Friday, May 11, 2012

The House That Grew

In March I wrote a blog post but didn't have pictures yet, so I dawdled around...and then it was May.  Here's what happened in March...

Time marches on here at Chez Toadlily.  Pardon the old, tired March pun.  I get like that sometimes.

Lots of stitching going on this month.  I've had a few finishes, taken some (unintentional) creative license, and started a new work project.  First, the finishes:

La-D-Da - A Big Flower Sampler - This is stitched as charted on 32 count Queen Ann's Lace with GAST.
The center/blue of the flowers is Aged Pewter and the pale green of the letters is Lexington Green.  These are my two new favorite colors!  The Aged Pewter has traces of brown in it that echo the Tarnished Gold.  Amazing!  Edited to add:  I pulled back on the photo so you could see all of that luscious fabric around the edges - yum!

On a less happy note, I ran out of Tin Bucket.  Luckily I had finished the entire border, so I just frogged out the letters and started over with a new skein.  The skeins didn't exactly match, but this way it didn't matter.  I stitched the year under my initials ('12) but it looked so cluttered and goofy that I immediately ripped it out.  I LOVED stitching this project, watching the colors evolve and the design come together.  The border is simple yet stunning.  Lori, you rock! 

Bent Creek - Bee Strong Zipper - I finished this fun zipper in just a few days.
I skipped the letter charms that spell "Bee Strong."  They just didn't work for me;  you have my permission to bee whatever you want. 

For a new work project I started Home Sweet Home by La-D-Da.  (I had to have another Lori design in the works!)  I've changed it up in a BIG way.
I am stitching it on 20 count Summer Khaki over two with Watercolours.  This is not at all how it is designed, but I want a large finish similar to Bless This House.   I don't have much to show, just part of the first "E" in Sweet.  I am not sure how my color choices are going to work.  Time will tell.  ETA:  As you can see I have "SWE" now and the colors are fabulous!

I've been working on Lady Champagne by Lilybet this month.  My skein of Weeks for the main house color is a bit brighter on the fabric than I anticipated, so I've been calling her Lady Egg Yolk.  Lady Champagne's revenge was swift and sweet.  After finishing the house (except for the backstitching) and the smoky numbers I started on the tree.  I spent an entire evening trying to figure out why the tree was too short.  Everything checked out.  Repeatedly.  I whined.  A lot. 

Mark offered to look at it.  As I handed it to him he asked, "Are you sure it isn't the house?"  WHAT?  How could it be the house?  The roof came together perfectly, exactly as charted.  All of the windows matched up with the door, etc.  Be serious!  So I pulled out the picture of the design, just to see.  (Thank you Lilybet for a fantastic cover photo!  You can see individual stitches!)  Um, how did I end up with too many rows between the windows on each side?  But what about the door in the middle?  That means it is wrong too, and I stitched that when I started this project...in January of last year.

Has all of this incredible wrongness been lurking smack in the middle of this project for over a year?  Yes, sadly it has.  And no, I won't be remodeling.  It's wrong, but it looks fine.  We'll see what happens when I backstitch the wrought iron around the windows.  With luck it will still look fine!

ETA:  Here it is, all finished, and it really does look fine.  I decided to skip the metallic floss for the star and instead of French knots on the tree I used Smyrna crosses.  Lilybet designs are always fun to stitch!  So sad that they are no longer designing. 
Flash forward to May.  I've been working on Merry Christmas by Madame la Fee and I can't seem to put it down.  It is a nice mix of confetti stitching and boring borders.  I hope to tell you all about it sometime soon...with timely pictures.  Famous last words...

Friday, March 02, 2012

Where Did February Go?

