Mary Wigham - USA version of the SAL!

Finished but not framed

2011-09-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

I have finally finished my Mary Wigham. I have yet to press it well and have it framed. I used the recommended colors and fabric.

Pat in Texas

http://quiltsandotherhobbies.blogspot.com

Mary Update

2011-04-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I have been working on my Mary a great deal lately and am happy with the progress. Some of the colors called for are rather light. I am thinking of changing them to a darker shade of the same colors.

Happy Stitching,

Brenda

Finito!

2011-04-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

My Mary Wigham sampler is complete, at least for me it is. I have elected to not include the initials ( always subject to change my mind before framing) DH picked out the colors and he said he liked it without the initials. I tend to agree. So here she is!

Part Three Completed!

2011-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

I finally dragged my Mary out of the WIPs basket and completed Part 3. I found this section to be tricky since I had 2 problematic motifs.
Here is how she looks so far.
It's slowly coming along. I'll move onto Part 4 in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for looking!

Almost at the finish

2011-03-21T10:41:00.001-07:00

JudyJo's Mary Wigham

2011-03-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I recently received a nice email from a member of the SAL who needed help posting to the blog so I am posting for her. Following is her email:

I have completed my Mary Wigham...I finished her last year, and really enjoyed the experience. I took many liberties with the sampler, both with my fabric and choice of threads. I even made a few design changes, some that I really liked as I researched more and more about Quaker stitching. It is worked on 28-count white evenweave, one full cross over one. The threads are DMC, the colors chosen because they were my favorites when I was growing up, and convinced myself that Mary would have liked the happier colors had she had a choice.

I was amused by the errors Mary made in counting, and could almost imagine how she felt when faced with having to frog much of her stitches. Her mistakes made me feel better about mine!

Thanks for allowing me to participate in the SAL. I have seen so many beautiful pieces that others have done, making me think that perhaps I'll do another one. I'll continue watching the site for other beautiful examples. Happy stitching! JudyJo

I think JudyJo's version of Mary is stunning. The colors are bright and cheery and scream Spring to me. Congratulation on your finish Judy!

I'm finally pulled my Mary out and put her in rotation. I am hoping to finish Part 3 soon to share with everyone.

Valerie :)

Little by little

2011-03-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Not much progress as I have been extremely busy with school work. I really hoped I would of had much more progress to this point. Hopefully I will finish a huge project that is due on Monday today. If I do, I have the rest of this rainy day and tomorrow to stitch. I am already thinking about what I want to stitch next.

Part Two Completed

2011-01-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Ladies,

I finally finished my Part 2. Oof, it took a little longer than I thought. I was hoping to be finished at the end of December. I've moved onto Part 3 but am on a roation so hopefully I'll be back soon with a completion of Part 3.

Please excuse the wrinkles and dark photo. The weather has been very gloomy here.

The border is closed .....

2011-01-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

I almost finished the border at the end of 2010. I couldn't get the last medallion completed but I'm happy I got that far. Unfortunately, I won't be able to stitch on her for a couple weeks.

Mary Update

2010-12-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Here is my Mary. I have not made the progress I had hoped but I am still working on her.

Happy New Year!

Brenda

An update

2010-12-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Poor Mary has been languishing on the sidelines since June when I posted this pic:

I decided she needed some stitching time and that I want to finish her in 2011. Sooooo, over the Christmas holiday I pulled her out and got lots done. I'm hoping to get more done in the upcoming month -- maybe get her finished?? We shall see .....

Happy New Year!

Part One Completed

2010-12-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Ladies,

Sorry for disappearing and leaving you all in the lurch. 2010 was not a very good year and when I wasn't fielding bad news and the after effects, I was gift stitching.

I just completed Part 1. I still have a long way to go!

I am stitching this on 40 count Lakeside Linens Fawn with assorted overdyeds. I am devoting the rest of this month to Mary and hope I can stitch and finish Part 2. We'll see how far I get. I hope you all are giving a little attention to your Marys too.

I definitely hope to have my Mary completed in the first half of 2011.

Valerie :)

Latest on Mary

2010-12-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Latest on Mary

2010-10-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here she is as of last night. Cant wait to get home from school today and stitch some more.

I may have to wait to see how balanced the blue looks on the piece and may end up ripping out or just adjusting the upper left side.

2010-10-04T03:50:00.000-07:00

Mary is out in the open again and has become my official UFO. Part 1 is almost finished after some frogging of a motif - I changed the colour to pale lilac from pale blue - much better! How is everyone else doing? Don't tell me you've all long finished and I'm left here on my own?

Another Mary Start

2010-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I have already started Mary, but I just started her again. LOL I actually do hope to finish them both one day. Here's a pic of my latest version:

Fabric: 40-count Antique White Newcastle Linen
Fiber: Blue Bunny floss from Hand Made by Nina
Stitched 1 over 2
Progress as of 1 August 10

The main reason I decided to start her again was because of the fiber. I saw it on Nina's personal blog and absolutely fell in love with it.

Here's my progress on my other over 1 version of Mary:

Fabric: 36-count Maritime White linen from Lakeside Linens
Fibers: Variety of GAST, CC, and WDW
Stitched 1-over-1 using tent stitch

Mary is ready for the Fair

2010-07-22T12:46:00.001-07:00

Mary is framed and ready for the County Fair (Vanderburgh County, Indiana) next week. I had so much fun stitching her and adding my own family's initials -- they are color coded by family.
My Parents and In-laws, my own four children and their spouses and their children -- each is stitched in a different color (one per family) so I will know who belongs to who when there are duplications. -- ie my eldest son and his family are all in blue, son #2 and wife and offspring are green, dd and her brood are in yellow and my youngest and his are in rust.

