Another band ...

Another band - just two and a half bands left to go!

The positioning of the colors are a bit different - also chose to work some areas in a pulled thread version of the four sided stitch just to add some texture 

Added a zig-zag line of stitches in the area marked with my stiletto...the space was bothering me a bit so I decided to adapt the design a bit

On the shoulder front - the recurring pain cancelled all plans for the weekend and  I stayed home 'resting' with the hot water bottle and this sampler.  This pain was different to the frozen shoulder pain from before - it was probably caused by my falling/tripping over a chair while teaching my Japanese Embroidery class last weekend ... I had been successful in avoiding hitting the right shoulder, my forehead and any other areas as I fell backwards but the back of my shoulder had hit the chair anyway... this after an active week in the office had caused the area to be quite achy by the end of the week.  Well, resting had helped but then another treatment using Indian acupressure technique, this time on my foot, relaxed the area completely last night and things have remained 'comfortable' since.  Amazing results with simple techniques!  Thank you all for your emails and good wishes.
Appreciate your kind comments on my stitching too...

Completed band - lots of interesting variations

took some time to finish this band... a study of Montenegrin stitch...

completed as charted - finally

Continuing on .... "SH" sampler

Stitching into the night with more Montenegrin stitch variations to keep my mind off the shoulder issues.  Even though I optimistically reported that most of the pain is gone most of the time,  I am finding that after a lot of activity some of the pain returns and the spasm like pain intensifies at times.  The solution is to allow time for rest and a hot water bottle....and something to keep myself distracted with... that is how I spent some hours in the middle of the night... and also how I will be spending most of today...
here is last night's progress:

Last few bands left to go...

More on "SH" sampler...

Finished the band with the spot motifs - did not reproduce this band exactly because I wanted the motifs to stand out separately.  The original has areas where motifs bump into each other.  Some of the motifs are  quite pretty and I could easily see them worked into future projects. 

Spot motifs - band stitched with some changes

will add to the area after finishing the remaining bands

  

"SH" sampler - continued

It is hard for me to continue on with this sampler these days... it is an interesting one to stitch but at this point I am really missing working on my Japanese embroidery and working on some of my own designs.

Some good news to report on the frozen shoulder front - I am finally pretty much pain free thanks to Indian acupressure techniques.  It was such a 'simple'  treatment (SIX 15 to 30 sec. applications of pressure)administered periodically over an afternoon and I have been pain free for the most part since!  Amazing stuff... my range of motion is now slowly but surely getting better as I work through the exercises... if I exert myself too much (nonstop activity for about 6-8hours) then I do still have pain and need to rest the arm for a few hours/day.  Being pain free for most of the day/most movements is such a relief after the constant, 9+ level of pain since April, the range of motion is still restricted but getting better... so I am slowly resuming all my activities and picking up all the things that were 'dropped' so suddenly. 
 
The good thing about this sampler is that I do not have too much more to go on this project and hope to just get it done before it disappears for years into the UFO drawer again.  It is a good sampler with a fair amount of complexity.  If you ever wanted to figure out the Montenegrin stitch in all of it's variations this sampler is a really good way.

The sampler has a band of upside down animals/critters and spot motifs... I took a break from some of the bands and started working on this area - made a spur of the moment decision to 'upright' this band and have it work with all the others...not sure if this was wise but at this point it will remain this way on 'my' version.  So here is the progress report on this sampler so far:

SH Sampler - 2nd to the last band

SH Sampler - last band stitched not upside down as charted

Have a good weekend!

