#MondayswithMary !

Hello there! I hope you are all enjoying your Summer! and for those down under... Winter! We are coming around the corner to #SamplerSeptember very soon! My Miss Mary Barker 1830 model is on display at Attic Needleworks in Mesa, AZ so if you visit be sure to take a look-see! The model was stitched using dmc thread but I have now created a silk NPI conversion which can be found on my instagram @juststitchingalong ! Here is a look at the pretty colors and my start from Monday night. I thought it would be great fun to have #MondayswithMary heading into #SamplerSeptember so come along and join me if you like! On Miss Mary Barker, or perhaps another sweet 'Mary' sampler!

In the meantime, I have been busy working on a few of my favorite Wips! Here is my August update on the Martha Dawson Sampler which is being done as a stitch a long following a month-to-month schedule. If interested in more info please find the Our Sampler Years group on Facebook. I have monthly Stitch with Me videos as we make progress along the year!  I am using 100/3 au ver a soie silk on 40 count Old Sheep linen from XJudesign.  

Next up is pic with me! holding my progress on Those Who Sing by the Drawn Thread.  Such a fun stitch, I love all the birds and the pretty flowers done in satin stitch.  I am doing this also as a stitch a long as a birthday SAL with Colette (Highway stitcher on Flosstube) as we both share the same birthday!  This is the second year we have had a dedicated stitch a long for our birthday year.  I am using the silk package from the Drawn Thread which was mostly Dinky Dyes silk - which I absolutely loved!  On 40 count zweigart Summer Khaki linen.  

I did have a finish in July!  - I was so surprised at how quickly this sampler stitched up!  This is Ann Gott from NeedleWorkPress which is a dedicated stitch a long from Attic Needleworks this year.  I chose to change the verse and add my initials, and also changed the Bandana color to dmc 816 for a brighter pop of red.  I stitched this on 40 count Abecedarian linen from R and R Reproductions.  

And last night I wasn't sure what WiP to pull out next but settled on one I haven't seen in quite some time.... Elizabeth Furniss from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.  I fell in love all over again with her.  I am doing my sampler in dmc thread on 40 count vintage country mocha linen.  I have some ideas to change things up but we will see how it goes.  I love my bling-y needleminder!

Some other beautiful Hands Across the Sea Sampler charts have made their way across the ocean to me too!  So many samplers so little time.  I have gotten the silks to do Harriett Godhard so maybe soon there will be a start!  And, that Jane Hopkins with those flowers!  I have the dmc all ready to go on that one too!  

So aside from stitching I have been getting out more and more lately.  I went in to NYC for the first time since beginning of 2020.  I went to one of the Van Gogh experiences and it sure was! Such an amazing visualization in combination of sound and reflection.  Highly recommend!  

I also visited one of my favorite, happy places near my home... Candlewood Lake in Connecticut!  Always so relaxing to sit by the lake!  

The colors have been fantastic this Summer, the flowers have been really soaking up the sunshine!  

And I was surprised to find this display at my local Michael's store!  A whole rack of Anchor threads!  I am looking forward to trying some.  It even provides the dmc coordinating color so if the dmc thread is out there is another option!  

I think that catches things up for now!  Some things to look forward to.... I have a new release planned for next month.... something very RED!  

You can also find me @juststitchingalong on Instagram.   Hope you will join me on #MondayswithMary !  

Take care and Be well!  

Be Thankful Always

Happy Thanksgiving!  

I thought today was the perfect day to share this sampler with you.  A freebie sampler from me to you!

Miss Mary Yerger 1859 is a sweet Pennsylvania German sampler that I reproduced from my personal collection.  I stitched the model almost as Mary had stitched her own structuring some of the motifs and letters to give it some balance.  I have also adapted it to add a special message at the bottom, Be Thankful Always!  

