My MW is done!

I finished MW last night. Check it out.

I love it and can't wait to frame it.

Tommye

Checking in

All the works in progress are beautiful. I've just begun. After searching for the materials and getting them in order, my father passed away on June 8. Getting back to a regular routine was/is hard. I went and downloaded part 9 and I would say that I'm a little behind. Hopefully I will start to catch up soon. Elaine

more progress on my mary...i am still liking the 5 colors...dk. purple/light purple/green/pink/golden...hubby is on nights this week so i'll have my evenings to stitch! ☺

Yoyo - Progress

My camera is going on another vacation without me this week so I thought I'd update my progress for you. I have had a little trouble with frogs, but mostly where Mary herself became asymetrical and I didn't watch the chart close enough.
clickable - it's a real close up
and very large file in case you are on dial-up

Yoyo Progress 3 -- Mary Wigham sampler
over 1 on 40 ct Lakeside Linens V. Lt. Examplar
Over-dyed Conversion Threads (list posted here)

If you do click to the larger photo you can barely see the first set of initials (SH -- below the yellow and above the blue) but you probably can't actually make them out. And I have three different threads that are almost that color, so off to the LNS for me. I'll need these three colors replaced with something that can be seen. I've just skipped over to part two instead of doing the really light colored flowers in the center of part one. I am finding this to be a very fun stitch and hope that you are enjoying your's just as much.

I do read all your posts here on this blog, but I have an eye disease which really limits my computer screen-time so I can't comment to all of you. But I love seeing where you are, what you've done with the design and the colors. Thank you all for your wonderful posts and pictures.

Happy Stitching,
            





My Blog
My Photo Albums

Update #8 - one step forward, two steps back

Good day, my fellow stitchers!

I have had a rather challenging time with Mary. I ended up having to take out a motif that I had spent 2 1/2 weeks to complete. I have very limited stitching time, and so, having to take out stitches on a motif is not my idea of fun.

Click here for details on my one step forward, two steps back Mary update for the week.

Meanwhile, happy stitching!

Update

This is how far I have gotten. It is slow going. I have changed colors and redone charting. It has been so hot that I haven't had the desire to stitch. The heat has finally broken and I am getting going. Slowly but surely. As you can see it is really small. 1 over 1 on 28ct Jobalan.

I'm catching up!

Hi everyone,

I love seeing everyone's progress here. All the different colorways are fascinating.

My MW is really getting close. Check her out!

My Latest Progress

Hello co-stitchers!
I find it very interesting and useful to read everyone's messages here and watch everyone's progress. Isn't it amazing how different the sampler looks in the different palettes we are using? Everyone's version is so pretty and unique!
Well, here is what I've stitched since my previous post.I still enjoy stitching it a lot and wish I had more time.
Happy stitching!

I can't write comments!!!

And it's so frustrating!! I tried a gazillion times to say thank you to Ellen in my posts, I also tried to comment in recent posts and I can't in any of them. I write the message and select the id, click publish and they disappear!!

Is there anyone else with the same problem? It just happens in this blog, I tried in other blogspot and no problem at all

Mary Update

Hi Everyone!

Here are pics of my Mary as of last night. The first picture is my entire sampler and the 2nd one is the updated stitching. I made a little change to the 2nd large mortiff at the top. The one white heart that pointed down bothered me, so I changed it to blue. I also added couching to the right & left hearts -- didn't like the way the straight stitches looked. Totally arbitrary changes but I am happier with it now.

Enjoy!

Marcy

Here is Mary at Heart Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in norther New York State. We are in the midst of the High Peaks region and the home of the Aderondack chair which are located on the dock for much needed relaxation! I didn't even have to cook so had nothing to do all day except stitch with Mary!! Rough trip!

Barb

Problem with tilt board

Is anyone else having a problem with the tilt viewer. Not only can i not open the parts to the patterns but i can't visit the other countries as well, to see their works. Am i doing something wrong or what. Please advise i am getting so frustrated with that.

