Good Progress on the New England Sampler

Here is a scan of the New England Sampler pattern cover. I discovered in looking at the actual cover that even the original is blurry! No wonder my photos come out blurry! This is very unsatisfactory when I'm trying to examine the picture to clarify a question I have on the pattern and all there is is blurr. I've even looked on the internet for a clearer picture and this is all there is. I did find another blogger working on this piece but she's done the top part down to the start of the state names whereas that's basically where I've started and I'm currently working down from there.

Today is my last day on this rotation and I'm just about at a good stopping point as well. Probably 2-3 hours work on it today will have me finishing the flowers and the purple separating line below the nautically themed band. I'm not sure if in this case it is good to stop there because it leaves me with two options on starting up again. Either do the village life band at the bottom or the historical band above the state names--or even count my way to the top of the sampler and work there. No too risky if I miscount. I'd rather do one of the bands adjacent to where I've already worked. So is flexibility good or should I choose one band and do a few stitches so that I'm committed to a choice for next time? Maybe I'll do a poll on this.

My next rotation is a new project! I'm going to start this small Juniper Designs project which will be a Xmas present for my sister.



Although I was told that the kit came with enough fabric and floss for both versions it disappointingly only came with one set of floss colours and it uses Ginnie Thompson Flower thread which I don't have a lot of. One version is in bright colours and the other is in darker 'country' colours. Well the kit contained two pieces of linen--one dark brown and one 'natural' but there was only the 'country' colored floss. I don't think the kit had been tampered with at all. So I'm going to use the 'natural' linen and the 'country' coloured floss. I think it will look nice. My sister is a quilter and she has a book shelf like the one pictured in the project filled with fat quarters filed by colour. We'll see how long the project takes as now I have two Christmas projects in the queue to get done.

I thought I should formalise my rotations as they will stand at the moment. So here are the projects I am rotating:

1. Golden Gate Bridge--55% complete (this is a small project so should finish quicker)

2. Verandas of South Battery--50% complete

3. New England Sampler--25% complete

4. The Fabric Collector--new project (but a small one!)

5. Map of Australia--80% complete (This one is a real pain with half and quarter stitches plus I'm changing the pattern and not really sure what I'm going to do with it. I am completing the border, however, so a good push on this should have me finish it soon.)

To be added into the rotation after July:

6.Felt Christmas Calendar--85% complete.

What I hope to finish this year:

Certainly #1 the Golden Gate Bridge. That's a smallie.

#5 The Map of Australia if it doesn't drive me crazy first.

#6 The Christmas calendar.

Obviously #4 The Fabric Collector if it's to be a Christmas present needs to be finished well before Christmas.

Then there are other projects (quilting) that I'm considering for this year. I have a collection of bright coloured flannel to make a lap quilt for my daughter. She keeps nagging me about this. I also have a lovely Civil War quilt kit to make a new quilt for my bed. I don't have photos of either of these but I'll put them up soon. If I start on these then obviously cross-stitch is going to fall behind. I'll just have to see what my priorities are.

Over the next two weeks my son is having some private French tutoring and I'm planning on sitting outside the tutor's house while he has his lesson and cross-stitching. So I should make some real progress!