Thursday, October 05, 2006

New SAL with Katrina: Earth Threads' Violet and Lace Sampler

Tonight I started a new project :-) I don't feel badly about this - I managed to stitch the first 10 of only 21 bands just in the one sitting. I figure it will be such a quick stitch that it should not interfere with my huge list of WIPS, right?? I am stitching Violet and Lace Sampler as a SAL with Katrina, and we had decided to do this one together several months ago. Now we finally started it! I don't know how to pace myself with this one as I have not yet seen Katrina's progress. But, knowing her turbo needles, we are probably at about the same point - LOL!! The sampler is being stitched on olive green belfast, but the scanner makes it look more like natural or summer khaki belfast. The colors in this sampler are amazing. I know this has been in my stash since at least 1998. When it came out, TG Silk 'n Colors were not easy to find in shops - and the internet was not a great place for needlework shopping yet. So, I had written to Betsy Stinner, the designer, asking her for help with finding a resource to buy the silks. She sent me plenty of two of the colors for the sampler - I guess I had been able to find a skein of one of the colors before I wrote to her. How sweet is she?? (I adore Betsy and have taken three classes with her at Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, NH - I am sure I will take more, as long as Betsy keeps teaching). The postmark on the envelope with the silks is March 23, 1998. I guess it really is finally time that I stitched this sampler!

I found out something interesting yesterday. My landlady at my new office in Haverhill, MA was talking to me, and I made a comment about how lovely the reception area is in the building. The building is a beautiful old blue Victorian house - a huge, huge house that was clearly built for a rich family. Lucy, my landlady, made some comment about the gorgeous spiral staircase outside of my office, and said, "that leads up to the bedroom suite where she was killed." My jaw dropped - "What??" Apparently, there was some relatively famous (at least for the area) murder in the room above my office at some point. My client arrived and I couldn't get more details from Lucy. I hope to get more from her when I go there tomorrow. She said it was the "Haverhill Claw Hammer Murder," but I couldn't find anything on the internet... help Lucy, I am dying to know more!
Daylily: Tom Wise

Stitched on today: Blessings Be Thine (finally making progress now, but am about to run out of GAST Dried Thyme - the chart calls for one skein, but the project really calls for very close to two skeins - will have to pick up another this weekend at the LNS!!) and Violet and Lace Sampler (second sampler down on the website)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Violet and Lace Sampler is so pretty Carol! You made a great start :) Thanks for the Blogger tips - I'll give that a go next time I post!

lobea2004 said...

Your new sampler looks beautiful, Carol.

Anonymous said...

I love your new sampler, and yur needles must to be smoking!!
Happy stitching day :)

Annemarie said...

That's such an exciting story! Please tell Lucy to keep us in suspense no longer! Before we moved here, we rented an apartment in a castle, and there were plenty of stories about a certain ghost!
Your new start is terrific, and about time you started it too! Knowing you, you will have it finished by Monday...

Kitty Couture said...

Wow, you're off to such a great start it's almost finished already LOL! This sampler is so beautiful :)

Unknown said...

Your new project looks so sweet! I love the purples.

Nicole said...

Very pretty - so delicate!

Anonymous said...

Nice start to this piece. It's very pretty.

Shelleen said...

the sampler is pretty and you have made a great start to it.

Susimac said...

Love your new start its great. Oooh find out more about your famous murder above your office - have you heard any funny noises up there???

Karoline said...

Violet and Lace is looking gorgeous so far Carol

Unknown said...

Always love a new start!

I can't wait to see the framing for Kindom Sampler!

mainely stitching said...

What a pretty sampler! And Betsy sounds like a dear. :)

I'll be waiting to hear more of this famous historical murder!!

Andrea said...

I'm loving the colours in the sampler already. :)

Spooky story! Have you heard any noises yet?!

Take care. x

Rowyn said...

Your Violet & Lace sampler is really pretty, and coming along quickly by the sounds of things. The murder story sounds like it could be very gruesome!

Nicki said...

What a pretty sampler! :)

We've been watching The Complete Sherlock Holmes on DVD the last week (it's very good - I recommend it - with Jeremy Brett as Holmes). Your murder sounds like it could be the title of a case!

Good luck getting the thread - frustrating isn't it?!

Katrina said...

Hi Carol, reporting in with my progress - I've done two rows less than you! Boo hoo, can't share a photo at the moment as my camera is away being fixed. I can scan my piece at work on Monday though. Thoroughly enjoying this one and I can see we'll both be finished in no time!

Anonymous said...

Violet and lace sampler is very pretty!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely sampler...you'll both be done with it in no time:)

Von said...

V&L is such a sweet sampler, Carol!!

What a fascinating story and building! Can't wait to hear all the details of the mystery. :D

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous start to Violet and Lace. It looks like you'll be done in one or two more sessions!

Anonymous said...

Were the kids save today? Ann.