Update #7

Hello Everyone,

I have enjoyed reading everyone's progress on this blog. I found the pink motif quite a doozie to stitch. So, please make sure you count, count, count before making any stitches. Even though the pink motif turned out to be quite a doozie, I happened to like it a lot! It ranks way up there among my favorite motifs thus far.

Please click here for close-up pictures. Please leave a comment so that I know where to visit you back.

Happy Stitching!

Latest Progress

Here is my latest progress. I am not sure which I enjoy more stitching this piece or looking at all the wonderful pictures of Marys from around the world. The pictures are so well done. I just bought a digital camera in June and am still learning to use it. I am struggling a bit trying to get good pictures. Any suggestions on the best way to photograph this needlework would be appreciated.

Happy stitching,
Brenda

VIVA, MARY WIGHAM!

I have managed to complete the stitching for Part Three; preparing to begin Part Four. There are more pictures on my blog if you would like to check them out. The Chatelaine and Laying Tool are Dazzling Ornaments creations which happen to be in pink!



Hope you are staying cool and "In The Pink" while stitching your Mary Wigham Sampler. I have been reading the various blogs and just lavishing in all those glorious color schemes. Aren't they fabulous? (I have been taking notes for future samplers.) Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this awesome SAL!

I am at: silverthreadsgoldenneedle.blogspot.com

Part 8 is up!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello fellow Mary Stitchers. Part 8 of the SAL is now up!!! I just downloaded & printed mine!
I am so far behind. I cannot wait until I get this splint off of my finger! My stitching will improve so much!
Have fun stitching! Keep up the great work & keep posting!
Shari

Just starting!

This is my first post about Mary. I had to wait a couple of weeks for my LNS to order my linen which delayed my start on her. I'm using 40 count Lambswool with Bella Soie silks. It's coming out a little more pastel than I thought it would but I am loving it so far. I might tweek the colors a little as I go along.

Mary Wigham week 7

I inserted one of my little creatures in this week's installment. I added a butterfly in Mary's Garden. You can find a closer picture as well as the butterfly chart on my blog


Thanks for your comments and have a wonderful week

Aury

My Progress

Such as it is. This was taken at Needle in a Haystack, Alameda CA, on Saturday, July 18.
The floss is GAST "Mulberry."

very little start

I am picking this up for an evening stitch while I watch Mystery!. Marjo in Alaska

Question

What is everyone using when they stitch. Are you holding it in your hand, using Q-Snap frame etc

I started on a Q-Snap and then changed to holding it in my hand, but find that gets hard after a while. Please let me hear from you.

Pat in Texas

Officially Started

I got a few stitches into Mary late last night in my motel room, and managed a bunch more today. But that half-medallion in the upper left corner is just a bit under half done right now. Pictures later--one showing my progress and one showing it being worked on at Needle in a Haystack in Alameda (California).

At last!

I have finally gotten a "good start" on my Mary Wigham Sampler. I do not say that in jest. This is at least the fourth start I've done. The first was begun over-one on 32 ct Creme Irish Linen which I wasn't all that fond of but which is a nice fabric. But since after 50+ years of stitching I still can't count I botched the first motif so many times I thought I might actually quit. At some point when I had that motif totally frogged out and had set the design aside in frustration I was looking through my stash for something else and finally ran across the perfect fabric for Mary. I had really wanted a fabric that looked 'old' or had an 'old time' feel to it and I found a flea-market-find which reminded me of the tea dyed sheets I started stitching on when I was five years old. Again, I had to frog out the entire first motif at least twice. When I eventually got that first one right the next three motifs just went by in a breeze. So finally, here is my first bit of progress. I'm using Melissa's over-dyed conversion, but when I put in the "SH" initials using GAST Lambswool it did not show up at all, as you can see in the photo. That gives me little hope for GAST Shaker White and GAST Flax, so all three of those threads will probably be changed as soon as I can find replacements.

