Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I've been slogging away on The Chase for the last few weeks.  I'm moving on to something else this weekend, just until the 1st of June when I go back to AotH.  First, how many of you think that The Chase is two deer chasing each other across the greensward?  I have raised my hand along with you.  Here's an image from the cover of the kit ...

I decided that I'd do a bunch of the grass instead of leaving all of it until the end to do because that would be REALLY boring.  So, I'm stitching away at my grass, which I know, looks different from the grass on the original.  I don't think it's better or worse, I just think it's different.  I also thought that it was best to work from the background out - do the stuff that is supposed to be furthest back and then stitch things on top of that, or, I guess, forward of that?  You know what I mean - so that it gets a more dimensional look.  Anyway, got around to stitching the deer.  One of  the deer is done with two colors.  I decided to do that one first.  I had given some thought earlier on to switching the doe and stag.  But, decided that the stag's antlers would come too close to the leave on the tree.  Well, girls chase guys on Sadie Hawkins Day, right?  I left it alone.

It wasn't until I was actually stitching the "doe", concentrating on not messing up the two tone effect, that I realized she wasn't a doe at all.  It's a dog - and that's what The Chase is all about - a dog chasing a stag.  So, Siobhan, get your smart phone out and ask it to pronounce this word: D-U-H !!!  Oh, my goodness I felt so dumb when I realized that the two tails were different.  But, both of them were supposed to be stitched with the same threads (albeit the dog was done in two tones).  So, even though I said I wasn't going to, I actually did make a change.  First of all, I tried to give the dog a more dog-like head.  The head drawn on the linen was almost exactly the same as the stag's.  That made it fit the ears better.  Then I replaced the stag's colors (taupes) with DMC 975 and 976 which I think are golden browns (yep, just checked - light and medium golden brown).  I thought they were more deerlike colors.  I also added a bit more cream on the tail and ears - where there was none called for.  But, that's it!  I'm not changing anything else!  Here's my overall progress this month:

When we went to Woodlawn Plantation I picked up the Sandra Sullivan design - Ferry Farm and stitched it up.  It wasn't on my list of things to do, but I snuck it in there anyway.  It was pretty quick, about three days worth of stitching.  It's been finished awhile.  I wanted to put it into a frame I knew I had, but I couldn't find the frame.  I knew it would look great and it does!

Here 'tis!  It is stitched on 40 count New Castle, white.  The frame measures 4 inches by 3 and a half inches.  At the bottom the design said WASHINGTON.  But, I decided that this was supposed to pay homage to Ferry Farm and I could just fit it in.  The Washington family members are nodded to through their initials.  Colors not changed, initials the same, just put in the farm name.  I love it.  Will keep it on my desk.

Finally, I've got another one off my finishing list.  It's my own design, The Bee Line March Sampler.  Framed so I can photograph it and get the charts put together.

Many of the same elements as the box I designed for the DAR competition; added Washington's Headquarters flag, the leaf border - they all represent trees that would have grown in the forests the men hustled their way through between Shepherdstown and Cambridge - and the map indicating the general path they took.  Have a great weekend - Hubbs and I are doing something fun tomorrow then work, work, work on the house.    Oh!  Forgot one thing.  Does anyone know what kind of linen that is that I'm stitching The Chase on?  I need to get ahold of some - blank and don't know what it's called.  Thanks!  Hope you enjoyed!