Even with the extra day for leap year, I missed posting in February altogether.  I have a few finishes to share.  This is the Val's Stuff design from the JCS 2011 ornament issue.  It is for the Christmas in July ornament kit exchange at Violet Threads.  I made a few color changes so it would work better with fabric from my stash.  I have until the end of July to get the finishing completed.  Knowing me, I'll still be finishing it at the last possible minute. 
The Cocoa Samsarah Stocking is finished.  The cocoa in those cups looks like it has an oil slick on it - just awful - but I like the cuff.  I have moved on to the Bent Creek Bee Strong Zipper to stitch while I work.  In fact, it is almost finished.  It's a really small, really easy zipper. 
An update on Prairie Moon's Smoke flower - I love this fabric!  It is even more obnoxious in person.  The whimsy of this designs just makes me smile. 
For Mom's birthday, this is JBW's Country French lamb.  It stitched up quickly.  I left off the horn.  I ordered a frame for it from The Rusty Roof, via Amazon.  It was a fast, relatively inexpensive way to get a 6 x 6 frame in a style that I liked.  The project turned out fine and Mom says she loves it, but I'm not 100% happy with the way the frame was put together.  I would probably order from The Rusty Roof one more time, but for now I consider them to be on probation.  Has anyone else done business with them? 
Sweetpea Sampler by The Needle's Notion - This one is really rocking now that I have some more color on there.  I know this doesn't look like my normal "thing" but eventually there will be giant pea pods hanging over the little girl's head.  Trust me, it will get kooky.
This was another birthday gift for Mom.  It is the letter C for Cat from the country alphabet in BH&G's 2001 Cross Stitch Designs book.  The cat was charted black and grey, but I switched the colors to make it look like Mom's cat Sassy.  Joy thinks I got it right.  Hope Mom thinks so too!   Cute little frame, huh?
Last night I finished La-D-Da's A Big Flower Sampler.  I absolutely love how it turned out.  I'll post a picture when the Bee Strong zipper is finished and kill two birds with one big rock.  

Thanks to all hearty souls who still read my blog!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Last Gasp of 2011

If I hurry, I can squeeze in one more blog post this year.  Here is a run-down of my unblogged finishes for 2011.

First, Birdy Birdy by Sheepish Designs.  So much fun to stitch, all DMC all the time, and a simple yet inspired border.  Love this one!  Resides at Stitcher's Station, awaiting a frame.

I posted a picture previously of Comfort and Joy by Blue Ribbon Designs, but it was a wrinkled mess.  I wish the picture showed how beautiful the border is.  It almost looks like suede.  I debated about stitching the border, and I am so glad I did.  The chart is up for grabs.  Anyone?
This is how Reindeer Stocking by SamSarah turned out.  I am not loving the bulls eye noses, but it is what it is.  Frogging = not an option.
Mom and Me Forever hosted a Cherry Wood Design Studios trunk show a few months ago.  That's where I got this cute freebie.  The word "Boo" is stitched with glow-in-the-dark Kreinik.  Fun! 
This may be my favorite finish this year, Sow Good Seeds by Full Circle Designs.  Specialty stitches, cute buttons and wool applique added up to a really fun project.  I also enjoyed the gingham fabric, and honestly I didn't expect to.  There are several projects in this series, and I highly recommend them!
French Country Teddy Bear by JBW Designs was stitched for a friend.  I still need to do the finishing (deciding on how to finish it will be Step 1) and mail it to her.  When Mom saw it at Thanksgiving she remarked that it looks like lace.  Indeed it does!  It is stitched with Slate Blue Light Gloriana silk, one of the more delicious brands of silk in my stash.  Thanks Joy for the fabric!
By the Grace of God is an Olde Willow Design Works chart from the February 2004 Just Cross Stitch magazine.  It is a project that Jeanne gave me from Sue's estate, and it included the September Stars linen from Lakeside Linen as well as all of the OWD fibers.  The fabric is pale blue with white stars scattered across it.  I really enjoyed stitching this one!
The Shepherd's Bush Garden Needleroll I started in January is stitched but not finished into a needleroll.  The charm hasn't been attached yet.  I think the fabric is a little short on one end, so I have been hesitant to tackle the hemstitching.  (Sometimes "hesitant" means "I'd rather give up chocolate than endure this odious task.")

As 2011 ends, here is my CJC status:

Brightneedle - Can You Spy? - I think the tree in the center is done.  I haven't see it in a while.  It is over one, and I love over one but...hmmm, that is all.

Ewe & Eye & Friends - Petite Exemplary #1 - #4 - I only finished #1.  The remaining 3 will give me fun small projects to work on in 2012.

Full Circle Designs - Sow Good Seeds - Done!  This is one of those projects that you have to see in person, I think, to fully appreciate.

Goode Huswife - Reuben Rooster - Done, framed and on the bookcase in the living room.

La-D-Da - A Big Flower Sampler - All stems, no flowers.  Looking forward to this in 2012.