In addition, if the person(s) are deceased, their initials are stitched in black. I put the date in the lower right hand corner as well.

Edy/NYC
http://grandmaelf.blogspot.com

MW Update

2010-07-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I picked up Mary last week and am finally making some progress. Here's the latest on Mary Wigham:

I am loving the Vikki Clayton silks! To see how far Mary has progressed, come visit my blog!

Update on Mary Wigham . . . in silk

2010-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

I decided sometime ago to do my

Mary in silk threads. Because I decided

to do this I had to change the fabric, too.

It is from Week Dye Works a 36 count.

I decided to stitch it with Vikki Clayton's

hand dyed fibers. So I picked the

"B" series of luscious, soft threads.

Boy, do they feel wonderful.

Thanks, Vikki you do know how to

make wonderful silk threads.

One thread over two.

This is my progress so far. It

does take some getting used to

to stitch on a smaller count.

As, always thanks for looking

and all comments will be appreciated greatly.

God Bless ~

Lenna

finally some progress

2010-05-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

I have not touched this in forever. I think it is the fabric. It is the first time I have stitched on 45 ct and I was really struggling. All of a sudden today it all seemed okay and I made some progress. This is done on Vintage Buttercream with Belle Soie conversion from the Attic. I stitched for a while last night and a little today and added a little bit of progress at long last. I am going to make this my Sunday stitching project for a while and see if I can't get going on it. The fabric color is warmer than it shows in the pic, it is overcast here and I couldn't get a good shot. Maybe with the next progress I will be able to do better. Marjo in Alaska

It's been awhile .....

2010-05-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
I have finally returned to stitching on Mary. Unfortunately, I was side tracked for awhile with other things but here she is.

I took the time to get her on roller bars and now she's much easier to handle. Previously, she and I were hoop-ing it. That just wasn't working for me. This is much easier on my hands.

Glad to see I'm not the only one not finished :)

Happy stitching!

Miss Mary in Virginia

2010-04-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Miss Mary has not had much action lately but I did add a few stitches last week. She is coming along slowly but thats ok. She is a great piece to stitch and the little lady got me interested in Quaker style samplers. Now I have a few more waiting in the to-do-box all ready to stitch but there are many other things in there crying to be stitched. So many great things to stitch but not enough time to do them.

Happy Stitching every one

March Ann

Darla

2010-04-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

Darla's Mary as of not quite a month ago. She's now back in the QSnaps at home where she's receiving regular attention.

Three motifs added

2010-04-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

I thought I was going to go blind stitching that white motif on the bottom. But I didn't... so, I proceeded to add three more motifs. Here is my progress so far:

Happy Stitching, Everyone!
(Visit me at http://www.ivoryspring.wordpress.com)

Moving Right Along

2010-04-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here is another update. Being a stay at home mom now really does wonders on my stitching. I can't believe how much I can get done in one day. Of course the rest of the day is spent entertaining my daughter, which I'm enjoying so much. When the weather warms up a bit more though, I believe we'll be spending the majority of the days outside. I can't wait for summer. Way up here in Northern Maine, it is another month away.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Progress on my Mary

2010-04-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Spring Break did bring some stitching! Never as much as I would have liked. The picture is terrible as it was taken with my phone. I cant find the cord to my camera to upload my pics. I am thinking about adding some blue like a DMC 930 or DMC 931. this colors would complement my living room colors. I am not sure if I have stitched too much now to try to add the blues...

A quick MW status for Friday

2010-04-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

I finished up the vine/flower motif (stems in GAST grape leaf and flower in GAST berry cobbler) and moved to the squirrel area this week, which I have just about finished (just need to put a few oatmeal stitches in the design around Mr. Squirrel).

Once that is finished, I will begin stitching the last motif on the top right-hand side today. My goal is to get that finished by the end of the weekend before I have to put MW into hibernation for awhile, again. I need to start some exchanges as the mail deadline of May 1 is coming soon...and exchanging stitching of smaller projects will be perfect for airplane projects as I am getting ready to leave for Washington DC as a chaperon for my older son's 8th grade trip.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa

Mary Update~Slow Going

2010-04-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, I have been MIA from bloggerland for a long time. I have not done much stitching, but what I have done is on my Mary. The colors are a little darker in the picture than in real life. I am using the recommended threads minus a few substitutions. I am now 34 and a half weeks pregnant and have just got done working, so I may have more time to devote to stitching for several weeks. We'll see how things go.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

MW update from California

2010-04-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

With out any immediate "needs" to stitch exchanges or any other stitching "obligations", MW has grown over the last few weeks...and it has become something that has been very difficult to put down when the need of housework or exercising has come up :). This last week, I have been trying to finish up page one - the interior part of the project where the flowers are (that is what I have been calling those motifs - below is a picture of what I have been stitching this week).

Here is the "flower" area I have been working on the last few days. I used GAST butternut squash for the flower-in-the-diamond motif and for the flower buds on the stems, it is Berry Cobbler. I noticed last night, as I was stitching the upper flower, that my count was off...so I am debating whether to "frog-it" and start over or just leave it. It won't mess up the placement of any of the other motifs and unless I point it out to everyone when it is done, it is one of those things no one will even know...but I will. What would you do in this case?

Well, just wanted to share my status of MW. I will probably stitch on her for another week before putting her away for a while as some exchange deadlines are May 1 and I do have a trip to Washington DC coming up (chaperon for an 8th grade field trip) where it will be easier to haul some little projects for the plane ride.

Take care all...Happy Easter! and remember to Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa

Progress Made

2010-03-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

I am almost done with the second medallion. Have changed the colors a little.

