Cut her loose!

Sometimes it hurts.  Sometimes it's freeing.  Sometimes it's necessary.  

And sometimes, if it just doesn't feel right, you gotta know when to cut a girl loose.   

Maria Theresa Wilkinson; I'm talkin' to you!

At the KSSG (Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild) meeting a few months ago, a decision was made to make the guild focus project for the next year a sampler from The Scarlet Letter.    There was much debate on whether we should all pick one we loved and stitch that and then have a great show and tell in the end.  Or, should we, as a group, select a few and all stitch one of those.  The final decision was to vote for your 3 favorites and the top three vote getters would be the ones we'd all choose from to stitch.  

Let the jockeying begin!

photo borrowed from Wornthru which has an interesting article on jockey's silks.

The sampler I picked was of course, the one I thought the prettiest of the bunch from those we had to choose.  I began the job of getting these talented KSSG women on my side.  I politicked and cajoled and pleaded my case for the sampler of my choice.

I got the votes!

Julie did the same thing and she did quite well in the vote getting department, too.  There may have been a little more persuasion going on by others but Julie and I were the most aggressive least subtle of the bunch. 

We did it!  Ours were in the top 3.  I'm not telling you who was the best at the cajoling, politicking and pleading 'cause that really isn't the point of this story.

Okay, okay... it was Julie but she was on the debate team, after all!  

I was only a cheerleader!

Next order of business was to place our orders.  Oh no!  The one I picked and politicked for is no longer available at the SL.  So, the next best, in my totally biased, and not so humble opinion, was Julie's pick; Maria Wilkinson.

She looked pretty on the website and on the pattern picture.  I loved the cottage, after all.  But, when I got the pattern and pulled the threads and started looking at her, I no longer felt the love.  She's not very symmetrical and her colors are kind of bland.  I'm just not loving her.  Oh, she's pretty enough.
But, she's just not as blingy as I thought she'd be.
She's a little boring, for me.
Gosh, I sound so shallow.

This is the gal I really love:

Mary Gibson.

Love.

Yep!  Another beauty from the folks at the  

Haslemere Museum

click here to order your own copy!

She's pink.   She's red.  She's bright and cheerful.  She's got a great verse.  She's got great houses.
She's got an Adam and Eve.

She's FABULOUS!!!

She practically sparkles!

 Maria, you're OUT.  Mary, it's you I truly love.

Here's where Maria ended up:

Sorry for the blurry pic - a new camera and the setting was off.  But you get the picture - LOL

I spent last night cutting the start of Maria off and, sorry to sound brutal, I tossed her in the trash.  I remounted the fabric on rods for my sweet Mary.  I think the color of fabric will work well with her delightful colors.  Now, I've just got to pull the fibers and get to work.   My friend Melissa's start on Mary put me over the edge and made me realize how much more I loved Mary than Maria.  Melissa is starting Mary from the bottom and working up.  I will start at the top and work down.
See Melissa's beautiful start here;
Words and Blooms Blog

Maybe we'll meet somewhere in the middle!

The last sampler that got my blood pumping was also from Haslemare.
Remember Marianne Wenn?

This was not a great pic (a bit too sunny) but you get the idea.

Maybe it's the houses that I love.  Regardless... I feel the excitement coming back.
What are you excited to be stitching?

Thanks so much for all your visits and comments!  I've got some email to respond to and I will get to it tomorrow.  I promise!

Peace!
Terri