New tools for the toolbox

I have some new tools for my embroidery/smocking toolbox. Thread charts for both DMC and Anchor flosses. I had always wanted one and when I saw Michie' Mooney post about the DMC chart on her blog, I took the plunge. I purchased the DMC chart first. When it came, I liked it so much, used it right away and declared right then I had to have the Anchor as well.

I prefer the way the Anchor card is set up, but am delighted to have both. It looks like a rainbow. And as I said, I have already used them on a project I have to keep secret for now. But it was such a delight. It doesn't take much to make me happy. (Contrary to what my husband and children might say.)

They are a bit pricey I guess, but so worth it in my opinion. I purchased the DMC card directly from them, but the Anchor card I could only find from a vendor on ebay. I paid about $25 for the DMC card and about $35 for the Anchor one.

Again a bit pricey, but very worth it. I can not tell you the number of times I have dug through my floss boxes, pulling out a half dozen or so at a time, trying to match colors to fabric. Above is how I store my floss.

In Floss Away bags. I started using these bags about 26 years ago, when I took my first smocking class at the Heirloom Shop in Pensacola FL. At the time, one of the few ways I had seen to store floss was by winding it on those bobbins. This wasn't going to work. First I had three tiny children, this process had disaster written all over it. Plus I didn't want my floss to have those kinks in it. Floss Away used to have storage boxes as well. Well I filled those two buddies up in a hurry.

When I could no longer stuff another single floss bag into the boxes I had, I found these scrapbooking storage boxes at Oriental Trading. The boxes measure 11 1/8" x 5 1/4" x 12 1/2", and come with dividers. I am able to get three rows of floss bags into each box. I have four of them, each of them labeled with the kind of floss. I haven't done the box that has the DMC Broder Medici yet. And that shot is as close as you are getting to  the inside of my stash closet. I don't tell everything I know.
I hope you are stitching on something beautiful.

Wearin' of the green

In honor of St. Paddy's it is a sweet romper in a pale green. It is Old Fashioned Baby's Embroidered Baby Clothes pattern. I used the embroidery design included in the pattern. Love the little B is for Besty pockets. Mine is a little askew but that is okay I think.

Did you read that book as a child? I did and loved it. I can even picture the cover. Just now when I Googled it I found that this book has never been out of print. I prefer this cover from the 60's as opposed to the one now.

I need to do one of these with gathered pockets. That would be sweet too. It is a sea mist green Imperial Batiste embroidered with Anchor floss. Very easy simple stitches, lazy daisies, running stitch and French knots.

Sweet simplicity. And can you go wrong with the pink and green combo. At first I thought the lime green floss would be too "aggh" but I liked it when I got it finished.

Enjoy and I hope you are stitching as well.