I’ve probably spent more time stashing than stitching this past week, which is why I haven’t posted any progress pictures. There’s a cute specialty stitches SAL featuring an Owl that starts September 16th, so I’ve been gathering materials for that, including some Picture This Plus Hand Dyed Cashel in Monet and DaVinci. Once I get the silk threads I ordered from Hand Dyed Fibers, a floss toss will determine which will be used for the SAL.
- Design by Gigi R Creations
My major accomplishment was to find the chart that will become my Anniversary Sampler. While browsing the gallery at Hand Dyed Fibers, I found the Belles-Lettres B chart by Gigi R Creations and began my hunt to find the chart she’d done for the Letter D. Unable to find a supplier with the chart in the USA, I ultimately got in touch with the designer in France and bought it directly from her. This morning I had the chart Belles-Lettres D in hand.
The design is charted using crimson threads on a pale linen, but I like the use of a variegated thread, as was done on the copy here that Gigi had sent to me. I spent time looking at thread on the computer, but decided I needed to have them in hand to make a decision. Soooo…10 different skeins of variegated silks are on order, one of which will be used for this piece.
My plan is to personalize the sampler by stitching in our family name, our first names, our wedding date, our daughters’ names, and their birthdates. With a stitch size of 450 x 355, the stitched area will be between 26″x21″ and 31″x24″ depending on the linen I choose. It will be large, but I’ve already decided it will replace a picture over our mantlepiece. I would never put needlework there if we still lived in New York, but our Texas fireplace has never been used.
This will obviously become my focal piece once it’s started, and I’ve very excited about it. I’d gotten a number of small cuts of linen in a grab bag a while back, so once the threads come in, I’ll be doing a floss toss and some test stitching to see which colors to use. Ordering the fabric will come after that, and then the stitching will commence!