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to tell you I'm using a backwards tent stitch, which Grandma called the "cheating stitch for small stitching stitch" for lazy stitchers like me. You just put in the second half of your cross stitch, that is so that it looks like the normal "top" of a cross stitch and if the fabric is high-count and you don't look too close it 'looks like' it's 'cross stitched'. Since I am lazy, I love this stich (LOL).

Yoyo Progress 1 -- Mary Wigham Sampler
40 ct Lakeside Linens Vintage Light Examplar
Over-dyed Conversion Threads (by Melissa)

Happy Stitching,
            

my mary wigham

hi, i'm terri from illinois and i am working on mary wigham as well! after starting her on rather scratchy 32 ct. linen using bright pastels, i changed my game plan and started over on 28 ct. lugana (super soft) using weeks dye works floss - my color choices? tafetta - a darkish purple, plum - a lighter purple, romance - a deep pink, cappuccino - a light golden brown and cadet - a dusky green...she won't be an exact repro and that is what i am loving - making mary my own! thank you for the invite to this blog, shari!

terri
my blog - purple and paisley

I Got The Call!!

Yesterday, from my LNS, but couldn't post because of the spambot issue. Diana called while I was on my morning bike ride, so I cut that short so I could cruise by the shop before work. I'll be on a stitching road trip to the Bay Area this weekend, and Mary is my take-along project. It's PTP's "Heritage" Lugana 32. I've picked a bunch of overdyed threads from my stash that I'll be using.

Progress as of 7-11-09

I am really enjoying MW. Even DH likes this one although he questions some of my colors..men. We're both amazed that she was only 9 years old when she started this. I've tried to stick to the way it is charted and can really empathize with her struggle as some of the motifs are a certainly a challenge. LOL

I wish to thank Needleprint and Shari of the USA blog for all of your encouragement, support and especially the resources you have provided. This has been my most enjoyable SAL.Thanks a bunch.

Shay

We are back

It seems that the blogger's robot not only targeted this blog but a couple of other busy blogs that I follow.

Seems all is well now.

Now for me and my Mary. I have been delayed in starting because I couldn't make up my mind on what colors/fabric I wanted to us and then to see all the wonderful combinations, it didn't help.

After much searching and some digging through my stash and I have settle on ash rose, 18ct aida and the recommended DMC with some Carrie's Creations thrown in.

I started the Beatrix Potter SAL, but did more frogging than stitching, just didn't like my colors. It has set in my work basket not touched for the last few months. I'm going to start over on that one also and make these two companion pieces using the same ash rose and colors.

Hopefully I'll have some pictures after the weekend.

Keli

Did anyone else read this message? I find it rather odd.

Your blog is marked as spam
Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.

We received your unlock request on July 15, 2009. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.

Decisions, decisions-- the late great start!

Finally I got my act together and my supplies!  Better late than never!  A trip to Everything Cross Stitch in Fredericksburg, Virginia bagged the above Belfast linen 32 count in flax.  Since I was already the late starter here, I decided to just go with the very lovely DMC colors the chart calls for.  But, I got home and started looking online (always a bad idea...) and decided to order the Mary Wigham package of silk threads from Hand Dyed Fibers.  They arrived on my doorstep in a jiffy and I was ready to go.  I do not typically use a frame so I was really ready to go.  Silk threads are new to me and boy are they a pleasure to work with.  Such lovely even stitches and just saturated with even the most subtle of colors.  Right now I have one tiny section of the first segment completed so no pictures yet until more is done.  Not shown in the photo but soon to come is my big companion in stitching, my 23 pound orange Manx kitty, Mango, who nestles in next to Mom (I'm a cat and dog Mom!) on the bed while she stitches.  It's fun seeing everyone's progress and I have alot of catching up to do so best get to it and shut this down!  Happy stitching, everyone! 

Part one is finished.