"SH" sampler - continued slow progress

Been a bit erratic lately and not stitching as much as I would have liked.
So only some progress to report... lots of Montenegrin stitches going in various directions and setting up the next band. 
My plan is to get a fair amount of this sampler done in this upcoming week - let's see how things go.
Here is where I am with this at them moment:

Establishing bands and Montenegrin stitches

Blackwork - Holbein - reversible

"SH" sampler and a new idea & practice project

Well, I did not make as much progress as I would have liked thanks to my erratic shoulder issues.
So, I do not have much to show....
however, I've had ample 'thinking' time though and it seems that I am coming closer and closer to making a decision regarding some of my activities.  It is interesting to note that the very thing that attracted me to a certain project or study years ago ceases to challenge me after some years.  Not because the challenge disappeared but more because my heart wants to do something different, perhaps because my skills improved/got added to and suddenly the very thing that intrigued me about a program is the thing I find constraining and limiting.  I am slowly realizing fully and consciously admitting to myself something that my heart was already 'murmuring' to me years ago but I was not listening to that little voice then because I was still convinced that it is best to 'finish' something once started....lately,  I am not so very sure about this idea and long held belief anymore... perhaps it is time for me to explore my own path... some of my own designs and ideas ...  let's see where all this leads me ... I have already come to a decision on this but want to wait a bit before taking action - it is best not to decide 'major' things when in pain and in a 'weakened' mode.  Perhaps, once I feel better, I will continue to find a way to continue all my activities at my usual pace and intensity.
  
Anyway, this is a small amount of progress on "SH" :

"SH" sampler - resuming where I left off years ago

Some of you may have read my post in other arenas that I am desperately looking to find (and purchase) fine cotton threads (DMC or Anchor Special a broder No. 20 and finer) ... I have an idea for a project... and it would be nice to work the project in the older, more traditional threads.  I have received some leads that I will follow up on but if any of you know of a place or have some of these threads in your stash and are willing to part with them, I would be most grateful.  I was eager to start working on some of the ideas and started a small practice piece this evening...  exploring areas and some techniques... this is just a start...

Exploring and figuring out ....

 

Unearthing another UFO ... the beauty of Blackwork/ Holbein stitch

I was really hoping to start working on my Japanese Embroidery and tried to do so last night... stretching my right arm as required is not yet possible...have to figure out how to work around my frozen shoulder and deal with the pain on the weekend in the morning not at the end of a day.
One good thing about this frozen shoulder episode is that I am getting less sleep than normal - the pain usually wakes me up and then getting back to sleep is almost impossible.
This morning I retrieved another sampler from my UFO (Unfinished Object) sampler drawer.  It is one that I had enjoyed working on sometime between 1998-2000 (will check my paperwork later)  but then had put aside for some reason or the other.
 So, here is where I had left off on my next sampler - it is "SH" 1683 reproduced by Margriet Hogue of The Essamplaire.  This is about one third of the sampler and this part is mostly Holbein stitch or running stitches usually called Blackwork.  I had stitched all the bands reversibly... figuring out the pathways to be able to do this is what I really find intriguing in this technique.   

Re-discovering 

Close up of "Back" of the band to date....

Close - up of the front of the last worked band

Completed Fleur-de-Lys Sampler

I was able to complete the sampler today.  It had languished in my UFO sampler drawer for so many years and I am happy that I chose to finish it this time - it has a lot of interesting techniques.
So, here are the details on the materials  :
Chart : Fleur-de-Lys Band Sampler
            designed by Page Dorsey of The Samplar Workes
Linen : 40ct. Lambswool linen by Zweigart
Threads : Various Au Ver a Soie silks (Soie d'Alger, Soie Gobelin. Soie 100/3) and DMC Cordonnet  #100 in white + Mill Hill Beads

Last band completed

Here is the band completed - interesting to note how much interest can be generated  with simple stitches and pattern.

Last band is now complete

Another band started ...

Slow progress but progress just the same...
last band of the sampler that needs to be stitched and after this I just have to cut the areas and finish the band above this.
Here is the progress on the needle-weaving and dove's eye band combination:   

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler - forging on - shoulder pain or not!

Have a good weekend!