My Mary Update

2010-03-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

I have come to affectionately called my Mary Wigham project my “downstairs” project. I keep it downstairs to work on whenever I have a few moments in between house chores. Most days, I get by with barely five stitches. But the meager five stitches are better than none as I am five stitches closer to the finish line. Here is what I have so far:

The yellow and the dark blue are the latest additions:

The reason I am stitching Mary and hopefully a bunch of other Quaker samplers is because I want these samplers to compliment the Quaker Birth Sampler I am stitching for my daughter. I hope in about 5-6 year’s time, I shall have enough Quaker samplers stitched to fill up a wall… at least that’s the plan in my little head!

Happy Mary-Wighaming, Everyone! :)
Visit me at http://www.ivoryspring.wordpress.com

February Progress

2010-03-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

The entire U.S. has had terrific stitching weather this winter, don't you think? Here's Mary in progress the morning after a Wisconsin snowstorm.

I dyed my own silk and linen for this project, and have been intimidated by choosing color substitutions; but the experience has been SO valuable! I'm growing increasingly confident in just intuiting choices for this motif and that -- just laying the skeins down and FEELING which one works.

My only regret has been lavender. All the other colors were deliberately dulled down. I was inspired by the glass of water in which I soaked my eyedroppers: The mishmash of dye leftovers colored the water to a deep, slightly warm, icky gray. I called that glassful "dirt." And every skein I dyed was subject to a wash in "dirt" to muddy the base color. But lavender somehow escaped this treatment! Amid the grayed-down colors, here's a blast of Disney-princess lavender! Argh. I've gone back and forth about taking it out, but this isn't easy with 65-year-old eyes. Still thinking about it, and still SO in love with Mary and the lovely winter she's given me.

March Update!

2010-03-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

I am embarassed at the small amount of progress to show. The Vikki Clayton silks that are in this project are reasonably priced and very little to no shredding. And I like to use longer threads when possible.

Some project decisions have finally been made. Family initials will be substituted and since that was changing the original design, I could rationalize a few other changes too. Like using some other color than white for the blooms on the flower above--not sure what yet though.

Do you think I am being distracted by other projects? YES! There are 15 WIP's sitting out in my stitching area-way too noisy with them all calling to me! *Please visit my new blog-atwillowtreepond to see what else is calling! :)

Started!

2010-02-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations for shops with supplies in DFW! I so appreciate the spirit of camaraderie here. I ordered some linen online and was really pleased with it, but it failed to impress my mother who will be the recipient of my Mary.

My daughter and I went to visit Mom last week and stopped in at The Needlework Boutique just minutes from her house. Mom corralled Marlowe (my two-year-old) and I tried to take it all in. Mom selected some really lovely hand-dyed forest green linen and Suzette at Needlework Boutique helped me make sure there was enough for the finished sampler (of course Mom couldn't select something with the same count.)

Turns out Suzette is also working on a Mary. I hope we'll hear from her here.

My husband took my daughter out Saturday and I got started.

I hope to get at least an hour in each day before Marlowe gets up and while she naps. I'm in a bad mood today because I have to spend nap time getting ready for a neighborhood meeting tonight.

The Needlework Boutique is quite a drive from my house but I'm looking forward to future visits and with a built in babysitter minutes away it could be my new happy place.

Mary From January & Blog Update

2010-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

I realized that I didn't post my latest work in progress photo of my Mary. This was taken at the beginning of January and I haven't picked her up since. She is screaming at me every night demanding to be stitched on but I am currently gift stitching. I'm stitching every waking moment I have on my sister's 50th birthday present! I am hoping to finish that by the end of the month so I can pick up my Mary again.

Thanks for looking.

I've spent some time revamping the look of the blog a little as well as developing a list of all participants with hyperlinks. This should make it easier for everyone to "visit" each other. =)

Thanks!
Valerie

Mary so far.....

2010-02-15T13:40:00.001-08:00

Mary and I have been apart for a couple of weeks but we are reunited now! It's a peaceful stitch with not too much reverse stitching, lol! At first I was sorry I hadn't gone with the colours given but tucking a few different shades into the monochrome has definitelly given the piece a lift. For enquiring minds threads (so far) that I am using are Waterlilies Winter Wheat (monochrome part) together with Gloriana Sable and Silk n' Colours Fallen Leaves.

I'm rechallenging myself to a couple of needlefuls a day again. Let's see how I do!

My Mary

2010-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Shown below is my Mary. I haven't worked on her nearly enough lately. I have decided that I hate the fabric that I am using, but I have too many hours invested to change that...I think!

This was the official beginning to my "blue and green" period. I'm still there and it makes me happy. I would like to replace the original initials with the letters of the alphabet like I saw someone on the Needleprint site do.

I'm in the process of finishing up a BlackBird Design project with hearts, but am looking forward to getting back to Mary after that...at least on a part time basis.

Bobbi

Another New Member!

2010-02-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hi, All -

My name is Bobbi and I live in the Cleveland area. I just came across this blog for the first time this morning and am thrilled to be able to join. I started my Mary quite a while ago, but she has gone to the bottom of the list a few times in favor of new starts and some actual finishes.

I am a widow, a mother to two, a grandmother to five, and will become a great-grandmother in July. Where in the world does the time go?

I have to run out to do some errands that I have been putting off for a couple of snowy days, but I will post a photo of my Mary over the weekend. I look forward to becoming excited about this project again and meeting the goal of having the project completed in 2010. I will catch up on all your photos and posts over the weekend, also.

