Welcome to Episode 10 of the Curious Crafters FlossTube. We're two sisters who love handcrafting and figuring things out! In this episode Anna and I discuss what we're wearing, share our Sampler September progress and other WIPS, show two historic samplers from our extended family, show a few new shared supplies, and end with our Thumbs Up. Along the way there is lots of chit-chat and a toast. Ready? Let's Go!
Show Notes
What Are We Wearing?
Anna is wearing School Dress #1 (Simplicity 8570). She used a barkcloth fabric purchased from Stone Mountain and Daughter in Berkeley. Anna loves how this wrap dress wraps in the back so that it stays closed.
Carolyn is wearing the Soldotna Crop designed by Caitlin Hunter. Carolyn used 4 colors of Farmer’s Daughter’s Juicy D.K, which she bought from Brooklyn General Store when visiting her son and daughter-in-law in Queens.
Parallel Play
Anna and Carolyn are having a blast stitching 3 of the same patterns at the same time — our version of toddler’s “Parallel Play”. Here are our 3 projects side-by-side
Seasons of the Heart: Winter — Designed by Brenda Gervais. Anna and Carolyn are both stitching this using Katie Strachan’s silk conversion kits. Anna’s is on the right and Carolyn’s is on the left. We are both loving the silks and Carolyn is having a hard time going to bed once she gets started.
BH 1820 — Designed by Queenstown Sampler Designs. Carolyn is stitching 1 over 2 on Lakeside Linen’s Vintage Bisque 36-count linen using the called for NPI silks for the original colors of the sample. Anna is stitching 1 over 2 on XJuDesign’s Light Nougat 36-count linen using the called for over-dyed cottons for the aged, antique colors of the sampler. We’re giddy with excitement seeing how the different colors faded over time.
The Fruits of Plenty — Designed by Modern Folk Embroidery. Carolyn is stitching 1 over 2 on Zweigart’s 32-count linen that she indigo dyed using NPI silk 991BB. Anna is stitching 1 over 2 on Zweigart Charcol 32-count lineent using DMC B5200. We are both finding our bi-weekly assignments to be just the right motivation to keep us going on this huge project.
Works In Progress
Jane Hardy 1840 — Designed by Hands Across the Sea Samplers and stitched by Carolyn 2 strands over 2 threads on Zweigart’s Light Sand 28-count linen using the called for DMC threads. Jane and Carolyn have totally bonded and Carolyn is convinced they would have been friends if they knew each other. In particular Carolyn loves Jane’s vibrant colors and her “go for it” attitude.
We’re Curious: Historic Samplers
In honor of Sampler September we wanted to share two historic samplers from our extended families.
The Farm Sampler — This sampler was stitched by Eliza (Holland Wright Fisher) in the late 1800s at a dame school when she was 8 years old. This piece hangs in our ancestral farm house from our father’s side. Anna loved this sampler as a young girl, and then charted and started stitching it in her 20s. Anna! It’s so fabulous — finish it girl!
YaYa’s Sampler — Carolyn’s husband fondly remembers this sampler from his cousin’s house when he was growing up. His uncle was a Greek who was born and raised in Egypt and this sampler was stitched by his uncle’s mother – YaYa – in 1908 when she was about 10. Thank you to the Marcou family for sharing this photo. Carolyn hopes to stitch this sampler for her husband.
Thumbs Up
Our Thumb Up prompt this episode was “3 inspiring things from the Flosstube community”.
Carolyn is inspired by the bold linen choices Olivia (OliviaB) and Sheri (ColoradoCrossStitcher) selected for stitching A Quaker Dwelling by Kathy Barrick, the master knitting skills of Megan (The Seattle Stitcher), and all the retreat news and hauls shared by many of you!
Anna is inspired by the visual feast of all the cross stitch she sees, the bond around a common love of stitching, and seeing the faces & gestures and hearing the voices on FlossTube.