Her Sampler Fini and Mariette Swift Progress!

A very quick post, first of all, hope you are enjoying a bit of warmer weather, like we are here in the midwest! What a joy it was for me today to be able to go out on my deck and sweep, without any sign of snow or ice! A breath of Spring is in the air!

I finished Her Sampler a week ago Sunday, and just now sharing a picture of it! It was such an enjoyable stitch, but to be honest, I had more then a few frogging moments with it. If I hadn't loved it so much, it probably would have gotten tossed in a pile somewhere, but I thought it was adorable when I first picked it up to stitch and still do, so all is good!

Carriage House Samplings

Her Sampler

DMC recommended fibers

R&R 32 ct Old Towne Blend Linen

Another sampler that is on my Up For A Challenge list this year, is Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin Mariette Swift 1804. I first saw this stitched by Siobhan and had to have it for myself, so was lucky to win it shortly thereafter on ebay, since of course all of her designs are OOP. Anyway, I started this cutey back in 2008, after converting the fibers to Belle Soie Silks. I don't know why I didn't finish it, just one of those gazillion times that I got side-tracked I am guessing. Anyway, nice to be back to it, and this is really a lousy picture, but at least gives some idea of my progress. Hope to get it finished and soon.

This shows it a bit better:

Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin

Mariette Swift 1804 (Reproduction Sampler)

Belle Soie Silks

(Don't remember the color of linen, but it is 32 ct)

Incidentally, speaking of Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin and those hard to find OOP's, if anyone has her Peace Sampler, I would be most interested in obtaining it. Either purchasing or borrowing, please email me concerning this. It is one that I have long sought after and do not have in my possession, and would so love to stitch it. Thank you in advance for your help!

That's all for now, I do hope that you have some fun with your stitching this week, I hope to get caught up on my blog reading and commenting. Doesn't take but a day or two for me to get behind with that. Also anyone that has inquired about my stitching retreat this summer, be expecting to receive via email Registration information and other pertinent information!

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment! It is such a blessing to me, I have almost reached 300 followers, which totally amazes me! Thank you for being interested enough in my ramblings to visit again and comment!

Sleep Tight!

Love, Jan

Marianne Wenn Conversions and Giveaway Winner!

Howdy from Belfonte Lane in Indiana! Luckily we did not lose our power, during the Winter Storm of the Century'! So fortunate because in our town alone there were 16,000 outages with about 1/2 that many still without power! My heart goes out to them! I did everything I could to 'button up the hatches' and make things ready just in case the power did go out! Candles and flashlights at the ready and I even made a pot of coffee the night before, and put the fresh made coffee in a thermos! LOL At least if the power went out, I could have a cup of my beloved brew!! But fortunately, it did not, but I still drank the coffee from the thermos, which was still very fresh and hot and saved me from having to make it the next morning! LOL

We did get very strong winds and a mix of precipitation, mostly in the form of freezing rain and sleet, which left us with around two inches of ice! My driveway still looks like a skating rink and they have the schools closed for the third day here in the valley! But my daughter says that the roads are much better this morning.

I did mention that I was going to have another new start on my birthday, which is the end of this month, and that new start was going to be Marianne Wenn from Needleprint! After playing around with it for a while, I wanted to convert to all NPI's and was successful, but also I wanted to calm down the color palette a bit and even more importantly I wanted the color palette to compliment each other. The picture below is on the fabric I have chosen, 36 count Flax Fields from R&R Reproductions with the Needlepoint Silks laying just under the DMC that is called for in the chart. I did change out one color entirely, I am using NPI 871, in place of dmc 842, which is considerable lighter: 

Marianne Wenn

Not the best picture, but maybe you can get the idea. This picture below shows the first set of needlepoint silks that I chose, I have since re-worked them, but wanted to share the picture, because it definitely shows the hues of the fabric so much better, although it is a bit darker, then the Flax Fields that I have, isn't quite as dark:

Here are the conversions, if you are interested:

DMC 304 ~   NPI 208

DMC 3706 ~ NPI 205

DMC 3713 ~ NPI 531

DMC 725 ~   NPI 474

DMC 744 ~   NPI 472

DMC 890 ~   NPI 646

DMC 3818 ~ NPI 353

DMC 906 ~   NPI 547

DMC 312 ~   NPI 746

DMC 3761 ~ NPI 742

DMC 433 ~   NPI 957

DMC 3863 ~ NPI 301

DMC 842 ~   NPI 871

DMC 844 ~   NPI 976

NOW, for what you have all been reading to find out, and I thank you for suffering through my meanderings, before I got to the most important announcement.....