I stitched the model on 32 count Apple Brown linen from R&R Reproductions using Ginny Thompson Flower Thread.  A fun thread to work with, one strand is comparable to using two strands of DMC thread.  They come already wound on floss cards and very easy to unwind as needed.  

I have also provided a DMC conversion so Mary Yerger's sampler can be stitched on any fabric of your choosing!   Here is the DMC color conversion:  

You can access the pdf of the chart here !

Enjoy!  

You can also find my updates for Just Stitching Along on Instagram @JustStitchingAlong 

I wish you all a wonderful holiday, albeit a different kind of holiday this year.  

Be well and stay safe! 

Krista 

Choose Joy

Well, hello there!  It's been quite a while! 

I have been busy stitching and look forward to the colder months when I can stay in, stay warm, and stitch, stitch, stitch!  I was inspired from one of my antiques to create a sweet ornament, a freebie gift to you, called Choose Joy. 

 I have chosen to make it into a perforated paper ornament but it would also be real cute done as a small pincushion.  The stitch count is 51 wide x 43 high. 

Here is a little sneak peek of some recent stitching.....  Lots of pretty colors, like springtime! 

I am looking forward to the New Year and working on my WIPs, and especially starting on the Ann Roberts Sampler SAL which I will be leading in the Our Sampler Years facebook group.  Each month we will be doing a part of it so I look forward to sharing it with you as we all stitch along!  

For more info about the sampler please visit Hands Across the Sea Samplers website here.

It seems like winter has already come out in full force here in the Northeast!  We are all covered in ice..... it is soooo very sparkly and beautiful!  but cold!!!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! and Happy 2020!!  

What's New and Exciting!

Hi there!   It sure has been a long, long time-- a whole year in fact! 

In between stitching I have been going to some fun markets.  This was my first year visiting the Penn Dry Goods Market in Pennsylvania.  I signed up for six of the lectures and learned so much about the history of floral samplers, Moravian needlework, Mary Linwood and more.  If you have not heard of Mary Linwood check out this link.  It was a fascinating series as well as a great market with wonderful quilts and antiques.  

 

 

 

 

 

Penn Dry Goods Market 2017

And just last weekend I had a great time in Rhinebeck NY for the annual Country Living Fair.  It was a perfect day for walking the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.  There were so many unique items.  Lots of inspiration everywhere!  

Rhinebeck Country Living Fair 2017

So that's a quick peek into what's new and exciting here!  

Have a great week!!  Wishing you miles of smiles............

Spring has finally Sprung!

It has taken quite some time, but Spring has finally arrived.  There is color everywhere now!  

It has been a few months now since I have last updated the blog.  I have been doing some stitching, really I have!  Even through the winter, I found some places to go and fun things to do.

I visited the Cloisters in NYC, a museum that is part of the MET that has medieval artifacts.  It was my first visit there and so amazing to see the displays and pieces from centuries ago!  There was also an antique card exhibit on display going back to the 1400s!  Most of them were hand drawn or hand painted.  There were some glorious tapestries to be seen, including the famous unicorn tapestries.  

I always manage to fit music in my life.... I visited Daryl's House twice! 

First, seeing James Maddock, and, then again, for a Johnny Cash tribute on Johnny Cash's birthday! 

Lots of fun!!  

In order to get into Spring fever mode I went to two flower shows!  

First, was to the Macy's annual flower show in Herald Square NYC.  The theme this year was America the Beautiful and the displays were GORGEOUS!  From Lady Liberty's torch to the Golden Gate Bridge and everywhere in between I was amazed at how they transformed the department store into a flower extravaganza!  

From Macy's in the heart of Manhattan I then zipped up to the Bronx to the NY Botanical Garden to see the annual orchid show... Orchidelirium!  

Orchids in every color and shape and bursting in beautiful color!  

Just a few weeks ago I found a Spring quilt show in Southbury CT by the Piecemaker's Guild.  

Such an amazing array of talent and designs to be found..... from cats, to VW beetle van :), to a calendar quilt, even the Kiss by Klimt!  