One down and 8 to go......yesssss!!!! I was so proud of myself today i finished part one and i am ready to start part 2 tomorrow. I just love the way this sampler is looking, the colors are just beautiful together. Let me also say to you all who are posting updates. that i love each and every color combination. I really didnt think i would like the red version, but it is just beautiful. It amazes me to see one pattern look so different just because of thread or fabric color choices. I hope that when everyone is done that there will be a finished photo album. Not just for the usa, but for the world and everyone who has finished this Most beautiful sampler be able to post their finished sampler. I hope you all stick to this sal and finish this sampler. I am for one a proud stitcher to be part of the biggest SAL i have ever heard about. I wonder if there is a total count from each participating country. I would love to know. Well it is soon off to lalal land for me, as 5:00 am comes way to soon. So good night to all and God Bless.

Jeanie b

Precious Little to Show

Well ladies, I have not made much progress at all. I'm glad I'm not the only one on the slow boat to finishing!


You won't be surprised at my small showing when you see where I attempted to get some stitching done...

I have started to work in a little brown with my blues, and have decided to exchange all of the initials with ones from my own family, leaving room for nieces and nephews that are sure to come in the future. I had to take out one set of initals, but the SH gets to stay in honor of my niece Savannah.

Slowly but surely ...

I wasn't able to get much stitching done this past week but I decided to post my progress anyway.
This is the first SAL I have participated in and I am having a really good time, stitching and seeing the other beautifully done Mary's. Thanks to everyone for such a nice experience.
--Marcy

Mary Update

Hello my "Mary" friends,

Greetings to you. I hope you are still enjoying Mary.

I am still stitching in Part 1, although I have ventured a bit to Parts 2 and 4 to complete a motif. I have had to take out stitches when it came to the cream flower motif. That was a doozie to stitch -- so make sure you count it once, check it twice, before you stitch, especially if you are stitching over 1. Taking out stitches over 1 is NOT fun!

Please go to http://ivoryspring.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/mary-wigham-part-6/for more pictures.

In stitches,
Ivory Spring

Mary Wigham progress

I've tried to stick to the way it is charted and can really empathize with Mary. She must have struggled with some of the motifs a few have certainly been a challenge. Even DH likes what I have done so far and he is not person that likes abstracts. My tastes must be rubbing off on him. :-))

I wish to thank Needleprint and Shari of the USA blog for all of your encouragement, support and especially the resources you have provided. This is my most enjoyable SAL experience.
Happy Stitching
Shay

TEN DAYS & COUNTING

It is hard to capture just the correct color of the fabric and the floss. Both are more of a warm spectrum, rather than the cool, as depicted below.



The view outside of pink geraniums blooming on the patio. Perhaps their colors had some influence when I was choosing the pink shades of floss!



It has been ten days since the stitching on Mary W. began. This shows the progress accomplished so far. I probably would be at least one or two motifs further along if it were not for the frogging! Oh how I hate that awful, & pesky pest! You would think by now I could count better.

The geranium blooms on the fabric are some of the pink ones from just outside the glass door from the garden-room where I stitch. It is especially cool in that room, no air-conditioning needed even though it is in the high 90's outside. May you have a wonderful week, & stay cool while counting your stitches.

Wawanna

http:/silverthreadsgoldenneedle.blogspot.com

Dying to Start!

Everyone's progress and color combinations are looking fantastic! I'm so envious. I finally went to my LNS only to discover they didn't have a piece of linen big enough in the color I wanted to take on this project. I'll be sitting on the sidelines a little longer until my linen arrives.

Be happy in your stitches...

Mary Started

I was finally able to start working on Mary over the weekend. As you can see I did not get very far, but I am loving this sampler. Mary's mistake on the star really threw me but I got over it.

Part 7 is up!

