Week 1 - SOAR SAL

Welcome to Week 1 of the SAL! There are a few of our customers who jumped right into the Soar pattern, as soon as it arrived, and they have progress to share with you all...

Barb just started her Soar sampler on Saturday evening, here is her progress to date. She used some linen in her stash, a 28 count R&R linen. She is uncertain of the colors name, it appears from her photo that it is a grayish black. She is using Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colours and Gentle Arts hand dyed flosses. I think her choice of grayish toned linen is so fitting for this piece, as we all know what the skies have looked like here in Iowa for this poor eagle family...cold, wet, snowy & dreary. You can visit Barb's blog here.

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Judy from Attic Raggedy's has chosen to work her sampler on 28 count Dirty Cashel linen. She is using 2 strands of DMC flosses over 2 threads. She did have to change some of the floss colors to get necessary contrast between motif and linen. Her floss changes thus far are, DMC 3866 to 3782 and DMC 610 to 640. Judy to is a blogger, visit her here. When I designed this piece I was teetering back and forth, black linen or a dirty tan linen, so I'm glad someone has chosen to go this route...now I'll get to see it both ways with only having to stitch it one time!!

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Moving onto Bonnie's piece...Bonnie has been a loyal customer of mine, dating back to the late 1980's. I met her while vacationing in Sturbridge MA one summer, many many moons ago. She worked at a store there at the time, called Colonial Crafts. I feel as if I know her pretty well just from chit chatting on the phone when she calls in to place her order. And let just say when I think of Bonnie, I think of tiny work. She loves to work on 40 count and I love listening to her say, fotty (40), in that great Massachusetts accent of hers ;-)! Bonnie is stitching her sampler on 32 count Black Belfast linen over 1 thread with 1 strand. She is using the suggested DMC flosses. Her finished piece will finish out at about 4"...half the size of the rest of ours!! {sigh}

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This is Paula's progress thus far. Paula resides in Colorado, but was born and raised in Iowa. In fact her mother lives just east of me, by about a half hour...small world. Paula says she religiously follows a designer's recommendations, but decided to think outside of the box on this piece....way to go girl!!! She is using a 32 count Lakeside linen, color - Slate. She is using recommended DMC flosseses with these exceptions:
Crescent Colours Stepping Stones instead of DMC 640
Weeks Dye Works Confederate Gray instead of DMC 3023
The Gentle Art Dark Chocolate instead of DMC 3021
The Gentle Art Mulberry instead of DMC 918
Crescent Colours Barrel Cactus instead of DMC 3782
Crescent Colours Deep Fennel instead of DMC 926
Paula doesn't have a blog, but hopes to venture into that someday soon.

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And last but not least...another Soar SAL member hailing from Iowa! Have I mentioned that we Iowans are pretty proud of our famous eaglet family?? Below is Harriet's work in progress. She was introduced to the eagle web cam first here on my blog. Since then she has shared the link with several people, even the plumber that happened to be working at her home. The plumber later mentioned that his children are having fun watching the eagles.

Harriet didn't have any black linen in her stash so she selected something she did have. She is stitching on Silkweaver Thunderstorm 32 count, using 2 strands over 2 threads using all DMC flosses so far except for the granary. She wanted the granary to look like an old red barn, so she switched out a couple of DMC flosses to HDF Examplar Raisin Wine and Examplar Hearthstone. She uses 1 strand over 2 in the silks.

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I'd like to thank the above ladies who have shared their work with me, so that I can pass it on to all of you. It's been so fun getting photos of your work and seeing what choices of linen and threads you have come up with. Remember you are welcome to jump in at any time! Digital photos of your WIP just need to be to me by 9:00 PM CST on Thursday evening to make it into the Friday morning post. You can email me your photos at order@countrystitchesonline.com, putting Soar SAL as it's subject.

Wow, it's hard to believe it is the Friday before Easter! Didn't we just have snow on the ground a day or two ago??? I'm taking the day off today as family is arriving later this afternoon, and... well let's just say Grandma has lots and lots to do before the Easter bunny comes!!

Have a blessed Easter everyone,
Brenda

ALSO, one more thing...

I keep forgetting to mention that I've received a couple of emails from Bob Anderson (Raptor Bob), the guy behind the eagle cam. He sends his many thanks for the donations that I have made through the help of you, who have purchased the Soar pattern. I'd like to say "Thank You" to all of you who have made this possible for me. We are approaching the $1000.00 donation mark, thanks to you all! I'd also like to share a newspaper article about this man, Bob Anderson...he is so much more then just a guy that loves eagles...his love of nature is just amazing! Here is the newspaper article link for your reading pleasure.