Completed Band

Finished up the needlewoven / dove's eye band so there is just one more band to go and then this sampler will be finished.  Here are two pictures showing the last band of this sampler:

A really fun sampler! Nupur 2014

Closeup - Nupur 2014

Continuing on... Fleur de Lys Sampler

Sunday's progress :

Finishing the buttonhole bars in the thin band

Fleur-de-Lys continued - Nupur 2014

Started on the bottom band with 'needleweaving' with Dove's eyes

Fleur-de-Lys sampler - Buttonhole band completed

It took a lot of time to complete this band but I enjoyed playing with the dimensional quality of the buttonhole stitch - have a new appreciation for the sculptural aspects of this stitch.  A lot of new ideas of what could be done with this basic stitch.

I just wanted to point out also that I am not necessarily following my 'usual' sequence of working this type of band.  Normally I work things differently but at the moment I am using this sampler as a form of therapy.  I am able to do some of the things because I am controlling the tension of the background fabric and do not plan to move the fabric until I am done with this sampler. If using a hoop or scroll rods or anything other than a slate frame I would not have been able to complete this band right now.  I normally do not cut and remove threads way ahead of time like I have done here - this was an exercise to see if I could do this type of work for a few hours to gauge what  type of procedures I could do at work.
So, please ignore my sequencing of things here and stick to the usual sequencing if doing such needlework : work all the surface stitches first (satin, buttonhole etc.), then work the cut work area one area at a time (to reduce distortion), then do any of the raised work or attach beads last after all the bands have been completed.
  
My shoulder continues to give me problems but I am determined to get past it - it is now 'fully frozen' and every movement causes exquisite, high intensity pain - no more nuances or avoidance of certain movements...good news is that the orthopedic surgeon says that typically this phase lasts for a week or two which is a blessing since none of the pain medications help me at all...  A number of you emailed me to ask how I am working, doing needlework etc.; I am paying attention to what I am doing but I cannot really come up with clear cut answers for you.  It is a challenge - each movement, each moment... pain is there if you are doing something or not so all I can say is that it is a matter of mind over matter... keeping my mind focused and keeping a positive outlook that this is a temporary condition and will improve in time is the most effective way.  I am learning that I have to pace myself, take frequent breaks, vary the intensity of my movements and also accept that sometimes I cannot do all the things I planned to do.  It is definitely affecting my work - I am not doing some of the things and delegating things - fine motor control is something absolutely essential in my daily activities and there are days when I have had to cancel all activities and just 'sit'.   I have a new respect for so many people I know who are dealing with 'chronic' pain. I am also learning more about the connection between mind and body - amazing how positive emotions can keep the physical state in perspective.  The flexibility exercises are most useful and more definitive than any of the other 'esoteric' things so far for me - the role of estrogen, certain foods etc. I found are not really helping me as much as I had hoped...the exercises are.

So anyway, here is the band completed:

 

Two bands of needleweaving left on this sampler... 

Have a great weekend!

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler ... continued

I have not stitched on this piece at all since my last post but continued working on this today.  The band between the two needle-woven bands is a lot of fun to do but quite laborious and intense.
Lots of variations on buttonhole bars, faggot stitches and satin stitches create interest and texture.
Here are pictures of the area I worked on today:

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler - some more progress 

Buttonhole bar variations 

Fleur-de-Lys sampler - update

The last few days I have been working on the Fleur-de-Lys sampler a few minutes/hours at a time... things are going slower than usual, but I am glad I picked this sampler back up again.  I enjoy the variety of stitches - it is a lot of fun.
So I have made progress - slow but steady... have placed all the bands, finished stitching the top most band,still have to finish all  the cut-work, withdrawn the threads and set up the initial grids for the needle-weaving bands. 
Here are some of the pictures of my progress...

Established bands and then started withdrawing threads and stabilizing the area

Stabilized bottom band - ready for needle-weaving

Top band in this area - still have to finish the cut-work and center area
- lots of fiddly, careful cutting required which is a bit of a challenge with the shoulder issue  

All the bands established and the way the sampler is right now...