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The winner of the Blogoversary Giveaway IS:

 Kellie 


Congratulations dear Kellie! The name of her blog is The Stitching Post, and is a wonderful place to visit. If you haven't visited her yet, be sure and do so! Kellie, can you please email me your snail mail address, so that I can mail out your box of goodies as soon as I can!


Of course, it was so hard to just pick one entry, there were over 90 of you that signed up. So I decided that if the following three blogging friends are interested in receiving a Tree of Life Samplings design, I would love to send it to you! Parsley, Terri from dixiesamplerdesigns and Diana (no blog), please email me as soon as you see this and please tell me which design is your favorite! Thank you all for participating in my 2nd Blogoversary Giveaway! It has been such fun and I always love seeing new blogs that come to visit!


I was planning on sharing a finish of Her Sampler by Carriage House Samplings...however she isn't quite done yet! Mostly because I could not resist starting Anniversaries of the Heart by Blackbird Designs this week! I was so excited about locating just the right size fabric in my stash and pulling together the designs that are released and tentatively assigning squares to my family members! So I just had to put the first stitches in the first block! I do hope to finish up Her Sampler yet this week...maybe I will have it to share on Saturday with you all!


Before I leave, I want to show you a couple of pics, one of my visitors yesterday, the Carolina Wren, the Cardinal (male) and the Tow-Hee (think that is how it is spelled!) in my makeshift birdfeeder! I have had such trouble with squirrels of late, that I have had to be more innovative in getting my bird friends their food. Also with the recent inclement weather, I have not even been able to get a foothold on my decking, from all of the ice. So the pie pan with bird feed and square of suet to the side, right outside my french doors, is as good as it gets! They have been grateful, there have been many visitors, this is just a sampling, if you click on it, it will be larger and you can maybe get a closer look:

And my sweet girl, Boo, aka Sugar Smack, of course, just wanted to get a closer look too, but they weren't having that kind of closeness and flew away:

That's all for now! I do hope and pray that everyone is safe, cozy and warm after the recent storm that hit so many, many starts, and from what I hear stretched over 2100 miles! Thank you for visiting and following my blog and taking the time to write me a comment. So appreciate those, as always!

Today I am thankful for blue skies and sunshine and melting ice...well almost!

Love, Jan

Mary Wigham Conversion

I spent some time yesterday, pulling NPI silks to match up the DMC charted on this ever so special Ackworth Quaker Sampler! Wanted to share with you, here is a pic:

A nice fabric medium would be Lakeside's Vintage Light Examplar. The fibers really look great on it!

Conversion from DMC to NPI Silks

DMC NPI
725 ~ 554
407 ~ 204
356 ~ 205
963 ~ 941
3857 ~ 127
3768 ~ 323
3052 ~ 401
ecru ~ 871
930 ~ 746
white ~ 991bb
739 ~ 851
3822~ 552
927 ~ 154
black~ 993
934 ~ 296
352 ~ 532
435 ~ 773
225 ~ 706
3855 ~ 133
433 ~ 766
519 ~ 111
746 ~ 991

Please note, in the original listing of DMC posted on the Needleprint site, there was DMC 966 included. After viewing and downloading the first installment, there is no 966 listed in the color key. If for some reason it turns up later, then 662 NPI is a good conversion for 966 DMC.

I had thought about putting in a few Belle Soie for affect, but not being able to see the entire chart yet, I decided to just list the NPI. They are very good match and will make a lovely palette for this project.

Silks continue to be on sale on Only One Ewe Needleworks website, so please email at sales@onlyoneeweneedlework.com if you are needing any of these, before the 15th!

How many of you will be stitching this lovely? I plan too, but won't start yet, will see how it goes. I have Beatrix Potter in the works, and Sarah Moon kitted up, so will just wait on this one. How about you all?

Thanks again for visiting and all of your lovely comments on my Simply Live finish!:)

Sarah, Eve and FREEDOM!!!

