Monday, August 24, 2015

A Frame and a Finish!

I hope you are all doing very well! If you watch the news, you will know what a trying time it has been here in Washington with the wild fires.  Our air quality was so bad last week-end that it was actually rated unhealthy.  The minute I stepped outside, I could smell fire.  This is really different for us because pollution is usually not a problem.  We generally have beautiful blue skies.  I tried very hard not to complain because the poor people in Central and Eastern Washington are living with so much worse conditions. Please keep the West in your thoughts and prayers.
I finally got around to ordering a frame for the Mary Smith Sampler.  Janet at Valley House Primitives is just wonderful to work with.  I told her that I wanted a bit of blue in the frame.  She even sent me a few samples so I could be sure it was the right blue.  I absolutely love the way it turned out! Thank you Janet!!! The frames that they make at Valley House Primitives are just beautiful.    I finished " Bittersweet September" yesterday.  It is such a pretty design and thanks to Carol Fun at the blog, The Polka Dot Chicken,( a great blog about stitching ,quilting, knitting etc.) I was able to stitch the design.  She loaned me her copy.   It was a quick little design, not sure what I will do with it yet. I loved stitching all the pretty Fall colors!


 Lots of hand work in the design.  I love designs with faux finishing. 

 I put this picture on the blog so you can see how well the blue matches the blue in the design.

 Bittersweet September by BBD stitched on 32 count linen using the suggested floss and a piece of linen that I had in my stash.  Just love the Fall colors.

 This is the color of the sunset due to all the fires.  Usually the mountains are much clearer.
 Beautiful but hard to enjoy knowing the cause.

Thanks so much for joining me! I really appreciate the time you take to read my blog!


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28 comments:

  1. BrigitteAugust 25, 2015 at 1:42 AM

    Your choice of the blue frame for your finished sampler was perfect. And congratulations on finishing your BBD piece. You are right, now that the summer is coming to an end one is longing for fall colours.

    I have seen the news about all these fires in California and also in Washington. So terrible to know that so many people's houses are burnt by them - and that there is still no end in sight.

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  2. MarilynAugust 25, 2015 at 1:49 AM

    That frame is gorgeous!
    Bittersweet turned out so pretty.
    I hope they can contain the fires soon.
    Stay safe.
    Marilyn

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  3. The Knitting Cross StitcherAugust 25, 2015 at 2:21 AM

    Your frame compliments your stitching beautifully.
    I love Bittersweet September,what gorgeous colours.

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  4. Vonna PfeifferAugust 25, 2015 at 2:24 AM

    I know there has been a lot of suffering in the West and I pray that soon the fires will be contained and extinguished and that water will come to heal the land. VHP do the most fabulous frames, I have about 4 of my pieces framed in their frames and they just add to the whole feel of the piece. This is no different! Gorgeous!

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  5. carol funAugust 25, 2015 at 7:09 AM

    Mary Smith is a beautiful sampler and that blue frame is the perfect finish! Your Bittersweet September looks wonderful...it was a fun little stitch, wasn't it?

    I keep hearing about the horrible fires this year in the West on the news. I remember when I lived in CA seeing the devastating aftermath. Weather here has turn Fall-like - at least for this week- hope a cool down comes your way and some rain to get those fires under control.

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  6. llknbillburgAugust 25, 2015 at 7:52 AM

    Both of your finishes are just lovely. Hope the fires stay away from your area and they are extinguished soon! Laura

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  7. priscillaAugust 25, 2015 at 9:20 AM

    Love that frame ..it is perfect for your beautiful stitching! Bittersweet September is gorgeous! Hope they get the fires under control !

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  8. EvalinaMariaAugust 25, 2015 at 10:36 AM

    Both are beautiful, framed Mary and the sunset. Fires are dreadful but they make gorgeous sunsets.

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  9. BethAugust 25, 2015 at 10:51 AM

    What a pretty frame for Mary Smith - love the blue color with the wood grains showing through. Bittersweet is lovely too - you've had a very productive summer!

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  10. RanaeAugust 25, 2015 at 11:01 AM

    What a lovely piece with the frame and beautiful stitching. Prayers for the fires to die down, they do so much damage and I feel so sorry for the wildlife

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  11. Cricket-bug CornerAugust 25, 2015 at 11:28 AM

    Oh very nice frame choice! Love your Bittersweet!