Lilybet Designs - Lady Champagne - Very little done but eager to pull it out soon.

Lizzie Kate - Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle - Stitched, no finishing.

The Needle's Notion - Sweet Pea Sampler - The girl in the middle is mostly done.  Miles to go on this one, but I am still excited about it.

Olde Willow Design Works - By the Grace of God - Done, currently resides in the finishes bin.  (Finishes no longer live in the cedar chest.  We call this "progress.")

Prairie Moon - Smoke Flower - Almost finished with the house in this design.  The house is the largest motif and once it is done the rest should sail right along.

Sheepish Designs - Precariously Perched - this project got switched to Birdy Birdy, which is Done!  Precariously Perched?  Not done.

Shepherd's Bush - Garden Needleroll - Stitched and not rolled.

Still Stitching with Susan Greening Davis - Stitched and still unfobbed.

Sweetheart Tree - Bountiful Acorns - Done!  Framed!  Fabulous!  Literally hanging on the wall!

With My Needle - Bunnies in the Garden - High on my list for 2012 finishes.

Final CJC score:   9 finished, 9 not finished.  I didn't really expect to finish them all, and frankly half is more than I really thought I would manage.  So hurrah for me! 

I am ending the year with 13 WIPs and 15 finishes.  Not too shabby!  The non-CJC WIPs that remain are:

Aury's Reindeer X-Mess - this one snuck into my stitching basket in September.  I have no idea how it happened.  Honest.

Madame la Fee - Merry Christmas - hardly touched in 2011, I am sad to say.  It is a beautiful design, but requires more intensive chart-reading than the primitive projects in my stash.  Too many nights my brain just can't wrap itself around multiple color changes; bring on simple.

SamSarah - Cocoa Stocking - still my work project.  I am making progress on the toe and still have the cuff to do.  I will take a stocking break when this one is finished.  I don't want to burn myself out on these - there are three more to go!

Sheepish Designs - Precariously Perched - the CJC project that wasn't.  It has hardly been touched since it was started, but it will make a nice "break" design between some of the bigger projects on the list.

The plan for 2012 is to do my own version of Measi's WIPocalypse 2012.  I never say never when it comes to starting something new (see Aury project above) but I will focus on finishing my WIPs.

So that wraps things up for 2011.  I leave you with a peek at this cute towel that Kristin stitched for me.
It was a surprise and it is so cheery it always brings a smile to my face when I see it.  Love you, girl!

Happy New Year, everyone!  See you in 2012!

Monday, November 28, 2011

A Few Framed Finishes

I can't believe it has been so long since my last blog entry.  I took a class this fall and that has cut down on my free time.  I guess I spent my free time stitching instead of blogging.

Over the summer I took several finishes to Stitcher's Station for framing and they did a fantastic job, as usual.  I took the framed pieces traveling with me over Thanksgiving weekend and my Dad took some really great pictures of them for me.  Thanks Dad!

This is Bountiful Acorns, a Sweetheart Tree needleroll design.  I love how it looks framed!
This is a French freebie (Quaker a 6 Mains, I think)  from the dim and distant past that took me approximately 1 million years to finish.  It was tough to find a frame that looked right.  Maybe it is the chocolate color of the fabric?  It is difficult to tell from the photo, but the frame has a bit of a sheen, almost a mother-of-pearl look.  Love it!
I turned this BOAF Happy Hearts design into a family sampler, and the frame is perfect for it.
At long last, My Home Town by CHS is framed.  I can't believe how the dark frame enhances the stitching.  I am really happy with how this turned out!
Other than the framing, stitching is going along pretty much as planned.  I will never get all of my Crazy January Challenge projects finished this year, but I knew from the beginning that for me it was more about getting things started rather than getting things finished. 

I just took a peak at my last blog post to see where I left off.  I am still stitching on the Samsarah stockings while I work.  I finished the reindeer and I am currently on stocking #3, the cups of cocoa.   I decided to stitch the border on Comfort and Joy by Blue Ribbon Designs, and it looks really good.  (The chart is up for grabs, if anyone is interested.) 

I made a muddle of the finishing for the Windows of Faith, Hope and Peace ornament but since we were exchanging ornament kits and not the ornaments themselves, I was saved from complete humiliation.  Mostly.  I finished Birdy Birdy by Sheepish Designs, and it is at Stitcher's Station for framing.