Most interesting to note how a frozen shoulder affects your stitching tension...
usually I do not have to pay much attention to this anymore - it was almost second nature to pull the threads evenly each time irrelevant of technique or thread type. These days I had to pay constant attention to this and sometimes without warning my shoulder would 'take over' and things got pulled too hard... the result was breaking some of the linen fabric threads (40ct. so quite thin) ... so I got more 'experience' in repairing those areas ... more physical therapy never hurts. 

It feels good to be able to do 'something' even if it means working through the pain...
This is a beautiful sampler of interesting bands and I am glad I rescued it from the UFO drawer.   

Focusing on ... UFOs

Want to really stitch but am not sure if I should tackle 'complicated' things yet... so, I decided to look into my UFO sampler drawers (UFO = Unfinished Object) and retrieved the following multi stitch band sampler that I remember enjoying stitching years ago.  For some reason it got set aside and I've decided to get this finished up now.  It is a sampler by Page Dorsey from The Samplar Workes and she had graciously given me permission earlier this year to blog about it.

So, this is the stage I left this sampler years ago :  

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler by The Samplar Workes
The Song of my Needle

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler by The Samplar Workes
The Song of my Needle

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler by The Samplar Workes
The Song of my Needle

Fleur-de-Lys Sampler by The Samplar Workes
The Song of my Needle

I hope to continue with this and complete it now...

Thanks to all of you for the kind words about my monogram attempt.... also for the good wishes for my shoulder.... mind over matter ...  hope to post my progress shortly!

Man plans - God laughs.... or just moving with the flow...

Well, just re-read my last post ... we were in Ireland a few years ago and I just realized that perhaps Yeats made up a poetic place and called it 'Innisfree' because I remember seeing the islands of Innisheer and Innismore, not Innisfree... will have  to research this a bit more...but the poem is still one of my favorites - the idea of finding and carrying a quiet place all our own within us at all times is something I try to be aware of.

I had made all sorts of plans and was actually well on my way of finishing up one of the submissions that as always has become larger than it needed to be to fulfill the MC requirements... but that was also okay because it would be a nice thing to have in the home.  Just as things seemed to be going well I noticed some pain in my right shoulder at the beginning of May... ignored it for a while until the pain got worse and stopped me from doing anything - at work or at home...final diagnosis was a 'frozen shoulder' or 'adhesive capsulitis'.  Well, all plans came to an abrupt halt, and I am now keenly aware that I have to fully focus on exercise, flexibility, and movement also - seems to be a big issue as I get older.   Being Indian it is somewhat ironic that my body is telling me to do Yoga - something that a lot of family members always did and do ;)  Things are improving and I have regained some range of motion... keeping occupied by visiting places and putting mind over matter has helped; watching Wimbledon and World cup events have kept me distracted from focusing on the pain too much.

Just recently Mary Corbet posted more alphabets on her blog and I noted that she also seemed to be struggling with all of the great plans we make and envision...blogging does take up time and I always marveled at how some people blog so regularly. So during the Men's Wimbledon finals I printed out my initial... picked up the simple cotton cloth I was using to cover my current project (a 99cent handkerchief), pulled out a skein of DMC cotton floss and transferred the design without much thinking and measuring onto the fabric... mind you all this 'arbitrary' but determined activity is not at all like me!!  I usually pull out all possible threads and fabrics, all possible books on a topic, look at stitches and possibilities, study and think and then 'act'... but I was tired of not being able to stitch, tired of not being able to put my mind beyond the pain, and  also tired of all the fanciful monograms and whitework ideas that have been on my 'someday list of areas to explore more'. I also used a hoop because it was a matter of conserving energy - tried out both my hoop with clamp as well as my sit on hoop assembly after a very long time and realized that they are not bad at all for such projects!

