Desert Sunset II

I finally got around to finishing Desert Sunset II!   I've worked on it sporadically for a while now, most recently when I was finishing up my time at my former employer - I would spend hours with nothing to do because I finished my job so early.  Hilariously, my former coworker and I would get most of our job done pretty early and were so efficient that we had no problems.   The job was too much for one person, but not enough for two, and yet, she left and then I did - now they have three people and are barely keeping pace.  I guess we were really that awesome (oh, sorry, I digress, but hey, maybe they should have given us the pay raises we asked for, haha).

Anyway, the guy I used to frame my last set of stuff was going out of business, but now he's just almost out of business and I really want to get my Deserts done if I'm going to get any chance of getting these framed by him.

I have another one of these desert panoramas done (I'll have to take a picture of it to share), and I have one more to do :)  I originally got them from Ginger's in Austin (no longer in business) when I was in school at UT-Austin in the late '90s.  I probably purchased these patterns, with the then not-much-seen overdyed threads in '97 or '98

I started this on 7/21/2015 (one of the "younger" piece I've started since moving to NC) and finished on 10/11/2017 (I didn't post because I was gone to a conference for a week, coincidentally in Austin!).   The pattern calls for 18ct feather blue aida, but I prefer the look of higher counts, so I ordered a lot of blues and grays in 36 ct and ended up with a 36ct sterling.   It's greyer than the original, but I still think it looks good.

So here we are:

It's a really wide/long piece, so I can put both on the same piece and cut them later for framing.   I do love it, it reminds me of when I lived in Tucson, which is still one of my favorite places I've ever lived.

There is a lot of blending of two different threads in this piece (and a little bit of both long stitching for the ocotillos and a bit of backstitching along the foothills.    There only a couple of symbols that are not blended, and there are three different overdyes.   With the overdyes (which are fairly dramatic), the pattern indicates the direction of the stitching to give the variegation in the pattern they want.   For example, the mountains were stitched top to bottom, the clouds (in the corner) in an arc.

You can see more of the variegation in the dark red of the fiery clouds.

I didn't realize I got to stitch the actual sun until I was doing it.  I had the idea it was behind the mountain when I looked at the (very small) model picture.

Anyway, that's Desert Sunset II, I have to do I by January (personal goal).  I look forward to getting all three framed at some point, hopefully soon.   My partner keeps telling me we don't have enough wall space for all of the art and stitching, but I think he's wrong ;)

Miss Witchy Mouse by Just Nan

Back into stitching means back into seeing new patterns.  
Just Nan has been releasing these adorable little constructed ornament mouse pieces that are just too cute.

There have been several, and I managed to snag a Witchy Mouse for Halloween and a Gingerbread Mouse for Christmas (there's also a gingerbread jingle mouse, but they're so similar I don't need both that I've recently purchased because I'm a weak, weak woman).  There's also a Lindy Mouse that was created exclusively for the Silver Needle and Minerva's Mouse, which is the one I'd love to get a hold of (though I'd rather have just the pattern than the whole owl cloisonne kit, but see previous weak statement, I'd spend the cash!).

The one only took me a couple of days and was a lot of fun.

The instructions call for the use of a toothpick to make the broom, but my toothpicks weren't ones I thought would work well (colored and shaped oddly).  I think I'm happier with this cut down bamboo skewer.

In regular light

Under the Ott.   I should have gotten a better picture of her back - there's a spider! :)

So I'm back to my regularly scheduled rotation.
I think I like the screaming/schedule hybrid that I've adopted.  It's working out pretty well.

Update:

I emailed Nan/Just Nan - I had met her multiple times at CATS and because one of my high school buddies knew her (his sister was her god-daughter, and they lived in her house, complete with stencils and art she had painted on the wall!).   I wanted to thank her for designing these awesome mice and to say that I was happy that she was still designing after my long hiatus from the stitching community.  So many designers have either retired or just disappeared that it's nice to see a great designer still around.   She returned my email (quickly!), and mentioned there will be another gingerbread mouse!  whoohoo!

Framed Storyteller By Teresa Wentzler

I completely forgot to post this picture!   When I got the rest of my pieces framed at Nick's, I also got Storyteller framed.  Unfortunately, I was not clear on my desire for spacers, so I think there was a bit of a mix up.  I took ST to a local framer I really like (who I just don't use because while he's very good, he's also expensive!) and had him add in spacers.

I got ST back a bit ago, and now I just need to find a place to hang it.  I'm running out of wall space!  (or I need more walls?  Haha!)

Here is the whole thing framed, I just adore that frame.
I stitched Storyteller from 6/29/2001 through 3/17/2002

Framing Part 3 - Tywyn Sampler

I cannot, for the life of me, remember when I bought Tywyn Sampler.   I do know I was living in Austin, so sometime between 1996 and 1999, most likely.   I picked it up from Gingers, which at the time was a fantastic cross stitch shop, but has sadly closed.   They were on the bus route from UT, so I could visit without any problems.     I actually bought the chart with the threadpack, so it came with all of the fibres and silver dragon charm in it.

It was my first major silk piece, and it was also my very first cut work.  

I stitched it in 2001 and this piece was an utter joy to stitch from beginning to end.  I love the variegated silks and all of the fun specialty stitches, and the alphabet was fun, too (I used the Welsh instead of the English - though both were charted so you could choose).

I'm also thrilled that I could include my name in the piece as part of a band, rather than having to find some unobtrusive corner to stick my initials in.

Please excuse the overload, this is one of my favorite pieces of all time, and the frame job on it is even better than I thought it would be (not that I wasn't there when everything was picked out, but seeing it all together is just jaw droppingly gorgeous in my opinion)

The whole piece, on the wall... that paint shifts from that tan to a grey in the light and I love the piece on it.

Oh look, I finished something

June sent this to me as a RAK not too long ago. So, between the no-stitching thing, the fact that I did actually want to stitch the hummers in 2008 and whatever else has been going on in my head (lots of stress, trust me), I thought I'd give it a go.

Eeenterestingly enough, I had bought the fabric from Crossed-Wing's booth in Hershey. I think it's my new favorite fabric color. I'm not happy about the piece though, I felt like I couldn't stitch right while I worked on it. On the upside, it is a finish. It still needs a bath, but I wanted to post a photo pronto.