Saturday, January 13, 2018

Stitchy stash (yay!)

A round up post of what I stitched last year would be deadly dull (multiple bands of Jane Turner plus two starts).  And a what-I-plan-to-stitch-this-year post would be only moderately more interesting (finish Jane, finish those other two, then pick one from the three or four at the top of my list).  Showing off my new goodies seems like a good alternative.

Wonderful Husband gifted me with two good sized projects for Christmas.  Seems selecting large or long-term projects is his forte - he also chose Jane.  First he gave me the chart and silks for True Wisdom from Examplar Dames.  I’ve been wanting to try a Quaker style sampler and think this is lovely.


And then he completely surprised me.  I love the unicorn tapestries from the Middle Ages, both the Lady and the Unicorn series and the Hunt of the Unicorn.  Our very first Christmas together, he surprised me with this - he built the frame and gave it to me ready to hang, and it's been on the wall in our home ever since.  He had planned to frame a similar museum show poster of the Unicorn in Captivity but never got around to it.


So what was it he surprised me with this time?  Also under the tree was a chart (um, *booklet*) of the Unicorn in Captivity from Scarlet Quince.  Who knew there was such a thing?  At 285w x 404h this is NOT small.  


And, oh yeah, it’s solid coverage - see that little grid in the lower left?  Eep!


I went through every bit of my linen stash and discovered that I had nothing large enough for either project.  Good thing the Silver Needle’s New Year’s Eve sale was coming up, right?

I had made it all the way through 2017 essentially without buying stitch stash.  I allowed myself to buy threads, but that’s all since the previous NYE sale.  Just thread.  Really.  So even though there’s virtually no chance I’ll get to them this year, I did order a couple of charts. 

I got fabric for both of the very large projects – 40 count for True Wisdom and 36 count for the unicorn.

   

The impossible-to-resist, just had-to-have-‘em charts.


  
And of course I had to buy more threads.  One each of all the new DMC colors…


… plus another card of my favorite GAST green (forest glade), and a few other overdyed cottons because they looked so pretty.


I will now return to my regularly-scheduled stitching of Jane Turner.  

Thanks for stopping by!



>^..^<

11 comments:

  1. Nice hubby--great Christmas gifts! Love your stash enhancement pieces..each and every one...good selections!
    What do you think of the new DMC's? I like the purple and red brick range best!

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  2. Fun fun! You have a keeper in your husband there! Wow, that Scarlet Quince chart will be quite the challenge! Totally different from your Jane Turner, but still a challenge! Love seeing all the new things, and love learning about your love of the unicorn pieces. Don't blame you for that!

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  3. What great hubby!
    Great choices too!
    I LOVE True Wisdom, I was fortunate enough to pick it up in a clearance sale for a VERY good price.
    Not sure when I will get to it, have other big projects to finish first.
    Love the Unicorn pic also, and what a great present of the S Quince design.
    I am partial to Unicorns, I have a small collection. :)
    This will keep you busy for awhile!
    Have fun with your new projects.
    Marilyn

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  4. Your husband certainly knows how to choose gifts for his love! I am amazed at the size and complexity of these two, neither of which I have ever seen.

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  5. Gorgeous stash! Love the Quaker, it's quite an unusual layout which makes it really striking.
    I love the Cluny Tapestries too, I have two charts and a half-finished tapestry/needlepoint on canvas from many years ago.

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  6. Unicorns!!! Omg love that pattern!
    So 36 over 2 is your plan to stitch it?

    And your other stashing is lovely. I ordered my new DMC colours months ago and still haven't seen them. Darn it. But they will get here. Isn't it exciting to have new DMC colours!

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  7. Your new stash is giving me stash envy! The new charts are gorgeous.

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  8. I love stash, even if it's not my own! The Unicorn design is stunning, a real labour of love :)

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  9. I'm so amazed that your husband selects these for you, Deb! I don't think my husband even knows what a sampler is :) Really love everything you got from him and the things you chose for yourself. I can't imagine stitching anything so intense, but I love watching your projects grow :) Enjoy your day! P.S. Just heard the snowfall total for Erie this winter--crazy, crazy, crazy!

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  10. I have a really large project that covers multiple pages which I picked up to consider starting again and then remembered why there are clothes pegs in that project bag. I'll be interested to see how you handle working on such a large piece of fabric. How brave of your husband to pick projects for you, mine wouldn't know where to start he gets heavy hints in the form of Birthday/Christmas lists.

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  11. Oh great, a fun stash post! The two c harts you received from your husband are quite the challenge but I'm sure they are a lot of fun to start. And the other new charts will keep you from becoming bored, lol. Enjoy all your new stash.

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