I have also started several other projects along the way, including a JBW for a friend with a new grandbaby and Aury's Reindeer X-mess.

That's about it!  I am hoping with my class almost over I can sneak in one more (or maybe two!) blog posts before the end of the year.  I would love to get some pictures of the finishes I mentioned above. 

Any rumors out there about what the crazy challenges will be this year?  I may need to participate in a WIP finishing challenge this time around.  I have way too many large projects in my stitching basket.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Sweet Sevens

Everything is coming up sevens right now.  I've finished 7 projects this year.  I currently have 17 works in progress.  Carol asked (a really, really long time ago) how many kitted-up projects I have sitting in the Diane bag - that magic number is 47.  See all of those sevens?  It must be time to rise above my apparent inability to blog on a regular basis and chat about stitching! 

While I wish I had more finishes to report, I really can't complain too much.  I am still stitching while I work (although it is much, much less during the summer months) and I get at least a few stitches onto the fabric most evenings.  Life does get in the way now and then, but that's normal.  Right?

So where did I leave off?  I was working on "Smoke Flower" by Prairie Moon and didn't post a picture.  Here is how the house currently looks.  Love this!
I started the Reindeer stocking by SamSarah and it is coming along slowly.  The reindeer at the heel is done and I am just getting started on the reindeer at the toe.  The Caron Watercolours I am using are beautiful and nicely variegated but I am stitching the reindeer noses in a circular fashion and I'm not sure I love the look.  I do know I don't want them to look striped.  I'm just not sure the circles work for me either.  Oh, and toe reindeer has an eyeball that is off by one stitch.  I am debating eye surgery.  I'll keep you posted.
I thought I finished the Blue Ribbon Designs "Comfort and Joy" design, but then I realized it called for a border.  Later that same week I decided to skip the border and call it done.  Yahoo!  Um, wait a minute. I took it to Rainbow Stitchers to show it off and decided it probably needed the border after all.  I've flipped more times than a pancake over this design.  My current thought is that I should go ahead and stitch the border.  It will make the framing easier and will probably look better.  I also have 3 skeins of floss to use for the border that aren't likely to get used any other way.  The border is specialty stitches, so while it will eat up the floss, it will be fun and shouldn't take too long.  Famous last words.  Here it is, sans border...while I continue to ponder.  Warning!  Wrinkles ahead!
I am leading a Just Cross Stitch ornament kit exchange at Violet Threads.  We are stitching from the 2010 ornament issue and I stitched the Primrose Needleworks design "Windows of Faith, Hope and Peace."  I used the recommended fabric and floss but I made it with all snowflakes instead of using the words.  The finishing still needs to be done and I have all of the supplies ready to go.  I seem to be lacking mojo.  I need to rustle some up, and soon!  We exchange ornament kits in less than two weeks.  Oh. My. Goodness.
My most recent finish is by Lizzie Kate, "Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle."  Finished at last!  It looks like the perfect ornament, except it is bigger than ornament size.  I can testify that it does not stitch up as quickly as you might think.  But don't let that discourage you, if you are thinking of giving it a go.  It is fun and I love the non-traditional colors.  It will make a nice little pillow.
I also finished "Bountiful Acorns" by The Sweetheart Tree.   May I rave (in a good way!) about Sweetheart Tree for a moment?  This design is one of their manila colored cards, printed in black with instructions on both sides.  I bet you have at least one in your stash, and maybe quite a few.  These are amazing designs in a deceptively simple presentation.  The directions are always great, the specialty stitches are fun, the fibers are gorgeous and the beads, treasures, etc. add just the right amount of bling.  "Bountiful Acorns" is designed to be finished as a needleroll, but plan to frame mine.  It is beautiful!  If you haven't stitched a Sweetheart Tree design, give them a try. 
While I really should be working on one of my large CJC projects, I find myself drawn to "Birdy, Birdy" by Sheepish Designs.  I love the colors a lot.  You might notice the shading in the blue and golden brown letters.  It is stitched with different DMC colors, not a variegated/overdyed thread.  Ah, the good old days!  How silly is that?  Notice too that I have already stitching the year on this project.  Even sillier!
I must confess that most of this post was written several days ago.  Since then I have kitted up a few more projects, BUT they are not in Diane yet so officially the count is still 47.  That is my story.  I am sticking to it!