So here are the results of this very spontaneous project  -  I now have a 'fancier' cover cloth... but most of all I was able to stitch!

My Interpretation of my Initial - Alphabet posted on needlenthread.com

Closeup - My Initial - Alphabet posted on needlenthread.com

 
Everything took a bit longer (two afternoons), had to take a lot of breaks, had to make the thread shorter in the beginning but I kept making it a bit longer as another form of exercise.. pushing myself just beyond the point of pain to 'unfreeze' this darn shoulder...

What I did on this was mostly by memory about whitework monogram techniques - I used almost one full skein of DMC white (B5200) thread; decided I wanted some padding... memory told me that usually padding in monograms was traditionally done with running stitches (staggered/bricked lines of running stitch)within the letter... so that is what I did - I used 3 strands of floss, outlined and filled the space.  Then I used 2 strands of floss in a diagonal satin stitch to stitch the letter, vertical and horizontal satin for the flowers and then stitched  the stems in a split stitch for the stems and then covered them with what they call a trailing stitch - basically a stitch like a JE/metal couching stitch but placed closely together covering the split stitch  outline.  I could have used a chain stitch or stem stitch - initially tried just the stem stitch but it was not too distinct, so then decided to just do a split stitch and trailing stitch.
 There are a few things I would have done differently by using various patterns and texture, adding other techniques, using a thinner needle, different threads etc. etc. if my shoulder was 'normal'  but this was a good exercise to work different types of satin stitches and gain some insights .... and the result is that I now have a monogrammed cover cloth !  This cotton fabric like I said is just  a 99cent handkerchief!  So this project cost me about $1.50 but gave me the satisfaction of finally tackling a 'monogram'... instead of thinking of my more complicated design using expensive linen and a variety of threads and putting it in the 'some day' pile.
And even though the process was a bit painful, my needlework proved to me once more that I was able to now focus on things for some hours at a time  in a controlled and focused way and so gave me a gauge as to how to structure my day at work and at home... just a different way to pace myself for a short while until my shoulder get better... and it will because the exercises are already working.

So, this was an example of Carpe Diem - a spontaneous decision after reading Mary's post in the middle of an amazing Men's Tennis Final.  I sent a picture of it to Mary to hopefully cheer her up and let her know that her blogging activities are not going unnoticed ... having a lot of ideas and interests is much better in my opinion than having none at all !  Sometimes we all get carried away with 'fanciful' ideas but sometimes 'simple' stitching is just as effective, important and therapeutic!

..... I mentioned earlier that blogging takes up a lot of time... well, I just spent an inordinate amount of time uploading two pictures here... but for some reason today it is a challenge!...let's hope the pictures show up ...

.... well, I finally figured out the issue on posting (I think) - Internet Explorer 11 is apparently an 'unsupported' browser in the 'blogger' arena... so I am re-posting again using Firefox...wish me luck!

Early morning musings

I know that many of my family members and perhaps many of you all have often wondered why I spend hours 'messing about with needle and thread'  and why I love to learn more about embroidery, new techniques and art, history and architecture etc. etc.....Well, it is a bit like I always say to my niece and nephews  - there is a beautiful world 'out there' and it is a great adventure to discover even just a little bit about it.  Appreciating the manifestation of the human spirit in all the beautiful things it can create is a lifelong passion for me. 

I woke up early this morning and just happened upon this poem by Yeats after a long, long time. 

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core."

(William Butler Yeats)

 There is indeed such an island off the coast of Ireland near Galway - it is known for Aran knitted sweaters, for it's quaint cottages and windswept coves BUT if you read this poem again it is also a metaphor for finding this place, this haven within us - it is always there, always present - no matter what turbulences our lives are presently embroiled in .... it is up to us to consciously focus our minds to such a place, to seek out this haven that allows us a respite, a place to create and reconnect to the beauty that surrounds us; it is a sort of meditation - something that is highly recommended by many all over the world as you all know.  For me, when I embroider I find this place of quiet and reflection quite often...especially when working on a Japanese embroidery project - just working with filament silk has a soothing effect on me.  I hope this helps explain my 'nutty' addiction for all things needlework.  It is my deepest hope that my niece and nephews will also discover something that they can be passionately 'lost' in.  It is important to find a 'job' / career that you love but also just as important to nurture the creative spirit within all of us.  This 'spirit' is sometimes strongly evident in the artworks of some of the old masters - in written language, in art, sculpture, buildings etc... but always present in nature.

