Have you started our year long project from 2017 “Menagerie of Mystery” – or wanted to?  For those of you not familiar with this project, it is designed to create your own sampler(s) and/or set of ornaments.  The instructions are located in the “Members Only” portion of our website.  There are 24 blocks that explore various types of stitches and techniques.  Each block can be done on almost any type of ground cloth and with almost any type of thread.

Several members have requested a stitch-a-long for this so that they can get started or move it further up their pile of projects.  Hope you will consider joining us too.  We kicked off our year-long SAL in mid-August.  As of now, we have at least 9 members participating in our SAL.  Most have chosen to make a sampler and two have chosen to make ornaments.  Photos will be posted as our SAL progresses.

The question now is, are you interested in joining this stitch-a-long? We will be working two (2) blocks each month.  Hopefully this will give you a fun project to do with supplies from your stash.  If you have any questions or want to join us, please e-mail me at nmkat18@gmail.com.

Here are some photos of Jackie’s supplies/choices:

Here is the basted outline for my spot sampler using our Layout #3.

We will be exploring two blocks each month around mid-month.  I will be posting photos for those blocks near the end of the month.

Happy Stitching and hope you will join us!

Karen Anthony

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Welcome to the Sept discussion of our SAL.  The two blocks we are currently exploring are Block 1 – Box & Square Stitches and Block 2 – Rhodes Stitches.

Here is the cube I stitches for Block 1 using the following types of stitches:  Smyrna Cross stitches, my modification of Reversed Scotch Stitch, my modification of Reversed Mosaic Stitch, Reversed Scotch Heart and several Waffle/Norwich stitches:

Here is Rosemary’s spot sampler with Block 1 and 2 completed.  For Block 1, she used Point Russe #1 stitch and for Block 2, she used the Rhodes Heart, Plaited Rhodes, and Two-Color Octagonal Rhodes stitches.

Check back for more photos from our members of their Block 1 & 2.

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Welcome back to our SAL discussion.  The next two blocks being explored are Block 3 – Tied & Leaf Stitches and Block 4 – Crossed Stitches.

Here is Rosemary’s spot sampler with Block 3 and 4 completed.  For Block 3, she used Diamond Leaf (photo on left) and the Wheat stitch (photo on right).

For Block 4, she used Herringbone two-trip.

Here is Mary’s spot sampler with Block 3 and 4 completed.  For Block 3, she used two patterns with Tied Windmill and Mini Leaf.  For Block 4, she used the Sprat’s Head stitch.

Check back for more photos from our members of their Blocks 3 & 4.

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Welcome back to our SAL discussion.  The next blocks being explored are Block 5 – Blackwork, Block 6 – Pulled Thread, Block 7 – Diagonal & Slanted Stitches and Block 8 – Bargello.

Check back for photos from our members for these blocks.