Just last weekend I went out with family and friends for some weekend fun.  We went to the local German restaurant and enjoyed a beer and good eats.  

The was even a stein locker for the regulars to keep their mugs at the ready!  

And Gigi says Hello! while she is enjoying her cat nip carrot!  :D

And on to the stitching world....  

Our Sampler Years facebook group has been growing and having fun each weekend with Sampler party weekends celebrating different designers or having stitch-ins!  Please join us to be part of all the fun!  

We have also created a dedicated blog, Our Sampler Years blog, for the group where we post featured interviews.   Please take a visit to see our most recent interviews with Margriet of The Essamplaire and Brendon from Linen and Threads in Australia and more!  

And, last but not least at all!  My stitching project!  

This sampler is such a joy to be working on.  It is so colorful, I think the young girl who stitched it almost two centuries ago used her linen and thread as her coloring book!  

I wish you all happy Spring days with lots of pretty blooms and pretty stitches!!  xxxx

A New Year, A New Start!

2016 has had a good stitching start!

Today I received some wonderful stitch-y mail - the new premiere sampler from Hands Across the Sea Samplers design studio!  Miss Mary Ann Bournes 1791 is such a gorgeous sampler!  The chart is done wonderfully, with color and detailed history. So much to love with this one, the border, the bees, the sweet animals on the lawn, and, of course the birds!  

Congratulations to Nicola and Sandra on their new venture.  Their new website is chock full of wonderful details about samplers and helpful guides for stitchers.  Please take a look see!   

And New Year's Day I got a running start stitching on a SAL!  This one is EN 1815 by Heartstring Samplery.  It will be fun to see what everyone will do with this one, picking their own colors.  I have chosen to use Nina's Threads, in Old Berry.  Not sure if I have enough thread for the whole design so I may improvise with some other colors.  I also grabbed some linen from my own stash, 32 ct PTP Legacy.  This is a nice stitch on the 32 ct, easy on the eyes!  

So I hope you have all gotten off to a great start this New Year!  

I have also found the Bloglovin' app on my phone!  Downloaded it today and realized it is a much easier way to keep up on reading all of your blogs.  

Already the holidays seem like memory, although I am glad that there are still some pretty lights and decorations out and about.  I took this photo on my way home from work today....   

Wishing you miles of smiles and stitches!  xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Holiday Fun and Happy New Year!

Here we are at the end of the year.  I usually love this time to go back through my blog to see how many finishes I had for the year.  Well......  ummmmm....  I am so very sad to see that I had not a one!  Nope!  Nada! 

BUT, I did have a very fun year!  One of the best I have had in probably ten years, so for that I am thankful.  And I did have quite a lot of starts this year (or near-starts!).  So that will be my focus going into 2016.....

OK, big breath!  Jenny Bean, Red House Sampler, Mary Gail, new repro Lucy, Hannah Pepper, Rachel Hyde, Ann Grimshaw, Ann Tarbox, Sarah Harris, and Heaven and Nature Sing! 

 

 PLENTY to work on in the New Year!  

In the past month, I did get back to the MET again, to see the sampler exhibit and the beautiful Angel Tree!  

 

I even took a stroll from the museum past Central Park.... which was still in autumn color....

 

All the way to the BIG TREE!  I had not been to Rockefeller Center in many years so I was ecstatic to see the Angels and Tree and all the shop windows!  

 

And St. Patrick's Cathedral too!  

 

It really is amazing how quickly the holidays come and go, all the hustle and bustle and family fun time.  I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday too.  

Bergdorf Goodman's window was rocking in style! 

It is New Year's Eve and I will spend a quiet time at home enjoying Ryan Seacrest's Rockin' New Year's Eve and putting some stitches in one of my near-starts from above.   I wish you All a wonderful New Year filled with happiness and love and lots of fun stitches!  xxxx