The past few days were an amazing mish mash of impressions for me... a flurry of activity, learning new techniques, appreciating the customs and food of a distant country and enjoying the company of my fellow students, and relishing the quiet moments in the early morning.

My teacher was absolutely incredible in many ways - she was excellent in the way she explained things but her mastery of the medium was immense... I was amazed and invigorated by just getting a glimpse of what can be achieved by 'just a needle and thread'.  I am looking forward to exploring yet another area of embroidery!

I also found out that many people were actually reading this blog and following my progress on the samplers that I was working on.... they just read it but had not become 'followers'. And here I had been wondering about how important the whole blogging scenario was and if my posts were even relevant in the whole scheme of things.  They all said that they learned a lot from my ramblings... so perhaps I will post things more often ...

At the moment, stitching samplers has again taken a backseat to some of the other things I am involved in - hardanger, realistic technique and Japanese embroidery are areas of my focus for now.  The hardanger piece is a submission again so I cannot post pictures before it is judged.  I have again received requests from the EGA to send 4 of my MasterCraftsman pieces to the National seminar to be displayed there... trouble is they are still languishing in the appropriate 'finished' drawers!  It is a great honor that they continue to request my pieces each year... one of these days perhaps. 

As you all know by now, my focus remains refinement of my technique so framing up, displaying my pieces etc. are less important than the 'journey'.

Hope you all have a great weekend ...  

  

     

Taking stock...

After the flurry of activity of getting the submissions out for judging I have been 'taking stock' so to speak of where I am on my list of personal needlework goals - it has been good to think about my journey while I was putting the threads and supplies that I had used for these submissions away.

A specific request from NicolaParkman in England and many requests from others who I had sent some pictures of some of my recent works and designs  has also had me thinking about a lot of things.  All good opportunities and possibilities.  Some of the time was also spent trying to figure out if and how much I wanted to blog about things, and in which direction I wanted to take this blog etc.

 Nicola's request about an 'interview' (not sure why me when there are so many amazing designers and stitchers on her blog?) and her request to send lots of pictures had me going through my 'finished' drawers this weekend and taking pictures of various unframed pieces as well as framed pieces at home and at work.
This proved to be a most interesting exercise...  in the past years I have been so busy on all fronts that I usually went from one project to the next, switching gears rapidly because there was some deadline (actual or self imposed) to meet.... there is no 'problem' per se with that - I have always enjoyed all my stitching BUT the one thing I have not done too much is to step back and just 'look' at the projects that have been completed over the years. There are many, and each one has moved me to the next one...I enjoyed stitching them all and my learning has been cumulative - most of it, with the exception of Japanese Embroidery and Japanese Bead Embroidery - has been self taught.  As I 'studied' certain areas of needlework, I was most fortunate to find and learn good techniques from certain books and/or take 1 or 2 day classes from a handful of very talented people and I will always be indebted to them for writing great books and/or giving so freely of their knowledge.

