Violet's Blue by Blackbird Designs

Finally, finally a finish on this neglected WIP.  So glad it's done, now I don't have to feel guilty about it and especially since I have had my stash increased by an arrival of an OOP SL chart that I am super lucky to get - The Louise Earle Sampler. Enjoy the eye candy!

P.S. I am still working hard on my Anne Depauw Sampler will share photos next time.

Much love

Amanda

The Anne Depauw Sampler

Another Scarlet Letter piece I have started stitching The Anne Depauw Sampler, this one dated 1714. 

I have been a little obsessed with this sampler and probably won't work on anything else until she's done. Just love the pastel colours. It's all been stitching up fairly quickly til now, as you can see I am working an area with all over one stitching, the linen which was supplied with the kit is 35 count so the over one is taking a fair while, however never mind that's the way it is with stitching, sometimes fast sometimes slow, I am having fun and that's the main thing. 

I have another Scarlet Letter kit in the mail, hopefully arrive here soon, was an OOP design but Martha owner of The Scarlet Letter found some charts hiding in storage, lucky me, can't wait to show you, she's simple yet beautiful. 

Wishing your day full of happy little x's,

Amanda

Mary Baker Sampler finished!

As promised I have a Sampler finish to share. This is Mary Baker from The Scarlet Letter.  A simple Sampler but one I very much enjoyed stitching.  Notice the little r crammed in at the end of Father in the verse?  I had a little chuckle when I stitched that, no way was Mary going to frog!  Very charming.

I am back to working on Snooty Parrots, hope to have a progress picture soon.

Amanda Chen

Hooray a finish!

Always feels good to have a finish especially when you are struggling on a piece. 

This is my first over one thread finish and I had a little trouble with the thread twisting on me and not laying straight so the stitching is not as neat as I would like it to be however I have since learnt some tips which may help me on my next over one project, we shall see. 

Love this fruitful series from The Hearts Content, hope you do too as I have a few more to stitch, lol!

The Heart's Content - Fruitful IV - stitched over one thread on 28 count. 

I have another Sampler I have almost finished, this one a reproduction Sampler from The Scarlet Letter, hope to show you soon. 

Amanda Chen

It's been a while since I last blogged ...

In fact it's been a very long while since I last blogged!  Lot's to catch up on!
The year has been tough on me, living in a foreign country without friends or family and trying to look after a family on my own finally caught up to me and I had a series of mental breakdowns.  Luckily I have a Mother and Husband who love me very much, that combined with an utter determination to focus on the positive and keep moving forward making small changes here and there I am slowly becoming my old self again but stronger and wiser.
So!  As I said, lot's to catch up on!
I think in this post I am just going to show some finishes I've had so far this year, because of my ups and downs earlier in the year I many starts which I will show as I work on them.
But hey at least I have finishes, so a big Hooray for that!

Pumpkin Brew by With thy Needle and Thread

35 count Old Mill Java Linen - Overdyed cotton threads

 Mary Ann Farmer by The Scarlett House

 40 count Antique White Linen - NPI Silks - 2 threads over 2!

(go on take a closer look, this was a lot of work!)

Swan Valley Revisited by Carriage House Samplings

40 count Parchment Linen - NPI Silks

Spring Issue of SANQ Magazine

25 count Cream evenweave (those red lines will wash out)

3 strands DMC

Sub Rosa freebie pattern

http://e-subrosa.blogspot.tw/2012/02/happy-day-free.html

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Prairie Schooler

28 count Natural Linen - DMC threads

Alphabet Rhyme by Little House of Needleworks

28 count Vintage Examplar - Crescent Colours threads

Heritage Crafts John Clayton Miniature

Woodland Path (kit 27 count dmc threads)

Hope there was something here that you enjoyed looking at.  Now I am off to work on a Hardanger piece by the Nostalgic Needle, it's very small so hopefully I will have a finish soon and then I will post my finish and perhaps also share a few starts.

Take Care,

Amanda Chen

Awesome start to a New Year!

Brrr it's cold tonight!  I had all intention of showing my Mary Ann Farmer tonight but I had a rather intense frogging session so I am rather not impressed with her, she's been causing me trouble right from the first x I put into her and have now run out of thread, so will have to go in tomorrow and pick up some more - now these two samplers have been well behaved even though one of them had a run in with a dog as you can see the tear in my Sweet Humility sampler by Carriage House Samplings in the first photo - I had to fray check the tear and hopefully I can leave it like this without further damage incurring - I have one more page of writing to do and then on to some flowers down the bottom and my Sweet Humility will be finished.

 this next sampler is my Christmas Band Sampler by Heartstring Samplery, again run out of thread will hopefully pick up some more tomorrow ..

I hope everyone had a great start to the year - I celebrated with my husband and friends - thought I'd share some photos of my night - why didn't I get a photo of my dress?  I had a fabulous dress on, a missed opportunity as I may never fit into it again!  Anyway these photos are taken here in Taipei City, Taiwan right next to Taipei 101 which for one very short period of time was the tallest building in the world - from the beginning to the end it was a pretty awesome night - 

Have a good one and let's all have an awesome year of stitching! ... and maybe a few nights of partying ... if I can find a babysitter that is :)
Amanda
P.S. Have been hanging out on Facebook quite a bit lately following the stitching scene there, anyone else doing the same?

Busy busy busy!

As I am sure we all are especially those with family.  Seems like every year that passes the more busier I become, mind you I don't suppose it has helped that the whole family has come down with a nasty virus and we had a moment of temporary insanity and decided to go down to the pound and adopt a dog.
Now you don't want to adopt an energetic street dog that's used to doing it's own thing when you are sick and looking after 3 sick children who are also sick, it's only been two days and I've spent the whole time cleaning up dog doo doo and pee, cleaning up children's vomit, mopping floors, vacuuming excessively due to the dog malting also excessively (I have polished tile on the ground floor there is no hiding that dog hair which of course is not the dogs fault but after a bath and a groom, really?!) and walking the dog every 2 hours trying to convince the dog outside is a good place to pee, not in the comfort of my home!  Anyhoo the timing is wrong I think to adopt an animal, I thought I could handle kids and dog but obviously I can't, nice dog but I will be taking the dog back Monday when the pound opens - don't worry this place dosn't put animals to sleep and is one of the busiest places for adoptions so hopefully someone with a but more energy than myself will come along and give this dog a chance.  Sometimes I hate myself for the decisions I make, I guess I am used to the living conditions in NZ where we have front lawns and backyards and footpaths to walk on, a place not only more ideal for dogs but children also.
  I have a couple of Samplers to show today, one (yes I am complaining here) the dog jumped all over not once but three times no matter where I put it! but despite this received no damage and this Sampler is The Humility Sampler by Carriage House Samplings which I really love working on as you become used to working the letters and can set up a rhythm without having to search for the next symbol.

Excuse me for not taking it out of my hoop but I'm still working on it and it's in a good position for me.  Just a note here as well, even though this is in a hoop I do use the method of one hand under one hand on top to stitch, I do this by sitting the hoop off to one side on my lap, I hope that makes sense.

 Mary Ann Farmer by The Scarlett House

This just arrived in the mail, happy me - Metta Putfarcken 1848 by Samplers Berlin

Something for the year 2014 :)  

I heard of a lady finishing her Metta in just 3 months!  Hear me choking!  Well I am not sure how long this one will take me but just lettin you know, don't hold your breath!  Probably be working this one in HDF silks and use her linen as well and do a tea dye on the linen.

Anyone else have an exciting new project they can't wait to make a start on for the year 2014?

Much love,

Amanda