Monday, January 19, 2015

~ To Thine Own Heart Be True ~

Hello to all my friends on this chilly winter's day.

~ Studio News ~

It seems like every where I look this past 
few weeks....I'm seeing reminders to be true to
what I believe in!

In my little stitching alcove in the farmhouse, 
hangs an old shelve with some of my 
favorite carved folkart sheep.

This one is my my favorite....


It's my favorite because my husband hand carved the little
red heart that hangs around the neck.


I love looking up while stitching, because that little red
heart is a constant reminder to me;

~ To Thine Own Heart Be True ~


There has been something troubling my heart...about my  
stitching thread!

With SO many different threads available to stitchers,
how do you choose what to stitch with....FOLLOW YOUR HEART!


Here's why I'm torn, when I started stitching as a little
girl I always used DMC, which is very user friendly
and affordable....I will ALWAYS love DMC.

As my passion for stitching and antiques grew over 
the years....I also fell in love with SILK thread.

Then, discontentment started back in 2007 while stitching models
 for my retail shop Salem Stitchery.....when the new
overdyed cotton threads were introduced.

I started stitching with them, but just can't seem to fall
in love with them!

Overdyed threads are lovely, but when I use them....I end
up getting frustrated.   

I'm very traditional and love the look of antique samplers,
which were stitched with silk threads....never have I 
seen an antique sampler stitched in overdyed thread, and 
that's what's heavy on MY HEART! 

Then, out of the blue this man's words REALLY SPOKE TO ME....


I couldn't get his words out of my mind, 
because I felt like he was speaking directly to ME!!

So I spent the entire weekend creating a pallet
 of threads for my two favorite threads to stitch with;

~ Needlepoint Silk
~ DMC Cotton

I'm not finished sorting yet, but have my choices pretty 
well narrowed down.

Here a glimpse of what I have so far....


The Needlepoint Silk is top and bottom to the left, 
and DMC is top and bottom to the right.

On Friday I'll share my completed pallet lists...my goal is 
to keep it simple!


I know exactly which thread box I'll be using....


It's PERFECT...two drawers for Needlepoint Silk,
and two drawers for DMC cotton Thread.

This is not to say that I'll never use overdyed's again, 
but for now Scattered Seed Sampler models
will be stitched using Needlepoint Silk OR DMC.

If the model is stitched with the silk, I will ALWAYS 
include the DMC alternatives.


Needlepoint Silk (NPS) ....so traditional & lovely to stitch with!


DMC Cotton Thread....all time FAVORITE!

Overdyed Cotton Thread...beautiful contemporary look!

It's really nice now that there are conversion 
thread lists available for those who 
love working with this variegated thread.

Sorry for all my rambling!

What thread is pulling at YOUR heart?
They're ALL lovely...what's YOUR comfort zone?

There's no right or wrong :)

****

Look at what I found in the East Wing of the farmhouse....


My old Amy Grant poster....dated on the back June 3, 1989!

I was a big Amy Grant fan and went to several of her
concerts....I still love listening to her old CD's while stitching!

In fact, I gathered them all together so I can add a CD player
to my stitching alcove :)


I always have music playing in the Studio, so it will  
be nice to add some music to my favorite stitching space!!!

***

I forgot to post this picture a couple of weeks ago....


Wow, I can hardly believe it!

And now the price is even lower....$1.96 per gallon.

***


Evening Sky over the Mississippi River, by
Samuel Black


I keep telling my son Samuel he should get into
professional photography!

***

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

A man's heart deviseth his way;
but the Lord directeth his steps.

~ Proverbs 16:9...KJV ~

***

Have a wonderful week stitching with 
YOUR favorite thread!

~ Kindly, Tammy ~



10 comments:

  1. I agree, there is something to be said for the old standard DMC. I keep going back to it. Never have worked with silk. I too am a fan of Amy Grant. Have all her old CD's and once in a while play them while I'm in my craft/sewing room. Brings back so many memories. And yes, your son Sam should think about being a professional photographer. Beautiful shots!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Tammy! I'm a die hard DMC girl. I do occasionally use over-dyed thread which I enjoy tremendously. But now I am really looking forward to stitching in silks.. I think I'll get some for my most recent design purchase from you. Your blog always inspires me so!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a great post ~ first, being a sheep fan, I love your sheep! So special that your husband carved the heart! I do use overdyed threads on many projects, but have been looking at a return to DMC ~ not only is it cheaper, but the colors are so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would listen to Ryan Gosling, he knows what he's talking about! DMC I have a soft spot for but I love silks! They don't agree with my budget though. If a chart calls for a few silks, say 3 or 4 skeins, then yes I will buy them. Anymore than that, I can't do it. We've got $1.99 over here in Arizona too but I just can't help feeling that these prices are going to be short lived and the other shoe will drop. But I will enjoy it for the duration!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the evening sky pictures you shared! Your son is very talented. As for threads, you should use what means your heart happy. While I like the over-dyed threads, I also like DMC. I think as long as you provide a conversion in your charts, stitchers will be happy.

    Robin in Virginia

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a beautiful blog post and it brought back many memories for me. I listened to Amy Grant in the 80's, 1984 to be exact, when she first was being played. And remembered when most needlework shops carried DMC and #3011 and #3012 and some others first were for sale and how beautiful I thought they were. Now I use over-dyed threads and wonder when the options will stop. I have some silk threads that I have not used yet. I believe they are NPI for a danish sampler pattern. I should try it and can only imagine how nice it will be to stitch with it. Your sheep are lovely. I have never seen carved sheep. Beautiful for a sewing nest I think. Thank you again for a lovely post and the verse. Karen in NC

    ReplyDelete
  7. I forgot to add how funny I thought your post was too, especially the picture regarding Mr. Ryan, a true gentleman I am sure.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You've raised some good points for each thread... I really don't have a favorite (yet)... I guess I'm still in the testing stage as I've only stitched one pinkeep in silk... the others all have been dmc or WDW & GA. Yes... your son should be a professional photographer. Love that pic of the frozen river. Looking forward to more info on your pinkeep club! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love this post thank-you for sharing I am a DMC girl myself but do use other specialty threads.
    Love your sheep.

    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love those sheep and I am pea green with envy over those thread cabinets. I am a NPI silk fan, I seldom stitch with the overdyed because I want more coverage on the linen.

    ReplyDelete