It was interesting to 'look' at all the pieces this weekend - it is my 'stitching history' as my Master teacher Masa Tamura at the Japanese Embroidery Center likes to call it.  She used this term with me  many times and it was her way to try and teach me how to deal with the challenges of Japanese embroidery.  This term encompasses all of the trials & tribulations of learning Japanese embroidery where sometimes I was too keenly aware of the difficulty in trying to stitch something that even remotely resembles the stitched sample that the professional embroiderer has so skillfully provided.  In my case, I was told to just 'leave' something the way it was and move on to the next area... I was told to 'be kind' to myself and that 'Time Carries Skill' ...  well, it is interesting to note that when I 'looked' at all of my embroidery I did not always remember what specific point/stitch/technique I had toiled with - all I remember now, years later, is that there are certain pieces that propelled me to the next level very quickly while others were just pieces that 'honed' skills that had been learned before... one was not better than the other... but all of them were necessary...
Now, I sometimes tell my students to leave something alone when I see that they have tried to work out a stitch for awhile BUT truth be told I have not really been able to embrace this notion for my own stitching yet and suspect that I may never be able to.  I do not have an issue to 'keep at it' until I  finally arrive at  what I consider an 'acceptable' result; sometimes when I am not satisfied with an area on one of my own designs I have no problems with waiting, reading, learning and trying to see if I can come up with a 'decent solution'.  Well,  these last few weeks have taught me that this behavior is good  only to a point... one of my designs languished on the slate frame for two years until I decided at the end of March right after I had finished one submission that I just needed to get it off the frame 'now' and send it off for judging (even though I had a few more years for the 'final due date). I looked at all my sketches, photos, tried a few new ideas and then in the end stitched a simpler solution (thought of 2 years ago) and completed all the areas in about two hours, finished up the paperwork in another hour and my husband whisked the entire package off to the post office right away since he and the rest of the family had thought it was 'finished' years ago!  The submission was judged most favorably on April 2 and is already back and now has a new home in the  appropriate 'finished' drawer of course! And, this was a big lesson learned... the quest to do something better is good but sometimes it is better to leave it be, not think of complicated solutions and get things 'finished'. 

This past week has been a most productive one in some ways but not in actual stitching activity.  After the amazing flurry of activity in the last two weeks of March to get not just one but two submissions out for Spring judging, the past two weeks have been spent waiting for things to arrive... books to arrive at the library or by mail, threads to be delivered or materials to be searched for on the internet, etc.  During this 'lull' I have been thinking about which areas I want to explore, which areas I want to focus on more and also have decided that the stack of custom frames in the closet and the drawers of nicely put away projects is really not a good thing... I need to get things framed up and take the time to do this.... it is part of the process, just as good preparation, thinking and reading and good technique are ... so I will rectify this issue this summer once again and then keep things in drawers and have yearly scheduled framing up sessions instead of letting things languish for years.

During this 'waiting' time and still being influenced by my decision to get things done and not toil over a better solution, I have come up with two designs that will fulfill the requirements of two other submissions.... again ones that I have been thinking about for far too long!  One of the designs is a more refined version of a sketch I had made 2 years ago!  My goal is to focus my time in the next few weeks in getting both of these projects started and finished.

Going through everything in my drawers also made me go through the 'unfinished samplers' drawer.... I know that a lot of you have told me that you 'learn' a lot from my photographs and progress on my sampler.  I truly appreciate your sharing your sentiments.  I have decided that I will continue to work on samplers 'on the side' and will blog about them here.  However, I will not start or buy another Scarlet Letter sampler at this time - I will post on the progress of the samplers that I have started already many years ago and get them finished first and then go through my own collection of samplers first.  At the moment there are only two samplers "out there" that I would even consider buying because of their complexity and one that would be interesting to stich because of it's historical context.  Anyway, I contacted the designers of the reproduction samplers and they all have graciously given me their permission to blog about them.  I have to now really spend some time 'figuring' out how to clearly mark the photographs so that they get the credit for their work in this day and age where sometimes the source of a picture gets lost in all the 'pins' and blogs...  I am amazed at how generously and expediently they responded to my request. 

I will show pictures of the samplers I have chosen for the first group to be finished and outline some of the others in my next post. Thanks once again for your comments and emails of appreciation.
Enjoy 'your' Journey and take the time to 'take stock' if you haven't for awhile!