Hello dear blogging friends! It has been awhile since I posted, and I still need to get caught up on what you have been doing the last few weeks. Weather here is so dreary, rain, rain and more rain! I know that many of you are experiencing much the same thing, those that aren't are in need of rain. That is so how it goes!

I have been getting a little stitching done, but not as much as I would like. First picture share is of Sarah Salter by Sheepish Designs and I did change the color palette quite alot in this piece, I converted the DMC to Belle Soie Silks and so far I am loving it! Of course I love Red! I took out all of the blues and pinks in the design (sure hope that Sarah forgives me for that, but I think she would understand!)
Not the greatest of pictures, since I have no natural light, but you can get the idea:

Sarah Salter by Sheepish Designs
36 ct R&R Liberty Gathering Gray
Belle Soie Silks, Conversion

Next is a new start! Since I saw this stitched, I have wanted to do it, just now deciding to bring it out to start! I did change a couple of the NPI silks, since my fabric choice is darker then what was recommended. Not much done, but a start:


Eve by La-D-Da
40 Ct Lakeside Vintage Basketweave
NPI Silks, as charted, with two changes

Now on to the last part of my title, FREEDOM!! I made a decision this month, that I would forego making goals for the month, with my stitching. I have set goals every month for at least the last four years, and I don't know whether it is me, or just the time goes so quickly...anyway, by the time the first of May came, I said to myself "Self, oh drudgery, time to set those goals AGAIN!" I then decided no more, I would just stitch on what I wanted to, and probably get just as much done, and not have that proverbial goal-listing monkey on my back! After all, I have enough to do lists around here, and at my age, they are getting a bit cumbersome!! So I am FREE...FREE...FREE!!!! And it feels so good!! I am enjoying my stitching lots more!! OH yes, there will be some obligation stitching, gifts, an RR I am currently in, but that isn't near so overwhelming as those goal lists!!!:) Do any of you set goals for yourself? If so, it is a good thing, don't mean that, it is just time for me to do something different!!

I will leave you with a couple of pics, here is my Andy Boo, stitching buddy, he is a male calico and just as sweet as he can be! Course now, I caught him napping and he did not appreciate that flash on the camera, hence the half-closed eyes and his mouth is open yelling at me! LOL He does a lot of talking to me...and I am not sure what that black-looking thing in his mouth is! LOL LOL



And lastly here is a pic of my lilac bush in the front, wish I had snapped the pic a few days earlier, it was much prettier then, but oh my the smell is wonderful!



Till next time, enjoy your neck of of the woods, and I hope you get plenty of time to cross those stitches!! Thanks so much for visiting and your so kind and warm comments! I love reading them!!

Love, Jan

C'est Fini!

Howdy to my faithful blogging buds!It certainly has been a most hectic week, but I am proud to announce I finally have put in the last stitches on 'This Is The Day' by Hands To Work! Without further ado, here it is!

Hands To Work 'This Is The Day'
JCS Jan/Feb 2009 Issue
32 Count R&R Reproductions French Vanilla
Converted Fibers, Crescent Colours, GAST and Weeks




I have been busy putting my new office to rights, course that also entails going through my two stash closets...and you know the time that takes, cuz there is so much to look at, plan and drool over! But I am making headway! Also had stitchey company last weekend, and that was great, great fun, as always!My friend Mary was a great help with my new fiber wall in the shop! We now have NPI Silks at Only One Ewe and they have been flying out the door almost as fast as I can get more ordered! Be watching though, since I will be adding a introductory sale on these on the website very soon!

Also lost my phone line, due to the mower running over it, so I was without phone AND internet for several days...NOT fun, but I did get other things done, maybe I needed that break! Took me awhile to get caught up on your blog posts, but think I finally have!

My stitching plans are to pull out Seven Days of Creation from Plum Street Samplers. I converted this sampler to overdyed fibers, I wanted the lettering, specifically to have some variegation, so far I am loving it! I will share a progress pic in just a few days, so come back soon! OH and another small finish that I have to take pics of yet!Of course I can't wait to start another couple of things, more about that later!

Thank you in advance for your wonderful and kind comments, I read them and always am blessed by what you have said, yes YOU!:)

This Is The Day That The Lord Hath Made, Rejoice and Be Glad In It! Here is hoping that your days are blessed with your families and friendships!!