking at them but they are a little outside of my usual stitching box!

By the time I arrived back at home it was 3:30 in the afternoon and my husband wanted me to go with him to buy new slacks. So off we went and by the time we returned home it was after 7 PM.  I did a few things around the house and then decided to work on the model I am stitching. One lesson I learned this week is that you really shouldn’t try to work on a counted project when you’ve had a full day, no matter how good an idea it seems at the time! I spent an hour working on it and was at the point where I was turning a corner when I realized I wasn’t at the corner. I had been carefully counting and checking the graph only to discover I had been working one motif to the left of where I was on the chart! Sooooo, out those stitches came. Sunday was also a very full day so I wisely did not pick it up and instead worked on it again yesterday when I was fresh. And yes, I made the corner with no problems this time.

It is a grey and rainy day today so I am preparing my little nest and getting ready for more stitching!

On the Road Again!

Well, I have managed to get in three posts this month! I wasn’t sure I could. 

I just returned from a weekend at the Heartland Region Mini-Seminar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There were no classes at this one so we had a slightly smaller group than usual, but it is always fun to get together, stitch and laugh!

Four of us drove down from the Twin Cities to attend and on the way we stopped in Waverly, Iowa at Fiberworks. This is a fun little shop with just about every type of stitching you can imagine plus quilt fabric. The women in the shop were very nice and helpful. Their offerings are eclectic and if you happen to be in that area of Iowa it is a very short drive off the main road to downtown Waverly. Check the website before you go for their current hours.

I have been eager to try stitching on 40 count gauze and picked up a kit from The Crossed Wing Collection. They had several bird options so it was hard to choose. The kit includes just about everything you need except for the final finishing materials.  I also picked up a pattern by Blackbird Designs called Christmas Garden along with a few other odds and ends like new tapestry petites, which I like to stitch with better than the full size needles.

After our arrival in Cedar Rapids two of us had a meeting to attend. It was a quick one so we had time to go to the Village Needlework Shop in nearby Marion before dinner. This shop also had a variety of needlework items, everything from yarn, knitting and crochet supplies, needlepoint, cross stitch and all of the fabric and floss you might want or need. They had an interesting way of displaying their fabric. Instead of folding up their yardage on a shelf, they hung it up on hangers, much like you would see in a clothing store. They would then cut to size whatever you needed. Each of the four of us made a purchase and helped the local economy!

I did not go home with an Opportunity Basket this time around, but I did win a silent auction item. It's an old Winterthur kit for a sewing roll. The copyright on the box says 1989 so I imagine you can no longer purchase it directly from them.

You are probably wondering if I did any stitching at this weekend event! I did manage to finish one of my Mary Wigham motifs. But now I am home again and back to working on the model I am stitching.

Mid April Update

I can’t believe it has been over two weeks since my last post! I’ve been busy with a lot of things that have taken me away from my stitching, but I can update you on the little bits of progress I have made.

I did manage to felt my knitted tote bag and handles, although I have yet to sew the two to each other. This will likely be my last felting project as I have a washer with no agitator. It’s a top loader, which I was told could easily be used to felt, but I found this to not be quite true. After an hour of trying to felt the thing I finally decided it was as felted as it would be. Plus, it made a huge mess in my washer! Ugh!

I worked some on the grass area of my Whale Hunting piece. This is done with one strand in a tent stitch using overdyes. The designer suggested stitching in a random pattern and not in straight rows to help give it a nice grass-like look.

I am still liking the lap frame I showed you last time, although I am finding that sometimes the Q-Snap slips and I have to remove it from the frame and get it set up again. But in the grand scheme I like stitching with it more than stitching without it.

About a week ago I received a package from a designer that contained the fabric and silks for stitching a model for one of her new designs. I’m so excited to be able to do this for her! The fabric is a 40 count and the silk colors are wonderful, in spite of their names: Collard Greens and Lasagne!!

I’ll show you a photo of the silks and fabric, but no photos of the piece because it isn’t published yet! Once it has been published and presented at Market I’ll give you the links for where you can purchase it. 

 

 

I haven’t been able to stitch on “her” for the last few days because I’ve been busy with the annual Textile Center garage sale. This is a crazy annual event with everything textile related you can imagine for sale. I did enhance my personal stash with books, patterns and a couple of new projects. The sale is now over and today is a gray, chilly, damp day. Just perfect for a cup of tea with a side of Lasagne and Collard Greens!

Updates and Freebies

This last week I was happily doing Grandma Day Care for my 3 year old and 8 month old grandchildren, so stitching took a back seat!

The next stage of my knitted tote bag was completed and was felted. Now it is drying. I stuffed it with rolled up towels to help it keep its shape. Once dry I will secure the knitted handles and be ready to use it.

While taking care of the grandchildren, I also worked on a small dishcloth. My little pumpkin pie wanted to help so I taught her how to do the basic knit stitch, with a lot of help from Grandma!

Now on to the freebies!

First up is a nice selection from Nordic Needle. They have a section on their website called Save the Stitches which has blogs, stitch aids and useful information. The best part though is the freebie page! I love that the web address includes the word swag! These are mainly hardanger but there are also a few cross stitch and a variety of other needlework techniques. If you like fun pieces be sure to check out the hardanger designs that are a Santa face and a cupcake.

Next on the list is Victoria Sampler. I posted once before on this site but referenced the page that had some great stitching videos. Most of free designs feature a combination of hardanger, cross stitch and specialty stitches. You will find charts for biscournu, ornaments, name tags, needle rolls and other fun things. While on the site you might want to check out the free Cyberclass.

Last, but certainly not least, is a great site if you like samplers or primitives. These are presented by Liberty Needle. Go to this link and you will see a photo that says, “My Album.” Click on this and you will come to the page that has free charts. Most of the charts are accompanied by a color chart and a black and white chart of the design along with a thread guide. That means you have the choice in most cases whether you would like to stitch from black/white or color.

You’ve probably read a lot about copyright and pirating on the various blogs and forums lately. This is just a gentle reminder that these designers ask that you not sell or kit these free designs.