Bobbi - Ohio

Hello

2010-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

Another new Mary here. My name is Jennifer and I live in Dallas, TX with my partner of 13 plus years, our two-year old, an elderly boxer/pug and a middle aged fox terrier.
I have to finish a project (a service flag in honor of my nephew) for my sister in law before I can start my Mary. Little did I know that was not my only obstacle.
Finding the supplies has been a real pain! I am returning to needlework after twenty-year hiatus. I had no idea how hard it is to find quality supplies now! The WalMarts, JoAnns, and Michaels have made it really difficult. I've decided I'm done with them.
I have a couple leads on some far flung independent shops. A trip to any is going to have to be a planned adventure due to my little sidekick. Anyone in the DFW area with some favorite local shops, please email me. j.roberts.ratliff@gmail.com

Thank you to those of you that have posted about what materials you used and where you found them. While my daughter fought a nap, I placed my order today for some linen and thread - and a new, free standing scroll frame. (A huge splurge for me.)

This is the corner of our bedroom where I like to work. It's drafty and the view isn't so great (except in spring when the trees bud.) but the rest of our little house is behind my back when I sit here and so I can pretend that the mountains of laundry and towers of mail are someone else's problem.

Since I have no work to show, I'm posting this to ensure that I finish that darn needlepoint service flag and am ready to start Mary as soon as the supplies arrive. I hope to publish my first start (I usually have to rip out the first 2-5 starts.) here next week.

My thanks to everyone posting and following here. You have been a real inspiration to me since I discovered Needleprint just a month or so ago.

Jenny

A newbie and her MW

2010-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Lisa D from California and I am new to USA MW blog. I started my MW Thanksgiving weekend 2009 and unfortunately put her down mid-December as exchange stitching took priority. I am stitching Mary on 40ct Maple Syrup Linen using 1 strand over 2. I started out using the GAST color conversion, but as I stitch motif after motif, I find myself changing the "assigned" color. I find stitching the motifs very relaxing and cannot wait to get back to stitching MW. I look forward to participating on this blog as I know it will inspire me to continue working and finishing MW.

Thank you Valerie for inviting me to participate.

Take care everyone and remember:

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Snowy Weekend In Northern Virginia

2010-02-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Took Miss Mary to work with me this weekend, I was covering for some of the other Call Center Agents that couldn't get in because of our 20 to 25 inches of snow. I spent 25 hours working from 11:30 Saturday morning till Monday morning at 11am. Didn't get as much done as I hoped to since we where pretty busy. I am changing the colors a little so you can see them better on the 1st piece of tea-dye material I made. I am doing this on 25 ct evenweave with 1 over 1.
I hope we will be seeing more process pictures in the next few months and I promise to do my part to keep my updates coming.
Happy Stitching
March Ann

New Memeber

2010-02-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you Valerie for letting me come aboard. I have just started my Mary a week ago and have a little progress to show. I have been drooling over everyone's project and just had to start myself. I will be using the recommended linen and DMC threads with maybe a couple color changes. I also probably won't be ironing this piece every time I post a pic. I heard it could mess with the fibers, so I apologize for the sloppiness.

Happy Stitching,

Hillery

Mary is still Alive and Well

2010-02-04T17:24:00.001-08:00

I know it's been forever since I posted but Mary is still alive and working. I have just gone back over the many lovely posts you've all been putting up. It is just amazing how many different ways one design can look so beautiful! Keep up the wonderful stitching my friends.

Well, here is my Mary as of January 31, 2010.

clickable

Yoyo Progress 4 -- Mary Wigham Forever sampler.
Over 1 on 40 ct Lakeside Linens
V. Lt. Examplar Linen using over-dyed conversion threads (list posted here)

Intro and Blog Update

2010-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

As Shari announced, she has stepped down from being the group leader and I have offered to come on board. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Shari for stepping up to the plate in the very beginning and setting up this blog for all of us. She did a great job! Soon after she became group leader, she became a grandma to triplet grandsons and she's been juggling lots of bottles and diapers! She's been busy.

I just started my Mary in November and have been loving her even though I'm still on Part 1. It's not too late to start! It's a New Year, the holidays are behind us and it's time to dig our Mary's out of the closet! I know I would love to see how yours are all coming along!

Announcements

~ There is one more spot available on the blog. If someone would like to be a member and is working on Mary or about to start, please email me for an invite. First come, first served. My email is on the sidebar in the "Welcome" section.

~ If there is anyone who is no longer interested in being a member, please email me and I can take you off as an author and open up some free spaces. Don't feel bad...life happens and frankly, I was supposed to start my own Mary back in June and didn't get to it until November. But I'm glad I did!

~ I changed the look of the blog a little and will probably change it around a little more. Don't be surprised if one day it's one way and the next it's another. I'm just playing around.

I think that's it. Please feel free to email me if you have questions or blog layout ideas.

Thanks!
Valerie

New Leader---Welcome Valerie

2010-02-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

hello all,
I have been in contact with Valerie & she is willing to take over as the leader of the USA group for Mary Wigham. Thank you so much Valerie. I am staying on as a member of the blog, but I will not be the contact person any longer. Any concerns can be voiced to Valerie, who is in the member list.
Please, keep working on your Mary's!!!!
I have enjoyed getting to know some of you better, thru this blog!
Shari

Group Leader

2010-02-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

I have been a terrible group leader. I have not worked on my Mary in eons & I haven't posted here either.
I would like to offer the leadership of this blog to someone else, someone who would like to make this a great place to be.
If you are interested, drop me an email or reply to this post. I will check it often for a while, with hopes of the right person seeing it & wanting to take over!
Keep up the great work, those of you still working on your Mary!
Shari

A little progress on Mary

2009-12-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

Due to pressing quilt deadlines for magazines, I haven't been able to work much on my Mary. I stole away for a few hours last night working on Mary. Here is the latest progress:

Is it me, or are you too see visions of Mary on this rug?

Happy New Year, everyone!
Come visit me at http://www.ivoryspring.wordpress.com

I Finally Started!