Friday, May 06, 2011

Bunny Do-Over and Other News

My head is spinning as I try to remember all of my stitching news.  I guess it is better than having no stitching news at all!

I've made progress on several CJC projects.  I completed the tree in the middle of Brightneedle's "Can You Spy?" design.  The picture is rather off-center, but it is more true to color than the others I took.
Can you spy the "mistakes" in the tree?  This is an awesome design.

My title for this post refers to "Bunnies in the Garden" by With My Needle.  So what's up with the Bunnies?  Do-over?  Yup.  I love Summer Khaki fabric, but it was not making my socks roll up and down for this project.  I ripped out what I started in January and restarted.
When Joy was here in February she gave me some fabric (thanks, Sis!) and I put a piece of it to work here.  It is 32 count linen from MCG Textiles, the color is Oyster.  Normally I am a fan of sparse, scratchy linen, but I like the nubby texture and heavier weight for this project. Plus it looks fantastic!  My only worry now is whether or not I will have enough Olde Willow floss - in the right dye lots - to complete all of the pieces.  I can't wait to actually stitch a bunny!  We have a crop of baby bunnies in our back yard and they are a hoot to watch.

The next contestant is Full Circle Designs "Sow Good Seeds."  This is so cute!
The roof will be a wool applique, so the house will be roof-free until the bitter end.  It sure looks funny with that chimney hanging in the middle of nothing!

This week I have been working on "Smoke Flower" by Prairie Moon.  Sorry, no picture this time!  I'm focusing on the house for now and will be ready to move on to something new - a new start, in fact - very soon.

A CJC finish!  Be amazed!  This is "Still Stitching by the Sea," a class project by Susan Greening Davis.
This was a great little project.  It is full of specialty stitches, has some over one, and the colors are a wee bit outside of my comfort zone.  The ribbon in the picture came with the kit, and is to be ruched for use as a hanger.  I adore the ribbon, but sadly I think it is too dark and "heavy" looking for the lighter, beachy colors in the project.  The good news is that Kathy and Ilene found some ribbon for me at Paducah.  Thanks girls!  I can't wait to see it.  I almost forgot to mention, the "sea" behind the house is done with a woven plait stitch.  It was my favorite part of the project.

Ta Da!  The stitching is done on the Sugarplum stocking.  The picture doesn't do the colors justice. 
I have moved on to the Reindeer stocking. No picture this time, but I am making good progress.


My framed finish, "Garden of Life" by Blackbird Designs almost didn't make it to the guild challenge.  The sky was ugly and storms were on the way.  I wrapped it up in a pillow case to keep it safe...and left it safe and sound on the kitchen table!  I didn't miss it until I started unpacking the car at guild.  Groan!  My husband the hero came out in the storm and met me half way.
I was thrilled to win 1st place in the Stitchery category!  Susan's theme for the challenge was "Oh to be a Bride Again" and she made garters for ribbons.  She is so creative, and the garter is adorable.  Big hugs for Mark, you really are my hero!

I think that wraps things up for now.  It's time to stitch!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Blah Blah Blah, With Pictures

What would I do without my Sugarplum project?  Everything else is constantly in flux, but I always seem to have news about this stocking.  I am still stitching while I work and now the toe of the stocking is done.
I started on the cuff this morning.  I am even beginning to think about which stocking to start next.  It is fun to have so many stockings to choose from.

From the CJC files, I have been working on La-D-Da's "A Big Flower Sampler" and made good progress.  I love how curvy and organic this project is.
I have also been working on Lizzie Kate's "Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle."  This project makes me smile. 
For a while the only words I had stitched read "Don't Get Tinsel" and that made me laugh.  I am not into tinsel, tangled or otherwise.  I really want to stitch several of these, but I need to sew fabric to the linen I'm using or stash-dive for different linen.  This piece is too small for my q-snaps.  Whine!

Last night I finished framing a project I stitched in 2009.  In 2007 Sharon sent me a crazy-wonderful RAK that included Blackbird Designs "Garden of Life," fully kitted.  It has been in the cedar chest waiting for framing inspiration.  Earlier this year I moved my finishes out of the cedar chest and decided it was past time to get this beauty on the wall. 
I bought the frame from the antique mall down the street.  It is a new, mass-produced frame but I think it looks great.  Thanks again, Sharon!  You rock!