Happy Monday to all of you, fellow Mary Stitchers!!!!! I just checked the needleprint website & part 7 is up already!!! I so miss working on my Mary, but I must work on the triplets birth sampler. I don't want them to be a year old when I give it to them!!!
Happy Mary stitching & happy Monday everyone!
Shari

MW weekend

I worked on MW all weekend until my rear end went to sleep. Check it out. http://stitchingandbeading.blogspot.com

Moving right along with Mary

I am moving right along on my Mary Wigham. I hope to finish off part one by monday or thursday. I dont know if i mentioned but i changed my fabric from white belfast to a 28 ct r&r antique cotton. It is just perfect for this project. I also now have a stitching partner close by and we are stitching this together. She is a designer, her name is Gaberiel, and her designs are Treasured Samplers. Gaberiel and i met in the er, i was the patient and she was the worker. We have become very good friends and enjoy stitching together when ever we can. Infact it was she who alerted me to this sal. Well here is a update Pic on my Mary.

Mary - Week 6

I've stitched 2/3 , three more weeks and it will be finished. It will be a sweet and sour finish, I've developed a special love with this piece and even when I want to see it done I will definitely miss working on her


There is a closest pic on my blog :D

Aury

Off to the Mountains

Tomorrow I am taking Mary to the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York. I'm afraid I will have nothing to do all week but sit and stitch and watch mother nature crawl by! We will be camping so there is a comfortable chair before a fireplace for Mary and I to relax in. I will take a photo of her at the lakeside in an Adirondack chair.

Barb

Here is my Mary Wigham. I am not as far along as I had hoped due to traveling and teaching.

My progress will be slowing down ....my daughter and her family (with our 18-month old grandson) are here for a visit. Shortly after that I'm off to teach in Austin.

Ellen

Greetings from Illiinois

Just thought I'd stop by and let you know that I have indeed begun stitching. I'm using a creme Irish Linen of 36ct and stitching over 1 using the over-dyed conversion posted by Melissa...I would dearly love to show my first progress picture but my darling hubby has taken my camera off fishing. I have enjoyed reading all your posts and will snap a picture as soon as my camera returns. I downloaded part 6 this morning and really can't wait to get that far, but I'm going very carefully as I do not like to frog over 1 stitching, so it might take me awhile to get there. Stitch well and enjoy.

Yoyo
My Blog, home of the Totally Useless SAL, come on over and join the fun.
My Photo Albums

Planning My Sampler

Hi Everyone,

I have finally decided and ordered my fabric for my Mary Wigham sampler.  I've also been working out my colors.  I hope to have something to share with everyone in a week or two.  :-)

I've enjoyed watching everyone's progress!

Cynthia

Windy Meadow

Progress-Slow but Steady

This what I have to show for my effort. A small but, none the less done piece. As you can see I have started the next motif on the right. I am using a green color, but it does not show here. Not enough yet I guess. I just love seeing all the different color combinations everyone is using.

Mary Wigham is coming right along

I'm really enjoying working this sampler despite the schoolgirl errors. Check out my progress.

http://stitchingandbeading.blogspot.com

Finally, I've gotten started....

Here is my Mary Wigham progress so far.



I've had a heck of a time just getting this far. If you want to read all the gorey details, you can do so at my blog, I'm not going to recount it all here. But I did want to repeat the part that I think we can all relate to the most.

The 'mistakes' in the pattern. I have tried really, really hard to follow the actual pattern as it was downloaded (yeah, I know...don't follow the color choice, but pick the design to be puritanical about), but the inconsistencies are driving me crazy. I'm fixing the errors as I see them and as I go. And while I realize Mary was only nine when she did this, as I picked out that first motif for the seventh and final time, all I kept (ungraciously, I know) thinking was: where was her sewing instructor while little Mary was making all these mistakes?

One of my pioneer ancestors at 11 years old was given a journal the day before her family set off from the East coast to the West. Now, we know this because she, quite bitterly (yes, I do come by it honestly) and with a vocabulary better than most high school graduates, recorded receiving this stupid journal, which she now had to write in each and every day, while her brothers got pocket knives, boots, hats, and in one case, a rifle, i.e. the "good" gifts.