2009-12-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

I planned on starting Mary Wigham months ago but life kept getting in the way. The day after Thanksgiving, I finally made a start but it wasn't until this past week that Mary finally saw some action. I'm still on Part 1 but I'm moving along! I'm really enjoying her. If only I didn't have all this pesky gift stitching to do!
I'm using 40 count Lakeside Linens Fawn with assorted GAST, WDW and CC. The exact conversion can be found on my blog.

Happy stitching!
Valerie

New Member

2009-12-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

I am excited to join this SAL! I started Mary Wigham last fall and have been slowly adding to her along with several other WIP's. I am using 32ct fabric (sorry, don't remember its exact name) and Vikki Clayton silks. These silks are wonderful to work with! Even though I am trying to following the chart (including mistakes) I will be substituting family initials for the ones charted. Looking forward to a great 2010 and following everyone's progress on this project. Thanks, Shari!

update

2009-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

I finally finished an old WIP last night so I can devote more time to my Mary sampler

Dyed silks put to work at last

2009-12-11T05:55:00.001-08:00

It's taken the onset of winter -- that furious cross-country snowstorm that really DUMPED here in Wisconsin -- to make me seriously buckle down and stitch with my summer-dyed silks and linen. Here's the bare beginning. Winter is going to be a lot easier to take this year with the daily companionship of Mary.

New Member Intro

2009-12-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Mary Wigham stitchers in the USA!!! I am excited to join this blog and anxious to begin Mary for myself!

I am Sabine and I live outside of Houston, Texas. I am currently working on three Heaven and Earth Designs (all on either 25 or 28 ct Lugana, 1x1, full crosses) and Cirque des Cercles on a wonderful 28ct lagoon Lugana with Crescent Colours in Rainy Day.

I am torn on how to stitch Mary. I want to do a reproduction, approximating her fabric and fibers as closely as possible and leaving her initials and mistakes. But, I do not like the colors and I feel that if I even just tweek the shades, I might as well make it my own. I have a dark blue and green with lemon yellow color scheme floating through my mind. In either case, I will have to order fabric and floss soon as Mary is my Christmas gift to myself!

I have enjoyed looking at all of your progress and even finishes! I can't wait to start, but I will try to be good until the 24th!!
Sabine

New update

2009-12-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here is my progress thus far. Who knows... I may finish this one after all. I hope I dont get far into it and hate the colors... Lots of folks seem to be putting up their Christmas decor and pics. I have not put up a single item. Waiting until next week when finals are all done. In the meantime I will post pics on my blog of Christmas past...

Finally, a start!

2009-11-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

I have finally started on my Mary Wigham. I had contemplated doing it on a blue piece of linen. Lately with all the reading I have to do for grad school my eyes are so tired, and yet I still need to stitch so I broke down and decided to do it on aida. I am guilt free after starting it yesterday. Maybe I will do it again on linen in another color scheme once the reading eases up a bit, maybe in the summer.

Mary Update

2009-11-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Well, here she is as of Friday the 13th. I haven't been stitching much on Mary since September but I hope to get more of her done this coming week.

Marcy

http://stitchingplus.blogspot.com/

Latest Progress Pic

2009-11-13T12:45:00.001-08:00

Not the greatest image, but the best I c0uld do under the circumstances this morning.

Hallowe'en Mary

2009-11-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

My latest progress, as of October 31. with the flying turtle turned into a bat:
Sorry it's a bit fuzzy; I took the picture with my camera.

Mary in Florida

2009-10-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Mary and I are in Florida visting my brother and sister in law. I was sitting on the lani looking out at the garden so I figured Mary would look great with the winter veggie garden as a backdrop. I love the mossy trees in the background too.

I'll be stitching on my sampler later this evening and tomorrow. Should be home on Wednesday and will post my new progress.

As of Today...

2009-10-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

Mary update:)

2009-10-20T11:22:00.001-07:00

Not a lot of progress, but I did work on it again last week!! With holidays approaching, my mind is in a hundred different directions:)

Everyone's work is AMAZING!!! I do love my Mary, especially over one...just making the time has been my biggest challenge (FACEBOOK IS ADDICTIVE) ;)

Cindy F./TX

My progess for October

2009-10-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

I worked on MW this weekend and got a bit done. I really love how this piece is turning out. After I finished the white flowers on the left side I am not crazy about them but will leave them there. But I am changing the ecru colored flowers on that side to a purple and light purple color.

Have to decide which of my family initials to stitch on the piece, but figure I have time to do that. I'll pull out my family tree and put some grandsparents in there to with the grandkids.
I am taking MW on vacation with me this week and will post some pictures next week.
I am looking forward to seeing other progress on Mary this month.

September Progress

2009-10-18T14:54:00.001-07:00

I just realized that I have been somewhat remiss in reporting my progress for September. I have finished the right corner.

Hopefully this month I will get more done. I have had a project that I had to get done.

Pat

2009-10-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

This has been a long time coming, but here is Mary framed at last. I'll probably hang her next to Maria Spence and Ann Trump, two other Ackworth school girls.

Progress on Mary

2009-09-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I can't believe how time flies -- it's been a couple months since last I stitched Mary.

The first pic is my Mary as of Sunday. I have finally found some time to stitch on her and hope to get more time this week. I decided to add a touch of pink in a few places just as accents. If I don't like it later, it will be easy enough to remove. The next 2 pics are enlargements of the new areas.

You'll also notice that I decided to alter the pattern a bit. Instead of initials in the triangles along the edge, I have extended the flowers and/or pots into the blank area. I like it. What do you think?

I'm glad to be back working on this piece -- it's making me think.
Have a good day!
Marcy

September Progress

2009-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Here is my progress over the last four weeks. I did not get as much as I had hope done but I am moving ahead steadily. I changed a few colors including the color of the squirrel. The squirrels in my back yard have a grayish brown fur so I changed the color.