Now it is time to get busy with the dreaded 1980's quilt project.  The guild UFO challenge ends in May.  I have decided to use prairie points for the binding.  I love prairie points!  Oh, and I don't have enough fabric for prairie points so shopping is required.  I love shopping!  Would anyone like to predict whether or not I can locate some pastel calico fabric that will look right with this 25 year old quilt top?  Wish me luck!

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Marching On

Time is marching on.  I really don't know where February went.  I was sick most of the month.  I do feel better now but my voice is still not 100%.  That's not the best thing when you talk on the phone for a living!

The "main event" in February was Mom's birthday celebration.  We managed to surprise her, not an easy feat to pull off.  Anna made her a beautiful cake.  We missed Steve, but our hearts were with him and his family.  Joy and I had a great time traveling together.  Big thanks to Tim and his family for all they did to make the weekend a success!

I've been rummaging around in my stitching basket, trying to figure out what I've accomplished, if anything.  I have pictures to share.  Warning - not a thing has been ironed...

On the 18th I mentioned that I wanted to get a little more done on the Olde Willow project.  Mission accomplished! 
Joy fell in love with the fabric.  If you have a source for September Star linen. please let me know.  It is 28 count, dyed by Lakeside Linen a long time ago.

I finished the first Petite Exemplary by E&E&F.  I am stitching all four designs together, so while it does count as a finish (by my twisted reckoning) the project itself is not finished. 
The chart calls for stitching your initials in the upper corners, but no alphabet is included with the design and frankly my initials did not lend themselves to the space provided.  I decided to skip the initials and repeat some of the motifs.

Things are busy at work and that means more stitching time.  I finished the sugarplum at the heel of the stocking.
Tomorrow I will start the sugarplum at the toe.  I like the idea of leaving the cuff for last - it should be simple to count and easy to complete.

My current project is from CJC Day 1, Lizzie Kate "Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle."  Not much progress yet but it is nice to see a few more colors emerge.
My stitching is about to take a back seat while I focus on two guild projects.  I need to frame one of my stitching finishes for the President's Challenge.  The challenge is in April.  The good news is that I have the frame.  Thus ends the good news.  Honestly I just need to knuckle down and get it together.  Framing is not my favorite thing.

The guild UFO challenge ends in May.  I need to finish a quilt I started in the 80's.  I have some hand quilting left to do and the binding.  I keep looking at it, but looking never leads to quilting.  Funny how that works.  One more project that needs knuckles. 

Many thanks to everyone still checking in here at Toadlilyville.  I am kind of afraid to open my blog reader, it has been so long.  I really want to come see what you are stitching...and maybe take a peek at market purchases.

Lastly I want to say my thoughts are with Lisa Roswell's family.  May you find the peace that passes understanding.

Friday, February 18, 2011

A CJC February Update

I've been sick so not there has not been a lot of stitching going on.  I made some progress on "By the Grace of God" by Olde Willow Stitchery.  I want to get started on the house before I put this one down.
Here is my current progress on "Sugarplums."  It is my work project and I haven't worked very much in the past week (laryngitis) but when I did work a few hours I made pretty good progress.
My sweet Mom has a birthday coming up this weekend.  Happy Birthday, Mom!  Love you so much!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Toadlily Time Machine - April 2008

There has been very little stitching since I put down "Sweetpea Sampler."  We have been busy in the evening and I haven't been in my stitching chair at all.  I really want to blog more but what is there to talk about if I'm not stitching?  I've been thinking I should go back through my list of finishes for the years I hardly blogged at all and share pictures. 

Today's time machine journey takes us to April of 2008, almost 2 years ago.  For the set-up, we need to go back a few more years.  In 2005 Deborah at Midsummer Night Designs released "Deftly Wrought:" and I fell in love with it.  After seeing my post about it, Deborah surprised me by sending the chart to me.  (Thanks again, Deborah!)  I started stitching it right away, during Thanksgiving weekend in 2005, and posted a progress picture in December.  That's where I left you hanging!
I finished the sampler in April of 2008. It is framed and hanging on the wall. It is still one of my favorite projects. I love the verse, the colors and the mix of over 1 and over 2.  Instead of personalizing the 3rd mini-sampler with my name I just put "me" and added a little greenery.