What stands out in my mind was the entry she made regarding her mother's method of schooling. She had to do it in cross stitch. Here's this very smart and very disgruntled 11 year old, after traveling was done, having to then do all this needlepoint instead of being able to play with her brothers and peers, and she's recounting--very, very bitterly--about trying to hurry and finish her stitching just as fast as possible so she could play, too. And her mother caught her doing it and smacked her hands. Five times. Each. And then, not only did she have to rip out everything and start all over again, but she had to do it with hurting hands AND it was dark before she finished so she never did get to play. Not with anyone. She had to go to bed instead. Stupid journal. Stupid stitching. And she was going to "lose" them both in the first river they came to.

I don't know about the stitching, but fortunately, she changed her mind regarding the journal. :) Have a good week and may your stitches all be neat, straight, and properly, unhurriedly placed.

My Mary Update

Mary finally came back up in my rotation AND I finished Page 1!! I'm leaving off the initials for now because I'm thinking about other options:) EVERYONE'S work is AMAZING!!! and I'm really enjoying watching everyone's progress. Have a great week!!!
Cindy F./TX

Has most of you found part 6?

I am having a hard time finding part 6. I just want to see if anyone else can find it. Yesterday Aury posted she could not find part 6. Do we have anyone else in the group that can not find it?

Yesterday morning I found and downloaded part 5. So I know were to find parts 1-5. But when I heard part 6 was up, I went to were I found part 5 but 6 was not there for me. Is 6 away from parts 1-5?

I am just wondering if this has happened to others....

Eliza

Colorado Progress Report

Hello Stitching Companions,

I'm finally back to stitching on Mary W. I spent time last night with my second favorite date, Rumble (of course DH is my first), his sister Gaby decided not to join the party. These are the pictures of my latest progress (with my assistant).

Take Care & Stitch Joyfully!

ColoradoLass

My Mary Wigham Part I

Hello Everyone!

I have wanted to stitch a Quaker sampler for a long time and was very happy to find this SAL.

I am stitching my sampler 1 x 1 on 26 count Ecru fabric of unknown origin, it was a piece of fabric from a grab bag. I've reduced the number of colors that the sampler calls for, left a few which I like and added some Mauve and Purple shades. I wanted to keep White in my palette, tried Blank and B5200 but both did not show up on my fabric. After long experiments with White I substituted it and not sorry about it.

As work on my own designs takes a lot of time, MW sampler is my car project , it is with me wherever I go.

In the pictures you can see my MW palette, and work on Part I.

I really enjoy working on Mary's sampler, it's almost addictive.

Happy stitching to everyone!

Hello from Leslie in WI

Hi stitchers, here's a picture of my Mary Wigham through part 3. Will continue on with part 4 (can't get out of order you know!) Those of you who can keep up with this one part a week schedule please loan me your turbo needles! As you can see I still have not made a decision re the turquoise / teal so no more initials have been stitched.

Leslie, who's enjoying (almost) every stitch.

ATTENTION EVERYONE!

PLEASE, if you have no interest in posting, would you kindly let me know?? We have people wanting to join the blog, but we are full at 100 members. I have been gone for a few days & haven't had time to blog. It seems we have lots of people who are not commenting, posting or anything. Could you please let me know if you are only here to see other's progress? You can still view the blog without being a member of it. Thanks so much & all the people on the waiting list thank you as well!
Shari

PART 6 IS UP!

Hello fellow Mary stitchers!!!
Part 6 of the SAL is up & ready for download. I am hoping to get a lot of stitching done the rest of the week. I have done my errands for the week, got my laundry caught up from our trip & have all my triplet pictures printed! Now, stitching time!!!!!

Does somebody know if Mary's installments day changed? It is not available yet and I can't find any news about this

Two done and a thousand to go . . .

Here is my weekend progress! While visiting my aunt I stitched on the red. I had about half done. Finally finished that and started the green. The first motif is huge and it seemed to take forever.

Looking at mine I just hope I have enough material.

I am using 28 count Lambswool and the green

is stitched with Shutter Green Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.

I have a tape measure so I will measure it so I don't worry needlessly.

Who needs that?

I do have enough fabric, barely ~ I measured!

Isn't stitching supposed to be fun?

Take care all and Happy Stitching!

Lenna