Happy Stitching,
Brenda

A MISS MARY IN PINK FINISH

2009-09-26T06:29:00.006-07:00

Finally Miss Mary In Pink is finished! The last stitch was applied Monday the 14th at 4:10 PM. This is one project I worked on steadily without interruptions until it was finished. She was a delight to stitch, but all that pink became tiresome after a while. The next Quaker sampler will be multicolored! The initials were changed to represent family members & friends, each group in a different style. Even our furbabies' initials are there!

I have started a Fall themed band sampler "To The Acorn" which is completely different in design and colors, the border is almost done with the bands to follow!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend filled with some sweet stitching! We are supposed to have another very hot day with Santa Anna conditions. Just a few days ago we had a large brush fire in our neighborhood, everyone was in a panic, the fire fighters had it tamped down within a couple of hours, but one family lost their house - it went up so quickly with the fire rushing up the hill in just a few minutes!

Stay Cool!

Mary Wigham - The End

2009-09-24T16:32:00.001-07:00

Here is Miss Mary

Thanks for letting me stitch this SAL with all of you. I will certainly miss stitching Mary, but I will still be able to see your progresses and your happy endings :D

Mary goes to a Stitch N Bit**

2009-09-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

I worked on Mary, Friday evening and Saturday while my friend Jan and I met for our monthly Stitch N Bit**. Here is my progess so far:
I am also going to change some of the colors as I go along and add my families initals instead of Mary's. I am going to make this Mary my own.

I am really enjoying watching everyones progress and the different places where Mary is being worked on. I am going on vacation next month and will post my own picture.

Here is where I ended Mary this evening.

Happy Stitching everyone.

New Progress Picture

2009-09-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a replacement picture for the one stuck on a gone-whacko memory card. I finished the project I'd been working on at home and put Mary in the floor stand to replace that piece. This shows my Mary's progress as of last Saturday. She's seen a bit more today, with that shell pink medallion now done and that big green half medallion to the right of the red one now about half done.

Mary at Denali National Park and Preserve

2009-09-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Took Mary on our annual trip to Denali National Park and Preserve for a little mountain viewing. Not a lot of progress but she seemed to enjoy the view. Marjo in Alaska

The Original Mary

2009-09-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

In reference to the last blog post and the question of the dark blue crown motif in the upper right corner, here is a picture of the original sampler for comparison... the chart appears to be correct...

In A Quandary

2009-09-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

The samplers that are being shown are really looking great. I have two sides done and am working on the third. I have a question for those of you that have stitched the first, blue with crown, motif on the right side. Did you correct the motif or stitch it as charted? I can see that charting this sampler would be a humongous task, but it may be the way Mary stitched it. I hate the thought of that much frogging, but it just does not look good to me. Please comment!

Pat in Texas

http://quiltsandotherhobbies.blogspot.com

Nearly Half Done

2009-09-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I uploaded the Mary Wigham infinity chart, and am loving it!

Here are John and Zella, my maternal Grandparents...

thanks to the infinity chart, I was able to see if Grandpa's initials would fit in the space above Grandma without needing to tear any errant stitches out. I let him be a little off-center on purpose, in keeping with Mary's off-kilter style.

OLEANDER AND MISS. MARY

2009-09-07T11:08:00.005-07:00

Hope you all are having a nice Labor Day Weekend filled with stitching, good food, picnics, family and friends. I have been spending time with Miss. Mary. And as you can see, she is getting closer and closer to the finish line. I have not decided what to do with the initials as yet. I am thinking I want to work in a few butterflies, and other small motifs along with some important (to me) initials. The center of the large motif where Ackworth School appears is where my initials will probably go along with the date. The initials and small items will be stitched with the variegated thread just to help tie colors together a little better. You can check out my blog for further details and more pictures!

Every one's stitching is looking awesome and the color combinations are as beautiful as they are varied! Hope you are all enjoying this SAL as much as I am! Sweet stitching to you all!

August progress

2009-09-04T16:58:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, I've had so much going on that the most work I've done on this was to download all the parts of the pattern. But I'm going to hit it hard and heavy this month. We're (hopefully) setting my surgery date when I meet the surgeon on the 10th, so I'm planning for this to be my recovery piece.

Ah, September

2009-09-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Mary and I both love September.

She practically begged me to take her outside this afternoon,

for she wanted to rest a moment by the garden gate,

in the friendly company of Dill, Sunflower, and Squash.

August Progress

2009-09-01T12:36:00.001-07:00

I have completed the left side and a few more motifs on the top side. I sure wish I could find a scroll bar that would accommodate fabric that is this wide. I am going to give Q Snaps another chance. The set I have is 14” square and I have short arms, making it hard to reach.

Pat

http://quiltsandotherhobbies.blogspot.com

Yet another progress report

2009-08-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of progress for me, as I had to do some obligation stitching...I cut a piece of my MaryW linen off to use for a mailart piece and I love that finish, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
clickable

Yoyo Progress 4 -- Mary Wigham sampler
over 1 on 40 ct Lakeside Linens V. Lt. Examplar
Over-dyed Conversion Threads (list posted here)

I had to change some of the lighter fiber colors but I think I have it sorted now. I really do enjoy whenever I can stitch on this beautiful sampler and I hope you are all doing well with your's. Oh, I didn't notice until I was viewing the picture on the web that I had forgotten to put my quarter in, so I pasted one in, but it is to scale so you get the idea, I hope.

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

Progress Picture

2009-08-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Mary Stitchers,

I hope you are still enjoying your stitching! I am loving it even though I am not able to devote as much time as I would have liked to the project. I am following the colors, and am in love with them. Mary had a great sense of colors! Here is what I have so far:

I wish you a great and productive week!