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  12. Robin in VirginiaAugust 25, 2015 at 1:18 PM

    Love the frame color you chose for your Mary Smith sampler! Awesome! Congratulations on finishing up the BBD piece.

    Robin in Virginia

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  13. Mary AnnAugust 25, 2015 at 2:02 PM

    I love the frame the frame you chose for your Mary Smith sampler, and Bittersweet September is a lovely finish!!

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  14. MaryAugust 25, 2015 at 2:19 PM

    Beautiful framed sampler! Love the color of the frame as well as the stitches. Lovely BBD finish as well. We hear about all the fires out here in the western states every night on the news and it breaks my heart to think about all of the losses.

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  15. MaggeeAugust 25, 2015 at 2:28 PM

    Yay! What a really nice framing job for Mary Smith! I love my framer too... she has a great eye! Bittersweet looks great--you done good! Stay safe! Indoors if you have to, because of the air quality... It's NOT like you don't have anything to do.... :)

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  16. KaisievicAugust 25, 2015 at 3:11 PM

    I am certainly sending my thoughts and prayers your way re the wildfires - not good at all. Lovely stitching and framing, you have been busy.

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  17. MrsDuncanMahoganyAugust 25, 2015 at 4:11 PM

    Oh the fires! We are hearing about it all on our news. I can only send the very best energy out there for lots and lots of rain. We've been having your fair share of rain and I know you out West can use it more than us!!! The finishes are beautiful!! I love the fall colors in your 2nd stitching! Wouldn't you know it, my big plan to get to the stitching place on my vacation (which I am currently on) I come down with the flu. This is the first I have surfaced since last Wednesday. But!!! Its first on my list for tomorrow's errands since I am now not contagious and can stand upright for more than 5 minutes. Yay me! I will keep you posted on what I find!

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  18. PreetiAugust 26, 2015 at 9:53 AM

    Beautiful finish and the framed piece looks wonderful!! :)
    I hope the fires come under control very soon.

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  19. Teresa S.August 26, 2015 at 10:54 AM

    Beautiful finishes, Barb. We aren't seeing that haziness here.

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  20. ShellyAugust 26, 2015 at 9:36 PM

    Perfect frame for Mary Smith and your finish looks great! A family member is in Oregon on the Canyon Creek Complex fire right now. He sends pictures of that fire and it's just downright scary how big that thing is. Hoping relief arrives somehow for all you folks up that way.

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  21. diamondcAugust 28, 2015 at 10:28 AM

    Beautiful choice for the frame so rich looking.
    We have had some haziness here in Minnesota, I am sure with the fire in California and Washington we will see more.
    I am so sad this is happening, stay safe.

    Blessings
    Catherine

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  22. AnneAugust 31, 2015 at 9:22 PM

    Crazy fires and storms here too in BC. Seriously damage done in the lower mainalnd due to that wind storm two days ago. Hope you are OK! Beautiful stitching and the frame is perfect t for it! Hugs

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  23. AnneAugust 31, 2015 at 9:22 PM

    Crazy fires and storms here too in BC. Seriously damage done in the lower mainalnd due to that wind storm two days ago. Hope you are OK! Beautiful stitching and the frame is perfect t for it! Hugs

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  24. StitchinByTheLakeSeptember 8, 2015 at 4:54 AM

    That frame is perfect! And I love the sampler....just beautiful! Blessings, Marlene

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  25. Patty C.September 8, 2015 at 7:42 PM

    Let me the bbd - great colors!

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  26. Patty C.September 8, 2015 at 7:46 PM

    Let me the bbd - great colors!

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  27. EllenApril 27, 2016 at 11:08 AM

    Hi Barb

    I'm thinking of soon beginning the Mary Jane Smith sampler, and when I googled it, lo and behold your blog came up. Did you make any color changes to the threads listed on the chart?

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  28. EllenApril 27, 2016 at 11:08 AM

    Hi Barb

    I'm thinking of soon beginning the Mary Jane Smith sampler, and when I googled it, lo and behold your blog came up. Did you make any color changes to the threads listed on the chart?

    ReplyDelete

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