Do visit me at: http://www.ivoryspring.wordpress.com

August Progress

2009-08-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Mary Wigham Stitchers,
I'm enjoying seeing everyone's progress and stories.
I have been busy this August but found a bit of time to work on my Mary. On the first weekend, Mary went camping with me in Northeastern CO. We fell into a strange juxtaposition as I'm recreating Mary while surounded by old windmills and new wind electric generators. I worked on Mary both of the next weekends and yesterday we were on a ranch in midstate visiting family, so I added a few more stitches. Here are a few pictures.

As of Aug 30th

Old Windmill and New Wind Generator in NE Colorado

Mary as of Aug 1st, with the wind generators on the bluff in the background.

A Bit of Progress

2009-08-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today at my LNS' all-day open-stitch class I finally finished that first half medallion, and got started on the next one down the left side.

My first Medallion

2009-08-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hi, this is my first post.I am March and have been stitching since 1987. I am very happy that I was able to join the group. Thanks for including me Shari. :-)
I am stitching Mary W. on 25 count evenweave, I am doing it 1 over 1, using full stitches. It's the first time I have tried to tea dye my material. I got it to dark at first but was able to lightened it a little. I did lose some of the splotches but I like how it came out. Right now I am using the colors on the pattern but may change that as I go along.
I have been stitching on this for a few hours a night for the last three nights and got my first medallion do. I really like how it looks.

I am really enjoying watching everyones MW take shape and I love some of the different colors combos that are being used. I know this is a historical sampler but it's great that we are making it our own.

Distracted

2009-08-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am normally a pretty good chart reader, and rarely find the need to tear out stitches. But this sampler, for some reason gets me every time I pick it up! Since I hate reversing my work so very much, I have decided to keep it as-is, and if I make a mistake, well then... Well!

Here is my progress:

All initials in the original will be replaced with initials from my own family... ZK and CW are my two grandmothers.

My update on the Mary Wigham SAL

2009-08-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
I was hoping to give you updates as my husband, son and I drove from California to Maine for our summer vacation. It didn't work out as I would have liked it to. I had purchased some reading classes to take with me and found out they weren't strong enough. Then I tried to stitch on the pattern and it was way to hard in a bouncing truck. I had hoped once we got to Maine I would find some time there. It didn't happen because we had something to do everyday while we were visiting with family. We were gone for 5 weeks.

Here is what I had started before leaving for Maine.

Here is what I have worked on since returning from Maine.

I am stitching this on 32 count Jobelan Lambswool. I changed two DMC colors. I am using 209 instead of Ecru. I am using B5200 instead of White. I am just about finished with part 1 and will be working on part 2.

2009-08-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

To my stitching sisters who have posted ruefully here about having completed only one or two motifs, I say: take heart! I'm the one bringing up the rear.

I was so inspired by MW that I spent the summer going down a long long side road. I -- this is the short description -- dyed linen and then dyed silk thread with which to stitch upon it.

What an adventure it has been. When friends teased Thomas Edison about making 130 attempts at designing a light bulb filament, he responded "now I know 130 ways that don't work." Edison and me, guys.

But at last my linen, dyed to look old, faded, splotchy, and my silk are completed, and I'm ready to begin.

Starting Over

2009-08-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I have started over. Originally, I was stitching on 32 count, using all shades of blue. But the more I saw of the samplers stitched using the recommended colors (or close variations) the more I realized that I just like the way Mary stitched it, so why change it up? Besides, I really, really wanted to stitch it on 40 count.

My linen order arrived last week (Zwiegart 40 Ct. New Castle) It is a bit stiff right now, but I like the color a lot. I am using DMC fibers, not exactly the colors recommended, but close. Here is 3 days worth of stitching:

If you don't recognise it, that is because I started in the bottom right corner (one of my odd stitching quirks- bottom right is my preferred starting point).

Update on Progress

2009-08-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have been finishing up some exchange pieces so my progress has been a little slow on this piece... and when I start to stitch on it ... I want to stitch nothing else but this piece! This shows where I am at with it though!
As of 08/20/2009 .

Melissa's Mary Update

2009-08-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working more on my Mary Wigham sampler. I'm really enjoying this sampler thus far, not only stitching my own, but seeing all of your lovely samplers, too! I've not been stitching her exclusively as I still have other projects that need attention as well, but she is definitely my primary focus right now.

Here is my latest progress photo as of last night:

Click to enlarge
Fabric: 36-count Maritime White linen from Lakeside Linens
Fibers: Variety of GAST, CC, and WDW
Stitched 1-over-1 using tent stitch

Until next time ...

a little late... but still an update on progress!!!

2009-08-19T10:48:00.001-07:00

A little LATE... I took these pictures 2 weekends ago... and will try to be a bit faster with the post on the next update... But 2 Saturday's ago my Friend Deb and I both met and stitched on our Mary SAL ... I wanted to show you all where we were at that point...

This was my Progress at that time... I have changed a few of the colors around and am using HDF silks on a Lt Mocha 32 count Linen.

You will see out little Sheepie... this is our stitch pet! He holds needles very well... ;)

This is my friend Debra's progress...

you can sorta see her sheepie! he is hidden some at the bottom!

I love that Green cartouche at the very right hand side of the top row!!!!

And... Guess where we were stitching....

That is right....
STARBUCKS!!!!!!

This seems to be the place for us to meet and stitch and be able to have a great atmosphere... and able to talk... and have a yummy beverage!!! i love our coffee house!!!

2009-08-18T07:43:00.001-07:00

It's magnificent, Ellen! Congratulations on finishing Mary! You're an inspiration! My Mary has been set aside for awhile so I could finish a RR, but I hope to get back to her soon.
Sharyn :-)

2009-08-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my completed Mary Wigham.

You can't see it in the photos, but I backstitched under the sampler "Stitched by Ellen Chester in the year 2009--Cincinnati, Ohio" . This information will not show when the sampler is framed.

I'll have a plastic pocket put on the back of the frame for the chart, information about Mary, and perhaps some information about me.

C'est fini!

2009-08-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks (??) to a sleepless night, I was able to finish Mary Wigham early this morning.

I still need to check for any missing parts, and then I can give her a good pressing. I hope to remember to take a photo before I take her to be framed.

Ellen

Mary Update

2009-08-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I have not made much progress lately. I got a little side tracked when my computer stopped working. After ten years it was time for a new one anyway. I had to do some research to decide what to buy, finally decided on a HP notebook and I love it. I finally finished the blue half medallion, I enjoyed stitching it but it seemed to take forever. I started on the one next to it but I am thinking of changing the color. The tan does not show up well.

Happy Stitching,
Brenda

A Question & My Conversion

2009-08-14T23:33:00.001-07:00

First of all, I have a quick question for those of you who have finished or are nearly finished who stitched this as a monochromatic sampler. How much floss did your sampler take? A friend of mine wants to stitch this as a monochrome and is trying to figure out how much floss to order. So if any of you could provide any insight, I know she would appreciate it.

Some of you have asked about my conversion that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I ended up having to change a few of the fibers because they ones I had initially selected completely disappeared on my fabric when I tested them. After quite of bit of test stitching with other fibers, I've finally come up with my final conversion. I'm stitching my sampler 1-over-1 using tent stitch on 36-count Maritime White from Lakeside Linens. Below is a pic of the final toss on my fabric followed by the table with my conversion.

Please bear in mind that even though I am providing the DMC color numbers in the table below, my conversion is in no way meant to be necessarily similar to the original DMC color recommendation. I used the DMC colors as a starting point for inspiration and then just kind of went from there selecting colors I liked that fit in with the muted palette that I wanted for this sampler.

Click to enlarge

Fibers are listed below in the order they are shown (from left to right) in the above photograph. I have not included color 676 from the original chart since Jacqueline indicated there is very little of it used, and that's only for outlining. So, I will just use one of the other gold fibers instead.

DMC	My Conversion
White	WDW Honeysuckle
Ecru	CC Ginger Snap
225	CC Cinnamon Toast
310	GAST Sable
352	CC Dulce de Leche
356	WDW Red Pear
407	CC Country Lane
433	GAST Wood Smoke
435	WDW Pecan
519	CC Deep Fennel
725	WDW Gold
739	CC Perfect Piecrust
746	WDW Oak
927	CC Dublin Bay
930	WDW Deep Sea
934	WDW Kudzu
963	GAST Woodrose
966	GAST Chamomile
3052	CC Joshua Tree
3768	WDW Dolphin
3822	GAST Caramel Corn
3855	GAST Apple Cider
3857	GAST Berry Cobbler

Thanks for everyone who was interested in learning more about my conversion. I'm really excited about my colors and hope they stitch up as lovely as I think they will. :)

Until next time ...

Mary to the seashore

2009-08-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't had much time to stitch lately but I am heading to Cape Cod with Mary in tow! I am sure I will have some much needed leisure time to spend with Mary!

Barb

Very little progress :(

2009-08-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I would never ever ever finish that first medallion, but here it is...Yay Me! I sure hope that it doesn't take me as long to cross stitch any of the rest of them. Sorry for the ugly cell phone pic but it's all that I can do at the moment. I'm so happy to be starting a new motif. And no...I didn't spill koolaid on it-it's just some weird shadow.

finally an update

2009-08-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've taken so long to post an update, I needed to finish Ann Trump before I could continue on with Miss Mary.

Everyone's Mary's are beautiful and some are going to fast!

Hopefully I can concentrate more so long as Beatrix doesn't start calling out for some attention.

Happy Stitching everyone!

Sincerely,

Don

Contrary Mary!

2009-08-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

As seen on my blog: http://lavenroseramblings.blogspot.com/ dear Mary's latest stitchings. She seems to hide herself in between projects in my basket! She wriggles into crevases, and slithers beside new stitching magazines in her little stitching bag. I've dubbed this small figurine, "Mary Wigham," she has just the face and attitude, I think. :]

More progress, hopefully, in August!! Hugs, and congratulations to all who were stitching fabulously! Deb

Mary Wigham Restart

2009-08-03T17:15:00.001-07:00

Well, after my consideration & contemplation, I finally made the decision to pull different fibers and restart my Mary sampler. I originally started her on 32-count Legacy linen from PTP using the recommended DMC fibers. I then decided I wanted to stitch her using over-dyes, so I pulled over-dyes that basically coordinated with the recommended DMC colors. After stitching on that a bit, I decided that I really wanted to do her in more muted "traditional" sampler colors and on a finer count linen.

When I was at my LNS on Saturday for our monthly all-day open stitching class, I had a couple of my friends help me with my final color selections. I restarted Mary yesterday using the new fibers and stitching her 1-over-1 using tent stitch on 36-count Maritime White Lakeside Linen. I'm SOOOOOO much happier with her now!

I'll close out with a couple of pics. The first is of the toss of my final floss choices and my fabric. I may still have to make a couple of substitutions because I'm not sure a couple of the colors will show up on my fabric using just a single strand. I'll make those decisions as I go along. The second shows my progress as of last night when I put her down to head to bed. Both pictures may be clicked to see a larger version.

Thanks for looking!

The Daily Mel

MISS MARY BATHED IN PINK

2009-08-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have completed six more motifs over the past two weekends; weekends are made for stitching! You can see progress pictures on my stitching blog + some others, click here. (Don't forget to leave a comment on my stitching blog under the July 28th post & enter the contest!)

Sweet Miss Mary stitching to you all!

Wawanna